Hi, I am new to the forum. I have a new problem with my pool system. I am getting some air bubbles in the pump this year, some of these are making through the filter and heater back to the pool jets. The air bubbles disappear when I turn on the pool vacuum. So if I leave the creepy crawley in the pol connected to the vacuum I have no air, but as soon as I turn the vacuum off, I start to see air bubbles in the pump. I was trying to figure out if this indicates a problem in the vacuum line or the main line. My thinking is that it must be a leak in the vacuum line between the vacuum shut off valve and the pump. Does that make sense to anyone else?
Air Bubble in Pump
- Thread starter jkessack
- Start date
Welcome to TFP!
Could be a restriction some place else. Tell us about your pool. Pump size, skimmers, drains etc.. and if the vacuum is on a dedicated vacuum port and if it is a pressure or suction type cleaner.
Could be a restriction some place else. Tell us about your pool. Pump size, skimmers, drains etc.. and if the vacuum is on a dedicated vacuum port and if it is a pressure or suction type cleaner.
Welcome to TFP!!!I can not picture your plumbing setup ... could be a difference of terminology.
Can you add some pictures of the setup.
If you are only getting bubbles on a certain suction line ... then your air leak is on the suction line. Is the vacuum a separate port or through the skimmer? Is your water level high enough and the weir on the skimmer not sticking that would allow air to be sucked in through the skimmer?
JohnT said:
Thanks. I have a 10,000 Gallon Kidney shaped pool. The pump, filter, and heater are 25 feet away from the pool connected with underground 2 inch PVC pipe. One pipe goes from the skimmer to just before the pump another pipe runs from a vacuum attachment to just before the pump. Both pipes have on/off ball valves, the two pipes then join together just before they enter the intake port for the pump. The pump joins to the sand filter, which in turn joins to the heater before going back to the pool.
Was that enough additional information?
jblizzle said:
I can not picture your plumbing setup ... could be a difference of terminology.
Can you add some pictures of the setup.
If you are only getting bubbles on a certain suction line ... then your air leak is on the suction line. Is the vacuum a separate port or through the skimmer? Is your water level high enough and the weir on the skimmer not sticking that would allow air to be sucked in through the skimmer?
The main line and the vacuum line are separate lines from the pool. They join together just before the pump. Each line has a on/off ball valve prior to joining together. I guess that means that my vacuum is suction. Water level should not be an issue.
So does the air appear when only the skimmer is open?
Is there air when only the vacuum is open? With or without the vacuum attached?
Is there air when both are open?
Is there air when only the vacuum is open? With or without the vacuum attached?
Is there air when both are open?
jblizzle said:
With main on and vacuum off I get air, not a lot but some.
When I have both the vacuum and main line on I get no air.
I had not tried it with vacuum only until I saw this note. I get a lot of air when I run with the vacuum line only, but I am not sure if this is because the vacuum opening is only 1 inch, so may not be able to draw sufficient water to keep the pump full. Not sure on that one. Anyway, when I turn both valves back on after running vacuum only the bubbles disappear after a few minutes.
Wondering if you ball valves are leaking and allowing air in. Try running a hose over the each valve one at a time and see if the bubbles diminish.
Thanks, I will check this out. I started thinking that it might be the ball valves as well. I turned the pump off, then turned both valves off. Then I opened the pump and filled the chamber with water, in about 5 minutes the water went down a couple of inches. I think I will pursue replacing the ball valves this winter, I am going to be shutting the pool down soon. We live in the Washington state Puget Sound area.jblizzle said:
If you replace the valves ... just use one 3-way pool valve and not the cheap PVC ball valves that leak and break.
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