Filter sucking in air

[thechairperson]

I think my sand filter (Pentair TA 60D) has some damage. We had a lot of leaves fall into the pool and the skimmer got clogged up which resulted in bubbles coming out the return jets. I shut off the pump, cleaned out everything, and started it up again. But some bubbles continue to come out the return jets. Also, when I turn off the pump, all the pressure in the filter/pump goes down and the water flows back into the skimmer. This didn't happen before.

Any ideas on what might be damaged or what to look for before I take apart the top of the filter?

 

[Homebrewale]

Can you see the water through the lid that is coming into the pump? Is there air in there? I doubt it is an issue with your sand filter. Your filter should be on the pressure side of all your equipment - meaning after the pump. You should have a gauge on it that shows it is pressurized. Therefore, if there is some damage to your sand filter, you should see water leaking or spraying out of it, not air leaking into it.

 

[workedonthousandsofpools]

You ran the pump dry, and the clog you describe is what caused that to happen. now you have fittings that are plumbed in and out of the pump which are now much looser from the heat a dry pump can create, (we call this meltdown) maybe the pump basket got melted too (check the basket) and other pump related areas that can be effected by a high heat condition, what this means is that your sucking in a lot of air (air leaks) now, and there's so much air in the system, that when you turn the pump off, it blows back through the skimmer, you can verify this by bleeding the air out of the filter first , before you turn it off, and the skimmer wont blow water out, or blow the skimmer lid off .

so...leaf clog= water starved pump= how many hours the pump ran before you discovered the leaf clog= the severity of your current problem, which ain't got nuthin to do with the filter...

I have seen pool pumps that got so hot, when i removed the pump lid to inspect the damage, there was water violently boiling in the pump basket area, melting the plastic basket to the point it could no longer be pulled out of pump, and a thick cloud of hot steam blew out of the pump also. this extreme also causes the pump to no longer pull prime on its own until air leaks are eliminated.

But since i can't put eyes on it i can only advise as to what my 30 years of pool experience, having worked on thousands of pools, tells me, based on your description.

Good luck.

 

[ralphsyv]

I had the same problem. Don't let the pump keep running with air in it - it will overheat.

First be sure you know how to prime the pump to restart it. You should fill the pump basket with water, make sure the lid o-ring is clean and close the lid securely. After starting it up you should see the water start flowing, and air bubbles should disappear - maybe after 30 seconds.

Look here to troubleshoot air leaks: Suction Side Air Leaks - Trouble Free Pool

 

[thechairperson]

Thanks everyone! Apologies for not responding earlier. Had several other things come up that I had to battle before I could get back to the pool. I ended up disconnecting the pump from all of the plumbing. I cleaned all the connections, the pump lid, and the drain plugs, and then gave everything a good application of magic lube. Has been running great.

Also, that was a really stupid comment I made thinking that air was leaking in from the filter

 

[1Sammy]

What you did was cause your pump to overwork a little causing it to suck harder which in turn broke down a weak spot on your lid gasket. That will let air in when running and will allow the pump basket to lost prime when shut down. As you discovered all it needed was a lube job. Gud on ya.