No there’s really not an app for that, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express one night so basically I’m qualified…haha.
Seriously though, if you’re having air bubbles coming through the returns of your pool it means somewhere, somehow, there is air getting into your system. But where?? There are a million ways/places this could be happening. Some could be very visible like a leak in the suction side of your pump, or something not so visible like a busted suction pipe below the ground (often caused by a tree root).
Short of hiring a leak detection company with their sophisticated sonar equipment, which can be very expensive here are a few places you can look to help out.
- A place to look that doesn’t cost you anything are your pump and skimmer baskets. If they are full of debris then that will cause the pump to suck in air which will make your air bubbles.
- Look at your pump and filter o-rings. Are they lubed? Are they worn out? This could be the cause of air creeping in. If you’re on a budget try putting on a silicone lubricant, like Magic Lube, to see if that will create a seal you need. If not I would recommend replacing them if they are worn out.
- Look for water collecting at the suction side of the pump. Right where the PVC goes into the pump. If your pump routinely sucks in air it will melt this joint due to the heat and can suck air right in with the water which creates air bubbles. If left alone, you’ll soon see the return side of the pump have the same issue. What you can try is apply some A-B putty (pool putty) around the joint, with the system off for a few hours, and see if that seals off the air/water leak. If you don’t have that, then a trick (that doesn’t look the best) is to take a plastic grocery bag and wrap it around where the air is leaking. It prevents the pump from sucking in air. A last resort is to re-plumb the pump and this go around I would use high heat PVC (black in color) to help prevent this from happening again.
- If you have 3 way valves check for water leaks due to bad o-rings. This could cause air getting into the system.
- Check to make sure the filter is in good operating condition. One simple thing is to make sure you bleed out the excess air in the tank anytime you take off the filter or pump lid.
- Make sure you equipment is correct for your pool needs. If you have a super powerful pump on small piping no matter what you do the water can never keep up with the rate that the pump is pulling it. This will create air and ultimately damage your equipment.
- If you have a lot of unions in your system make sure they’re tight and their o-rings are fresh.
- If you have a suction side auto cleaner make sure the hose is in good condition with no cracks, blockages, etc. Check the unit to make sure there aren’t any blockages too.
There are other places where air can get into the system but these are some of the more common areas. As always, we are here to help you if you need it. The only time we are not available is when we’re sleeping!
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