Is there any way to test the flow of your pump?

[DonW]

Is there any way to test the flow of your pump? I have a 21" 200 lb. Sta-Rite sand filter with a 1 1/2 horse Waterford pump. I think that the suction of the pump stinks, and want to prove it. When vacuuming (manually) you have to go SUPER slow, so much so that it takes over an hour to vacuum. I'm using a 40 foot vacuum hose with a triangular vac head, and there is literally hardly any suction at all. Once the vac attachment is removed, if you put your hand in the skimmer basket with the pump on there is hardly a noticeable draw. The weir door is drawn in towards the skimmer and the pump is filtering. I'm not looking for a vortex in the skimmer, but I feel that the pull is inadequate. I have an inline chlorinator and an Aquluminator light in the return. My pump pressure is 10 pounds and steady. This is a completely new system but not my first pool. I guesss what I'm looking for is more pull through the vac head.

 

[Hotrod30]

The way I would do it is with a bucket. Start your vacuum hose going without the vacuum head on it. Put a 5 gal bucket in the water below the water surface and put the end of the vacuum hose in it. Raise the bucket above the water line and watch how fast the vacuum hose drains the bucket.

You could also take your return hose and see how fast it fills a 5 gal bucket with just the skimmer running. I am figuring that you have only one skimmer and no other device (2 skimmers or some type of bottom drain in your AG)in your pool.

Also, how new is the system. I would think you could hook up a hose from the outlet of the pump and back to the pool, bypassing the filter, and see what kind of flow you get.

If the filter in new, could be something wrong there except I would expect the pressure to be higher with that pump.

 

[SPP]

I assume that your plumbing system has a few "suctions" feeding the pump, one would be MAIN DRAIN, the other would be SKIMMER/OVERFLOW and last will be VACUUM all these 3 would have valves to isolate them or choose which one you want to use. This is what I have in my pool and I think this is a common set up.

When I vacuum, I will close the valve for SKIMMER ( in my pool its called OVERFLOW because I have a balancing tank, not a skimmer ) and will set the valve for the main drain at 50%. This way the vacuum gets concentrated but not to the point of being dangerous, since there is still MAIN DRAIN to allow water flow for the pump in case I clogged the vacuum hose.

40 foot vacuum hose is very long. Lots of power will be lost, most pumps are good at kicking water ( output ) but not at suction ( input ). Also to note if your hose comes in two piece where there is a connection since I think 33 feet is the standard single piece length, that connection is not very air tight if it floats on water surface. If you can sink that connection part, it will be good, your pump will not suck air. I use use lead weight to sink that connection, if it get submerged the vaccum power is good since it will suck water not air.

If you want to know the flow of your pump as in water flow, you will need a FLowmeter, it tells you Gallon Per hour or Liter per hour flow, installed on the pipe. If you want to know the power of the suction, you will need a Vacuum gauge that reads in Hg. I have a vacuum gauge and a pressure gauge installed on my Hayward 2HP impeller housing.

Long suction hose is a work burden for the pump, not just your vacuum hose, this will include all suction pipes that feed the pump. If you want concentrated suction power, you will need to shut all valves feeding the pump and only select VACUUM. However, this may cause lots of bubble formation visible in your pump strainer basket ( impeller housing ). These bubbles may not be air leak it may be simply too much suction resistance and the pump cavitates, hence you see those bubbles.
Too much cavitation will damage your impeller very fast.

You can simulate cavitation by closing all suction valves of the pump slowly up to the point the flow is so restricted, the air bubbles will formed within the water. Water is H2O remember.

I test my vacuum suction power using the palm of my hand, its painful...yep... but it tells me how much suction I have.

 

[Hotrod30]

I assume that your plumbing system has a few "suctions" feeding the pump, one would be MAIN DRAIN, the other would be SKIMMER/OVERFLOW and last will be VACUUM all these 3 would have valves to isolate them or choose which one you want to use. This is what I have in my pool and I think this is a common set up.

When I vacuum, I will close the valve for SKIMMER ( in my pool its called OVERFLOW because I have a balancing tank, not a skimmer ) and will set the valve for the main drain at 50%. This way the vacuum gets concentrated but not to the point of being dangerous, since there is still MAIN DRAIN to allow water flow for the pump in case I clogged the vacuum hose.

40 foot vacuum hose is very long. Lots of power will be lost, most pumps are good at kicking water ( output ) but not at suction ( input ). Also to note if your hose comes in two piece where there is a connection since I think 33 feet is the standard single piece length, that connection is not very air tight if it floats on water surface. If you can sink that connection part, it will be good, your pump will not suck air. I use use lead weight to sink that connection, if it get submerged the vaccum power is good since it will suck water not air.

If you want to know the flow of your pump as in water flow, you will need a FLowmeter, it tells you Gallon Per hour or Liter per hour flow, installed on the pipe. If you want to know the power of the suction, you will need a Vacuum gauge that reads in Hg. I have a vacuum gauge and a pressure gauge installed on my Hayward 2HP impeller housing.

Long suction hose is a work burden for the pump, not just your vacuum hose, this will include all suction pipes that feed the pump. If you want concentrated suction power, you will need to shut all valves feeding the pump and only select VACUUM. However, this may cause lots of bubble formation visible in your pump strainer basket ( impeller housing ). These bubbles may not be air leak it may be simply too much suction resistance and the pump cavitates, hence you see those bubbles.
Too much cavitation will damage your impeller very fast.

You can simulate cavitation by closing all suction valves of the pump slowly up to the point the flow is so restricted, the air bubbles will formed within the water. Water is H2O remember.

I test my vacuum suction power using the palm of my hand, its painful...yep... but it tells me how much suction I have.

I assumed it was an above ground pool cause it's in the above ground pool category.

 

[DonW]

It is and thanks for the reply. I will try the bucket test to see if I can gauge the flow. Enclosed is a picture of the equipment pad. You might not see it very well, but does everything look o.k? I wonder if I have too many hose couplings in-line which is reducing the flow. I have heard of smooth wall hoses that reduce friction loss, but have yet to see any. Mine are ribbed. Also, I'm not a big fan of the equipment panel Sharkline gives you. It seems to me that the return and skimmer plate are too close to one another.

 

[SPP]

so sorry...I did not realize this is an above ground section...ooppss.
The new post facility sure do fast short cut....