Possible filter issue with air

[rbf351]

the pool came with house, and no matter what i do i can not get the filter to be silent. it always sounds like there is air in there.

i have replaced all my seals/gaskets, and i'm not losing any water, so i don't have a leak on the skimmer or main drain line, or the returns.

My guess is that there was something else hooked to the return line, and there is air getting stuck in the pipe that is capped off on the right.

also i'm thinking that the chlorinator is in the wrong spot, and should be before both return lines. That is the pipe coming directly off the pool, and bypassing the chlorinator are the jets that are pictured below

jets

here is also a video of the sound
http://www.flickr.com/photos/35653728@N ... likes_hd=1

 

[RobbieH]

Is there air or is there water in the sight glass on the filter?

 

[rbf351]

no air in the water, and no air in the pump basket

 

[RobbieH]

In your picture, on the side of the valve just below the pressure gauge, is a sight glass. What is in it?

 

[rbf351]

that's just for the backwash site glass so you can see if the water is coming out clear when backwashing

 

[jblizzle]

that's just for the backwash site glass so you can see if the water is coming out clear when backwashing

right it should just be air ... I think Robbie was thinking maybe some of the water was leaking by the spider gasket and out the backwash line causing the noise. There is a chance that some of the water is indeed bypassing the filter through the multiport which would cause noise.

Since you ideally should not be using the chlorinator ... who cares where it is plumbed

The capped off pipe would not cause noise in the filter.

 

[rbf351]

gotcha

i just changed the spider gasket a few week ago to see if that was the issue, but of course it wouldn't be that simple

why shouldn't i use the chlorinator?

 

[jblizzle]

Because trichlor pucks add FC and CYA. The FC is consumed, but the CYA builds up. As the CYA gets higher, you need to maintain a higher and higher FC level to prevent algae. Check out Pool School if you have not already:
pool-school/types_chlorine_pool
pool-school/chlorine_cya_chart_shock

The only way you can squeak by exclusively using pucks is if you have a short season and drain a lot of water to winterize ... thus removing some of the built up CYA.

 

[RobbieH]

Although I don't have a top mounted valve like that, mine fills with water when it's running right. If there's a problem, it fills with air. Mine is right on top though, so it may not be related.

 

[mpnret]

Because trichlor pucks add FC and CYA. The FC is consumed, but the CYA builds up. As the CYA gets higher, you need to maintain a higher and higher FC level to prevent algae. Check out Pool School if you have not already:
pool-school/types_chlorine_pool
pool-school/chlorine_cya_chart_shock

The only way you can squeak by exclusively using pucks is if you have a short season and drain a lot of water to winterize ... thus removing some of the built up CYA.

It almost seems like pucks were designed for those of us in the northeast with mesh winter covers. I have been using them for over 20 years without an issue. I do keep an eye on CYA but honestly I never needed to make an adjustment.

 

[jblizzle]

We I can tell you they certainly were not designed for those of us that never close the pool.

 

[FamilyGuy]

The chlorinator is plumbed so if you turn off the valve on the return line after it you are not running the chlorinator. ( just an observation)

 

[rbf351]

i guess that explains why all of a sudden my chlorine levels went from over 4 down to nothing over the past few days, and why i had to add 7 tablets into the chlorinator just to get it back up to 2