Turn off 1 Skimmer?

[belgique]

Have a 40x20 AG (29,000 gal). It has 2 skimmers on opposite corners. When I vac (either to waste or filter) I was told to turn off 1 skimmer to create more suction in the other one where I plug in the vac hose.

Is this correct? I noticed when vac'ing to waste the last few times that the out flow was not very strong...kind of surging.

Thanks in advance! Steve

On edit: arrrgh...I put this in BBB when it probably should be somewhere else. Mod's, feel free to move. Sorry.

 

[Bama Rambler]

Turning off one skimmer is the accepted method of increasing suction in another place. If it only does it on waste the pump may be starving ofr water. Can you tell if the pump basket stays full of water all the time while vacuuming to waste?

 

[belgique]

Almost full....just a little bit of air at the top.

 

[Bama Rambler]

The waste setting pumps a lot more water through my filter than the filter setting does. That being the case if the suction gets blocked a little (from you shutting off the one skimmer and using the vacuum). You could possibly be sucking air into the pump basket causing the issues you describe.

 

[belgique]

Thanks. Now that I know that this is the approved way, I'll experiment...maybe only half close the one skimmer. Thanks! Steve