RESOLVED: Suction Leak, Tried Everything I can think of... What Else?

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LAWard

LAWard

In The Industry
Jul 25, 2019
9
Arizona
I have a suction leak in my system. Pump is a Superflow. There is minimal (2-3 lbs) pressure showing on the gauge. Air bubbles coming out of the return. This happens with or without the vacuum attached. The water level is good. I have replaced all the seals in the pump and lid. I have added plumbing tape at the threaded parts. I have checked all the glued PVC fittings around the pool that are accessible (not underground). Checked the two drain plugs. I have replaced the impeller and shaft seal also while I had the pump and motor separated. I did the water hose test. There are no visible water spurts when the motor is turned off. When I let the pump run for a few minutes the problem does not get better or worse. There is just enough pressure to move the vacuum slowly, but it’s not very efficient. This is an older pool and equipment, the PVC suction pipe goes directly from the ground to the pump without any valves or junctions.

I have done everything I have read about to try and fix the problem with no success. Is there anything else I can do? If not, find a plumber or pool repairer with a scope to check the underground pipes, is that possible? Thank you for any advice you can provide.
 
Last edited:
Arizonarob said:
Hi LA. In my signature area (if on your phone, turn it sideways to view signature area) you’ll see a link to a video that will help you find a suction side air leak. :cheers:
Click to expand...

Hi Rob, thanks for the replay. I tried the water hose test. No luck. I guess that just reinforces that I did all the new seals and pipe correctly, but certainly doesn't solve the problem. We can't chink those beers yet!
 
How long have you had this leak? Can you post a vid?.....they are often revealing. Does the skimmer check out....water high enough not to suck air? no stuck weir door? Have you observed the skimmer with pump running?
 
duraleigh said:
How long have you had this leak? Can you post a vid?.....they are often revealing. Does the skimmer check out....water high enough not to suck air? no stuck weir door? Have you observed the skimmer with pump running?
Click to expand...

The problem has been there for awhile. Seems to be worsening over time. Water is plenty high enough and the weir door is not stuck open (except when I have the vacuum hose running through it). But this problem happens all the time including when the vacuum is removed. I will try to get a vid tomorrow morning. Good idea.
 

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Laura,

I am a little confused... (as always..) You say your filter pressure is only a couple of pounds, yet your vacuum moves.. :scratch: That does not sound right to me?

When the pump is running, can you feel a good flow of water coming out of your pool returns?

What happens to the flow when you put your multiport in the Recirculate position?

What do you see under the pump lid when the pump is running?

A video or pics would be great..

Thanks,

Jim R.
 
RESOLVED! I had the pipes pressure checked and they tested good. The leak guys thought the leak might be around the lid, but obviously I had tried replacing the o-ring with several new rings. So he suggested there might be a hairline crack or hole in the lid. Also the "clamp, cam and ramp" (what Pentair calls the part that holds the lid on) seemed worn out and not sealing tightly. I replaced those two parts. SUCCESS!! For some reason, running a hose over the lid while in operation did not show this as a problem.
 
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Thanks Laura,

I did not even realize that the "Clamp, Cam, Ramp" could go bad or even that you could buy a new one... ?

I will add this to my suggestions in the future..

Appreciate the feedback,

Jim R.
 
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Jimrahbe said:
Thanks Laura,

I did not even realize that the "Clamp, Cam, Ramp" could go bad or even that you could buy a new one... ?
Click to expand...

It is quite an old pump. I imagine after (possibly) thousands of openings and closings of the lid, plus what the heat and sun does to everything in Arizona, it either wore out the ramps, or warped, or something similar. The problem is not visually obvious, although some deterioration/weathering of the plastic is visible.

I had to special order it, but apparently all of the parts are available. Leslie's Pool Supplies has great parts diagrams and we ordered the parts.
 

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