I've noticed that my filter pot next to the pump will slowly fill up with air while the system is set on filter. If I switch the system over to recirculation the air will purge out. Switch back to filter and it will slowly gain air again. What options should I look into to figuring out where my leak is coming from? Could this be a worn/faulty spider gasket in the pump selector? Anything else to check out before I call someone in? Thank you.
Air in pot when filtering, purges out on recirculate.
- Thread starter Wumby
- Start date
Hi, welcome to TFP! If you have and air leak it will be on the suction side, between the pool and the pump. Anything after the pump would be the pressure side and cause the water to be forced out instead of pulling air in. Make sure the pool is filled between 1/2 and 3/4 the way up the skimmer. Check that all plumbing joints above ground between the pool and pump are good, including unions. You can dab shaving cream around the pipe joints while the pump is running and watch to see if it gets pulled into the joint. If it does that is an air leak. If you could post pictures of your water level in the skimmer and the plumbing between the pump and pool that would help us troubleshoot your problem.
Water level is good and I have a few joins I need to check when I get home this evening. Thank you for the shaving cream trick too. It doesn't pull much air I to the pot, and perhaps I need to get a new gasket for the pot anyways, but the fact that when on recirculating bypassing the filter it'll purge the air and run clean has me confused a bit.
When the filter is in "recirculate" the water is bypassing the filtration media and literally being pulled from the pool and shoved back in with very little restriction. Therefore the pump can actually move the water faster, fast enough that a small suction leak may not be apparent because the air is immediately removed from the pot. Slow the water down by forcing it through the filter and it can build in the pot and show up as larger bubbles.
Check any connection, fitting, valve, in front of the pump for a small suction leak or looseness. Check any of the drain plugs that may be in the pump as they can also be a suction leak.
What pump and filter, etc?
Thank you. I'll come back once I've had a chance to check my connections. That makes sense with the less restrictive pull.
Something else you can try is adding silicone pool lube to the o-ring on the pump pot lid. That can make the pot lid easier to get on and off and seal any tiny air gaps between the pot lid and pot.