Noisy bubbly returns

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EmilyOTR

EmilyOTR

Bronze Supporter
Feb 15, 2017
766
Ferndale, MI
Pool Size
15000
Surface
Plaster
Chlorine
Salt Water Generator
SWG Type
Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
All of the sudden my returns are noisy. They also seem to not have a constant stream of water but for 2 of them the water shoots out but not constant. The other 2 seem to have a more constant stream. All 4 are very bubbly. 3 of them are noisy. Not sure if any of this is normal. But I had a pool growing up and the returns did not make noise. We just backwashed on Tuesday.
 
That is odd. Did this just start happening after the latest backwash? Also, do you see any changes in the filter pressure on the gauge? One more thing,... how does the pump strainer basket look during all of this? Is it consistently full of water? Have there been any other changes to the pool or system recently? With some more info hopefully we can help.
 
EmilyOTR said:
All of the sudden my returns are noisy. They also seem to not have a constant stream of water but for 2 of them the water shoots out but not constant. The other 2 seem to have a more constant stream. All 4 are very bubbly. 3 of them are noisy. Not sure if any of this is normal. But I had a pool growing up and the returns did not make noise. We just backwashed on Tuesday.
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Check to make sure a toy didn't get stuck in the "flapper" to the skimmer.
 
Texas Splash said:
That is odd. Did this just start happening after the latest backwash? Also, do you see any changes in the filter pressure on the gauge? One more thing,... how does the pump strainer basket look during all of this? Is it consistently full of water? Have there been any other changes to the pool or system recently? With some more info hopefully we can help.
Click to expand...

I'm
Not sure when it started. I just noticed it 2 days ago. No changes to the pressure gauge. It says 17. Pump basket is full of water. No changes to pool otherwise.
 
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The flapper (weir) at your poolside skimmer? It shouldn't, although if it's jamming up to a closed position it could restrict efficient flow of water into the skimmer to keep it full. But you should see that easily by looking down into the skimmer to see if it has adequate water.
 
Texas Splash said:
The flapper (weir) at your poolside skimmer? It shouldn't, although if it's jamming up to a closed position it could restrict efficient flow of water into the skimmer to keep it full. But you should see that easily by looking down into the skimmer to see if it has adequate water.
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Yes the pool skimmer. It's always open not closed. Skimmer has water.
 
Well, as long as your pump basket remains full of water and primed, then it's nothing to lose sleep over at the moment. Normally we think of bubbles as related to a suction side leak where air is getting "pulled" into the suction side between the skimmer and the pump. If it were a leak on the pressure side (after the pump), then you would expect to see water on the ground and probably some water loss. Bubbles can come from the SWG, usually smaller though. Perhaps occasional bubbles from a plumbing anomaly where water is churned quickly. Mine does that at times. As long as the pump is full of water, then you could take your time investigating each run of plumbing and trying various valve settings. As for the filter and gauge, make sure the gauge actually works and isn't simply stuck at 17. When the system is off or on low, there should be little to no PSI registering on the gauge. If it's stuck high, then you should replace it. If we didn't mention it already, make sure the pump basket O-ring is in good shape and properly lubed with pool silicone lube. There might also be a drain plug or two at the bottom of the pump that could be inspected as well. Let us know if you have any luck as you poke around. We'll throw more ideas at you as we read further and think about them. Enjoy the weekend. :swim:
 
Texas Splash said:
Well, as long as your pump basket remains full of water and primed, then it's nothing to lose sleep over at the moment. Normally we think of bubbles as related to a suction side leak where air is getting "pulled" into the suction side between the skimmer and the pump. If it were a leak on the pressure side (after the pump), then you would expect to see water on the ground and probably some water loss. Bubbles can come from the SWG, usually smaller though. Perhaps occasional bubbles from a plumbing anomaly where water is churned quickly. Mine does that at times. As long as the pump is full of water, then you could take your time investigating each run of plumbing and trying various valve settings. As for the filter and gauge, make sure the gauge actually works and isn't simply stuck at 17. When the system is off or on low, there should be little to no PSI registering on the gauge. If it's stuck high, then you should replace it. If we didn't mention it already, make sure the pump basket O-ring is in good shape and properly lubed with pool silicone lube. There might also be a drain plug or two at the bottom of the pump that could be inspected as well. Let us know if you have any luck as you poke around. We'll throw more ideas at you as we read further and think about them. Enjoy the weekend. :swim:
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Is this what my pump basket should look like? It's hard to see in a still photo.
0d4c35dcc32a2ff22f781e282fb50d3a.jpg
 
The photo is tricky, but there appears to be air under the lid. When the pump is on high, there should be no air. The water should fill it up to the point you can't even tell if there's water in there. If your pump is a 2 speed, on low it can drop a little, but there should not be a low of "swooshing" water in there.
 
Texas Splash said:
The photo is tricky, but there appears to be air under the lid. When the pump is on high, there should be no air. The water should fill it up to the point you can't even tell if there's water in there. If your pump is a 2 speed, on low it can drop a little, but there should not be a low of "swooshing" water in there.
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Ok then. It's very swooshy. You can definitely see the water. Now that you describe it. I recall it looking like that when we opened the pool.
 
More than likely air is getting in the line form the poolside skimmer to the pump. In most cases, this is above ground. Checking every joint, valve, and gasket is paramount to finding the pesky little spot. Try the water hose trick, shaving cream, smoke, or even plastic wrap on some areas to see if there's a difference. Again, never rule-out a bad O-ring at the pump gasket or drain plug(s). If none of those reveal the area, you might have to call a professional to check underground. A suction side leak underground should not reveal water unless the system is shut down which would allow water to weep-out during off time. But again, usually it's something above ground that just gets past our eyes.
 
Texas Splash said:
More than likely air is getting in the line form the poolside skimmer to the pump. In most cases, this is above ground. Checking every joint, valve, and gasket is paramount to finding the pesky little spot. Try the water hose trick, shaving cream, smoke, or even plastic wrap on some areas to see if there's a difference. Again, never rule-out a bad O-ring at the pump gasket or drain plug(s). If none of those reveal the area, you might have to call a professional to check underground. A suction side leak underground should not reveal water unless the system is shut down which would allow water to weep-out during off time. But again, usually it's something above ground that just gets past our eyes.
Click to expand...

What is the water hose trick?
 
I have a similar thing happen, probably not as bad. My pump basket is bubbless and calm, but I can get little bursts of bubbles out of my returns. Everything runs, so, I ignore it.
 

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