Is this normal operation? Water line height.

[Lazyman]

I have an 18' AG pool with 2" pvc piping. 1.5 hp 2-speed pump. 200 sf cartridge filter.

When the water gets to anywhere near halfway down the skimmer, the pump basket gets full of air bubbles. I have to fill it up to 2 inches or less of space left on the skimmer for it to work properly.

I didn't realize I had this issue until I kept getting small air bubbles in the basket with no lucvk trying to get rid of them. Then I added a little water, and it was all fine. Same thing happened yesterday, but there were many more air/bubbles because the water was about halfway down the skimmer. High speed seems to exacerbate the problem.

So, is this a normal occurance or is it just my system? I thought one would have a bit more room for error with the water line height. I usually keep it at 1.5 inches lower than the top of the skimmer opening.


My pump is below the skimmer but not more two feet lower. Is that a problem?

 

[JohnT]

The issue is that your pump is emptying the skimmer faster than water can flow into it. Is the skimmer weir fully free to go down flat to the bottom of the skimmer?

 

[MikeInTN]

I have an 18' AG pool with 2" pvc piping. 1.5 hp 2-speed pump. 200 sf cartridge filter.

When the water gets to anywhere near halfway down the skimmer, the pump basket gets full of air bubbles. I have to fill it up to 2 inches or less of space left on the skimmer for it to work properly.

I didn't realize I had this issue until I kept getting small air bubbles in the basket with no lucvk trying to get rid of them. Then I added a little water, and it was all fine. Same thing happened yesterday, but there were many more air/bubbles because the water was about halfway down the skimmer. High speed seems to exacerbate the problem.

So, is this a normal occurance or is it just my system? I thought one would have a bit more room for error with the water line height. I usually keep it at 1.5 inches lower than the top of the skimmer opening.


My pump is below the skimmer but not more two feet lower. Is that a problem?

Your pump's sucking air when the water level gets down that low. High speed exacerbates it because of course the pump's sucking more water more quickly.

Mine does it too, btw. Used to do it a whole lot worse until I put the weir back in the skimmer. I just keep my water level topped up about where you keep yours.

 

[Lazyman]

GREAT! Thank you!

I was starting to think I was cursed.

 

[Lazyman]

The issue is that your pump is emptying the skimmer faster than water can flow into it. Is the skimmer weir fully free to go down flat to the bottom of the skimmer?

Sorry, didn't see this above the other reply.

Yes, my weir was fully functional. It still seems a bit odd to have to watch it so carefully.

The way I got into this mess was the rain forecast yesterday, so I emptied some water in anticipation of it. Emptied too much, hence my problem. lol


thanks

 

[MikeInTN]

You'll love this - when I bought my pool and had it installed, the installer took the weir out of the skimmer. Their solution to preventing a vortex from forming in the skimmer and sucking air was to put a tennis ball in the skimmer. Works great, until the water gets so low that either the tennis ball gets sucked down to the skimmer basket, or floats out in the pool when the pump's off. Then when the pump turns on the next morning via timer, the pump immediately starts sucking air.

Ahhhh, good times, good times....not.

edit: Unfortunately, we AGP'ers don't have the luxury of an auto-fill, so we have to keep an eye on our water level.