Air in my lines!!

[27goldfish]

I am needing some help. I have a tetra DHP3600(?) going into a barrel filter. I am at the max head for this pump. My inlet plumbing runs 10 ft horizontal and raises up 4 ft at a gradual slope. My barrel filter is a gravity feed, meaning that it fills the barrel to enter the exit pipe and gravity and suction pulls the water down to my spillway. I am wondering if the air is coming from the fact that I am at max head and the water level is barely over my outlet pipe. Can anyone think of a way to get rid of this air for good? I was thinking of plumbing in a Y with another pump. Not the same size pump. I was thinking around 1200 gal/hour. This, if I am thinking right, should match the head flow I am getting out of my current pump. I can lift my outlet pipe, 2" rubber hose, and get major bubbling through that pipe. The outlet is the only place where the air can be coming in. Any help would be helpful.

 

[Meyer Jordan]

According to this performance chart with 6' of Total Head (assuming 1.5 inch pipe) you have only 1800 gph at outlet.

The air in the line is likely caused by a faulty (loose) connector someplace in the pipe run OR

I am wondering if the air is coming from the fact that I am at max head and the water level is barely over my outlet pipe.

If this statement means that the water level at the outlet pipe of your gravity feed filter is at or over the top of the outlet pipe then you need a larger outlet. The water level should rarely exceed the halfway point of the outlet pipe diameter.

 

[27goldfish]

The pipe you can look down is my outlet. This is a pic of it being built. Hope this somewhat explains.

 

[Meyer Jordan]

If that is the outlet that the air is bubbling from then you have a connection in the line somewhere that has lost integrity. You may not see a water leak, but trust me, that is where the air is coming from. Seen it too many times.

 

[Ronfire]

Look for a leak on the suction side of the pump as there would be a vacuum on that side. A leak on the outlet side of the pump usually lets water out not air in.
Check the gasket on the leaf basket if you have one.
This will also give you less water flow.

 

[Lisak1]

This post is from last year @Ronfire - but I do wonder if this poster ever got this issue resolved. He got some expert advice on this thread!

 

[27goldfish]

No.