Vacuum port flapper thingie. Always breaking!!

[Katygreys]

We have owned this house and pool for one year now. I am now on my third one of these things. I would pay 80 bucks for one constructed of 100% stainless steel. The failure mechanism is always the same. The dang flapper part breaks off. Today, I just noticed it laying at the bottom of my pool. So this time it did not even break while attaching or on attaching the vacuum hose.

Is this happening to anyone else? Is there a better solution? Solid stainless steel? Carbon fiber? Titanium? Solid platinum? Anything!

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Mine has lasted 10 years ...

Question - is there a valve that controls this suction port and are you turning off the suction valve when the port is not in use?

If the pump is constantly pulling on a closed suction line it's going to create some back pressure and make opening that port difficult. The added stresses could easily cause it to fail.

 

[Katygreys]

Ahh. Excellent point! I’ll try that. Silly me!!!