Hello, I am brand new to pools. We purchased a house and inherited an inground pool with a raised spa (details in sig). Best guess is that the pool/plumbing is around 15 years old. It had serious plaster issues so just had it re-tiled and re-plastered...currently 2 weeks into the plaster cure process and doing lots of brushing. Over the last several weeks I have been reading as many articles and posts on TFP as I can, so starting to understand which end is up (barely).
Anyway, was looking at the pump basket lid and noticed a lot of bubbles and the water in the pump was making a thrashing noise. Checked the suction valves and at that time system was running on main drain only (skimmer valve closed). Pic attached Main_Drain_Only.png. I then opened the skimmer valve as well and after a minute or two the pump basket cleared up...no more thrashing sound...just clear water and a couple of small bubbles near the lid. Pic attached Main_and_Skimmer_Drains.png. Then I closed the main drain valve so system was running on skimmer-only. Really no change...clear in pump basket and just a few small bubbles near lid. Pic attached Skimmer_Drain_Only.png.
Pic also attached of the suction-side valves. We have the main drain on a Jandy valve which then T's into the skimmer drain pipe which then flows into an automation valve on it's way to the pump (Suction_Valves.png).
Sand filter pressure shows around 10psi when main-drain only is open, and around 15psi when both main-drain and skimmer valves are open. It has been about 4 days since I last did a backwash.
So trying to figure out what all of this is telling me, if anything. Skimmer & Main Drain both open and pump basket is relatively clear, skimmer only and pump basket is relatively clear, main drain only and lots of bubbles and thrashing. I would have thought that if there is a main drain valve or plumbing problem then the skimmer-only valve open would have shown the least bubbles, skimmer and main drain would be next "best", and main drain only would show bubbles and thrashing. But Skimmer-only and Skimmer + Main Drain look pretty much identical in terms of bubbles in the pump basket....it is only when I move it to main drain only that I see lots of bubbles and the thrashing.
I pulled out the garden hose and ran a gentle stream of water over all of the valves and connectors (from pump drain plug on back to where the drains go underground) and did not notice any difference in terms of the bubbles in pump basket. I did this both with only main drain open and with skimmer and main drains open.
Not sure if it is related in any way, but I have noticed that when I turn off the pump I do hear a gurgling noise coming out of the sand filter for about 5 seconds. No visible water spitting out anywhere that I can see.
Pump is on a schedule...10pm off and 8am on. I looked at the pump basket this morning just before 8:00am and it was empty. Pump kicked on at 8am and it only took a few seconds to prime, so while it did drain a bit it would seem that most of the water was still in the intake pipe. This was with main-drain only open (no skimmer).
Lastly, our lot is very steep. So the equipment pad is on the side of the house near the gas/electric hookups and the pool deck is about 8 feet further down in terms of height. In terms of distance the pool is about 40-50 feet away from the equipment pad.
Would appreciate any advice! Thanks,
Chris
Anyway, was looking at the pump basket lid and noticed a lot of bubbles and the water in the pump was making a thrashing noise. Checked the suction valves and at that time system was running on main drain only (skimmer valve closed). Pic attached Main_Drain_Only.png. I then opened the skimmer valve as well and after a minute or two the pump basket cleared up...no more thrashing sound...just clear water and a couple of small bubbles near the lid. Pic attached Main_and_Skimmer_Drains.png. Then I closed the main drain valve so system was running on skimmer-only. Really no change...clear in pump basket and just a few small bubbles near lid. Pic attached Skimmer_Drain_Only.png.
Pic also attached of the suction-side valves. We have the main drain on a Jandy valve which then T's into the skimmer drain pipe which then flows into an automation valve on it's way to the pump (Suction_Valves.png).
Sand filter pressure shows around 10psi when main-drain only is open, and around 15psi when both main-drain and skimmer valves are open. It has been about 4 days since I last did a backwash.
So trying to figure out what all of this is telling me, if anything. Skimmer & Main Drain both open and pump basket is relatively clear, skimmer only and pump basket is relatively clear, main drain only and lots of bubbles and thrashing. I would have thought that if there is a main drain valve or plumbing problem then the skimmer-only valve open would have shown the least bubbles, skimmer and main drain would be next "best", and main drain only would show bubbles and thrashing. But Skimmer-only and Skimmer + Main Drain look pretty much identical in terms of bubbles in the pump basket....it is only when I move it to main drain only that I see lots of bubbles and the thrashing.
I pulled out the garden hose and ran a gentle stream of water over all of the valves and connectors (from pump drain plug on back to where the drains go underground) and did not notice any difference in terms of the bubbles in pump basket. I did this both with only main drain open and with skimmer and main drains open.
Not sure if it is related in any way, but I have noticed that when I turn off the pump I do hear a gurgling noise coming out of the sand filter for about 5 seconds. No visible water spitting out anywhere that I can see.
Pump is on a schedule...10pm off and 8am on. I looked at the pump basket this morning just before 8:00am and it was empty. Pump kicked on at 8am and it only took a few seconds to prime, so while it did drain a bit it would seem that most of the water was still in the intake pipe. This was with main-drain only open (no skimmer).
Lastly, our lot is very steep. So the equipment pad is on the side of the house near the gas/electric hookups and the pool deck is about 8 feet further down in terms of height. In terms of distance the pool is about 40-50 feet away from the equipment pad.
Would appreciate any advice! Thanks,
Chris
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