Happy 4th of July my fellow pool folks!
I've got the day off of work, and figured I might sink a little time into a new mystery on my pool. Quick setup:
My pool has 2 suction pipes which Tee into the pump motor basket. A drain pipe and a skimmer pipe. Water is pumped through a sand filter, then a SWG cell which I installed last year. (Love the convenience of salt!) This season had a bit of a radical pool update, got a new liner in. I'm excited that my hard work in keeping the pool chemistry clear now shows off a beautiful liner. I'll post before & after pics soon, my old liner was gross. Friends likely thought I wasn't doing a great job with chemistry which is why the pool looked blah.
Back to the task at hand! From the SWG the plumbing Tees into two return pipes. A 'Deep End' and a 'Shallow End' labeled pipe. My pool is 4' uniform depth, but I take this to mean the return on the steps side of the pool vs. the pool on the far end. The return on the steps side has almost 0 pressure coming out. While the deep end return is a raging torrent. I don't remember if this happened last year, but I'm pretty sure this event is new to this season. Important note I did NOT block off the returns this year. I didn't 'close' the pool as I have in the past. My pool has been losing 1/2 its water every winter. I blamed the old liner, and knowing I was going to replace the liner (& half lazyness) drained the pump equipment and left the pool uncovered alone.
That's my setup, the symptoms are this: There is SOME flow from the shallow return, but I can easily hold my hand over the outlet. When I do, eventually some pressure builds up behind my hand (within 10 seconds) and every time air bubbles come out. Not a lot of air, but every time there is air. Pump basket has full prime, no swirling air, no air trapped in SWG cell. This is odd behaviour. I CANNOT block the deep end return with my hand, it pushes water too hard. Oddly even when I try to (and succeed in) at least restrict the flow at the deep return, that makes no change on the shallow return. The deep return is an estimated 60+ feet of pipe from the filter, the shallow (non-flowing return) is approx 10' from the filter.
Figuring a critter made a nest or something in the pipe I jammed a stick back, but only goes in about 8" before it hits a 90 degree in the plumbing. Doesn't feel like debris, but rather a hard stop in the PVC. I don't understand why I'm getting air bubbles, or why I have minor pressure, but no change when blocking the flowing return. Your thoughts are welcome!
Perhaps of note, or perhaps nothing, I've had to add water twice in the past 2 weeks. (Skimmer was drawing air) I've almost never added water to my pool in the swim season, even when I thought my pool was leaking. My boys are much more active this year (advanced swimmers now), as are friends coming and playing. I blame this on splash out/dry spell...but I wonder if this return could be leaking/drawing air? Very strange. I feel PVC cutting/dirt digging is in my future.
Thanks.
I've got the day off of work, and figured I might sink a little time into a new mystery on my pool. Quick setup:
My pool has 2 suction pipes which Tee into the pump motor basket. A drain pipe and a skimmer pipe. Water is pumped through a sand filter, then a SWG cell which I installed last year. (Love the convenience of salt!) This season had a bit of a radical pool update, got a new liner in. I'm excited that my hard work in keeping the pool chemistry clear now shows off a beautiful liner. I'll post before & after pics soon, my old liner was gross. Friends likely thought I wasn't doing a great job with chemistry which is why the pool looked blah.
Back to the task at hand! From the SWG the plumbing Tees into two return pipes. A 'Deep End' and a 'Shallow End' labeled pipe. My pool is 4' uniform depth, but I take this to mean the return on the steps side of the pool vs. the pool on the far end. The return on the steps side has almost 0 pressure coming out. While the deep end return is a raging torrent. I don't remember if this happened last year, but I'm pretty sure this event is new to this season. Important note I did NOT block off the returns this year. I didn't 'close' the pool as I have in the past. My pool has been losing 1/2 its water every winter. I blamed the old liner, and knowing I was going to replace the liner (& half lazyness) drained the pump equipment and left the pool uncovered alone.
That's my setup, the symptoms are this: There is SOME flow from the shallow return, but I can easily hold my hand over the outlet. When I do, eventually some pressure builds up behind my hand (within 10 seconds) and every time air bubbles come out. Not a lot of air, but every time there is air. Pump basket has full prime, no swirling air, no air trapped in SWG cell. This is odd behaviour. I CANNOT block the deep end return with my hand, it pushes water too hard. Oddly even when I try to (and succeed in) at least restrict the flow at the deep return, that makes no change on the shallow return. The deep return is an estimated 60+ feet of pipe from the filter, the shallow (non-flowing return) is approx 10' from the filter.
Figuring a critter made a nest or something in the pipe I jammed a stick back, but only goes in about 8" before it hits a 90 degree in the plumbing. Doesn't feel like debris, but rather a hard stop in the PVC. I don't understand why I'm getting air bubbles, or why I have minor pressure, but no change when blocking the flowing return. Your thoughts are welcome!
Perhaps of note, or perhaps nothing, I've had to add water twice in the past 2 weeks. (Skimmer was drawing air) I've almost never added water to my pool in the swim season, even when I thought my pool was leaking. My boys are much more active this year (advanced swimmers now), as are friends coming and playing. I blame this on splash out/dry spell...but I wonder if this return could be leaking/drawing air? Very strange. I feel PVC cutting/dirt digging is in my future.
Thanks.
