Hi Sierrasmom,
As posted above, yes, I was not trying to be a smarta__ with you, I understand that you are new to the pool thing, I was really just trying to make a point that some people (especially those with some knowledge of this stuff) should not ask irrelevant questions especially directed to newbies who could get easily confused - the KISS principle still works well in most cases.
My point was that backwashing is directly related to the amount of dirt the filter has collected and nothing else - well, maybe the flow rate of the pump, but I think you know what I mean....
I don't know if you've allready checked this, but some people forget to check teh lint basket in teh pump and only ever check the skimmer basket - sometimes crud in teh pump basket can make your system act up too, aside form that, yes, a suction side air leak could be the problem - suction side means before ot at the pump - many times the gasket for the pump lid or a low water level can be to blame, if you're within about 1" of the bottom of the skimmer with your pool water level, that can be to blame.