Problems with air bubbles returning into pool

[justawildchild]

I have air bubbles coming back through the return jets. I did not have the problem until about a month or so ago. I have checked the fittings and the drain pipe at the pump. I even switched the filter basket gasket. (I have the same style pump running my solar heat system.....no air bubbles in that separate system after the switch.)

I do have a lot of joints since my old oil fired pool heater broke down last summer. It is not running through the old heater, but there are some new connections. But it was all done last year and I never had the problem until a month ago.

I have not noticed an leaks from any joints.

Any thoughts on this?

Thanks.

[JohnT]

Bubbles mean the leak is before the pump, so it won't be around your heater joints. Either that or the water level in the pool is too low and the skimmer is sucking air.

[justawildchild]

Bubbles mean the leak is before the pump, so it won't be around your heater joints. Either that or the water level in the pool is too low and the skimmer is sucking air.

The way my skimmer is set up, the water level in the pool would be too low to take water to the skimmer before the water level in the skimmer was too low.

The air bubbles have been happening no matter what the pool level is.

On another point, my pool water has been very cloudy this year. Chemical balance at my last test was perfect (even got a free cup from the pool store for perfect water) but the water is still cloudy. The girl said it could be because of the heat we have been getting lately, but I don't buy that. Could there be a leak somewhere on the intake that is sucking in some dirty air or dirt causing the cloudiness? There has been no excess sand or dirt in the pool though.

Any other thoughts?

[mbar]

My sister-in-law was having the same problem 2 years ago, and it was something wrong with her pump - I can't remember what it was, but I know the pool store came and fixed it. The pump was getting air in it, but not from a leak in the pipes.

[justawildchild]

My sister-in-law was having the same problem 2 years ago, and it was something wrong with her pump - I can't remember what it was, but I know the pool store came and fixed it. The pump was getting air in it, but not from a leak in the pipes.

A friend of mine recently had a problem with the seal (internally) with her pump and would continue to lose prime. I wonder if mine would do the same thing if my pump was not below the level of the skimmer at the back of my property. I guess I could switch pumps and see if the one for my solar heat does the same thing. Lot of work though to switch pumps.

[Phillbo]

What type of cleaner do you have ? I have a suction side cleaner and had a pin hole in one of the flex tubes that connect it to the wall. That caused air to get in the system due to it being in one of the tubes that floats on top of the water.

[mbar]

It wasn't in the pump, it was in the filter.

[justawildchild]

It wasn't in the pump, it was in the filter.

Last night I ran the pool in recirculate to get the cloudiness out with floculant. I noticed that the air bubbles that I have seen in the pump filter clear cover was a lot less than usual. Could it be a problem with the sand filter valve?

Pressure runs the same in filter mode.

[Poolsean]

Bubbles in the pump basket area will ALWAYS be a suction side issue (before the pump), not pressure side (after the pump), so it's unlikely a filter problem.

You can try isolating the skimmer, then the main drain, then the vaccum line to see which creates more bubbles than the other.
If it doesn't change, it's probably between the diverter valve and the pump.

Take a dripping wet dish towel and wrap it around glue joints, valves, and fittings, one at a time and see where the bubbles reduce or stop. That would help isolate the leak.

Hope this helps,.

[chrisexv6]

Something that helped me (and I believe was suggested to me here) is to have someone cycle the filter on and off (not too much, a few times) while you are watching the plumbing (including and especially the drain plugs on the pump). The water may spurt out of the leak once the suction is removed (i.e. pump turned off).

This procedure helped me trace a tiny suction leak to the drain plug in my pump (on the suction side, where the strainer basket is). Put some RTV sealant on the drain plug, let it set and no more air bubbles.

-Chris