Air Leak in Suction Line

Our pool has an air leak in the pool vacuum suction line.  If we have the vacuum valve turned on (EVEN IF WE DON’T have the vacuum “plugged in”), we get a significant amount of air in the sand filter.  It can take 10 minutes to bleed the air out each day.  We have had the valve changed and it did not help.  We have isolated the air leak to the vacuum line since if it is turned off – we have no air leak issue.  The pool is NOT losing any water.  How can we find where the air is coming from if the line from the pool to to the pump is underground?  Also why wouldn’t we be losing water if there is a crack in the PVC or a leak at one one joints underground?

Hello Denise - We’d be glad to assist you. It sounds like the pump is not getting enough water when it’s in vacuum mode. The pump is trying to push more water than it can receive from the isolated vacuum line. Try adjusting the valves so that the pump can pull some water from the skimmer at the same time the vacuum line is open. Let us know how that works out for you.

Hi Rob - we have both the skimmer and vacuum line open.  Just the drain is closed.    With both vacuum line and skimmer open, we are still getting air.  Any other ideas?

The air leak could be coming from any of the couplings or elbows on the vacuum line. Usually the leak will be above ground. Underground air leaks are not common. However, it may be worth digging down to the first fitting. That is the only one where we’ve seen any issues.

The air leak could be coming from any of the couplings or elbows on the vacuum line. Usually the leak will be above ground. Underground air leaks are not common. However, it may be worth digging down to the first fitting. That is the only one where we’ve seen any issues.

Rob – We have gotten the air leak repaired.  There was a crack in the PVC near where the vacuum hose plugs in.  The air was getting in since our pool deck has some cracks that allowed air to get into the crack in the PVC.  The crack in the PVC was able to be repaired without digging up the deck and we have NO air at all now.

Thanks for your help.

Denise

Denise - We’re glad you got it fixed! Thank for coming back and letting us know where you found the leak.