poor suction problem

[mk1]

My pool suction was fine but a month or so ago I noted that my barracuda was geeting stuck in corners. Now my suction is very poor. No bubbles at return. 1 year old 150 sqft Pentair cartridge. Cleaning did not help. It was dirty though.

Of note I just took over from my pool guy because he was unresponsive to questions about how he was balancing my pool.

On testing I had 0 CYA and have been adding it over the last two weeks via a sock by the return. Also the pressure guage is shot (despite being 1 year old) and a replacement is on the way.

where do I start?

Thanks!

 

[JasonLion]

If you haven't already, check the skimmer basket(s) and pump strainer basket, clean/backwash the filter, and make sure the valves (if any) are set correctly.

 

[mk1]

I have done that. Other than noticing that my suction is so weak that I can only support one valve open at a time I noticed nothing.

Could the pump be failing? It is about 4 years old.

Thanks!

 

[Smykowski]

Any noise (or lack thereof) when the pump is on?

 

[mk1]

It sounds ok. No different then ever. But the water level in the pump seems low. Not full.

 

[duraleigh]

But the water level in the pump seems low. Not full.

If you can see air or bubbles in the pump strainer basket lid, then you have developed a suction side air leak. Air is being sucked in instead of just water so your pump is unable to operate normally.

You will need to find the source of that leak, fix it, and your pump will return to normal output.

The air leak is occurring between the skimmer(s) and the pump. The most common place seems to be a faulty or misaligned O-ring on the pump basket lid but it could be anywhere along that path.

 

[mk1]

I took the O ring out to clean and lube it and when I went to put it back it is way toooo long now.....
Off to find a replacement.

 

[mk1]

New O ring did not fix my problem.

I have three valves. One lilypad skimmer, One vacuum, and the main drain.
My suction is bad no matter which is open or shut.

Any help in where to start looking fo my leak? or leaks?

I should add that I have no bubbles coming from my return. Just very weak pressure. Could my impeller be shot? pump is a little noisy. The water level in the basket is low and moves very little. No cavitation.

 

[Smykowski]

I had a similar sounding problem last spring with a pump. Impeller was cracked off the shaft. Motor turned just fine, but the impeller head was just bouncing around inside the housing, making the noise you're describing.

I disconnected the tubing between the pump and the filter and tried playing fireman to verify that there was no pressure coming out of the pump. That was when I started taking it apart and found the impeller not connected anymore.

 

[duraleigh]

smykowski, mk1,

The impeller loose or damaged would not account for air in the strainer basket. The system needs to be airtight and air is being sucked in by the pump.

Check the drain plugs at the bottom of the strainer basket and check all the valves by pouring water slowly over them to see if the air stops. (sometimes you can hear it being sucked in if it's at a valve.

The water is deep enough in the pool that air is not being sucked in at the skimmer, correct?

 

[mk1]

I have poured water over all pipe joints, valves, and the strainer basket cover. My skimmer is adequately below water. I have in fact wrapped all the pipe joints in plumbers putty.

If I fill the pump basket manually I don't actualy gain any air, just the small amount of air remains, with low flow on both suction and return ends. No air bubbles either.

I have reviewed my records and the pump is actually more like 6 years old. I may rebuild it.

any more thoughts?

Thanks!

I will check the drain plugs too!

 

[duraleigh]

What psi is on the gauge when the pump is running?

 

[mk1]

As noted above the gauge is not working. It is rusty and does not move. (I noted this 3 weeks ago when I started doing my own pool) and a new one is one the way.
I wonder why it failed as the filter unit is one year old.

Thanks!

 

[duraleigh]

Get your gauge fixed. You can get a new one at ANY pool store for less than $10. I still think it's a suction side leak but you need a working gauge to help determine the problem.

 

[Smykowski]

Did you ever figure this out?

 

[mk1]

I did. The gauge was replaced and I had zero pressure registering. I was going to rebuild the pump since I tried all the tricks and could not find an above ground leak. Instead I bought a new pump since I was not sure what components needed replacing.

Pool is fine now. I will probably rebuild the old pump as a spare.....or maybe not. I have mega flow and 15 psi on the gauge. No air in the pump.

Thanks for the interest. And thanks to all who helped me avoid throwing in the towel.

 

[mk1]

In case anyone cares...

The impeller was packed with little seed husks that had gotten through holes in the pump strainer.

 

[acroy]

ka-zaam! sorry i did not see this earlier, I had the exact same issue a couple years back and would have suggested taking the pump apart and inspectiing before replacing - at least now you have a backup!