Air bubbles in pump lid

kgturner · Apr 12, 2015

So I've been chasing what I think or thought was a suction side leak for several weeks. There is a fair amount of bubbles in my pump lid plexi-glass. I've checked and lubed the lid O-ring, checked the skimmer level, checked the pump drain plugs, and all the exposed PVC joints. My pool doesn't have a main drain at the bottom. This evening I removed the actual strainer basket from the pump and the bubbles disappeared. However, after a couple of on/off cycles of the pump, they eventually returned. So, I'm stumped again. I guess my next step is to pressure test the lines and ensure that the in ground plumbing is fine. Any ideas or suggestions?

Kevin T

jblizzle · Apr 12, 2015

If the air went away after you opened the pump and put the lid on once, I would expect the issue to be with the pump lid o ring ... Maybe it is deformed?

kgturner · Apr 12, 2015

Maybe. The problem really went away when I removed the pump basket. But with a couple of on/off cycles they came back. I guess a new O-ring is worth a try. The pump isn't but 2 years old....maybe 3 at this point. Speaking of buying a new O-ring, is anybody familiar with:

http://www.poolandspapartsdepot.com/

Kevin T

DrewInHonduras · Apr 13, 2015

Kevin, I had the same problem and it went away when I replaced the o-ring. I used Amazon. Get more than one, it wasn't very long until the o-ring got deformed again.

You can also check the o-rings in all of the upstream unions. Them ensure that the unions themselves are screwed in pretty tight.

Drew
Honduras

buzzard302 · Apr 13, 2015

Also, with the power OFF, open the lid and remove the basket. Stick your fingers down in there and see if there are leaves/debris on the impeller. When I fist got my house, there was all kinds of junk on the impeller and it was causing bubbles under the lid.

kgturner · Apr 13, 2015

I took the lid off and took the o-ring out as well as disassembled the plexi top and cam ring. I washed everything down and got all the residual lubricant and grime out. I noticed the o-ring was a little slack when I reseated it in the lid so I ordered a new one. With a thin layer of lubricant on the ring the seal is pretty good now. There's only a single small bubble in the lid now. So, it appears my problem may have been o-ring after all. We'll see when the new one arrives in the mail. $5 for a rubber ring. Sheesh!

Kevin T

kgturner · Apr 21, 2015

Got the O-ring in the other day. Finally got around to installing it. Lubed it up. Still bubbles. Now what?

Kevin T

jblizzle · Apr 21, 2015

Try putting shaving cream all over the joints and seals and see if it is sucked in anywhere.

kgturner · Apr 22, 2015

I did that as well. I may have to get the lines pressure tested. There's probably less than 18" of piping coming out of the ground before going into the pump and I've checked and rechecked almost all the connections.

Kevin T