Air in Basket & Exiting Out of Returns

[hunterl3]

I am in need of assistance. My hubby wants to fill in the pool! We have replaced and lubed orings in strainer basket lid, the control valves, the seal diffuser, we replaced the seal plate gasket. We reglued all joints on the suction side. We still have air in basket and coming from returns. The inline chlorinator does not seem to be working.

 

[Bama Rambler]

Welcomed to TFP We can help get this fixed.

One common place to get air into the system is the skimmer weir sticking sucking air in. Take a look in the top of the skimmer when the pump is running and see if there is a vortex.

 

[hunterl3]

Thanks for the suggestion but my pool doesn't have a skimmer weir.

 

[Bama Rambler]

Same principle check for the vortex anyway. You can also run water over the piping with a hose while it's running and see if the bubbles go away.

 

[hunterl3]

Yes there is definitely a vortex. We ran water over all the pipes and joints with the hose and also tried a dripping wet towel. Nothing changed with the bubbles. We resealed all joints and checked the drain plugs too. We are at a loss of what to try next. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

 

[Lershac]

well, with a vortex in the skimmer, its possible to be sucking air in there. I would try putting the hose (running) in the skimmer and stop the air sucking going on there and see if thats the issue.

 

[hunterl3]

I am including pictures of the issues; Air bubbles in basket and from return.

 

[coloeb]

If possible turn off the skimmer and just suction from the main drain. If that solves the air problem try adding the water hose to the skimmer like mentioned before. The idea is to disturb the little whirlpool so it cant suck air into the line. If that works then increasing the water level a bit may solve your problem.

 

[Melt In The Sun]

Maybe adding a weir will help with the vortexing?

 

[hunterl3]

Yahoo!!!! :-D We broke down and called a pool company to come out. He replaced the fitting that leads to the pump, It took about 10 minutes. NO MORE AIR BUBBLES!!!!!! Cost was $100. Thanks everyone for all your suggestions. Now I just have to clear up the water. I have found a new way to spend my time online, this site ROCKS.

 

[koliver13]

So I have this same problem. I know I have some leaks in the lines. If those are fixed will the bubbles stop? Does having the bubbles all the time raise the PH? this is a problem I should have fixed, yes? What is the best way to fix the leaks? Can you just seal w/ sealant or do you have to cut and replace the portion of the pipe? thanks

 

[coloeb]

It really depends on where your leak is. Suction side of the pump if you have air bubbles in the strainer basket at the pump. These lines would include main drain and skimmer lines only. If the lines are threaded , they might be able to be sealed with teflon paste. If the threads are damaged they may not ever seal. If its a PVC glue connection the only way to seal it would be to cut out the joint and replace.