Uneven skimmer suction

[dayhiker]

First off, it's past time for me to clean my cartridge filter. My skimmers seem to be sucking at different strenths. The one farthest from the pump has much less suction than the other. It's enough to vacuum, but still noticeable. It hasn't always been this way. Is it likely I have an obstruction from vacuuming? If so, how do I determine this and solve it? My deck jets don't shoot nearly as high anymore either. I'm assuming that one is tied to the filter. Is that a good assumption?

Thanks.

 

[Bama Rambler]

Both your problems are likely tied to the filter being dirty. If the pump can't pump as much through the filter then it don't pull as much from the suctions and the farthest one suffers first in that situation. First thing I'd do is clean the filter and see if that fixes both problems.

 

[dayhiker]

I sort of wondered. The other skimmer having what appears to be similiar suction is what had me unsure though. I'll try and knock that one out this weekend. I think I'm going to tape the Bama game then take the kids for a hike. Dang 11:00 kickoffs. Should be back in time to clean the filter.

 

[dayhiker]

I finally cleaned the filter. Pressure dropped from 20 psi to about 7-8. The suction seems even. The pump seems to be running louder now though.

Kids got in the pool yesterday. It was a pretty day and the water temp was 72°. They didn't stay in long.


PS, deck jets still not impressive. My neighbors (installed by same contractor) shoot all the way to the center. All 4 jets hit the same spot. Mine shoot maybe 4-6' from the edge. Weird.

 

[polyvue]

[The D]eck jets still not impressive. My neighbors (installed by same contractor) shoot all the way to the center. All 4 jets hit the same spot. Mine shoot maybe 4-6' from the edge.

The two Jandy deck jets I have are positioned only 20' from the equipment pad, plumbed at 2" -> 1 1/2" -> 1" from the pool/spa return split. They would spray water over the county line if the flow wasn't retarded (by an adjustable multi-port valve, then a pair of ball valves, one per line, which must be nearly closed to avoid "Old Faithful").

 

[dayhiker]

[The D]eck jets still not impressive. My neighbors (installed by same contractor) shoot all the way to the center. All 4 jets hit the same spot. Mine shoot maybe 4-6' from the edge.

The two Jandy deck jets I have are positioned only 20' from the equipment pad, plumbed at 2" -> 1 1/2" -> 1" from the pool/spa return split. They would spray water over the county line if the flow wasn't retarded (by an adjustable multi-port valve, then a pair of ball valves, one per line, which must be nearly closed to avoid "Old Faithful").

Mine are Jandy too. The performance has always been ho-hum. I'm sure something's up with them but don't have a clue. My pump is maybe 20' from one corner of the pool too.

 

[dayhiker]

1 week with a clean filter and the skimmer suction is still uneven. Any advice?