my pump is causing bubbles

[dempseyjosh]

so i've asked a couple times how to stop bubbles from entering my sump, because i thought that was causing the micro bubbles in the DT. Turns out there was a small leak in the pump.The pump is a mag 7. so small that it never left any visible water, but there was a small build up of salt left behind. so i thought that it was a fitting, but it wasn't. It was where you take the pump apart to get to the impeller. In the process of checking the fittings i made that leak more,but I took it apart and was able to flip around that seal(it was kind of flat) and that stopped that from leaking(i don't know if it is back to the way it was, or if it was a permanant fix).
But now it seems like it is still making bubbles. and it seems like i can hear them inside the pump. I don't know if i am fixating on it being in the pump because i just fixed that a little bit, or if it really is in there. what else can i/should i check? should i get a new seal for that first? should i/could i get one that isn'nt sretchy like the one that came on it? seems like it might make a better seal like that.
any help would be great. thanks.

 

[vince-1961]

I am not familiar with your pump, but if it's the magnetic drive the kind that says never to run dry, then it is possible that it has damage from being run dry. That damage is typically a hairline crack in the plastic housing that holds the base of the impeller. The presence of water is a lubricant, without which the spinning base of the impeller tends to bounce around and crack the housing. So, disasssemble your pump and examine it closely.
If the problem is not a water leak where you can see the water accumulating under your pump, but rather it's microbubbles being pumped into the DT, then you probably just have a small opening in your pipes somewhere that is sucking air into the pipes. Double and triple check all your fittings in all your pipe connections.

 

[dempseyjosh]

well i'm guessing it has to be the pump. i went to check any other connections between the pump and the return but there is only one spot i thought it could've been coming from... but that spot has a hole in the middle of the 90* fitting. i'm assuming thats to prevent a siphon? but is that what would cause the bubbles?
i haven't rechecked the pump yet, but i don't think that is it, unless it's that seal. is a crack big enough to cause this going to be visible? or could it be so small you don't see it?

 

[dempseyjosh]

so am i right about that hole being there to prevent siphoning in case of a power outage and not being the cause of my bubbles? i haven't looked in the pump again because i wanted to find out about that fitting.

 

[dempseyjosh]

ok, so i'm not sure if i found what was causing the bubbles or if i broke the cover that goes on the pump. so i am running it internally now, and i figured that would stop any bubble due to any cracks, because it wouldn't be able to pull in air anywhere. But i am still getting a small amount of bubbles. anyone have any ideas? or know about that fitting i asked about before?