My pool has 1 return "outlet" for the cleaner, 2 bubblers, and 4 normal return "outlets." Lately, I've noticed tiny air bubbles coming out of one of the normal returns. It's only one of them. Does that indicate a possible crack somewhere in that return line plumbing? Unfortunately I'm not 100% sure how the returns are plumbed, but I would think if there was air coming from the pump or filter or anything like that then it would be seen in all returns. How can I go about troubleshooting this? Pool is only 6 months old so if my best bet is to contact the builder, then I can do that too.
Tiny air bubbles coming out of only one return
- Thread starter bdbull
- Start date
- Apr 10, 2018
- 5,169
- Pool Size
- 18375
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45
You have a saltwater chlorine generator. When generating chlorine, the swg also creates small gas bubbles. At slower speeds, it's not unusual for the bubbles to only exit at one return.
To confirm, you can turn off your swg and see if the bubbles stop. Also check your pump basket to make sure it is not showing significant signs of air.
To confirm, you can turn off your swg and see if the bubbles stop. Also check your pump basket to make sure it is not showing significant signs of air.
I did not know that. I will definitely check that out if I can figure out how. Would I just set the chlorine to 0%?
What is considered "significant signs of air?"
- Jun 24, 2021
- 7,510
- Pool Size
- 30000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-60
Yes.
Confirm it is the SWCG. Anything more would be "significant signs of air."
- Apr 10, 2018
- 5,169
- Pool Size
- 18375
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45
You can set chlorine output to 0%.
In a perfect world, your pump basket would be completely full of water and would have no air. If you see air bubbles forming in the pump basket, that would indicate a suction side air leak.
In a perfect world, your pump basket would be completely full of water and would have no air. If you see air bubbles forming in the pump basket, that would indicate a suction side air leak.
Hmm, my pump basket always has some air in it. It's been like that since day one as far as I can remember. I wouldn't consider it a lot though. If I were to take the lid off, water would still overflow. I'll get a picture of it.
- Jun 24, 2021
- 7,510
- Pool Size
- 30000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-60
VSPs are notorious for having a bit of air in the pot. No definitive answer, but thought is, at low speed, the lid allows a bit of air in. Do you run your VSP at low speeds? Do you have something in your programming that runs at high speed during the day?
The normal speed for my pump is 2K RPM. It runs at 2750 when the cleaner is running, but other than that it's at 2K pretty much the whole time.
Here is a picture of the pump basket. It's dark here now so the picture is pretty awful, but that trash around the edge of the basket is on top of the water so that's the level in there.
- Jun 24, 2021
- 7,510
- Pool Size
- 30000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-60
Let's go with first precepts.
Turn the SWCG off and see if the bubbles stop.
I'd be surprised that you are getting air, even with the level of the water in the pump pot, through the returns. @Rancho Cost-a-Lotta is right, but the air bubble in a VSP, if you have a high speed run during the day, likely won't get bigger than a silver dollar pancake. You have more air than that.
Test the SWCG first.
Then, I'd take the 2 drain plugs and the pump pot lid apart and inspect. If there is any cracking, replace. I just replace every year on startup. Re-lube them with a SILICONE lube (like Magic Lube II) and restart the system. See what happens.
Can you post a wider picture of your suction side so we can see all connections and valves?
I'll get to all of this tomorrow, but here is an older picture of the suction side plumbing. There has since been a water line plumbed into the skimmer line. (No clue why the builder plumbed it into the suction side.)
- Jun 24, 2021
- 7,510
- Pool Size
- 30000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-60
Not sure what this means. Maybe post a current state picture tomorrow...
- Apr 10, 2018
- 5,169
- Pool Size
- 18375
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45
Don't lose any sleep over it. Your pump pot looks good to me. I think you'll find the source of the bubbles is the SWG.
It's raining today, but I was able to get a picture before it got too bad. The cleaner was running when I took the picture so the pump was at 2750RPM and the air bubble in the pump pot does appear to be smaller. It didn't look like there was any air coming out of the return, but it was a little hard to tell with the rain hitting the water too.
You can see the change in plumbing I was referring to in the line that comes out of the bottom port of the three way valve. Long story short, my builder forgot to add autofill when building so he added a manual fill valve and plumbed it into the skimmer suction line. At some point, I want to move it to the return side myself.
You can see the change in plumbing I was referring to in the line that comes out of the bottom port of the three way valve. Long story short, my builder forgot to add autofill when building so he added a manual fill valve and plumbed it into the skimmer suction line. At some point, I want to move it to the return side myself.
- Apr 10, 2018
- 5,169
- Pool Size
- 18375
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45
If you find that the air bubbles are coming from a source other than the swg, let us know, and we will help you troubleshoot.
Was able to work on things a little bit yesterday. Turning the SWG to 0% stopped the bubbles altogether. I set it to 0% with the pump at my normal afternoon speed (2K) and no bubbles came out. However, the bubbles also stop when I have the SWG set to my normal rate (30%) and the pump running at 2750. So I think it may be a combination of both that's contributing to the bubbles. I have been planning to clean the filter so I'll just make sure I check the pot lid gasket when I'm doing all that too...if it ever decides to stop raining.
- Apr 10, 2018
- 5,169
- Pool Size
- 18375
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45
At 30%, the SWG only produces chlorine 30% of the time so the bubbles may come and go during the runtime. The faster pump speed may push the bubbles out of different returns. Sounds to me like your okay.
Best wishes!
Best wishes!