Printable View
I have a new pool and am having to bleed off the filter everyday and then during the day while the pump is circulating. Is it normal to be bleeding off the filter this much each day? The pump runs about 10 hours each day not.
Should I assume this is normal or is there a leak somewhere which is pulling air into the pump and filter?
Sounds like you've got a suction side leak. Can you see air in the pump? (Low water level in the skimmer or a stuck weir are other potential causes)
There is a filter basket in front of the pump and I generally see water and not a lot of air bubbles but I will need to watch it a while longer. I thought that maybe when the pump was off, the water was maybe draining backout into the pool since the pump was higher than the pool. Not sure if they put a check value in the line either.
Even though the equipment is above the water level there should be no air leaking in when the pump is off. It's a closed system. Therefore no need for a check valve. Sometimes a check valve is used between a heater and inline chlorinator to prevent concentrated chlorine from backing up to the heater core when the pump is off but this has nothing to do with air getting in. You say you don't see a 'lot' of bubbles in the pump basket chamber but remember that even a few will add up to a significant amount of air in the system over many hours of running. I agree with Ted, sounds like a small suction side leak somewhere.
Al
Nothing changed...testing the edit function.
After watching my prefilter for a while, I do see a few air bubble at the lower speed, then at high speed on startup. After a while they seem to be reduced or they are just not as visible. Now, how do I determine where the leak is from? Any ideas?
You can smear vaseline on any joints that are above ground. Stuff easily wipes off and the remainder can be cleaned off with an alcohol saturated paper towel. Depending on the geometry of the joint you may also use vinyl electrical tape, cheapest you can get at Home Depot etc. Stretch it tight and it will conform to ridges and irregularities. A common leak place is the pump basket lid seal. Clean it off and relube it with silicone grease. Start there and work towars the skimmer. On low speed there may not be enough flow to clear bubbles from under the lid and this is normal. High speed usually flushed trapped bubbles eventually.
Al