Pentair Intelliflo3 VSF

[Pool in Carolina Blue]

Good morning. It has been a few years for me since I have been on this forum (I moved and did not have a pool for a number of years but very recently moved again and have a new pool!!). I have attached a picture of my pump basket and there is a fair amount of water swirling at the top. I have checked and lubed all of the o-rings that I know of (two drain plugs, lid, and suction side coupling) and I did not see any noticeable leaks. This is my first time with this type of pump (15 years ago I think I had a single speed Heyward) and I have it running at roughly 67% for 4 hours and 33% for 16 hours per day). Does anyone know what causes this type of action and how it should be addressed? Could something on the return side cause this?

Thanks in advance for taking the time to review.

 

[Rancho Cost-a-Lotta]

Does the air clear when the pump is run at higher speeds? It's not uncommon for VS pumps to have a few air bubbles up near the lid. Mine does the same thing. As long as the water level in the basket does not continue to drop overtime, you're probably fine. If you have a union in front of the pump, lube the seal and make sure it's hand tight. Go through the article for more troubleshooting tips.

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

 

 

[Pool in Carolina Blue]

Does the air clear when the pump is run at higher speeds? It's not uncommon for VS pumps to have a few air bubbles up near the lid. Mine does the same thing. As long as the water level in the basket does not continue to drop overtime, you're probably fine. If you have a union in front of the pump, lube the seal and make sure it's hand tight. Go through the article for more troubleshooting tips.

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

 

Hello, thank you for your response. The swirling disappears when the speed is cranked up to 95%; however, I then can see small air bubbles circulating inside the basket. At low speed (say33%) I do not see new bubbles forming. I did lube the seal at the union in front of the pump but that did not eliminate the air bubbles. I do not see any air bubbles from the returns into the pool or spa.

 

[PoolStored]

See this section on "Air in the pump basket" before diving into suction side leaks...

https://www.troublefreepool.com/wik...p_Basket_Under_the_Lid Air in the pump basket