I have air bubbles coming from the return jet. There are no air bubbles in the pump basket and it primes without any issues. I have a cartridge filter and have to bleed the air out of the top release valve. Besides the bubbles I have the same amount of return pressure, no loss in pressure. I have replaced the pump basket lid and gasket ring. I have also replaced the o ring in the 3 point valve from my skimmer and main drain pipes before the pump. Tried the soapy water trick but not seeing any clear indicators of air getting in on the suction side.
That’s a tough and frustrating issue to diagnose. I’m sure you have checked the usual suspects, but here is our guide on Why Do I Keep Getting Bubbles In My Jets?. Most cartridge filters will eventually squeeze the air out of the system, but, if you have one, be sure your bleeder valve/sock is clean and can burp out some air.
Be sure your weir door is okay since, if it gets stuck closed, it can get some air in the system by not allowing enough water into the skimmer and sucking air into the pump/filter.
I found 2 streams of water coming from under the motor/seal. I ordered a shaft seal kit and replaced the seal. See the pictures below. Before shaft seal replacement there were 2 streams, after seal replacement there is 1 stream and still getting bubbles in return jet and cartridge filter. Again filter basket on suction side has 0 bubbles and no issues priming. The only seal I did not replace is the large O ring seal that came with the seal kit that goes between the housing and impeller/motor. Maybe that’s it?
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That is probably it. Those gaskets get compressed over time and don’t seal up very well if they are reused. Get a new gasket for it and use some lubricant on it to help it seal up and stay leak-free for a long time.
Great, the only reason I reused the gasket was because the new one looked wider then the gasket that was in there. It makes sense now if they are compressed. I confirmed the kit was for my model pump. I will give that a shot after the holiday weekend and deal with the bubbles for now. Thank you for the input!
It is our pleasure to help! Have a great holiday weekend!
