huge blast of air when pump starts

[mas985]

Some of those leaks could be leaking air into the filter while the pump is off. And yes, there is an o-ring in the drain fitting.

There also MAY be a drip from the "Inlet" part of the filter where a black connector on the filter joins up with my white PVC piping. Seems to be a small wet area where they connect.

That sounds like the multi-port or push-pull valve and is a common place for some leaks. They too have gaskets/o-rings that can be replaced.

[poolgal13]

Thank you so much for helping. I guess our next step is to sort through some diagrams and figure out if we can do this ourselves or if we need to call the pool company.