Is your pool’s filtration suffering from a suction leak? That sucks!

A suction leak is a spot where air is sucked into the filter system, due to a leak. Suction leaks are problematic, as they diminish filtration and circulation efficiency.

You’ll most likely notice a suction side air leak by seeing air under the pump lid. If it’s minor, you’ll just see a tiny stream air bubbles under the pump lid. If it’s really bad, you’ll see a lot of air, and the water will be splashing around under the pump lid.

In either case, the pump is being starved of water. You don’t want this, as it can lead to major issues like overheating pool pumps, which will need to be fixed or replaced.

So, how do you fix a suction air leak? Well, the first thing you have to do is find the leak. Then all you have to do is seal it up so that air cannot be sucked into the piping. Finding the source of the suction leak can be a bigger job then actually fixing it, so here are some likely culprits.

• • Pool water level too low.
  • Damaged pump lid O-ring on the pump basket lid.
  • Suction leak on the underground pipework.

There are other causes, but check these first.