I have a very basic plumbing setup. I have pop up cleaners and most times that is sufficient. Once in a while I need to vacuum a few small stones or leaves or some dust on the bottom. I have a simple vacuum head and a hose. From advice I received here a while back I attempt to fill the hose with water before attaching it to one of the skimmer inlets. I come in thru the skimmer door so the hose remains at water level. I first submerge the hose to fill with water and have also tried to use a hose to fill it up. yet when I attach it to the inlet to vacuum thru the filter I get air space and not full prime (if I am using the correct terminology), I see air and agitation in the filter basket adjacent to the pump.
Yet when I disconnect the vacuum hose with the pump running I immediately have a full basket.
I have two main drains which exhibit minimal water suction. I think that is normal. They somewhat act as a safety if the water falls below the skimmer level when pump is running (not sure if this is the case).
The skimmer has two holes, one with strong suction, the other with basically none. Not sure what the second one with no suction is used for, the attached diagram suggests it is from the main drain.
Anyway, how can I vacuum without risk to the pump? Or is this normal and I shouldn't worry about it for the 10-15 minutes it takes to vacuum?
I am pretty sure I have what this set of diagrams calls a Combination Skimmer
http://blog.poolcenter.com/article.aspx?articleid=6327
I also found this post about "burping" a hose. Maybe that will solve my air in the hose problem. Not sure if I got the burping procedure. I fill the hose as best I can with water, hook one end to the skimmer suction side, then put the other end over a pool inlet to ensure it fills completely with water?
http://www.troublefreepool.com/threads/1219-Dumb-question-about-using-a-vacuum-plate
Yet when I disconnect the vacuum hose with the pump running I immediately have a full basket.
I have two main drains which exhibit minimal water suction. I think that is normal. They somewhat act as a safety if the water falls below the skimmer level when pump is running (not sure if this is the case).
The skimmer has two holes, one with strong suction, the other with basically none. Not sure what the second one with no suction is used for, the attached diagram suggests it is from the main drain.
Anyway, how can I vacuum without risk to the pump? Or is this normal and I shouldn't worry about it for the 10-15 minutes it takes to vacuum?
I am pretty sure I have what this set of diagrams calls a Combination Skimmer
http://blog.poolcenter.com/article.aspx?articleid=6327
I also found this post about "burping" a hose. Maybe that will solve my air in the hose problem. Not sure if I got the burping procedure. I fill the hose as best I can with water, hook one end to the skimmer suction side, then put the other end over a pool inlet to ensure it fills completely with water?
http://www.troublefreepool.com/threads/1219-Dumb-question-about-using-a-vacuum-plate
