Air in Pump

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R

richmgreen

LifeTime Supporter
May 26, 2010
305
Central Connecticut
Pool Size
26700
Surface
Vinyl
Chlorine
Salt Water Generator
SWG Type
CircuPool RJ-45
Last edited:
That's too much air. VSPs can accumulate some small pockets of air but those easily get pushed out when on a higher rpm. You have what appears to be a healthy suction side leak somewhere. Have you tried everything on the page linked below? How old is that pump?

www.troublefreepool.com

Suction Side Air Leaks

If you see air bubbles coming out of the return lines in your pool, you likely have a leak. Some signs that a suction side plumbing leak has occurred include: Read more
www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com
 
For the most part yes. I have checked the pump lid gasket, the pump drain plugs, the skimmer level, the skimmer basket and the weir. The pump is brand new. Only thing left is the connection fitting from skimmer line to the pump. Their is no water leak there and I did try and pour water around the fitting to see if the bubbles went away. No change. I guess I should disconnect the fitting you see in the video at the front of the pump and reconnect? It's a ball end connector fitting. I assumed since it wasn't leaking water that it must be sealed.
 

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I guess I should disconnect the fitting you see in the video at the front of the pump and reconnect?
Click to expand...

I would. At this point can't hurt to double-check everything. Did this just start after opening this season, after installing the new pump, or something else? I wonder if a partial blockage could be to blame. This time of year owners get al kinds of small tree debris around their pool. Only takes a tiny acorn or something to disrupt water flow.
 
Check the union in front of the pump. It is obviously out of alignment, and maybe the source of an air leak. Air leaks on the suction side generally will not leak water.

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Help. I'm very frustrated. I took the fitting apart in front of the pump. The o ring looked good. It's actually glued in to the fitting seen in previous picture. I put lube on it and realigned it so the connection was straight on and then ran the pump at full 3450 rpms. No change.

Please help me understand, the air in the pump basket can only come from the skimmer line (no main), the connection in front of the pump, the 2 drain plugs on the pump or the pump lid ... correct?
 

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We've been focused on a suction side air leak, and that may still be the case. But let's also rule-out a blockage. To be safe, try pushing water "backwards" from the pump to the skimmer. Doing this sometimes breaks-loose a tiny item causing a blockage in the line. Early in the season some owners get a tiny acorn or something that slips into the line and causes all kinds of problems. So if you haven't done it yet, take a garden hose and stuff it into the pump where water comes in. Wrap a hose around the hose to try and give a little seal, then turn on the garden hose and try to pushing water back to the skimmer.
 
Please help me understand, the air in the pump basket can only come from the skimmer line (no main), the connection in front of the pump, the 2 drain plugs on the pump or the pump lid ... correct?
Click to expand...
That is correct. Is your skimmer(s) sucking in air? If not, that air is almost surely coming from the visible plumbing into the pump. Do you have a valve to shut off that suction line?

I don't like that glued o-ring. Probably ok but it may not be sealing perfectly.
 
Hi. I don’t have a valve to shut off that vacuum line. I only have the skimmer, no main drain. The skimmer is more than 1/2 full, so I don’t believe there is air coming in from there.

Thanks
Rich
 
Texas Splash said:
We've been focused on a suction side air leak, and that may still be the case. But let's also rule-out a blockage. To be safe, try pushing water "backwards" from the pump to the skimmer. Doing this sometimes breaks-loose a tiny item causing a blockage in the line. Early in the season some owners get a tiny acorn or something that slips into the line and causes all kinds of problems. So if you haven't done it yet, take a garden hose and stuff it into the pump where water comes in. Wrap a hose around the hose to try and give a little seal, then turn on the garden hose and try to pushing water back to the skimmer.
Click to expand...
Would pushing water back with a shop vac .. blower end … work to clear the skimmer line similar to using a water hose ?
 
Is the filter pressure lower than normal? If so, it is probably a blockage.

What is the history of this problem? Has it always been this way? Did it start happening after opening the pool and sucking a lot of debris out of the pool?
 
When running the new VSP pump at 3450 rpms, the pressure is normal and still air in system. Not a 100% sure when it started, but I think it started this season when I installed the new VSP pump.
 
Were the unions added with the new pump? If so, they are a likely source. Or perhaps the threads into the pump.
 
Yes, the connections into the pump were added, not the connection on pipe from skimmer. The long ball fitting in the front of the pump was from the other pump. (Not new). Again, I assumed since no leaks around the fittings and treads, then no air leak. Guess that's incorrect though. I did pour water around the pipes to see if the bubbles would go away. They didn't ... but that method was a bit hokey. Tough to get at bottom of fittings for sure. If no water leaking, how can you check for an air leak?
 

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