I opened my pool for the first time this year. My poolguy usually does it for me while I am at work but he couldn't get to me until the end of May, and we want to be swimming by Mother's Day weekend!

I removed the plugs and put the eyeball nozzles in, removed the plug and put the skimmer basket in, and found 3 plugs in the strainer basket that I put in. I then filled the strainer with water and turned it on. Took a few seconds but it started running. When I went to backwash, water sprayed out of the clear lens when I moved the lever, and water also leaked from the top of the filter. When I took the strainer cover off, the gasket came out. I fitted it back in and tightened the cover back on. There is a clamp on top of my sand filter with a couple of screws in it. They seemed to be pretty tight, although I didn't take a screwdriver and try to snug them. Any ideas? The water coming out of my nozzles is bubbling, so I must be sucking air somewhere.

TIA.