Best way to find suction side leak?

[jorivesud]

I have air coming into my pump strainer. I replaced my o-rings, pump plugs and made no difference, so I will need to dig to the skimmer to find where is the leak.
But, it does not seem to be a very big leak and I'm afraid it might be difficult to find.
What are the best methods to find air leak on suction side?
Soapy water on joints? Anything better?

 

[Rancho Cost-a-Lotta]

Post a few photos of your equipment pad plumbing.

Are you seeing bubbles at all pumps speeds?

 

[jorivesud]

Here is my setup:



I start the pump with no bubbles at all. But will get about 1 inch of free air in the strainer after 2-3 days. I'm running at 2200 rpm for 10 hours and 1100 for 14 hours.
Last year would take about 2 weeks to get to the same state. I replaced all my o-rings without any changes. I inspected all my joints and I don't see any visual leaks.
What's left is digging between the pad and the skimmer to look at what is hidden.

 

[Rancho Cost-a-Lotta]

The pic quality is not real good. I would be most suspect of the elbow in front of the pump. Make sure it's a fitting designed for pressure applications and not for Drain/Waste/Vent (DWV). This is were I would start checking for leaks.

Also, make sure your system is holding pressure when the pump is off. You can sometimes detect a leak by listening for hissing air when the pump is off.

It's normal for some air to be present in the pump basket with VS pumps running at lower speeds. When the pump primes or runs at higher speeds, those bubbles are evacuated from the system. If you do have a small leak it might be a challenge to find it. See if this article helps...

Suction Side Air Leaks

If you see air bubbles coming out of the return lines in your pool, you likely have a leak. Some signs that a suction side plumbing leak has occurred include: Read more

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[jorivesud]

The elbow in front of the pump is coming from reputable pool store parts department. I do have a reducer on the side connecting to the 1.5 inch pipe going into ground to skimmer.
I know I have a leak since this problems is a lot worse this year compare to last year. I'm actually able to see some medium size bubble show up at 2200 rpm after 4-5 hours without having gone to slow speed yet. And if I don't re-prime the pump after 3 days, I'm afraid it will starve, something that was not an issue at all last year.
I was just wondering on the most successful way to find the leak.
Is it easier to find the leak running at full speed or 2200 rpm is good enough?
I do ear air going thru the skimmer, but not sure if it's from suction or pressure side of the skimmer. My skimmer is an Aqua Genie and has suction and return in the same unit.
That's why I'm suspecting I might have the leak at the skimmer, but it could also be from air coming from pressure side. I don't see air bubbles going out in the pool.

 

[Rancho Cost-a-Lotta]

Try increasing pump speed and see if the bubbles inside the pump basket increase. Once you're at a point where you can see air bubbles entering the pot, there are a couple of different recommended ways to detect a leak. One way is to use plastic food wrap and wrap all of the joints. I'm not sure how effective that would be, but it's worth a shot. Second, use a garden hose and run water along all of the joints. What you're looking for using both methods is a reduction in the active bubbles entering the pot.