Air bubbles in return, water tank not filling

[spf30]

First, I'm not sure how to update my information that appears at the bottom of my messages, so I'll add the current info at the end.

We replaced the pump, but can't seem to get a good strong flow out of returns. We are getting spurts of air bubbles and after a bit, while vacuuming, we lose suction. I'm not tech savvy on the pump, etc, but the one thing I'm noticing on this new pump vs the older one is, the little canister/tank where the water shoots in to (don't mind my lack of proper tech terms here!), doesn't seem to fill. With the old pump, that little water tank next to it would fill up with water while pump was running and it was often hard to even tell if it had water in it, apart from seeing tiny bubbles. With this new pump, the whole time the filter is running, the water just continues to pour into the tank, then goes out...never filling. Hope this makes sense!

We opened to nice water, but now we are getting murky due to pump issues, so help is greatly appreciated!

Filter info hasn't changed, but we now have the following pump:

Hayward Super Pump, 10ft lift, self priming, 1 HP Not sure what other info you'd need. We have an above ground pool, but my husband was told we should use this type pump since the pumping station sits above the water level of the pool.

 

[duraleigh]

You have a suction side air leak. Somewhere between the pump and the skimmer(s), air is being sucked into the system. Find that leak and your issues will be solved.

You will need to SLAM the pool to fix the murky water but I would fix the leak first. How to SLAM the pool can be found in Pool School.

 

[Richard320]

Air getting into the basket points to a suction side air leak. I'll recycle my usual response.
You might also try using the search box for suction side air leaks.

Round up the usual suspects: low water level, stuck weir (flapper) in the skimmer, loose drain plugs on the pump, poor seal on the pump strainer basket, and leaks at the fittings, especially any couplings.
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[spf30]

Thanks for the replies and makes sense. We just installed the new pump and had to redo the pipes that connect because the previous set up didn't fit. So we have several new joints I suppose that could be leaking. I understand it will take a bit of time to systematically find the air leak(s), but what am I looking for? Do I look for the leak as the filter is running, and what will I notice? Sorry for what seems to be 'elementary' questions, but not sure!! Thanks again!

 

[Richard320]

Take 'em in order.

Is the water halfway up the skimmer? Look inside when it's on. Do you see any whirlpools? Is the flapper sticking? Then take the lid off the basket of the pump. Make sure the O-ring doesn't have any cuts or nicks or cracks and that it's lubricated. Make sure there's no grass or dirt sticking in there. Find the drain plugs on the bottom of the pump and give 'em a twist to be sure they're tight. In about 80% of the cases here, one of those things will fix it.

Since you've had recent repairs, we fall back to the mechanic's axion, "Whatever you worked on last is the first thing that breaks."

With the pump running you can dribble water from the hose over each connection as well as around the stem of any valves. If the pump basket starts to fill, you found it. However, it's often hard to pinpoint exactly which connection with all that water flowing in the area. An alternative is to coat the suspect areas with shaving cream. Work your way down the plumbing. The leak will start pulling the foam in. You'll see a gap where it's sucking, and you might see the basket start looking white. You might even see cloudiness coming out the returns.