Poor suction, bubbles coming from returns (newbie)

Pool pumps, pool filters and the plumbing of
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louc
I'm new here
I'm new here
Posts: 1
Joined: Wed 01 Apr, 2009 14:06
My Pool: 10,000 gallon, inground, fiberglass, 1.5hp pump, AstralPool sand filter
Location: Utah

Poor suction, bubbles coming from returns (newbie)

Postby louc » Wed 01 Apr, 2009 14:40

I'm new to the forum, and I'm new to pools in general, so please pardon how basic my questions may be...

I've just purchased a home with a small inground fiberglass pool (10,000 gal), and it was neglected. It was new 18 months ago, and then the home went through foreclosure, so the pool got no love at all. There was a lot of plant material in it, and some silt I'm sure. I'm cleaning it up, but that's another issue.

Near the pump, there are two 1.5 inch pipes coming out of the ground that go into a single pipe with a valve at the junction. The single pipe feeds into the pump. Presumably, the two pipes coming out of the ground are for the main drain and the skimmer. When I turn the valve to close off one of the sides, the water just kind of pours into the pump, not moving very fast. When I open the valve for both sides, it moves in pretty good and it even comes up high enough to hit the lid. Is that normal behavior? If not, what do I check?

Another thing, I hooked up a vacuum to the skimmer outlet and it doesn't have good suction at all. How do I improve the suction?

Another issue is I have bubbles coming out of the returns. They are large bubbles, and they don't go away over time. There is a bit of a hissing sound at the filter, and I wonder if air is being introduced there. Not sure though. Any thoughts on how to diagnose and fix that?

The skimmer has two holes in the bottom, one of which is plugged. What is the plugged one for?

I appreciate any advice on my situation; thanks in advance.


Guest

Poor suction, bubbles coming from returns (newbie)

Postby Guest » Thu 02 Apr, 2009 00:31

When I turn the valve to close off one of the sides, the water just kind of pours into the pump, not moving very fast. When I open the valve for both sides, it moves in pretty good and it even comes up high enough to hit the lid. Is that normal behavior?

The water should be moving in fast enough to displace all the air. The pump is probably up against a (partial) obstruction or the valve joints are leaking air.

Another thing, I hooked up a vacuum to the skimmer outlet and it doesn't have good suction at all. How do I improve the suction?

Get the pump sucking water instead of air and the vacuum pressure will increase. Make sure the vacuum hose is filled with water before plugging it in.

There is a bit of a hissing sound at the filter, and I wonder if air is being introduced there.

Hissing from the filter is air escaping. Open the air bleed valve to release the air from the filter. A filter full of air doesn't do a very good job.

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