Air Bubbles in the Lines of the Swimming Pool

Pump Suction Leaks

• Air bubbles in swimming pool lines means the pump is sucking in air from somewhere it shouldn’t. One of the places where this can happen is in the pump housing. If there are cracks or other areas on the pump housing that are not airtight, then air can get into the pump and be ejected out the return side into the pool water where you see the bubbles. Common areas on the pump where the air could be leaking is the pump’s lid seal, which may require a new gasket, or a loose drain plug on the bottom of the housing.

Pipe Fittings

• Male adapters that connect the pipes to the suction side of the pump get loose because of heat expansion or vibration. Even a small amount of loosening can allow some air into the pump and cause air bubbles. Removing the leaky fittings and adding Teflon tape to them could seal the fittings and prevent the problem.

Low Water

• Sometimes you can hear the cause of air bubbles. When the water level in the pool gets so low that the skimmer is above the water level, air gets sucked into the plumbing that feeds the pump. This is obvious because of a loud sucking sound that is audible from a distance. Find the leak in your pool if that is the cause of the low water level, then refill the pool before the level damages the pump.

Clogged Skimmer

• The skimmer in your pool is an important part of the cleaning system. It pulls out surface debris such as bugs and leaves. This surface debris ends up in the skimmer basket. The basket needs to be emptied from time to time before it gets clogged. When too many leaves or other objects crowd the skimmer basket, it can prevent enough water from flowing to the pipes and air may enter instead.