bubbles in pump basket

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Pool in Carolina Blue

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May 28, 2007
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I continue to have small air bubbles in the pump basket. I have checked about everything there is to check including the lid/gasket, plugs, all valves/gaskets, connections etc. Interestingly, there is no air in the returns to the pool. It appears as if the bubbles are emanating from the opening where the impeller is located. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks in advance!
 
What kind of pump do you have?

If there is a leak at the point where your pump separates suction from pressure, you can get a nice bubbling/cavitating effect. Sometimes this is due to a bad diffuser o-ring, or sometimes there is a crack inside the housing. The latter is particularly prevalent on hayward super pumps along the seam in the mold.

Obviously a bad o-ring is an easy fix, a cracked housing not so much.

Have you checked around the male adapter coming into the suction side of the pump?
 
spishex said:
What kind of pump do you have?

If there is a leak at the point where your pump separates suction from pressure, you can get a nice bubbling/cavitating effect. Sometimes this is due to a bad diffuser o-ring, or sometimes there is a crack inside the housing. The latter is particularly prevalent on hayward super pumps along the seam in the mold.

Obviously a bad o-ring is an easy fix, a cracked housing not so much.

Have you checked around the male adapter coming into the suction side of the pump?
Click to expand...

I have a sta-rite max-e-pro. It is only 8 months old. I did check the adapter to make sure it was tight. I see no water leakage below the pump so I am not sure if the housing could be cracked. Sounds like I need to disassemble the pump. I am not real handy so maybe I am better served calling a pool service company!

Thanks,
 
While perfection is the goal, it is not that uncommon for perfectly good pumps to operate for years with a pot that never fills 100%. If having "bubbles" means that there always seems to be a 50-cent sized air bubble that wobbles at the highest point of the clear lid, that just might be OK. If you mean you have air being inducted into the pot that would jeopardize the pump operation, or it steadily gains air into the strainer pot, then you need to have it checked.
 
Carolina,

Since it looks like the air is coming from below, have you checked the drain valves in the body of the pump basket? They should be tight and normally have a gasket. You probably only have one but I think some pumps have two.
 
budster said:
While perfection is the goal, it is not that uncommon for perfectly good pumps to operate for years with a pot that never fills 100%. If having "bubbles" means that there always seems to be a 50-cent sized air bubble that wobbles at the highest point of the clear lid, that just might be OK. If you mean you have air being inducted into the pot that would jeopardize the pump operation, or it steadily gains air into the strainer pot, then you need to have it checked.
Click to expand...

Bud:

The pot is filling 100%. The air bubbles are very small and they seem just to circulate at the bottom of the basket near the opening where the impeller is located. I am not losing prime.
 
duraleigh said:
Carolina,

Since it looks like the air is coming from below, have you checked the drain valves in the body of the pump basket? They should be tight and normally have a gasket. You probably only have one but I think some pumps have two.
Click to expand...

Duraleigh:

I checked the drain valves and actually wrapped them in plumber tape to make sure they were snug. These do not have gaskets though. I am not losing prime so maybe I should not worry about it. Have you seen an impeller problem that could cause this? I see no leakage at the bottom of the pump.
 
Are there tiny bubbles coming out of the returns too? I am also learning about things that go on with my pumps and so on. When I saw the tiny bubbles from the returns and in the basket, I released the air valve on top of the filter till the water came out in a stream. The bubbles in the returns and pump basket went away.

It happens when you clean the filters or the pump basket. Guess there is air that gets into the system and has no place to go until you release it from the valve.
 
gregg123 said:
Are there tiny bubbles coming out of the returns too? I am also learning about things that go on with my pumps and so on. When I saw the tiny bubbles from the returns and in the basket, I released the air valve on top of the filter till the water came out in a stream. The bubbles in the returns and pump basket went away.

It happens when you clean the filters or the pump basket. Guess there is air that gets into the system and has no place to go until you release it from the valve.
Click to expand...

Gregg:

I am not seeing any air coming out of the returns. I normally release the air from the pressure release valve so I don't think that is the culprit. Anyway, I too am learning so I will keep turning over rocks until I find the worm!
 
Carolina,

First, I think I was in error saying that "most" of those drain plugs have a gasket......In retrospect, I think most do not.

That you are not losing prime is an indicator that the leak is very, very small and really not a problem as budster said.

Next time you open the pump basket, remove the o-ring and check it and the groove it fits into for any small debris. Sometime, there can be an imperfect seal at that point that only shows up when the pump is on.

I have gotten obsessed chasing down something like that but it's very rewarding if you can find it :lol:
 

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duraleigh said:
Carolina,

First, I think I was in error saying that "most" of those drain plugs have a gasket......In retrospect, I think most do not.

That you are not losing prime is an indicator that the leak is very, very small and really not a problem as budster said.

Next time you open the pump basket, remove the o-ring and check it and the groove it fits into for any small debris. Sometime, there can be an imperfect seal at that point that only shows up when the pump is on.

I have gotten obsessed chasing down something like that but it's very rewarding if you can find it :lol:
Click to expand...

Thanks Duraleigh. I checked the o ring yesterday (in the snow here in Charlotte) and it seems fine. I did note that my sta-rite manual said I did not need to lube the o-ring as it comes pre-lubed. I thought that was strange as I have always used pool & spa lube and I have been using it on the pump basket o-ring since installation.
 
Your lid o-ring does come pre-lubricated but that will wear off over time.

If you're still concerned enough to dig deeper, take the band off and check the diffuser o-ring (part #12).

maxepro-parts-f.gif
 
Another possibility is that the pump is pumping into a very unrestrictive filter and plumbing system (a lot of returns), or that the pump is lifting the water quite a bit. Either of these situations can result in lower than normal pressure on the suction side which can temporarily generate small bubbles that will disappear when they pass through the pump.
 
JohnT said:
Another possibility is that the pump is pumping into a very unrestrictive filter and plumbing system (a lot of returns), or that the pump is lifting the water quite a bit. Either of these situations can result in lower than normal pressure on the suction side which can temporarily generate small bubbles that will disappear when they pass through the pump.
Click to expand...

John:

You just described my system (unrestrictive filter with a lot of returns). How are the bubbles generated if there is not air entering the system? Thanks for your help,

Mike
 
spishex said:
So this pump is only about 8 months old, right? The diffuser o-ring should be just fine in that case. I think you're ok. As has been said, the big issue would be if air was being pulled in and accumulating.
Click to expand...

Yes, the pump is only 8 months old. Thanks for your help. I will keep my fingers crossed.
 

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