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Air Now Comes In To Wet End Of Pool Pump. Why?


AMG

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I am not the original owner and have only owned my home/pool since last September. I have cleaned the filter a few times, lubed o-rings, replaced tiny parts that have broken, but that is all. The pool and pump are from 1997 time. It is a Hayword pump. The pool is an in-ground gunite pool in San Diego, CA, of about 15,000 gallons. I have a System 3 (I think the name is) filter, a chlorinator, and the hayword pump.

This problem just started last week and I don't know what the causes could be (I can guess, but I don't want to). When I turn the pump on, the wet-end of the pump is full of air, you cannot see the water at the top (like I used to). The pump runs for maybe 20 seconds or so before it is completely full of water in the wet-end. Then the air is pushed in to the filter. Air comes out of the return in to the pool until water begins to come through. I have had to go out there every day or two and while the pump is running I open the bleeder at the top of the filter and about 1-2 minutes later all the air is gone and water comes out. When the pump turns off, a few seconds later you slowly start to see bubbles go Blop... Blop... (ha ha) in to the wet end. It lowers the water level in there slowly (maybe an inch every 60 seconds it seems), but over night it adds up.

So what could the cause be?

Here is a photo of a similar pump to mine, so you get an idea what it is I am looking at (the plastic cover) where I see the water disappear and the air come in). This is just some random pump I found on google of Hayword, but its similar.

1202079284_Hayward1.5HPPowerFloAbovegroundPoolPump_1202070332_Ha.jpg

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Did this start the day after you opened the pump to empty the basket? Sometimes, the lid o-ring gets dislodged when you take the lid off, and don't know it. It has happened to me before. Make sure the o-ring is there, in place, and also check to see it you have a 1/4 plug screwed into the bottom of the pump basket. Make sure that the plug is sealed properly (o-ring or thread seal). Lastly it could be a leak at the threaded connection to the pump inlet.

Is your pump actually a Hayward, and just looks differently than the picture? Or does your pump just look like the picture?

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I don't remember exactly. I know I have gone in there since it had air in it. Tomorrow morning I will stop the pump, take it off, clean the o-ring, lube the o-ring, re-install it and re-tighten the lid.

Not sure what the second part is about the 1/4 plug screwed into the bottom of the pump basket?

The basket is a blue and goes in only one way. I take it out periodically to clean the stuff that the cleaner gets. It is a hayword, it's just 13 years old though, so not as updated as the one in the pic. I showed that photo just for reference as it is the same style (maybe ALL pumps are, I am not sure). I will check model numbers in the morning and take a few photos.

Did this start the day after you opened the pump to empty the basket? Sometimes, the lid o-ring gets dislodged when you take the lid off, and don't know it. It has happened to me before. Make sure the o-ring is there, in place, and also check to see it you have a 1/4 plug screwed into the bottom of the pump basket. Make sure that the plug is sealed properly (o-ring or thread seal). Lastly it could be a leak at the threaded connection to the pump inlet.

Is your pump actually a Hayward, and just looks differently than the picture? Or does your pump just look like the picture?

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I believe the issue is resolved, but I didn't have time to watch it this morning. The lid on the pump wasnt on really tight, but I took it off and cleaned the o-ring and re-tightened it down. It seems okay now. I'll update tonight when I get home if there is still a concern.

EDIT: When I said "clean the o-ring" I meant, cleaned it off, cleaned the lid, cleaned the spot in the pump where the threads meet, etc. Then re-lube the o-ring with silicon magic lube.

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