Strange Pump behaviour

[savanna]

Hi Everyone,

First off, thank you for reading my post.

I have recently bought a house and with it, my first pool. I have had only problems! Let me tell you what I have done and then my problem :

* Changed the couplings going into the pump and out of the pump
* Changed the lid and O-Ring on the pump weir
* Dug-up my suction side pump and completely replaced that
* Replaced my filter sand
* Replaced my pool cleaner pipes
* Put thread tape on each and every coupling

Now my problem ... when the pool cleaner is not connected, the pump runs like a dream with no air bubbles, water is sucked in and pumped into the pool for hours on end with absolutely no hassles.

As soon as I connect the pool cleaner, the pump weir basket level drops a few centimetres and then after a while, the "whirlpool" in the pump weir basket disappears and the water stream pumping back into the pool becomes very weak. All the while, the pool cleaner is still running and (sort off) do its thing. I have the weir basket connected onto the pool cleaner pipes and this is clean. The pool cleaner stops as well after a while. When I switch off the pump and on again it runs like there is no tomorrow and then, after a while, everything stops as explained.


Please help!

 

[Qwaxalot]

Your pool cleaner is a suction side cleaner? If so, where does it attach? To the skimmer or does it have its own dedicated vacuum line?

 

[savanna]

Your pool cleaner is a suction side cleaner? If so, where does it attach? To the skimmer or does it have its own dedicated vacuum line?

Hi there,

It is a suction side cleaner. It is connected directly on the inlet going to the pump. The skimmer is one of those connected between two of the pool cleaner pipes. ======SS======PP

where ====== is a pipe
SS is the leaf skimmer
and PP is the connection to the pump.

Hope this makes sense. I do not know the technical terms , sorry.

 

[Qwaxalot]

Your pool cleaner is a suction side cleaner? If so, where does it attach? To the skimmer or does it have its own dedicated vacuum line?

Hi there,

It is a suction side cleaner. It is connected directly on the inlet going to the pump. The skimmer is one of those connected between two of the pool cleaner pipes. ======SS======PP

where ====== is a pipe
SS is the leaf skimmer
and PP is the connection to the pump.

Hope this makes sense. I do not know the technical terms , sorry.

Not sure I understand what you're saying. However, if the suction side cleaner has it's own pipe and valve, either there's a leak in the pipe or the cleaner is restricting the flow too much.
For starters try closing down the main drain (or the skimmer) some, and see if that doesn't improve its attitude.

 

[savanna]

I have taken a picture to make more sense. I have noticed that if press down on the connector going into the pool cleaner, it starts pumping vigorously again.

Thank you for all the help so far!