Connection between skimmer and PVC

[macmini]

At the bottom of the skimmer there used to be a couple wraps of teflon tape on the connection between the skimmer and pvc pipe to the pump.
Curiosity got the best of me, and after picking at the teflon tape and inserting a vacuum hose into the suction port in the skimmer the teflon tape got sucked into the pump basket.

Did I just cause a leak in the connection between the skimmer and PVC? My pool has the hayward skim-master skimmers.

 

[Smykowski]

Maybe, maybe not. Keep an eye on the pump pot for the next few days, and see if there is any more air showing up than usual. Also pay attention to your pump performance. See if there's any change in the water flow coming out of the return.

How is the PVC connected to the skimmer? Glue? Clamps? I would bet you just picked off the extra. Any tape that's sandwiched between the pipe and skimmer is probably still down there.

 

[macmini]

The pool is still relatively new (~6 months) but from the day the pump was turned on little air bubbles have been coming out of the return. Like champagne bubbles. There is an ozonator that the pool builder threw in for free so I expect a couple bubbles. I don't know if there have been more bubbles though. Would dialing the ozonator to the lowest setting turn it off? I think the builder connected it to the same relay that controls the pump so I can't manually control the ozonator.

I think the skimmer is connected with glue. I didn't see any clamps when they were building it, but I'm not sure. What is normally used for gunite pools?

Thanks.

 

[Bama Rambler]

The ozonator can be the cause for bubbles. Either by generation or tubing leaks. I would disconnect it and plug the holes to see if the bubbles went away.

Rest assured that there's very little chance that the teflon tape incident caused a leak. Any tape that wasn't engaged by the threads wasn't doing anything to prevent a leak anyway.

I would spend some time tracking down the source of the bubbles though.

 

[macmini]

Ok Bama Rambler. I will disconnect the ozonator and see what happens. Thanks!