Filter cartridge keeps filling with lots of air

[drewb612]

Hey everyone,

First post here but I have spent a significant amount of time lurking around here before posting to try and resolve this. For the last few weeks or so, my filter cartridge keeps filling up with air...I'm talking about maybe 10+ seconds to bleed it out almost every single time. I know air can get back in there when the pump shuts off so even if I bleed it the next morning, come back in a couple hours, it's filled with air again.

Here is what I have replaced so far:
filter cartridge
filter cartridge o-ring
pump basket cover
pump basket o-ring
pump basket drain plugs (2) and o-rings
filter cartridge pressure guage and o-ring
filter cartridge bleeder valve and o-ring

I have used the recommend silicon product as well on all o-rings.

Couple other bullet points...if I close the suction valve and fully open both skimmers and main drain, I do not seem to get any air in the cartridge housing.

I have a hayward navigator on a suction line and as far as I can tell after multiple inspections, all the hoses are fine.

Typically I have run this setup at both skimmers maybe 25-50% open and main drain closed with suction line open 100% in order to have enough flow for the navigator.

The more I close the skimmer lines, the more air seems to get into filter cartridge housing. Either way I have run this setup in the past for years like this with no issue so not sure what is going on. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[ajw22]

Welcome to TFP.

Couple other bullet points...if I close the suction valve and fully open both skimmers and main drain, I do not seem to get any air in the cartridge housing.

Please identify which is the "suction valve"?

Which pipes and valves are on the suction side of the pump?

Can you tell us what each pipe and valve goes to?

 

[drewb612]

Yes, starting with the 4 blue ones at the top, from top to bottom

Vacuum
Skimmer a
Main drain
Skimmer b

For the 2 red ones, the one at the top adjusts how much water goes into the slightly elevated spa jets vs the pool jets, that waterfalls into the pool. The spa drain is fully closed. Not sure where the lower red valve goes

 

[drewb612]

Any thoughts?

 

[ajw22]

..if I close the suction valve and fully open both skimmers and main drain, I do not seem to get any air in the cartridge housing.

Which valve is the suction valve?

 

[Newdude]

Have you checked the underside of the air relief valve and all up in the guts ? Mine was clogged with pool brush bristles once.

When it does work properly, it's still pretty slow. Imagine blowing into the filter through a straw. 10 seconds would only get you a couple inches of air in the tank (like 2. Lol). It seems like way more air is coming out than it actually is.

If your air relief tube is working properly and the top of the pipe/cap isnt clogged, the filter self purges keeping the cartridge fully submerged. You're only letting out the air above it that doesn't matter.

 

[drewb612]

Which valve is the suction valve?

The suction valve I guess referring to here is the one at the top which is the vacuum line, this is connected to the vacuum robot that runs when the pump is on. There is a dedicated port to plug the hoses into inside the pool.

 

[ajw22]

The suction valve I guess referring to here is the one at the top which is the vacuum line, this is connected to the vacuum robot that runs when the pump is on. There is a dedicated port to plug the hoses into inside the pool.

That points to the air problem being caused by the vacuum line or the cleaner.