Zodiac Baracuda G3 won't clean pool center

[TheElbow]

I just ran my new Zodiac Baracuda G3 this weekend for the first time. I've never run an automatic vacuum before, or really vacuumed a pool before since this is my first season owning a pool.

The pump is an IntelliFlo, and I was running it at 2500 rpm. The vacuum moved along fine and cleaned the pool wherever it crawled along, but the vacuum never made it to the middle of the deep end, despite having enough hose to reach it and 2 hose weights. I even manually brought it down to where there was still dirt on the bottom, and it cleaned up where I placed it, but once it moved out of the middle of the pool, it never went back there. I ran it for about 5 hours.

Any advice on how to get this thing cleaning all over the pool, and not just the perimeter?

Also, should I be running this at a different pump speed? I thought 2500 rpm seemed high, but the next lower speed that's programmed wasn't high enough--but of course I can reprogram the buttons if that would help me use less energy.

 

[257WbyMag]

The Baracuda came with a little flow meter to check the amount of flow through the line to make sure that it is right. Disconnect the Baracuda from the hose and then connect the flow meter to the hose. As long as the flow meter indicates flow in the proper range, that should take care of it. Whatever rpm you need from your pump to put the flow in the right range for your cleaner is what you set it on.

 

[TheElbow]

Thanks... The instructions said if I only had one skimmer, I didn't need the flow meter but this makes sense to check it.

 

[257WbyMag]

Yes, even with one skimmer, problems like yours indicate a need to verify the flow.