I've searched around the forum and found a few threads around this but nothing very specific. When I turn my pump on, everything seems to be working fine for a few minutes. Then it slowly starts to develop air in the pump basket and small bubbles start coming out of the return side (just one return). Also, the return pressure is pretty low. If there's air coming in on the suction side, that means it should be somewhere above ground, correct? Otherwise I would think I'm just losing water but that doesn't seem to be a problem. Any help is appreciated.
Bubbles/Air in system
- Thread starter Edd
- Start date
- Jun 22, 2014
- 47,759
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
Hello Edd. Just in case you haven't already seen it, here's the page on suction leaks: Pool School - Suction Side Air Leaks.
The majority of suction leaks are indeed above ground. Every once in a while though, plumbing is compromised underground, and air can find its way through it. But again, it's not the norm. Remember also, with a suction leak, you are not expected to lose water like you would with a pressure side leak. Hope this helps.
The majority of suction leaks are indeed above ground. Every once in a while though, plumbing is compromised underground, and air can find its way through it. But again, it's not the norm. Remember also, with a suction leak, you are not expected to lose water like you would with a pressure side leak. Hope this helps.
I may have found the leak...hopefully. A little water spits out of the inlet to the pump basket when the pump is turned on/off. Also, the outlet pipe above the pump seems to be leaking water too. Will that cause the bubbles?
Any leak on the suction side of the pump can cause air bubbles in the basket. And yes, sometimes these leaks can be found when the system is shut off and water spurts out of them, generally just for a second or less. For the pipe above the pump, this would probably only leak while the pump is on or allow air into the piping with the pump off. The latter would usually be noticed by air coming out of the returns upon startup.
You can try the hose trick over the pump basket inlet leak and see if the air bubbles in the basket go away while running water over it, but if you saw water coming out when you turn the pump off that is likely your air source.
You can try the hose trick over the pump basket inlet leak and see if the air bubbles in the basket go away while running water over it, but if you saw water coming out when you turn the pump off that is likely your air source.
I believe I've found the leak in both the inlet pipe junction and the seal on the pump basket. The pump basket seems like a pretty straight-forward repair in replacing the gasket. On the inlet pipe, is there a way to repair this without replacing the pipe?
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