Return not working

[HeatherH]

Happy pool opening season! Sort of…

Once again, we are plagued by a startup issue. We just started our pool an hour or so ago, but one return isn’t working. We have taken out the plugs (obviously) and gone from waste to filter a couple times hoping it would magically repair itself, but no dice.

It was working at the end of the season just fine. It was plugged all winter and we did put antifreeze in it. Also, we live in Virginia so it never gets that cold here to hard freeze anyway.

I’m attaching pictures of the pump and pool. The pump is a considerable distance from the pool and uphill (not our decision). We have three returns that I circled. The one in red is the one that doesn’t work. We aren’t sure where the main pipe from the pump to the pool splits into the two sides of the pool because we have no access to the plans when they put it in. The only other info that may be important is that I took apart the pump last year to deep clean the sand. We didn’t turn it back on after that.

I honestly have no clue what to do because nothing is coming out. A couple small bubbles when it first started, but nothing after. The problem return has been one in the past that has lost pressure when we were using the filter balls and they got gunked up. Once I got those out and put sand back in, the pressure returned to normal. It was also one that had the pipe behind it replaced because it pulled away from the pool wall and started leaking.

Any ideas of troubleshooting before I call a professional? I am also checking the water level to see if there’s any loss indicating an underground break. HELP!

 

[Jimrahbe]

Heather,

I suggest that you backwash your filter, or if your filter has a by-pass/recirculate mode I'd try that and see what happens.

If you have weak flow, then the return farthest away may not work well.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[HeatherH]

I tried backwashing. That did nothing unfortunately. I think I have a recirculate setting. I’ll try that.

 

[Jimrahbe]

Heather,

Another thing you can do is to try and block off (Winter plugs) the two working returns and see if you get good flow out of the non-working one.

Logic say that there should be nothing coming through the filter that could clog the line so that leaves a just a couple of options..

1. The pipe going to the bad return is broken.. That would cause a water leak..
2. If you have flex line it could be crushed..
3. ???

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[HeatherH]

Heather,

Another thing you can do is to try and block off (Winter plugs) the two working returns and see if you get good flow out of the non-working one.

Logic say that there should be nothing coming through the filter that could clog the line so that leaves a just a couple of options..

1. The pipe going to the bad return is broken.. That would cause a water leak..
2. If you have flex line it could be crushed..
3. ???

Thanks,

Jim R.

Jim,
What is a flex line?

 

[Jimrahbe]

Heather,

Flex line is like normal PVC pipe, but it is corrugated so that you can bend it around things.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[HeatherH]

Heather,

Flex line is like normal PVC pipe, but it is corrugated so that you can bend it around things.

Thanks,

Jim R.

Thanks for the explanation!.We tried the recirculate setting. That didn’t do anything. We are going to block off the other returns tomorrow and see if that does anything. I’m a little nervous to block off both the working returns at once though. If there is some sort of blockage, wouldn’t that basically blow up the pump if the pressure doesn’t force it out?

 

[Jimrahbe]

Heather,

Block off just one and see what happens.

If no help, block off the two working returns and then only turn the pump on for less than a minute and see what happens.

If you don't see anything come out of the bad return right away, just shut the pump off.

If your filter has a gauge, watch it and see if the pressure goes way up with the good returns plugged.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[HeatherH]

Jim,
Thanks for all your advice. Blocking the strongest return “jumpstarted” the broken one! All good now! Onto getting the green out…ThanKs so much!

 

[Jimrahbe]

Heather,

So what you could do, it put a smaller eyeball on the strongest return and a larger eyeball on the weakest return.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[HeatherH]

Heather,

So what you could do, it put a smaller eyeball on the strongest return and a larger eyeball on the weakest return.

Thanks,

Jim R.

Awesome, we will try that if it becomes a bigger problem. I think it really just needed a jumpstart and now it seems to be working normally!