@HermanTX @PoolStored @mas985
would love any advice or thoughts on this situation, really not sure what to think or do here
would love any advice or thoughts on this situation, really not sure what to think or do here
Air leak gets worse at lower pump speed
- Thread starter nostaljake
- Start date
- May 3, 2007
- 18,169
- Pool Size
- 20000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
Have you tried lubing the pump lid gasket? Sometimes that can leak more at lower speeds.
How much air and how quickly does it accumulate?
How much air and how quickly does it accumulate?
Yeah, I lubed the pump lid first thing. No difference. And I don't think it can be the pump anyway because (a) the pump is new this year and I had the same air leak last year and (b) there are air bubbles in the check valve, well before the pump.
It's a few bubbles in the check valve (the deep end skimmer check valve). It's hard to see into the pump lid on the Calimar, so I can't tell for sure, but it doesn't seem like a ton in there. Noticeable, but not crazy? The filter doesn't really seem to accumulate much air at all. It always spits out water within a second or two.
In the returns, there's currently a steady stream of very small bubbles. But as mentioned, that changes if I change the pump speed. Even if I go up to full speed and then back down, it can be a very different number of bubbles. Or if I turn the pump off and back on, then it varies a lot. Sometimes lots of bubbles, sometimes almost nothing.
If I keep it running at the same speed, the number of bubbles stays pretty consistent (doesn't seem to increase much over time). I recently had it running with zero bubbles for two weeks at 2200 rpms. But as soon as I increased the speed, I started getting bubbles again.
It seems in general that ANY change to the pump speed kind of throws stuff off and causes a change in the amount of bubbles. Usually there are fewer bubbles at higher speeds, but not always.
- May 3, 2007
- 18,169
- Pool Size
- 20000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
A small amount of air won't harm anything. You only need to worry when it drops below the pipe inlet.
Do you have an SWG?
This would indicate to me that the leak is not actually on lower speeds but perhaps on high speed and when you drop it down, what is left is just the residual in the pump basket.
Do you have any valves and/or unions on the suction side of the pump? Those have o-rings that can leak and should be lubed.
Nope. And I hear you about a small number of bubbles not hurting anything. If I could keep the number consistently low, I'd be content. Sometimes it's quite a lot of bubbles in the returns. Which makes me need to pour acid often and which just doesn't look right.
Well, there's definitely a reduction in the number of bubbles at higher speed most of the time. It's just not consistent. The bubbles in the check valve basically always get much smaller or disappear completely at max speed.
Yeah, I posted a pic on the first page of the thread. I did fix up one of the valves already. I should probably go ahead and lube all of them. But the check valve that has the bubbles is BEFORE any of the jandy valves and BEFORE the pump. So it seems that line definitely has a leak somewhere, right?
- May 3, 2007
- 18,169
- Pool Size
- 20000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
That could be just due to the higher flow rate moving the bubbles out of view faster.
If the air out of the returns is fairly constant and never ending, then there is some air entering the system somewhere. And if you are seeing bubbles in the check valve before the pump, then it is likely before that point.
Have you also checked the skimmer to make sure a vortex isn't forming which is sucking in air?
Yeah. There's no obvious vortex. Sometimes if I really squint I can sort of see a teeny tiny one, but I assumed it needed to be a decent size to suck air down.
I do suspect the skimmer has a small water leak where it connects to the pool. I can see somebody put a bunch of putty in there at some point, and my recent bucket test did show there's a water leak in the pool somewhere (not huge, but noticeable). But I'm guessing a water leak at the skimmer wouldn't cause an air leak in the plumbing, right?
Much appreciate your help!