Sheer descent clogged?

[Reiter284]

The 3' concave sheer descent in my pool sprays out like a V. It comes out about 3+ foot in the center and hardly trickles out the sides. The opening at the face is clean and debris free. You can stick a thin piece of metal all the way back and feel no obstruction across the entire face. My sheer descent has a stand alone 1.5 hp pump that does not go through the main filter. The only filtration is the strainer basket at the pump.

I have the suspicion that the baffles are clogged with pine needles.

Has anyone ever had luck cleaning out a sheer descent? I can cut the PVC at the back and will be able to vacuum from the back side. But I am not hopeful this will clean it out.

 

[JasonLion]

Welcome to TFP!

That is one possibility, another possible cause is that the lip is no longer level.

 

[malcolmb5325]

you can try a 10:1 acid solution (10 parts water to 1 part acid, add acid to the water) and using a syringe squirt the mix into the lip, allow it to sit for a while then flush with the pump. you may have to do this a few times. BUT be careful and use goggles and gloves. Then once its clear and running as it should i would install an inline filter prior to the waterfall to trap the debris.

 

[Reiter284]

you can try a 10:1 acid solution (10 parts water to 1 part acid, add acid to the water) and using a syringe squirt the mix into the lip, allow it to sit for a while then flush with the pump. you may have to do this a few times. BUT be careful and use goggles and gloves. Then once its clear and running as it should i would install an inline filter prior to the waterfall to trap the debris.

I am having the pool tile/coping redone. The pool builder says the supply house told him that the concave sheer descents have a history of clogging in this manner and they don't recommend them anymore. They don't even stock them because they want you to call the factory and here it from the horse’s mouth. He is recommending to replace with 3 x 18" sheer descents or 2 12" and 1 18" sheer descent that is straight across. The shorter, straight fixtures can be placed around the concave wall and angled to look concave. Which makes sense.

Is anyone familiar with concave descents clogging? Either way I am going back with an inline filter.

 

[malcolmb5325]

To make a concave or convex fall you install a fall that has a longer lip, 6", 9" or 12", then you trim the lip to suit the shape of the wall. I would not think that anyone would keep concave falls in stock as you would not know what the radius is. Inside the body of the fall manufacturers put material inside to slow the flow of water to make sure the body is completely full of water before it flows out through the lip, so you achieve a nice blade of water, this is called the Laminar flow. If you don't do it then the water will follow its easiest path and you have water gushing out of the fall. Most manufacturers recommend an inline strainer of some sort to reduce the likely hood of rubbish being sucked in from the pool via the pump then straight into the fall.