Pump makes loud “gulping” noise only when kids are swimming
- Thread starter Manikshaw
- Start date
John Faulkner
Member
Yes, heavy splashing can drop water level below skimmer line for a moment, pulling air in.
Nathan Parker
Member
I’d add one more angle to what’s already been said, sometimes it’s not just the splashing lowering the level, but how strong the pump suction is in relation to the skimmer. When people are moving around a lot, the turbulence can send small waves into the skimmer and expose the opening to air, which makes that gulping sound.
If you’ve got a main drain, you can try adjusting the valve so it pulls a bit more from the drain and less from the skimmer when the pool’s busy. It takes a little of the strain off the skimmer so it won’t gulp air as easily. Keeping the water level slightly higher, as mentioned, definitely helps too.
If you’ve got a main drain, you can try adjusting the valve so it pulls a bit more from the drain and less from the skimmer when the pool’s busy. It takes a little of the strain off the skimmer so it won’t gulp air as easily. Keeping the water level slightly higher, as mentioned, definitely helps too.
Hanry Carter
Member
I get this when the kids splash around. Raise the water level 1–2 inches and throttle the skimmer a bit (favor the main drain) after that the ‘gloop’ sound stops.
Isabella Morales
New member
I’ve had the same thing happen when the kids splash a lot. The water drops just below the skimmer line for a moment and the pump starts “gulping” air. I raised the water level a bit, and the noise stopped right away.
Emily Perez
Member
Yep, that can happen. When the kids are splashing a lot, the water level at the skimmer can drop for a moment and the pump ends up sucking in air, which makes that gurgling sound. I usually raise the water level 1 to 2 inches, or if there’s a valve, I dial back the skimmer suction a bit when the pool’s busy.
John Harrison
Member
Yeah it’s definitely a thing, but I’ll add one angle that hasn’t been mentioned yet because I chased this exact noise longer than I should’ve.
Check the skimmer weir door. On my pool it wasn’t swinging freely anymore, it would stick half open. When the kids were splashing and the water was sloshing around, the weir would suddenly drop, form a little vortex, and the pump would gulp air even though the water level was technically fine. Once everyone got out and things calmed down, the weir floated back up and the noise stopped. A quick clean and loosening it up fixed it.
Another sneaky cause is pump speed. If you’re running a higher speed during swim time, the stronger suction can exaggerate the problem. I noticed that when my pump was pulling hard, even brief turbulence near the skimmer would introduce air. Dropping the speed slightly during heavy use made it way quieter without hurting circulation.
So yeah, water level and skimmer balance matter, but also check that the weir moves smoothly and that you’re not pulling more suction than the skimmer can handle when the pool’s full of chaos. Anyone else notice the noise gets worse at higher speeds?
Check the skimmer weir door. On my pool it wasn’t swinging freely anymore, it would stick half open. When the kids were splashing and the water was sloshing around, the weir would suddenly drop, form a little vortex, and the pump would gulp air even though the water level was technically fine. Once everyone got out and things calmed down, the weir floated back up and the noise stopped. A quick clean and loosening it up fixed it.
Another sneaky cause is pump speed. If you’re running a higher speed during swim time, the stronger suction can exaggerate the problem. I noticed that when my pump was pulling hard, even brief turbulence near the skimmer would introduce air. Dropping the speed slightly during heavy use made it way quieter without hurting circulation.
So yeah, water level and skimmer balance matter, but also check that the weir moves smoothly and that you’re not pulling more suction than the skimmer can handle when the pool’s full of chaos. Anyone else notice the noise gets worse at higher speeds?
Ivy Adewale
Member
That’s usually caused by the water level momentarily dropping below the skimmer opening when kids are splashing and jumping. Once a bit of air gets pulled in, the pump makes that “gulping” sound. Try raising the water level by 1–2 inches and make sure the skimmer isn’t pulling too strongly compared to the main drain. If the noise stops when the pool is calm, it’s almost certainly just temporary turbulence, not a pump problem.