Got new pool installed, need to do a vacuum and pool company is coming back during week to explain but I can't wait any longer. It's a cartridge Hayward filter. There is a little cap that goes over filter he in both skimmers. I obviously plug one to get max suction and then attach vacuum into skimmer other end on vac head. Is there anything else I do on valve side where plumbing is?? Bottom is very sandy due to paver install and want to clean this up ASAP. Thanks!!
Setting up vacuum
- Thread starter Bski224
- Start date
- Jun 22, 2014
- 47,758
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
Make sure if you have a 3-way selector valve before the pump that it's set to skimmer (if applicable). Also make sure that BEFORE you connect the end of the hose to the skimmer that you fill the entire vacuum hose with water first. You want the hose full of water so you don't suck-in air to the pump and lose prime.
Flbeachluvr
Bronze Supporter
A helpful bit of info that I got from this site about how to get the air out of the vacuum hose is to put the end of the hose up to a return jet and blow all the air out that way. Hold your hand over the end of the hose if you pull it out of the pool to move it over to your skimmer. Works great and no air.
- - - Updated - - -
Here's a pic. Not sure what all this does. Pool company won't be here till end of week
Nice setup. 
Looks like two pumps, one dedicated only to the spa jets (the left hand pump), the other for both the spa and the pool (the right hand pump) the output of which goes into the filter. You have a heater (big box on the left) - it returns to both the pool and spa, so you'll have to isolate the spa system if you want to heat up the hot tub without also trying to heat the entire pool (you'd turn on the spa return line, and turn off the water fall and wall return lines - the wall returns are in the sides of the pool). Looks like you got a saltwater chlorine generator (thats the lumpy thing on the rearmost line coming out of the heater).
Based on what an experienced member told me, you'll want to turn off the spa suction on the main pump for normal operation assuming you have a spillway from the spa into the pool, while leaving the spa return in the bottom of the image set to 80-90%. This will prevent a situation where the pool suction gets clogged and the spa sucks down and runs the pump dry, and allow fresh filtered water from the pool to be sent into the spa to keep it chlorinated and fresh. I usually turn my spa suction on while I'm brushing the spa weekly so that any stuff I kick up, plus anything on the bottom of the spa gets sent to the filter. Once I'm done brushing, I turn the spa suction back off and let it overflow into the pool.
Looks like a lot of fun!
Looks like two pumps, one dedicated only to the spa jets (the left hand pump), the other for both the spa and the pool (the right hand pump) the output of which goes into the filter. You have a heater (big box on the left) - it returns to both the pool and spa, so you'll have to isolate the spa system if you want to heat up the hot tub without also trying to heat the entire pool (you'd turn on the spa return line, and turn off the water fall and wall return lines - the wall returns are in the sides of the pool). Looks like you got a saltwater chlorine generator (thats the lumpy thing on the rearmost line coming out of the heater).
Based on what an experienced member told me, you'll want to turn off the spa suction on the main pump for normal operation assuming you have a spillway from the spa into the pool, while leaving the spa return in the bottom of the image set to 80-90%. This will prevent a situation where the pool suction gets clogged and the spa sucks down and runs the pump dry, and allow fresh filtered water from the pool to be sent into the spa to keep it chlorinated and fresh. I usually turn my spa suction on while I'm brushing the spa weekly so that any stuff I kick up, plus anything on the bottom of the spa gets sent to the filter. Once I'm done brushing, I turn the spa suction back off and let it overflow into the pool.
Looks like a lot of fun!
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