Pool return question

darrenkarp · May 25, 2018

Hi All,

I have a standard fixed eyeball pool return and although its great for spinning the surface water around the edges of the pool it manages to create a whirlpool effect leaving lots of leaves and debris on the bottom bang in the centre of the pool. Is this just something I have to live with and vacuum this up every couple of days or is there something I can replace the eyeball with that will stir the water up and hopefully have some of this debris caught by the skimmer?

TIA
Daz

woodyp · May 25, 2018

You might try pointing it in more of a down position instead of so much sideways.

CaseyandScott · May 25, 2018

You should be able to loosen the outer ring and reposition the direction of the eyeball. Play with it to find out what is right for your pool.

Dirk · May 25, 2018

Good advice above. But the way most pool owners deal with your issue: the returns circulate the pool for chemical dispersal, and concentrate on the surface to push floating debris past the skimmer where the skimmer sucks it in. The stuff on the bottom is taken care of by manual vacuuming, or automated vacuuming (suction side cleaners or robots).

I suppose it depends on the pool, shape and depth, but no amount of aiming or pump speed, is going to lift a sunken leaf off the bottom of my pool enough to get it to the skimmer opening. Only my vacuum addresses dirt and leaves on the bottom.

For a few hundred dollars you can get a vac that attaches to your skimmer (if you don't have a dedicated port for a vac), and problem solved. Or for a few hundred more, you can get a robot and take care of it that way...

Most owners find that the money spent on an automated cleaner is money well spent.

CaseyandScott · May 25, 2018

Should of stated I have a round AGP so my eyeball will create a great whirlpool if not positioned correctly, like the OP. It was so fast that the skimmer would not pull in the top debris, eventually pushing it to the middle where it sunk to the bottom. Repositioning the eyeball to more of a downward flow helped to eliminate the whirlpool and also the debris in the middle of the pool. Skimmer is able to pull top water in easily now.

Dirk · May 25, 2018

CaseyandScott said:
Should of stated I have a round AGP so my eyeball will create a great whirlpool if not positioned correctly, like the OP. It was so fast that the skimmer would not pull in the top debris, eventually pushing it to the middle where it sunk to the bottom. Repositioning the eyeball to more of a downward flow helped to eliminate the whirlpool and also the debris in the middle of the pool. Skimmer is able to pull top water in easily now.

Ah, good to know. I know in my pool it's everything for my returns to get the surface rotating. No way they could get things off the bottom. But, of course, for other pools and shapes that could be different. Interesting to learn that returns can get the swirl going so fast that they can actually defeat the skimmer!

Can you keep the bottom clean enough without vacuuming (auto or manual)? So that in some pools the returns are all you need? That seems like a long shot...

CaseyandScott · May 25, 2018

I can't, eventually some things will settle to the bottom.

Jamison04 · May 25, 2018

In a round pool there's not much to be done to not have a whirlpool effect other than shoot the return more outward and down towards the middle. That's just the nature of the shape and intensity of the pump pushing the water around.

In mine it is like CaseyandScott's situation where the water is moving so fast that the skimmer can't grab the surface debris as it passes unless it is right by the wall as it moves across the opening.

Once the stairs get dropped in that acts as enough of a buffer to help slow things down and get pulled off.

Every morning there is always a nice little pile of debris right in the center on the bottom. Makes it super easy to vacuum it all up!

cubbybeave08 · May 25, 2018

Jamison04 said:
In a round pool there's not much to be done to not have a whirlpool effect other than shoot the return more outward and down towards the middle. That's just the nature of the shape and intensity of the pump pushing the water around.

In mine it is like CaseyandScott's situation where the water is moving so fast that the skimmer can't grab the surface debris as it passes unless it is right by the wall as it moves across the opening.

Once the stairs get dropped in that acts as enough of a buffer to help slow things down and get pulled off.

Every morning there is always a nice little pile of debris right in the center on the bottom. Makes it super easy to vacuum it all up!

I have taken some advice and pointed my return jet straight out across the pool in only a fraction of a downward slant...because the water is going straight out and hitting the wall across the pool it piles and disperses around from both directions. There is still a slight circulation but it is much less and my skimmer is catching much more debris daily.

I should note...that I have not put the stairs in and this should help as stated above to slow the circulation down even more.