I recently rented a home with a pool, and am responsible for taking care of the pool. The homeowner was here last week to show me how to work everything, and seemed at a loss for how to get the skimmer and vac to work correctly. I can get them to pull some suction, but not enough to get proper circulation. Help! I will attach a pic of the valves by the pump in a minute.
New pool owner - skimmer and pool vac not working
- Thread starter 10miler
- Start date
- May 3, 2014
- 58,767
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Welcome to the forum! :handshake:
A picture will help -- also --
Please add a signature. Read Pool School - Read This BEFORE You Post
Information in your signature will show up each time you post and it makes advice more accurate as we know what equipment we are dealing with.
I suggest you read Pool School - ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry and consider reviewing the entire Trouble Free Pool School book.
A picture will help -- also --
Please add a signature. Read Pool School - Read This BEFORE You Post
Information in your signature will show up each time you post and it makes advice more accurate as we know what equipment we are dealing with.
I suggest you read Pool School - ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry and consider reviewing the entire Trouble Free Pool School book.
- May 3, 2014
- 58,767
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Your picture shows the Pool Vac line as Off (See the Off on the paddle of the handle on the three way valve). You have the skimmer and main drain open 100%.
I would suggest closing the main drain to nearly fully off. Then open the vac line part way and the skimmer part way. At that time play with those two valve settings to get everything to work.
You really need to know the volume of your pool to be sure you are adding the appropriate amount of chemicals. You also need to upgrade your test kit so you can measure higher FC (that takes a FAS-DPD test kit) and CYA.
I would suggest closing the main drain to nearly fully off. Then open the vac line part way and the skimmer part way. At that time play with those two valve settings to get everything to work.
You really need to know the volume of your pool to be sure you are adding the appropriate amount of chemicals. You also need to upgrade your test kit so you can measure higher FC (that takes a FAS-DPD test kit) and CYA.
I tried moving the drain valve almost close. Cycling the vac/skimmer valve doesn't seem to have any affect on function. Is it possible that something is clogged?
I just called the pool store for the size. The pool service the owner used was theirs. It is 15k gallons. Also if I need more accurate testing I will take a sample up to the pool store.
- May 3, 2014
- 58,767
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
So if you move the valve for the vac skimmer to 100% vac the skimmer is still pulling water?
Pool store tests are not reliable or repeatable. Up to you but we do not provide chemistry advice based on pool store tests.
Pool store tests are not reliable or repeatable. Up to you but we do not provide chemistry advice based on pool store tests.
The skimmer have never pulled water. Maybe the slightest amount, but nowhere near the amount it should.
I truly appreciate the guidance on chemistry, and will get the TF100 as soon as I can. I’ve just spent a ton of cash moving into this place, and funds are tight right now.
I truly appreciate the guidance on chemistry, and will get the TF100 as soon as I can. I’ve just spent a ton of cash moving into this place, and funds are tight right now.
- May 3, 2014
- 58,767
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Sounds like the skimmer line may be plugged. I assume you checked the basket and it was clean and that the weir door fully opens.
10,
How are you determining that the skimmer is not working??? If you believe that there should be this big swirl of water, that is just not the case.
Take the skimmer basket out and reach down in and carefully feel the amount of suction right at the pipes in the bottom. On my pool, the water does not "appear" to be moving much, yet at the pipes below the skimmer basket, it has plenty of suction. I suspect that you just don't know what to expect.
If the pump continues to run with the input suction line set to all skimmer, then there is no "clog"...
I can't think of a single reason to run the cleaner and skimmer at the same time. You should be running the skimmer at about 90%, main drain at 10% if at all. When running the cleaner, I would shut off the skimmer and run 100% cleaner..
Thanks,
Jim R.
How are you determining that the skimmer is not working??? If you believe that there should be this big swirl of water, that is just not the case.
Take the skimmer basket out and reach down in and carefully feel the amount of suction right at the pipes in the bottom. On my pool, the water does not "appear" to be moving much, yet at the pipes below the skimmer basket, it has plenty of suction. I suspect that you just don't know what to expect.
If the pump continues to run with the input suction line set to all skimmer, then there is no "clog"...
I can't think of a single reason to run the cleaner and skimmer at the same time. You should be running the skimmer at about 90%, main drain at 10% if at all. When running the cleaner, I would shut off the skimmer and run 100% cleaner..
Thanks,
Jim R.
With the valve set to 100% skimmer and the drain almost closed I cannot feel any movement of water or suction at all when I put my hand down to the bottom of the skimmer. At the last house I rented when the pump was on there was a whirlpool in the skimmer that held the basket in place. That's why I thought it was odd that there is no movement at all.
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The basket is clean, except for a few chunks of chlorine tabs the owner put in there the other day. I told him that I read it wasn't a good idea to put them in there, but I guess he figured what do I know?
Also, there is no weir door.
10,
The puzzle for me, is that if the skimmer line was clogged, the pump would run out of water in a few seconds.
What happens with the main drain completely closed?
Run 100% skimmer only and tell me what your filter pressure is, and then 100% main drain only, and tell me what your filter pressure is.
When was the last time the filter was cleaned?
Thanks,
Jim R.
The puzzle for me, is that if the skimmer line was clogged, the pump would run out of water in a few seconds.
What happens with the main drain completely closed?
Run 100% skimmer only and tell me what your filter pressure is, and then 100% main drain only, and tell me what your filter pressure is.
When was the last time the filter was cleaned?
Thanks,
Jim R.
10,
The puzzle for me, is that if the skimmer line was clogged, the pump would run out of water in a few seconds.
What happens with the main drain completely closed?
Run 100% skimmer only and tell me what your filter pressure is, and then 100% main drain only, and tell me what your filter pressure is.
When was the last time the filter was cleaned?
Thanks,
Jim R.
Completely closed there is no change.
Skimmer only - 0 psi
Main drain only - 12 psi
I cleaned the filter this morning.
- May 3, 2014
- 58,767
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
I opened the lid to basket at the pump and there is definitely NO water getting to it.
- May 3, 2014
- 58,767
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
OK - so the skimmer line is completely plugged.
One option is to use a hose end bladder. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-Medium-Drain-Bladder-82-976-111/301879205
Turn the pump off at the breaker. Take the pump lid and basket out. Align the valves so all flow is skimmer only, insert the bladder into the line coming into the pump. You do not have much room for it to seal on. Do not place it across the T for the main drain valve.
Or, you can just use the pool vac line only with some main drain. But you will have no skimming action.
One option is to use a hose end bladder. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-Medium-Drain-Bladder-82-976-111/301879205
Turn the pump off at the breaker. Take the pump lid and basket out. Align the valves so all flow is skimmer only, insert the bladder into the line coming into the pump. You do not have much room for it to seal on. Do not place it across the T for the main drain valve.
Or, you can just use the pool vac line only with some main drain. But you will have no skimming action.
10,
Ok, those numbers do indicate something is wrong with the skimmer line..
I recommend you use a Drain King bladder and force water back from the pump through the 100% open Skimmer valve. Make sure the main drain valve is closed so that water does not flow that way.. You should be able to feel flow coming backward out of the pipe at the bottom of the skimmer.. What you hope to see is a bunch of leaves and junk..
Let us know how that works out.
Note that drain kings come in different sizes.. You want the 2" size...
Thanks,
Jim R
I type sooooo slooow...
I think at this point I need to let the landlord know so he can get someone out to do this. If it were my home I’d get one of those bladders and do it myself. Thanks for the help all!
After several days not hearing from the landlord I decided to take the law into my own hands. First I hooked up a jet sprayer to the hose and put water through from the pump basket to the skimmer and then vice versa. I got some water flow in each direction, but not as much as I thought there would be. So I picked up a water bladder and did the same from pump to skimmer then vice versa several times. I picked up a little water flow. So I tried using the pump and there is STILL no pressure at the filter. Ahhhh! Seems like there might be a leak or something, but I would think I’d see dirt and sand coming through the line. HELP!
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Trying to add video of the pump filter basket and the skimmer basket.