Pump failing?

[stever1888]

I'm having a few issues, not sure if they are related, or even if they are really issues at all. Sorry for the complete lack of proper terminology here...

1. I've noticed that, since opening this season, it seems to take the pump about twice as long as when closed last season to totally fill the pump strainer basket area (so that there are no air bubbles). Sometimes it will sit for more than a minute without all the air getting pushed out, so I stop the pump, open again, make sure there is no crud in between the cover and the rubber gasket, then close and restart, and it will work, although again it is much slower than last season. The gasket itself looks to be in good condition, although I have noticed that in a few spots the adhesive between gasket and pump seems to be failing. Doesn't seem like this could be an issue, though, when the lid is on and screwed down tight. I did spread some of the silicone lubricant when opening. Also noticed that my returns seem to be weaker than they were last season. Have seen no indications of any actual leaks in the plumbing. Is all of this caused by a gasket that actually is failing, and if so, do I need some new adhesive for it, or something else? Or, is this indicative of a looming pump failure? I'm not sure how old the pump is, since I just moved into this house last season.

2. Also new this season is a gurgling sound from the sand filter -- in particular, it sounds like it is coming from just under the multiport valve. It goes away after a while. I don't remember any kinds of noises like this coming from the filter last year. Filter performance seems fine.

If any of this rings a bell with anyone, I'd appreciate your thoughts. Thank you.

- Steve

 

[jblizzle]

Do you have an air release valve on the top of your sand filter? My de filter does.

Wondering if the gurgling is due to air trapped in the filter as a result of the slow priming process.

 

[Bama Rambler]

If it's not an air leak, You may have a partially plugged impeller especially since the flow seems less out the returns.

 

[duraleigh]

Hey, Steve,

You have a suction side air leak. That means air is being drawn into the system somewhere between the skimmer and the pump. Once you discover where that leak or leaks is/are, the pump will stay primed all the time running or not.

After you run the pump, are you able to get ALL of the air out of the pump strainer basket? Any bubbles?

After you shut the pump off, how long does it take for the water to start to drain from the pump strainer basket?

 

[stever1888]

In response to Jblizzle, no, do not have an air release valve on the sand filter.

In response to Duraleigh -- Yes, with a little patience (and sometimes a second try), all the air will get out of the pump strainer basket. It just takes longer than it did last season, and last season there was never a time when I'd have to stop, remove lid, and start over. I've noticed a few times that after a day or so of continuous running a little bit of air will get back in there, but that is a relatively uncommon occurrence. As for when I shut the pump off, I don't know how long it takes to drain, because I typically just go ahead and open up the lid, and it of course drains once the pressure is released. I can test that when home, however. Please let me know what I'm looking for. It sounds like, if it drains at all, that's a bad sign, and if it doesn't drain, that's a good sign.

I'm starting to think that this might be a combination of failing pump strainer gasket and perhaps a clogged impeller, which does make sense b/c tons of little whirlygigs and assorted other tree crud has carpetbombed pool over the last few days, some of which is certainly small enough to get past the strainer baskets. But maybe that's my wishful thinking because it seems easier to deal with than a plumbing leak.