Vacuuming issue

[gunslinger613]

Ok so I am on day 2 of SLAM. I started vacuuming and every 6 seconds it gets stuck to the bottom of the pool and I can't move it due to the suction. I then have to shut pump down then start again. 5 seconds later stuck again.... Not really getting any where this way.

I am using this


I have this the auto one. Should I switch to this?



16x30 inground pool, sand filter, Hayward Super Pump, vinyl liner



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[AimeeH]

Do you possibly have all other suction valves closed? When I vacuum, I do shut off my main drain but leave my skimmer valves open.

 

[gunslinger613]

Yes I had the deep end in the pool closed and 1 of the top skimmers closed us wing the other top skimmer. So it's best to leave the two skimmer valves open then



16x30 inground pool, sand filter, Hayward Super Pump, vinyl liner



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[AimeeH]

I used one skimmer for the vacuum, the one closest to the pump, close my main drain and leave the other skimmer valve open. Try it. You obviously have too much suction going on if you're getting stuck.

 

[Richard320]

Yes I had the deep end in the pool closed and 1 of the top skimmers closed us wing the other top skimmer. So it's best to leave the two skimmer valves open then



16x30 inground pool, sand filter, Hayward Super Pump, vinyl liner



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Sometimes I have to open the spa drain on mine to reduce the suction on the vacuum. Just open another suction source a little bit until the vacuum stops sticking.

 

[gunslinger613]

Ok thank you both I will give it a try


16x30 inground pool, sand filter, Hayward Super Pump, vinyl liner



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[Captain 776]

Yes, same thing I did when I first learning to vacuum. You can easily adjust suction pressure by adjusting main drain and skimmer valve.

For my pool, if I manually vacuum, I close main drain and skimmer valves 1/2 way and I have a different vacuum head, here is what I did so I can run a high suction without the head sticking to the bottom, I just added 2 small sticks to it so it can't flex down. The valves 1/2 closed gives me a very high suction.

If it is in your budget, get a Dolphin S-100, about 765.00 w extra fine filter, it does an amazing job and it is self-contained so all the dirt stays in the Dolphin and not going through your main filter. When my pool is crystal clear, it is amazing what the Dolphin still gets.

 

[TreeFiter]

Ok so I am on day 2 of SLAM. I started vacuuming and every 6 seconds it gets stuck to the bottom of the pool and I can't move it due to the suction. I then have to shut pump down then start again. 5 seconds later stuck again.... Not really getting any where this way.

I am using this


I have this the auto one. Should I switch to this?



16x30 inground pool, sand filter, Hayward Super Pump, vinyl liner



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The photos don't seem to be available, so I'm just going to throw a few things out there regarding vacuuming. The roller type vac heads are intended for hard surfaced pools like gunite or fiberglass. They are not supposed to be used on liners. If you use them on a liner pool, there is a chance that you will damage the liner. If you are using a roller head, and you feel it getting stuck to the bottom of your liner pool, you are about one yank away from a new liner.

The triangular/brush style vac heads are what should be used on vinyl liners. Often they will suck down to the bottom and get stuck if they are surrounded by debris. The debris closes off any pathways for water to move from outside of the brush, and creates a tight suction to the bottom of the pool. This usually happens when you stick the vac head into a deep pile of leaves and debris. Often this happens because you are vaccing blind and simply can't see what you are doing. Something I do to my vac head to help with this is to cut away sections of the brush. Create openings about an inch wide so that the debris can easily slide through and into the vac head instead of getting caught and blocking the outside. It will also reduce the drag you feel in normal vacuuming conditions. Be careful not to cut away too much, or you may lose more suction than you want.

You may also be experiencing some issues with a floating liner. If there is enough ground water under the pool, the liner will float on top of it. The bottom of the pool will feel spongy, and the liner can be lifted off of the base by a vacuum. If this is happening, you could pull wrinkles into the liner, and possibly even tear it.