Tiny bubbles exiting return jets

[BurgDweller]

Hi Guys! First post but been visiting this website for about 10 months now and it is just full of great info and gave me the confidence to fire my pool guy last April who towards the end I was paying $77 a month and he didn't even have the decency to skim my pool. Best choice I ever made.

Onto the issue here and I will try to make it as short as possible. Last Sunday the old pool pump died. It had to be about 10-15 years old, not sure but it was here when I bought the house a little over a year ago but it had a metal casing. Went out to Pinch a Twenty and bought a new Pentair Superflo and installed it myself. Now with the old pool pump I was getting tiny bubbles coming out of both return jets. I figured the new pump would resolve this problem. Fired up the new pump, no visible leaks and it is working great. Unfortunately, same tiny bubbles coming out of the return jets. I replaced the seal in the jandy valve and re-lubed, lubed the filter lid, water level is more than adequate. The odd thing is when I turn the valve over to suction or main drain the bubbles stop. The pump stays primed the entire time no matter where the valve is turned. I am completely at a loss and any help from the experts on this site is greatly appreciated. Has anybody had anything similar happen to them? Furthermore, since the pump is staying prime should I just not worry about these tiny bubbles...possible overreaction? I just feel like I am going deeper and deeper into a rabbit hole.

 

[Richard320]

You're sucking air in the skimmer line, somehow. The most common cause is low water level. Pull the skimmer lid. Do you see a vortex in there? Is the water low, or is the weir door sticking somehow?

Second thing to check is the connection for the skimmer line at the three way valve. Coat it with shaving cream and see if it starts sucking it in. You might see a bubble form in the foam, or the pump lid might show milky, or you'll see suds out the return. Then move on to the valve itself with the foam. Last thing is the threaded connection at the pump inlet. They;re usually straight threads and most adaptors are tapered, and conditions might be such that you get enough pull to suck air only on skimmer. It's very very seldom that the underground plumbing leaks.

 

[BurgDweller]

There is a vortex when I pull the skimmer lid and look. I will add more water to see if this helps. Also, the shaving cream I should put around the crease where the 3 way valve unscrews or around the pipe fittings? I don't think the problem would be at the pump connection inlet as I screwed a fitting in with plumbers tape and also used silicone. Thanks Richard!

 

[BurgDweller]

Filled the pool up to almost top of tile line with only a tiny crack now going into the skimmer inlet. If I fill anymore the water line will be above the inlet. Still a vortex and still bubbles?

 

[Richard320]

Filled the pool up to almost top of tile line with only a tiny crack now going into the skimmer inlet. If I fill anymore the water line will be above the inlet. Still a vortex and still bubbles?

Then break up the vortex somehow. If you can divert more suction to the main drain, try that. Is the main drain plumbed separately or does it connect to the skimmer? Are there two holes in the bottom? Is there a diverter down there?

You might try tossing a couple clean rocks in the basket to disrupt the vortex. Make sure they're bigger than the opening in the bottom so they don't end up in the pipes somehow.

 

[BurgDweller]

The main drain is connected to the skimmer. There is only one hole and no diverter. I mentioned in my first post that there were no bubbles on main drain or skimmer but there actually are. Sorry about that. I did coat the valve with shaving cream and also where the pipe fittings are, basically everywhere before the pump and no holes appeared and it didn't appear that any shaving cream got sucked into the skimmer basket as it remained clear. I did put 3 rocks in the basket but the vortex is still there.