Suction side air leak nightmare !!!

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Seanhan

Seanhan

0
Mar 5, 2013
300
Fort Worth Texas
I have lot's of air getting in the pump when it on Pool mode.
When i turn the valves over to SPA mode all the air goes away and the pump runs quite with maybe only 1 little bubble visable.
The second i turn the section side back to pool bubbles lots of air and the pump kinda surges .
I replaced the entire suction side (above ground level ) jandy valves pipe and fittings going into the pump.
can't figure it out ??? Could it be a broken suction line below the ground !!!!
any Ideas !!! Im stuck !!!
thanks..:?
 
As one of those that has experienced a below ground suction side leak, I can say they do happen and are not fun. I would suggest pressure testing the line as being the next reasonable step.

Ike
 
As one of those that has experienced a below ground suction side leak, I can say they do happen and are not fun. I would suggest pressure testing the line as being the next reasonable step.
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The leak can certainly be underground piping but the chances are quite remote and I would begin to test for that after I had thoroughly exhausted other possibilities.

We've had a couple of instances of that reported over the last 6 or so years but hundreds if not thousands of suction side leaks occurring above ground.

You must get VERY systematic when tracking a suction leak and it sounds like you are stabbing at guesses.

A pic of your equipment pad and piping may help if you give us a good perspective.
 
Again !!!!



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Spraying shaving cream on suspected joints while the pump is running is a good approach. Shaving cream will be sucked into any leak. Running a garden hose over suspect connections also works, you watch to see if the bubbles in the pump strainer basket disappear while running water over an area, if so that is your leak.

Also, always remember to check for more obvious things first. Low water levels in the pool can allow the skimmers to draw air down a vortex.
 

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I tried the water thing. What i can't figure out is that the bubbles and turbalance go away when i move the suction side jandy over to spa.
That elimanates all the above ground plumbing right ?

I also replaced and lubbed the pump oring.








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Yes it does eliminate everything that the pool and spa have in common (jandy valve, pump seals, etc). Sounds like you may have a clog or something simple like the skimmer weir being stuck up, preventing water from flowing into the skimmmer. Do you have a vacuum in the pool, or just the skimmer? did this happen after a storm when a lot of debris got in the pool? Sometimes when lines are clogged, you can let the pump get going on the spa and then quickly turn the valve over to the pool and that can kind of shake the clog loose.
 
Probably not your problem, but I had a suction side leak caused by a very bad pipe connection at the skimmer itself, underground. It had been there for some time and the leak was intermittent, since the void it had formed would fill with water, then when the pump started it slowly sucked the water out, then air would show in the return jets. I was re plumbing the pool anyway, so it was a good find.
 
Seanhan said:
I checked the weir , water level, all ok , iam going to take the skimmer valve out and look for obstructions


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Do you have a skimmer float valve? Maybe take that out and see if its causing the problem. In my limited experience, suction side leaks are almost always something simple.
 
Psi is normal in spa mode 15 psi, in pool mode it goes between 10-15 up and down contstantly.
I also noticed today that i might be loosing too much water... Maybe a inch in 3. Days !!!
It's going to warm up this weekend to 70 so i will be out there all day with the hose and water-jet and shop vac etc.
Will also take the skimmer valve out , and the cover off the suction side Jandy valve to get the water-jet into the suction line for the pool.




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Those numbers makes sense.

If your psi fluctuation is somewhat rhythmical, that often indicates your pool water level is too low and you are sucking air through the skimmer. Not saying that IS the cause....just mentioning it.
 
Seanhan said:
Psi is normal in spa mode 15 psi, in pool mode it goes between 10-15 up and down contstantly.
I also noticed today that i might be loosing too much water... Maybe a inch in 3. Days !!!
It's going to warm up this weekend to 70 so i will be out there all day with the hose and water-jet and shop vac etc.
Will also take the skimmer valve out , and the cover off the suction side Jandy valve to get the water-jet into the suction line for the pool



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Click to expand...
That up and down fluctuation sounds almost like there is a wave action that sort of fills the skimmer and then starves it and then repeats. Which is what I have experienced with a water level being too low. I know you have checked both of these items but another simple thing to do would be to jack the water level waaaay up and get somewhere where you can make sure the weir door is staying open. It seems like a blockage in the skimmer line or leaks in the plumbing would just give you low pressure period, no flux. Only trying to help, i have suffered much with low pressure and it was ALWAYS the skimmer being starved and usually by a weir door problem.
 

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