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RebelBob

RebelBob

0
Bronze Supporter
Jun 7, 2018
88
Virginia
Pool Size
49000
Surface
Plaster
Chlorine
Liquid Chlorine
Should the strainer bracket stay completely full overnight? First thing in AM, pump runs for one or two minutes before water starts flowing, but only two or three tiny air bubbles show up in the strainer. Strainer basket o ring is fine. Replaced drain plug on pump and o-ring on check valve before basket.
 
Yes, it should stay full.

Time for more details. You could have a tiny air leak somewhere so that the filter glug glug glugs for hours and drains out OR you have an air leak so that the tank is full of air that gets compressed while the pump is running. When you shut the pump off, it expands and shoves all the water out quickly.

Stand there with a beer and watch for a while a few times over the weekend. Figure out which. Bleed the air out of the tank after its been running half an hour or so and see if the problem goes away. Go look in the skimmers. A vortex caused by low water level or a sticking weir will allow the tank to fill with air. When you're bleeding air, pay attention to how smooth the bleed moves. I had a bad internal O-ring. It would seal good with pressure on it, but let air in when the pump was off. It didn't feel right when shutting it, but since it didn;t drip water.... who woulda guessed? It was only after I watched and saw bubbles and heard the glugging.
 
Thanks so much for your prompt reply! As soon as I shut off the pump, I can easily hear the gurgling in the pvc pipe on the pressure side of the pump.
When starting the pump, If after a few minutes I bleed air out the one or two bubbles that were there at startup disappear quickly. Then I turn it off and the gurgling is back. Pool is filled to the top and no vortex issues etc. with skimmers.

Was your issue with the pressure/bleed valve on the top of the filter? I held Saran wrap there to see if maybe it would pull on it when I stopped the pump, but saw nothing.

Could the leak be anywhere on the pressure side? I have a small drip from the shaft of the Polaris booster pump. Could that do it?
 
RebelBob said:
Thanks so much for your prompt reply! As soon as I shut off the pump, I can easily hear the gurgling in the pvc pipe on the pressure side of the pump.
When starting the pump, If after a few minutes I bleed air out the one or two bubbles that were there at startup disappear quickly. Then I turn it off and the gurgling is back. Pool is filled to the top and no vortex issues etc. with skimmers.

Was your issue with the pressure/bleed valve on the top of the filter? I held Saran wrap there to see if maybe it would pull on it when I stopped the pump, but saw nothing.

Could the leak be anywhere on the pressure side? I have a small drip from the shaft of the Polaris booster pump. Could that do it?
Click to expand...
Yes, the bleed is on top. Stretch a balloon over it. Then you can walk away and come back later to see if it's concave or not.

I would still look more on the suction side. If it hadn't happened to me, I would say it was impossible to have an air leak on the pressure side without having water squirting out with pump on. Air leaks happen on the suction side. Even a loose pump lid or drain plug can suck in when running but start to bleed air when the suction eases off.
 
Still no luck finding it. Spider gaasket? I looked At the spider gasket and it looked ok. When you push down on the multi-port valve and rotate to another position, it makes a rushing water kind of sound. Is that normal?
Any other ideas?
 
RebelBob said:
Still no luck finding it. Spider gaasket? I looked At the spider gasket and it looked ok. When you push down on the multi-port valve and rotate to another position, it makes a rushing water kind of sound. Is that normal?
Any other ideas?
Click to expand...
I don't know if that is normal. I don't have a multiport. Try coating around the stem with shaving cream. See if it gets drawn in during operation or later on after the pump is off. I could see it letting air seep in so the pipes and pump drain to the pool.
 
Hoping I may have identified issue. I have a Jandy valve that feeds to the pump with one side from the main drain and the other side to another valve feeding the two skimmer suction lines. I found that right after shutting pump off, if I close the Jandy valve so that all suction lines are closed, the basket stays full and hear nothing running. Makes me suspect that valve? So this AM with pump running, all suction lines opened, and NO air bubbles I noticed if I turn that valve to close off the two skimmers, I get air in the strainer basket.

Seems to me that shouldn’t happen and maybe there is a problem with that valve. I have opened and replaced a flapper on a check valve, but have never opened up a Jandy type valve. Looks like you just take the bolts out like on a check valve. Is that right? Guess I should replace o-ring? Can the baffle itself go bad?
 
A rebuild kit includes the diverter piece, too.
RebelBob said:
Hoping I may have identified issue. I have a Jandy valve that feeds to the pump with one side from the main drain and the other side to another valve feeding the two skimmer suction lines. I found that right after shutting pump off, if I close the Jandy valve so that all suction lines are closed, the basket stays full and hear nothing running. Makes me suspect that valve? So this AM with pump running, all suction lines opened, and NO air bubbles I noticed if I turn that valve to close off the two skimmers, I get air in the strainer basket.
Click to expand...
That means the air leak is either around the stem or it's in the line to the main drain.
Seems to me that shouldn’t happen and maybe there is a problem with that valve. I have opened and replaced a flapper on a check valve, but have never opened up a Jandy type valve. Looks like you just take the bolts out like on a check valve. Is that right? Guess I should replace o-ring? Can the baffle itself go bad?
Click to expand...
Looks like a rebuild kit includes the baffle.

Amazon.com: Diverter Valve Kit For Jandy Neverlube Valve 4720 Replacement Kit: Garden & Outdoor

Amazon.com: Diverter Valve Kit For Jandy Neverlube Valve 4720 Replacement Kit: Garden & Outdoor
tinyurl.com
 
Thanks for researching the parts! Actually when I looked closer it is actually a compool Pentair brand. I think I’ll open it up on Tuesday AM to see how things look and then head to the local pool store to get what I need. Keeping my fingers crossed that this is it!
 

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Did not see any shaving cream being sucked in. So, to summarize when the two skimmer lines are closed, get much more air. When the main drain is closed or when all are open get less air. So it must be something about the position of that gate inside the valve, or I guess it could mean a leak in the main drain line that shows up more when all of the suction is diverted to just that main drain line? Sure hope not. Could debris in the main drain cause this?
 
RebelBob said:
Did not see any shaving cream being sucked in. So, to summarize when the two skimmer lines are closed, get much more air. When the main drain is closed or when all are open get less air. So it must be something about the position of that gate inside the valve, or I guess it could mean a leak in the main drain line that shows up more when all of the suction is diverted to just that main drain line? Sure hope not. Could debris in the main drain cause this?
Click to expand...
Debris will not cause air to enter nor will it cause water to drain down.
 
So bottom line: I am just living with it. My pump is supposedly self priming and my experience is in fact that it is able to run full within a minute or so after being shut down overnight. If I check it during the day there are no air bubbles in the pump strainer basket, but when it goes off I can hear water running in the pipe between the multi-valve and the pump. I have put shaving cream over everything I can think of and see nothing. I’m wondering if the pressure gauge on the D.E. filter could be acting the way you mentioned that yours did? I tired a balloon on the pressure gauge as you suggested but it didn’t show anything. My equipment pad is higher than the pool, but water should still stay in the lines, right?
 
RebelBob said:
I’m wondering if the pressure gauge on the D.E. filter could be acting the way you mentioned that yours did? I tired a balloon on the pressure gauge as you suggested but it didn’t show anything. My equipment pad is higher than the pool, but water should still stay in the lines, right?
Click to expand...
It wasn't the gauge, it was the air bleed itself. I put the balloon over the air bleed outlet.
 
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