How Big of a Deal is an Air Leak?

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keatz85

keatz85

Bronze Supporter
Oct 21, 2017
112
Jacksonville, IL
Pool Size
18000
Surface
Vinyl
Chlorine
Liquid Chlorine
So I have air bubbles coming out of 2 of 2 of my return jets. It's a high quantity of tiny bubbles, like the jets are misting air. It's annoying to me.

I saw a thread here which included this link (How to Identify and Correct Air Leaks - INYOPools.com) I've completed step 4 (replace and lube o-ring on the pool pump strainer lid) and it's not fixed. I'm not looking forward to the steps after that.

Do you literally go through each step one at a time until it's fixed? Or is there a way to identify exactly where the air is getting in? I have not noticed water leaking from any of the plumbing. The only thing that seems questionable to me is (it's hard to describe the sound) but you can hear water flowing through the top valve of the sand filter, for some reason I'm thinking similar to the sound of slightly pinched garden hose.

Other than it being annoying to me, how big of a deal is an air leak? The link mentioned above says, "For optimum pool pump operation, the source of the leak must be identified and corrected. " How much is it really affecting operation? A fraction of a percentage, 1%, 10%, 50%, or is my pump going to blow up lol?
 
How much is it really affecting operation? A fraction of a percentage, 1%, 10%, 50%, or is my pump going to blow up lol?
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That all depends on how much air is being allowed in.

1. Your pump is not going to blow up (at least, not from that)

2. It is probably having minimal affect on the efficiency of your pump as the leak seems to be quite small

3. I bet it continues to annoy you to the point that you are driven to fix it....I think it would get to me as well.

4. It is a suction side leak....somewhere between the skimmer and the pump
 
After the pump has ran a while will air bleed out the bleed valve on the filter?

If you look in the pump strainer basket lid when it's running, do you see any bubbles in the inlet stream?

Does the pump lose prime after you shut it off?
 
Do you have individual valves for your main drain and each skimmer? If you can isolate somewhat and see if the air leak changes, it might help. If changing the valves doesn't change it at all, it's likely between the pump and the valves, which is a much smaller area to check. Your valves may or may not be totally air-tight, but they should be air-tight enough that it would change the leak, if not stop it.

I have a very small air leak (smaller than yours, it's not noticeable as bubbles really, but the air relief on the filter will always let out a second of air before water) and I've been ignoring it for months. I'll get to it eventually, maybe.
 
duraleigh said:
That all depends on how much air is being allowed in.

1. Your pump is not going to blow up (at least, not from that)

2. It is probably having minimal affect on the efficiency of your pump as the leak seems to be quite small

3. I bet it continues to annoy you to the point that you are driven to fix it....I think it would get to me as well.

4. It is a suction side leak....somewhere between the skimmer and the pump
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How do you figure? I'm not questioning you, I just want to learn. Something I should have mentioned is that I do not see any bubbles through the strainer basket lid. You almost can't even tell there's water flowing through it, it's crystal clear.
 
Bama Rambler said:
After the pump has ran a while will air bleed out the bleed valve on the filter?

If you look in the pump strainer basket lid when it's running, do you see any bubbles in the inlet stream?

Does the pump lose prime after you shut it off?
Click to expand...

To the best of my knowledge, I do not have a bleed valve. It's a Hayward S244T ProSeries Sand Filter, 24-Inch.

Absolutely no bubbles looking the pump strainer lid. It's crystal clear, can barely tell water is running through there.

Pump does not lose prime.
 
You will not see water leaking on a suction side air leak. They are usually tiny opening where there was insufficient glue applied to connect the plumbing joints and pump suction pulls air in through those openings. Tiny gaps in o-ring seals in lids, valves, and unions are corrected with silicone pool lube.

Low water levels in the skimmer also can suck air into the system, but you would be seeing large air bubbles in the pump if that were happening.
 

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kchinger said:
Do you have individual valves for your main drain and each skimmer? If you can isolate somewhat and see if the air leak changes, it might help. If changing the valves doesn't change it at all, it's likely between the pump and the valves, which is a much smaller area to check. Your valves may or may not be totally air-tight, but they should be air-tight enough that it would change the leak, if not stop it.

I have a very small air leak (smaller than yours, it's not noticeable as bubbles really, but the air relief on the filter will always let out a second of air before water) and I've been ignoring it for months. I'll get to it eventually, maybe.
Click to expand...

I have an individual valve for the main drains and each skimmer. Good call. I was thinking about doing that but thought it was a discharge side leak, which as I'm learning from this thread is that it's probably suction side.

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zea3 said:
You can check the above ground plumbing joints between the skimmer and the pump for air leaks by running water over them such as in this video: Find an air leak in your swimming pool. - YouTube
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This is awesome!
 
kchinger said:
Do you have individual valves for your main drain and each skimmer? If you can isolate somewhat and see if the air leak changes, it might help. If changing the valves doesn't change it at all, it's likely between the pump and the valves, which is a much smaller area to check. Your valves may or may not be totally air-tight, but they should be air-tight enough that it would change the leak, if not stop it.

I have a very small air leak (smaller than yours, it's not noticeable as bubbles really, but the air relief on the filter will always let out a second of air before water) and I've been ignoring it for months. I'll get to it eventually, maybe.
Click to expand...

Okay, shut off each valve 1 at a time and no changes.
 
keatz85 said:
... Something I should have mentioned is that I do not see any bubbles through the strainer basket lid. You almost can't even tell there's water flowing through it, it's crystal clear.
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keatz85 - According to this link How to Identify and Correct Air Leaks provided in your 1st post, it sounds like there is "a leak in the motor shaft seal" as shown in Step #7. Wouldn't you agree?
 
kchinger said:
It's not necessarily definitive, but I would check the section between those valves and the pump using the water test posted earlier.
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I do not have any air bubble when looking through the strainer basket lid. I suppose the water test would work though if 1 person was doing the hose and another was watching the return jets right? Also, since I do not have air bubbles in the strainer basket area does that mean it's a discharge side leak?
 
zea3 said:
You will not see water leaking on a suction side air leak. They are usually tiny opening where there was insufficient glue applied to connect the plumbing joints and pump suction pulls air in through those openings. Tiny gaps in o-ring seals in lids, valves, and unions are corrected with silicone pool lube.

Low water levels in the skimmer also can suck air into the system, but you would be seeing large air bubbles in the pump if that were happening.
Click to expand...

I do not have water leaking but I also do not have any air bubbles in the pump strainer basket area, do know it's for sure suction side? If I were to bet I would bet that it will be insufficient glue applied to connect the plumbing joints and/or Tiny gaps in o-ring seals in lids, valves, and unions .

Water levels are good.

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acpie360 said:
keatz85 - According to this link How to Identify and Correct Air Leaks provided in your 1st post, it sounds like there is "a leak in the motor shaft seal" as shown in Step #7. Wouldn't you agree?
Click to expand...

Knowing my luck probably.
 
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