Why are there Air Bubbles in my Pool? A Troubleshooting Guide

Do you have air bubbles shooting into your pool through your return jets? In this video Jason Hughes, pool contractor and author of popular ebook "6 Steps to Pool and Patio Success", briefly discusses how pool pumps work and the three most common causes of this problem and how to correct them. For more information about inground pools visit www.PoolSchool.us and www.riverpoolsandspas.com

Пікірлер: 418

  • @castingguy2008
    @castingguy20084 жыл бұрын

    I know you posted this 11 years ago, but dude, this was hands down the best instructional/troubleshooting pool video I've ever seen! I did what you said, and bam! Problem solved. you're 100% correct on the issue! thanks!

  • @gerardvandijk1173
    @gerardvandijk117311 ай бұрын

    The unit heats up fast and is super quiet. It looks fancy kzread.infoUgkxl8Od2BvnGbn1ffwqsuFXW0QnmcZgMiVY and can be kept in the living room. It gets hot within a split second of turning on the unit. The build quality is exceptionally good and is safe to be around kids and pets. This one is super quiet and can be kept on while in office meetings, my wife loved it. It shows the temperature right on the unit which is very useful and adding a rotating feature helps to heat up the surrounding, so other people will not fight with you for heat. It is right as described in the description..!! Definitely recommend!!

  • @bluev3nom
    @bluev3nom2 жыл бұрын

    Thanks Jason- Fixed my issue because of you. Good job explaining it, and then going over it again one last time to wrap it up. That is how instructions are suppose to be done. Half the time the vids online are too long, or too much detail is given with poor overview. You seriously kept a good job of not only keeping it simple, but giving strong explanation. Appreciate it!

  • @eddieguerra7777
    @eddieguerra77773 жыл бұрын

    Thank you..I was trying to figure out why my pump wasn't priming. After I watched the video I look at the pipe connection and behold! On the ground I see the rubber gasket .didn't noticed when it fell off..thanks again

  • @theeDameAlexander510

    @theeDameAlexander510

    2 жыл бұрын

    🤣

  • @steveclark5206
    @steveclark52064 жыл бұрын

    I know this is a necro commenting on an old video, but as a new pool owner your video was great. My lid was on tight, but the gasket was old and when I touched it I had black on my hands as if I had just had a magic marker leak on them. I could see areas on the gasket that were flat instead of being round. I bought a new gasket and no more air bubbles! Easy to follow explanation. Thanks for posting.

  • @shannonc.9817
    @shannonc.9817Ай бұрын

    This was SO incredibly helpful. I've watched a lot of KZread videos trying to troubleshoot this problem and this was by far the most helpful and informative. I feel totally empowered to solve the problem now. Thank you!

  • @neohelios77
    @neohelios7711 жыл бұрын

    WOW! just wanted to give a big THANK YOU! We are first time home owners, and bought a house with a pool that had been unused for 2-3 years. SO MANY things to learn, and was very frustrated with not getting enough suction. Being deathly afraid to break anything I avoided disassembling the suction valves, but your video gave me the confidence to open them up and find a piece of plastic wedged in the o-ring causing air bubbles. Removed it, and I HAVE SUCTION AGAIN! Thanks so much :)

  • @joaocolen7768
    @joaocolen77683 жыл бұрын

    I replaced the pump yesterday and now I’m having this problem. Thank you for the information 🙏🏻

  • @MsZippity
    @MsZippity8 жыл бұрын

    This video was very well done. I cannot say enough good things about the way you explained it and videographer it. Wish there were more how-to's like your on KZread. Excellent!

  • @ronaldkammeyer9143
    @ronaldkammeyer91432 ай бұрын

    Very informative minus one thing else to consider that I just experienced. In Jason's video you can see there is a 3-way valve on the suction side of the pump where the skimmer and main come together prior to the pump. Typically (as is with mine) it is a PENTAIR 263028 3-way diverter valve. Inside that valve there are three o-rings. One of these can be missing, torn or worn and will allow air into the system stopping the pump from priming let a lone operate normally cycling water through the filter. I bought an o-ring kit for my valve on AMAZON for $7.53. I can use a tool without harm to myself so I made the simple o-ring replacement myself. If you decide to DIY, then be aware of the valve position when you disassemble it and use proper o-ring lubrication. Otherwise the o-ring will just deteriorate and you will be back at square one.

  • @g8way2k1
    @g8way2k16 жыл бұрын

    I've had an air leak in my pool for about 2 weeks. This video finally got me out of my chair to see what I could do about it. Well, this is what I found. A while back, I changed Jandy valves from the kind you grease to the kind you don't. But on the casing, of course, grease caps are still there. A long time ago, one of these caps broke off in my hand, but never experienced any problems associated with this scenario. But now this leak has raised it's ugly head, So I tried one of the tricks someone mentioned to help find this air leak by quickly turning the pump off and back on again. So with my eyes squarely on the pump I turned it off and quickly turned it back on, and lo and behold a small squirt of water landed on my foot. As it turned out, the plastic left behind from the broken cap must've been good enough to keep the air out for, heck, probably 2 years. But over time this plastic must have been deteriorating to a point when it began to take air a couple weeks ago. To confirm this as the problem, I simply placed my finger over the fragmented plastic and pressed against the casing to act as a plug and sure enough, in just a few seconds the air purged and the swishing of water in the pump's basket disappeared. I shudder to think what a professional would tell me the problem was as he/she hands me a three or four hundred dollar bill. Apologies for all you pros out there who take exception to this comment, but I live in Florida. And for those of you who also live here....enough said! So now I'm thinking that I should trim the plastic fragments even with the casing and apply a Silicone caulk to plug up this problem once and for all, or clear it all out and apply the Silicone. Anyway, thanks heaps for the video and the ensuing comments that just about solved this dilemma for me!

  • @Guitarandbeyond
    @Guitarandbeyond14 жыл бұрын

    Thanks a million Jason, We had the same problem. the local pool supply company ( Club Piscine)said that we had to change our sand for $ 200 odd dollars.They couldn't undo the filter.They suggested we buy a new filter.Then I found your video. We changed the O-ring on the filter and checked the O-ring at the union. . Using a ratchet I tightened all the clamps on the suction side and it fixed the air problem. I also saved hundreds of dollars. Thanks again. Stewart

  • @positivedelaware
    @positivedelaware4 жыл бұрын

    Hold your head up high Jason ! Thank you for taking the time to put the video together and You Tube it for all to see..

  • @len9483

    @len9483

    3 жыл бұрын

    Only 7 thumbs up in 1 year? C'mon folks! This guy did this for free .. for us!

  • @Lrningsmthngnwdaily
    @Lrningsmthngnwdaily8 жыл бұрын

    EXCELLENT video and explanation for troubleshooting, I cant believe it, for 10 years I've had pool people coming out to my pool, I've asked every different one why there's air bubbles and each of them saw all the bubbles (and heard) them bubbling in the pool as well as the pump's basket and NONE gave an explanation except "you must have air coming in somewhere"!!!! ---no solution no easy fix just a comment. I just cant believe it. Well I'm going to fix it myself! Thanks to this video!

  • @allenman85
    @allenman8511 жыл бұрын

    Excellent video!! Thanks to you I found a crack in the strainer lid and then the Jandy valve diverter valve stem o-rings were leaking. A tip from a local store was to spread shaving cream around the Jandy valve stem with the handle removed and sure enough the bubbles in the strainer went away. Thanks for the great videos!!

  • @richardshoemaker1096
    @richardshoemaker10968 жыл бұрын

    nice video! another way to check air entering the union or lid is to pour water from a bucket over each. it will show less air intrusion in the basket sight glass.

  • @adamatt2001
    @adamatt20013 жыл бұрын

    I was glad I checked my skimmer flap! It wasn’t the o rink for my air bubbles, but a stuck flap. I still learned something here, thanks 😊

  • @bigbassn86
    @bigbassn8610 жыл бұрын

    Great tutorial Jason, I learned some valuable things today. Thank You and keep up the good work my friend. Sincerely, Parris, San Diego

  • @stevewalker862
    @stevewalker8627 жыл бұрын

    Excellent video. Understood everything you showed and explained perfectly. Will definitely be monitoring the 3 main issues that can cause air bubbles in my return lines.

  • @PERRYS_PROPS
    @PERRYS_PROPS10 жыл бұрын

    Thank You, Thank You, Thank You! after watching dozens of videos with no results, I came across your video and bam. My problem is solved 1 2 3. in my case the Diverter valve lid O ring was not properly sealed. Its not covered in you video, but you led me in the right direction.

  • @AlWestwood
    @AlWestwood8 жыл бұрын

    And also with the Pentair pump shown, the two drain plug gaskets can deteriorate. I have just opened my pool and had this problem. Good and informative video. Many thanks!

  • @user-xg5pf8fk8m
    @user-xg5pf8fk8m Жыл бұрын

    Thank you! This was just what we needed to fix our bubbles that were coming from the pool motor basket!

  • @teresawhite-heximer3924
    @teresawhite-heximer39242 жыл бұрын

    Thank you! You offered some useful info about my pools that should help me determine why air is coming out of the jets. I hope it's of the above ground nature! Your video was well planned and informative.

  • @Bigweight66
    @Bigweight6611 жыл бұрын

    Just took some of your advice from this clip and now my pool filter is working again. THANKS!!!

  • @Yankees4534
    @Yankees45348 жыл бұрын

    This video help a lot! Installed new pump on our in ground pool had air bubbles, after double checking pipe unions & pump plugs. Problem solved!! Thanks

  • @robertsummers2669
    @robertsummers26692 жыл бұрын

    Excellent video, explaining three main sources of bubbles in return lines. Will look into water level, straining pot lid and Unions.

  • @bradrtorgersen_videos
    @bradrtorgersen_videosАй бұрын

    Thanks for this! I am having this exact problem, on a similar Pentair system. Gonna check that union ring tomorrow when I have some light to work with.

  • @suburbanwisdom
    @suburbanwisdom4 жыл бұрын

    10+ years late to this party, but thanks! Pretty sure my air issue is the o-ring on my chlorine dispenser thingy. First time pool owner, so much appreciated and hope your are well.

  • @cvitko320
    @cvitko3209 жыл бұрын

    Excellent job explaining trouble shooting how air can enter your pump/filter system.

  • @awrosenoff
    @awrosenoff3 жыл бұрын

    Thanks. I didn't put the plastic screen in the right direction on the sealed filter. It wasn't letting the cover tighten all the way, even though it seemed tight enough. I had to go out at 10 pm in the dark to figure out what was the culprit after watching your video. Success!

  • @daleronsin4756
    @daleronsin47563 жыл бұрын

    Professionally and accurately explained. Well done

  • @dmagyar00
    @dmagyar003 жыл бұрын

    Great Job on the video! The second thing I would check after the water level is the skimmer. Some skimmers have an insert that gets cocked, causing air to be sucked in through the top despite having an adequate water level.

  • @gregjohnson1079
    @gregjohnson10794 жыл бұрын

    Hi Jason, thanks very much for this video. It did the trick and worked like a charm. I appreciate you taking the time to help us.

  • @MarcusSheridan
    @MarcusSheridan15 жыл бұрын

    This video is great because air bubbles area common occurence with pools, especially when the are opened for the season. Just with advice in this video pool owners will eliminate service calls, save money, and have better pool filtration. Great video Jason!

  • @Anonymous-zv9hk
    @Anonymous-zv9hk10 ай бұрын

    Many recommend silicone-based grease on gaskets and seal rings, such as at the union you fixed, and on the O-ring under the lid of the screw-on top of the pump basket, and on any screw-in drain plugs that might have loosened or which don't have a separate o-ring and depend on the grease for a good seal. Thanks for a really great video; it is still the best after being made and posted 14 years ago.

  • @elletuppen4844
    @elletuppen48442 жыл бұрын

    Thank you for this comprehensive look at what causes the bubbles👌🏽

  • @maxgracefjr
    @maxgracefjr3 жыл бұрын

    3way valve BEFORE pump inlet had a wobbly union, that was the source of my air bubbles, fixed with new modern 3way valve vs twenty year old one. Great video thanks.

  • @255mitch
    @255mitch8 жыл бұрын

    great video and simple to follow... Thank you so much for this info

  • @jackdawson6340
    @jackdawson6340 Жыл бұрын

    13 years later my pump cap had a maple copter breaking the seal after cleaning. I felt dumb, but your video helped me out. When I turned off the pump I could hear the squeal of the air being sucked in and saw bubbles being sucked in. I’m dumb!

  • @randallhoover7688
    @randallhoover76885 жыл бұрын

    Thank you! Solved the mystery!!! My hero!

  • @barbararunko6242
    @barbararunko624211 жыл бұрын

    Jason, very helpful segment. We had bubbles because we had the wrong plugs in the wrong spots. Thanks.

  • @allcheckout
    @allcheckout8 жыл бұрын

    Great video - thanks. I have another option if it doesn't work. In our case it was the drain valve of the pool pump. It was lose and sucking air

  • @gggnumber1

    @gggnumber1

    5 жыл бұрын

    Yeah. That is the main one he missed. Not a bad How to.. Vid, however don't start cutting up concrete before you either tighten or replace a two dollar drain plug on the pump.

  • @1webhead
    @1webhead9 жыл бұрын

    Thank you Jason, very helpful 👍

  • @melaniemag
    @melaniemag7 жыл бұрын

    Thank you for the lesson -- very helpful!

  • @johnottley5548
    @johnottley554810 жыл бұрын

    Very helpful. Should've watched this earlier! The top of my pump basket wasn't seated properly. Problem solved!

  • @justme7303
    @justme73036 жыл бұрын

    Thank you! Extremely helpful information.

  • @ddj350z
    @ddj350z10 жыл бұрын

    4th thing to check is the skimmer weir door. If it's stuck in the up position even though the water level is correct it can still suck in air. Easy way to tell is to look in the front of the skimmer and make sure the skimmer door isn't stuck in the up position. Also for floating weir door that the basket isn't full of leaves causing the floating weir to be stuck too high up. Main cause is skimmer for air issues. Also to see easily and air leak at pump turn off and on pump quickly a few time and where the air leak is will squirt water out.

  • @josephblow6654

    @josephblow6654

    4 жыл бұрын

    Stuck weir door. Thanks for the tip, it just solved my problem. THANK YOU!!!

  • @dwaynemills2545

    @dwaynemills2545

    4 жыл бұрын

    Yeah i had that happen sometimes

  • @atallguynh

    @atallguynh

    4 жыл бұрын

    @Crotch Banister o-ring is cheap, I'd replace if it is at all worn.

  • @janicemontagna4098

    @janicemontagna4098

    3 жыл бұрын

    Does the foam piece on the weir plate go on the bottom?

  • @drdrew3

    @drdrew3

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@janicemontagna4098 The foam should be on the TOP edge of the weir door. That way the top edge of the door floats just below the surface and maximizes the skimming effect

  • @BAKERHUSKIE
    @BAKERHUSKIE5 жыл бұрын

    I don't have a swimming pool, but, but ... is the best explained video I ever seen.

  • @girlz1229
    @girlz122911 жыл бұрын

    Ditto, ditto, ditto! Thanks for taking the time to post this! It's very helpful..

  • @silentmajority5657
    @silentmajority56574 жыл бұрын

    Jason, the union at the pump was the problem.. Thank you so much..

  • @ifeanyiclark8725
    @ifeanyiclark87259 жыл бұрын

    This video was extremely helpful. Thanks :)

  • @CLAPBUGGAZ
    @CLAPBUGGAZ11 жыл бұрын

    thankz sooooooooooo much jason.... God bless you for eternity...i love when people explains everything to the "T" in there tutorial....mannnnn you are a money and life savor....i was about to call somebody..JASON'S DA MANNNN...Peace

  • @kstyrcula
    @kstyrcula5 жыл бұрын

    Jason, what a terrific guide. I've been going crazy trying to figure out how the bubbles have been coming through the return and your video was perfect. It was as if we were watching this through your own eyes. Will get your book as well . . . thanks.

  • @markchadwell7093
    @markchadwell70937 жыл бұрын

    Thanks, will check for all areas mentioned by all.

  • @Huitzilipochtli1
    @Huitzilipochtli110 жыл бұрын

    Awesome tutorial! Thank you!

  • @LucaReviews
    @LucaReviews11 жыл бұрын

    Very informative! Thank you for taking the time to make this video.

  • @AllStarAntC
    @AllStarAntC5 жыл бұрын

    Thank you for the amazing help!

  • @1stsokol
    @1stsokol11 жыл бұрын

    Union is on backwards, the flow always goes from the male end(the one with the nut) to the female end(the one with the threads on it) of the union.

  • @AZ_sunshine
    @AZ_sunshine7 жыл бұрын

    thank you. good, informative video. Much appreciated. Problem fixed.

  • @t.j.gooden2328
    @t.j.gooden232810 жыл бұрын

    Wow man. great video. you need to make more of these types of videos

  • @claudioborzillo6933
    @claudioborzillo69333 жыл бұрын

    Champion!! Union wasn’t tight enough. Great post 👍

  • @joesir20
    @joesir202 жыл бұрын

    Wow…. You saved me a lot of trouble! Great video! Thanks!

  • @ryanmarciano
    @ryanmarciano6 жыл бұрын

    Thanks for a quick easy resolve.

  • @SheehanTraining
    @SheehanTraining8 жыл бұрын

    Thank you very much for this informative video!

  • @kdumicich
    @kdumicich6 жыл бұрын

    Thanks for this video. This fixed my problem.

  • @spicydragonz
    @spicydragonz11 жыл бұрын

    Thank you very much. I watched your video and found a loose drain plug. You saved me a service call.

  • @phillipmoulder1343
    @phillipmoulder13432 жыл бұрын

    Great video , solved my problem in just 10 minutes!!!

  • @MikeChestney
    @MikeChestney6 жыл бұрын

    Great video! Thanks for putting this together.

  • @shniknej
    @shniknej5 жыл бұрын

    Fantastic video mate. Sorted my problem instantly.

  • @IllusiveSasquatch
    @IllusiveSasquatch5 жыл бұрын

    Thanks for the great vid. solved er quick!

  • @lawrencesantana2760
    @lawrencesantana27604 жыл бұрын

    Great video! If I may, a lot of times and especially if the oring is in a vertical attitude like in your union, the oring will want to fall out. Before installing, coat the oring with silicone. This will help hold the oring in place when assembling and actually creates a better seal. I use it on all of my oring sealed components in my pool equipment. Just saying...

  • @mfolson81
    @mfolson8111 ай бұрын

    Great vid, I might add to check the weir doors to verify a leaf isn't stuck in there keeping it from operating correctly...its happened to me and it stopped water from flowing into the skimmer correctly which caused it to suck some air.

  • @MrVinhngoc
    @MrVinhngoc8 жыл бұрын

    Thank You Jason , I fixed my problem by your clip .

  • @douglasgriswold2533
    @douglasgriswold25339 жыл бұрын

    Thank you for the video. I"m sort of a newb pool owner, our 18x36 in ground pool came with the house we bought a couple of years ago. We had a new liner installed and things seemed to be fine, but two weeks later I'm seeing air bubbles ONLY when we have it on main drain (sump). Water level is fine, skimmer is fine, so I checked the valve-pump union. It's several years old and the gasket appears to be mashed flat. I cleaned it, lubed it and retightened it and same issue. I am going to replace the entire union tomorrow (unless I can just get a gasket). The pool pump (Hayward Supreme) is two ears old but the gasket around the top of the filter basket seems a bit aged and stiff. I lubed it and tried it and no difference. SO I'll just replace the union tomorrow and see if that fixes the problem. When it IS on main drain, and I'm getting some cavitation in the basket, there are no water bubbles being injected into the pool by the jets, which is weird.

  • @justme7303
    @justme73034 жыл бұрын

    seriously so helpful!!!! Thank you... again!

  • @jens9058
    @jens90586 жыл бұрын

    Very informative - Thank You!

  • @cynthiaana4808
    @cynthiaana48084 жыл бұрын

    Very comprehensive video. Thanks!

  • @tanispanter6712
    @tanispanter671210 жыл бұрын

    Thanks needed to know this, Had bubbles for three weeks before I closed the pool for winter. Will check these 3 things when I open it back up.

  • @Redkinkid1985

    @Redkinkid1985

    8 ай бұрын

    Winter

  • @bortoldr
    @bortoldr11 жыл бұрын

    Awesome video! Thanks for posting!

  • @victorhugofernandezgonzale3219
    @victorhugofernandezgonzale32193 жыл бұрын

    Muy buen video, muy profesional y muy claro.

  • @chinese244
    @chinese24411 жыл бұрын

    Hi, thank you very much for your video..very easy to understand. cant wait to fix the problem..probably on 4 or 5 pools. very nice thank you again !!!!! I have one question....I have a pool with black stains...they look exactly like soot . How can I get rid of them . I tried chlo tabs with no success ...Thank you

  • @michaelabdullah5147
    @michaelabdullah51479 ай бұрын

    Clear concise and effective . Thanks

  • @dwaynemills2545
    @dwaynemills25454 жыл бұрын

    It can also get trapped if the pump is at a higher elevation than the skimmer when emptying the catch basket. Just close the skimmer and main drain valves before you take the lid off. So you only lose the water from the pump side of the valve to the pump it's self. You can just open the air escape valve on top of the filter. Not sure about sand filter but cartridge and DE filters have it.

  • @jwj2xx4
    @jwj2xx49 жыл бұрын

    One thing I like to do is watch the plumbing and pump closely when I turn the pump off. If there's a leak on the suction side, the resistance of the pump and filtration system will typically cause some water to briefly flow out from the culprit area.

  • @robertdaymouse3784

    @robertdaymouse3784

    Жыл бұрын

    In retrospect, this is what I observed, but didn't understand at the time.

  • @TBVwhiskers
    @TBVwhiskers9 жыл бұрын

    So helpful!!!! Thank you, my dang pool service man should have known this.

  • @rubenscott3972

    @rubenscott3972

    8 жыл бұрын

    Most times ppl tell me the same I ask how much were you paying and it makes sense pool cleaning is not cheap unless u want cheap cleaning

  • @cafilmbuff
    @cafilmbuff5 жыл бұрын

    Thank you this valuable information. IT doesn't seem my pool service have any idea how to remedy this problem with the air bubbles in my pool. I will definitely check all three suggestions when time permits.

  • @tickledaclown3167
    @tickledaclown31678 жыл бұрын

    Very helpful. Thank you sir.

  • @TheNine6
    @TheNine66 жыл бұрын

    Well done. another trick, get the pump running as good as it can and then kill the power to it and look at every connection in front of the pump. Back pressure will usually cause the the connection that is drawing air to leak a little water.

  • @billyazprospector
    @billyazprospector6 жыл бұрын

    Thank you for this video!!

  • @nos2142
    @nos21423 жыл бұрын

    Excellent advice Thank You for sharing

  • @hughesjasonc
    @hughesjasonc13 жыл бұрын

    good luck, you'll love it!

  • @peetre
    @peetre13 жыл бұрын

    thanks for a great job explaining this!

  • @cyranoredcar
    @cyranoredcar8 жыл бұрын

    Thank you!!!!! Our pool company wasn't smart enough to troubleshoot this!!!!

  • @allcheckout

    @allcheckout

    8 жыл бұрын

    +Linda Wolfe: best is to take care yourself of the pool. Our pool guy messed up completely our pool and he does nothing else than pools ... Now it's much better!

  • @Sal112350

    @Sal112350

    4 жыл бұрын

    You are right on those pool guy, they will create a broken parts to charge you with so much exorbitant, fee. My pool guy removed the capacitor connection and wants to replaced the motor and charged me 500 bucks but told him I will canvass first. So I look at the security camera and there, caught him destroying my motor, so I reconnect and it run. I fired him, I should call the police, but did not. He did charged me 800 for the broken LED light long time ago, I think I got scammed.

  • @ewawozniak7537
    @ewawozniak75378 жыл бұрын

    Great explanation. Thanks

  • @JesterAvali
    @JesterAvali4 ай бұрын

    This helped me fix mine! Thank you!

  • @sandyfoster4055
    @sandyfoster40552 жыл бұрын

    I may have other problems, but this was really helpful. I loose power from the vacuum when I try to clean the pool, but it may be that the suction side loses power from air. This explanation was very good. I have three returns and three suction lines (Two skimmers and the main drain) which increases the number of air leakage possibilities.

  • @you5508tube
    @you5508tube7 жыл бұрын

    You nailed it!! Thanks!!!

  • @jaymishur1105
    @jaymishur11054 жыл бұрын

    Thanks Jason! Awesome video!

  • @danielblume6352
    @danielblume635210 жыл бұрын

    Thanks for the help, problem solved.

  • @larsturner310
    @larsturner3105 жыл бұрын

    A helpful video. Thanks.