Air bubble in pump basket, vortex in pool

[JimMarshall]

So, a couple things.

1: Is it possible to have an air bubble or 2 in the pump strainer basket WITHOUT a suction side air leak? These aren’t bubbles that move through, I can never get any air out of the release on my filter, they are just permanently trapped there it seems.

2: I have a vortex that forms in the pool at my return. Anything I can do to stop it? I don’t want to adjust the return because I finally have my circulation and skimming how I want it. any other tips or tricks?

 

[mknauss]

1. A small bubble of air is not unusual. But it should not grow.

2. Raise the water level in your pool.

 

[JimMarshall]

The bubble moves and jumps from “compartment “ to compartment in the lid, but it’s of constant size.

A higher water level definitely helps with the vortex but my pool is “full” now as in to the 2nd screw on the skimmer, 2/3 of the way up the skimmer and it still happens.

In in hindsight I don’t know if the new hole I cut for the return is too high, but I believe it is cut at the exact height that the stock hole was. I didn’t have the problem with the vortex last summer but this year I adjusted the position of the return a bit and it’s been acting up.

 

[mknauss]

By return I assume you mean skimmer. Which is the suction.

Normally, pool returns are where the water returns to the pool.

 

[zea3]

If you are getting a vortex where the water returns to the pool then you need to adjust the eye angle to stop it, if it bothers you. If you are getting a vortex inside the skimmer then you need to look at water level (yours sounds good) and weir function. The weir is the door on the skimmer and it should be able to float freely. It should be vertical when the pump is off and it should dip down toward the skimmer basket when the pump is on. A weir that sticks somewhere between vertical and horizontal can cause problems, as can a missing weir.

 

[JimMarshall]

Vortex is in the pool at my return. Vortex starts, gets deeper and deeper until the air reaches the stream of water coming out of my return, it makes a horrific sucking noise and blows a bunch of little tiny air bubbles all through the pool, vortex disappears, repeat.

 

[mknauss]

OK. That is not what I envision as a vortex. Sorry.

With that description, your return is either too close to the surface of the pool or your pump is too strong. I assume you have one return. With a 1.5hp single speed pump, that is a lot of rate for one return. I also assume you have no eyeball on the return otherwise you could point it down.

Not sure what to do to solve that ---- other than adding an additional return or making the existing larger diameter.