Air Bubbles in Pump Basket and out returns

[chadw24]

I have had air bubbles in the pump basket and out of the returns all summer. I checked everything I could above ground and could not find any leaks. The other day I backwashed my filter and noticed the air bubbles all went away afterwards. But the next day after the pump had shut off for the night and then turned back on the air bubbles were there again. So I shut the pump off and while it was off rotated the the multiport valve handle all the way around back to filter and turned the pump back on and the air bubbles were gone again.

I am guessing there is a dirty or bad gasket or o ring in the multiport valve and plan on taking it apart so I can check it out. If anyone has any suggestions or info that would useful please reply.

Thank you, Chad

P.S. This site is awesome I have spent many hours on this site reading and have learned alot. I am a first year pool owner and when I talk to friends and co-workers about pool chemistry they look at me and like they don't have a clue what I am talking about, and they have had pools for years.

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

P.S. This site is awesome I have spent many hours on this site reading and have learned alot. I am a first year pool owner and when I talk to friends and co-workers about pool chemistry they look at me and like they don't have a clue what I am talking about, and they have had pools for years.

I know! I had a friend who owns a pool, remark to another friend when TFP came up " She puts BLEACH in her pool!" like it was lye or ammonia or something caustic.... this from the man whose using test strips....the bottle of strips is so old and the outside wrapper is so bleached out he can't compare the colors accurately. "he just knows" he says. Whatever.

sorry, can't help you with the filter....

 

[waste]

Chad, Welcome to TFP!!

Sounds to me like you've got the problem isolated (does any water come out of the 'waste port while the pool is running on filter? If so, the spider gasket IS the culprit!) Although, you may still have a suction leak Please read this article and do the suggested tests to pinpoint the problem.We will be here to help you with any problem you may encounter, but need you to do a little homework, so that we know what's going on

Good luck with this, and we'll be here to help! :-D

 

[chadw24]

Update: Took apart the multiport valve and the spider gasket looked good. Took the filter apart, acid washed the grids cleaned everything out put it all back together and I still have bubbles in the pump basket. Now they do not go away when I move the multiport valve handle. I've checked everything thing I can see above ground and cannot find any leaks. So I am now assuming the leak must be somewhere in the suction line under ground. Does this sound correct? And is there an easy way to check that?

Chad

 

[waste]

Chad, did you try what is suggested in the leak link I gave you? The advice there is almost verbatim the advice I'd give

If you did the tests, let me know and I'll try to work up a few more things you can look for

 

[chadw24]

Yes I tested all connections on suction side, including the lid and drains on the pump itself by pouring water over them. I have not taken the pump itself apart though and checked that. Is there an o ring or something inside the pump that I should check?

Thanks, Chad

 

[chadw24]

Another Update.

I dug down to the elbow that runs from equipment to the pool and no leaks. I pressure tested the line between the skimmer and the pump with a water bladder and no leaks. I replaced the O ring on the pump basket lid and it still drew air. So that wasn't it.

So after lots of frustration I called a pool technician. He came out and checked everything around the pump, replaced the nipple at the pump and it is still sucking air. From somewhere?

Before the pool tech left he suggested that I try to blow water through the line to see if a stone or something may be in the pipe, I do have a lot of stones around the pool for landscaping.

Any thoughts?

Chad

 

[JohnT]

Chad, you can also get bubbles if there is a suction restriction, so checking for a partial clog in the suction line is a good idea.

That said, I have a 1HP pump, and my system bubbles when running on the skimmer alone. I have to crack the valve to the main drain to make the basket fill completely with water. Have you experienced any pressure changes on your system? Any whirlpool in the skimmer or skimmer weir not swinging freely? New skimmer basket?

If it is a flow issue, turning one of your return eyeballs 90 degrees so it blocks most of the flow should reduce the bubbling, and removing one or both eyeball fittings should make the problem worse.