pool return issues?

[DMS2014]

I am hoping this is the right forum to post this. We seem to have a pool return issue. We figured out last year that one of them doesn’t work at all. The rest do not seem to all be working evenly. When the pump is at 2500, only a few you can see water moving. At 1875, barely anything coming out. Only when you turn the pump speed up, do you feel anything (sans the one that doesn’t work, period).

How do we figure out if it’s a dirty filter issue or what? A stupid-we-didn’t-notice-pool-owner-who-didn’t-notice-anything? We cleaned the filter when we opened the pool middle April. We also just had a big ...I’ll call it discussion...earlier today about the fact we don’t see much movement when the pump is at 2525 rpm from 9-4....hubs says it’s not doing it but it’s been set that way from day one....and you can see the timers when you click on them. Our main pump runs at 1875 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. with 2525 rpm from 9 to 4 p.m.....

 

[mknauss]

What was the filter pressure after you cleaned it in April? What is it now?

How many valves do you have at the equipment pad that control the flow to the returns?

 

[Jimrahbe]

DMS,

What size pump do you have?

What size filter do you have?

What is the filter pressure do you have at 2500 RPM?

How many returns do you have?

How many skimmers do you have?

Show us some pics of your equipment pad..

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[DMS2014]

Pressure was 15 After cleaning and now about 18 and 20 at 2500
One valve on the pad to control flow after salt cell....one way to pool returns and the other way to wall falls and bubblers

The pump is an Ecostar by Hayward SP 3400VSP
Rpm 600-3450
Filters are SwimClear C4030 filters have been through 2 plaster jobs (original BS job and another complete do over) so probably really dragging on the returns..my opinion
2 skimmers and 7 returns

Timer 1 set 7am -7pm 1875 7 days
Timer 2 set 9am-4pm 2525 7 days..so I have another question..what should the RPM be showing at 1 pm

 

[DMS2014]

@Jimrahbe and @mknauss the hubs answered the above for both of you.

 

[DMS2014]

Don’t know if this matters or not, our first pump drowned in ‘17 so we replaced it with the exact same one we had

 

[Jimrahbe]

Timer 1 set 7am -7pm 1875 7 days
Timer 2 set 9am-4pm 2525 7 days..so I have another question..what should the RPM be showing at 1 pm

DMS,

At 1 pm the speed should be 2525.. I see no reason to run that fast, but whatever works for you....

What are you trying to do at 2525, that 1875 does not do for you???

The more returns you have the less water that comes out of each one.

I don't think that 15 psi is out of range for a VS pump running at 2500 RPM. My filter is slightly bigger and I run about 13 PSI at 2500 RPM.

You really don't need to "see" much water movement. What does the flow out of the returns feel like?

Besides not seeing any movement, what actual problem are you having??

Are your return eyeballs pointed upward toward the surface of the pool?

You can always replace the cartridges if you wish, but not sure if that would help much.. You can also replace the current eyeballs with smaller ones.. This will increase the feel of the water coming out of the returns.. Kind of like putting your finger on the end of a hose. The will also increase your filter pressure..

Tell us what the actual problem is..

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[DMS2014]

1. One return has no flow period. How do we fix that?
2. We have a lot of junk floating on the surface of the water - very small stuff it’s gross you don’t see it until you get in and you want to push it away.
3. We have a SWG and the pool builder set the second time to run from 9-4 to generate chlorine is what we were told
4. At 1 p.m. the pumps are at 2525 so I am not sure what the question is there

I’ll just stop there.

 

[DMS2014]

Updated to add we have 2 returns that we can feel nothing coming out of at 1875...

 

[Jimrahbe]

Timer 2 set 9am-4pm 2525 7 days..so I have another question..what should the RPM be showing at 1 pm

DMS, you asked me???

One reason that we asked for pics of your equipment pad, is so that we have an idea of how things are plumbed at your pool, so that we can suggest things that might help.

If you have not cleaned your filter lately, then that would be step one, but I assume you have already done that.

You are not trying to run all 7 returns and your water features at the same time are you??

If this were my pool I would try to push water back towards the equipment pad with a garden hose and bladder, as test to confirm that the return was actually connected to the equipment pad. You might have to plug the other returns to make that work..

If you will share some pics we might be able to provide some better answers.

Thanks,

Jim R.