First pool. Day two. How can a pool vac be so complicated?

[Clueless]

Hi all! New to the forum and new to pools (in my backyard). My new house has a three year old salt water pool and i had the builders come out yesterday to open it. All went well and it went from green to crystal clear in a few hours but today there was a bunch of dirt on the pool floor.

Im not the type to leave well enough alone, so i went to the basement and pulled out the hose, vac head, and the Barracude G4. After an hour that consisted of literally NOTHING going right, I started to look on the net for a new home and now I'm here.

Simple question. How in the world do you get a pool vac to work on a single speed Waterway Mustang (MUSTS-110)? I followed eight different YouTube videos and I can't get any decent suction out of the hose. I swear I've got the hose filled with water, but then it IS floating, so maybe not?

Anyway, I soon abandoned the vac head and hooked up the G4 (several times as it had to be fished off the bottom when I'd pull accidentally pull the hose out trying to "help" it land) and noted its position at the bottom of the pool. Ten minutes later, it hadn't moved a millimeter.

The clear lid on the pump shows water flowing the same as before I put on the skimmer plate with the short stub that attaches to the vac hose and all the rest of it. I even took the vac head off to feel the pressure on the palm of my hand and I swear my dog could suck more water through a hose with his lungs than what I'm getting.

Anyone have any thoughts? I know this is obviously so simple because the Pool School doesn't even cover it which REALLY makes me feel like an idiot. Help!

 

[woodyp]

Re: First pool. Day two. How can a pool vac be so complicate

I feel your pain. My suggestion is to forget you have the vac plate with the stub on it................and see if you can put the hose end straight down into the hole in the skimmer. I even cut a little split in the side of my hose end......or you can see if you can find some kind of stepped down adapter (not necessarily for that purpose.) Your filter is currently backwashed I assume after opening?

 

[zea3]

Re: First pool. Day two. How can a pool vac be so complicate

Hi, welcome to TFP! You have a 1 horse power pump so that should generate enough suction to vacuum the pool. I have a few questions for you.
1. Has the pump strainer basket been cleaned out?
2. What kind of filter do you have and has it been cleaned lately?
3. When you put your hand in front of the return flow, do you feel a strong jet of water?
4. How large is your pool?
5. Is the pool plaster, fiberglass, or vinyl liner?

 

[JohnT]

Re: First pool. Day two. How can a pool vac be so complicate

I wouldn't put the hose straight in the skimmer. You won't have the basket there to catch leaves, and a skimmer line packed with leaves is not a good thing. Use the plate so the basket stays in the skimmer.

Does your pump continue to flow smoothly when the vac is hooked up, or does it surge?

You may need to partially close other suction valves or clean your filter to get your vac working.

 

[woodyp]

Re: First pool. Day two. How can a pool vac be so complicate

If it's "just" dirt...........like you said........the skimmer basket won't matter. All I ever vacuum is "just" dirt.

 

[Clueless]

Re: First pool. Day two. How can a pool vac be so complicate

I feel your pain. My suggestion is to forget you have the vac plate with the stub on it................and see if you can put the hose end straight down into the hole in the skimmer. I even cut a little split in the side of my hose end......or you can see if you can find some kind of stepped down adapter (not necessarily for that purpose.) Your filter is currently backwashed I assume after opening?

So if I take the basket out and then stick the hose down in the hole, am I looking for an airtight fit or just ramming it down there?

 

[Clueless]

Re: First pool. Day two. How can a pool vac be so complicate

Hi, welcome to TFP! You have a 1 horse power pump so that should generate enough suction to vacuum the pool. I have a few questions for you.
1. Has the pump strainer basket been cleaned out?
2. What kind of filter do you have and has it been cleaned lately?
3. When you put your hand in front of the return flow, do you feel a strong jet of water?
4. How large is your pool?
5. Is the pool plaster, fiberglass, or vinyl liner?

My apologies for not adding this info to my sig last night. I have updated it now. To your points:

1. Yes
2. Sand. I just backwashed it this morning for the first time this season, so maybe that will help the next time?
3. I think it's pretty strong and it moves the water around the pool a great deal.
4. Not sure of the measurements exactly, but I'm told its around 17K gallons.
5. Vinyl.

Thanks everyone for the help. I'm going to try it again tonight when I get home and see what happens. Let me throw one more question into this thread since this is the place for it. If the Barracuda is hooked up correctly, does it visibly pulsate? Does it move around the pool quick enough to notice deck-side or is it a very slow creep?

 

[Clueless]

Re: First pool. Day two. How can a pool vac be so complicate

I wouldn't put the hose straight in the skimmer. You won't have the basket there to catch leaves, and a skimmer line packed with leaves is not a good thing. Use the plate so the basket stays in the skimmer.

Does your pump continue to flow smoothly when the vac is hooked up, or does it surge?

You may need to partially close other suction valves or clean your filter to get your vac working.

1. I have no leaves in the pool, just a fine dirt that has collected at the bottom after shocking and there are no leaves around me (not even on the trees at this point).

2. The water in the pump comes all the way up to the clear plastic top normally and then when I hook the hose up, it goes down for a few seconds and then comes back to normal.

3. Do people usually close off the valve to the main drain so all the flow goes to the skimmer or do people usually not mess with it and it just works fine?

 

[JohnT]

Re: First pool. Day two. How can a pool vac be so complicate

3. Do people usually close off the valve to the main drain so all the flow goes to the skimmer or do people usually not mess with it and it just works fine?

I close mine a little to increase suction. I can't close it all the way or the pump will lose prime. Every installation will vary on what setting is best.

Are you filling the hose with a return? That seems to be the best way to get it done for me.

 

[JohnT]

Re: First pool. Day two. How can a pool vac be so complicate

If it's "just" dirt...........like you said........the skimmer basket won't matter. All I ever vacuum is "just" dirt.

Until you pick up piece of gravel or plastic you don't see.

 

[Clueless]

Re: First pool. Day two. How can a pool vac be so complicate

Here's a couple of pictures of what I'm dealing with here. The AFTER pic shows the dirt at the bottom.

BEFORE

AFTER

 

[Clueless]

Re: First pool. Day two. How can a pool vac be so complicate

3. Do people usually close off the valve to the main drain so all the flow goes to the skimmer or do people usually not mess with it and it just works fine?

I close mine a little to increase suction. I can't close it all the way or the pump will lose prime. Every installation will vary on what setting is best.

Are you filling the hose with a return? That seems to be the best way to get it done for me.

Ha! That's a GREAT question. Let me rephrase it... Do I THINK I'm filling it with a return? Yes. But the hose still floats which tells me I'm probably NOT which is where U'm focusing my attempt tonight. I will report back, hopefully successful.

 

[crookm11]

Re: First pool. Day two. How can a pool vac be so complicate

Here's a couple of pictures of what I'm dealing with here. The AFTER pic shows the dirt at the bottom.

BEFORE

AFTER

Welcome to TFP!
Just a question for you. On the after picture it looks like you have 3 returns on the left side of the pool. By any chance is one of those a dedicated suction line for the cleaner? Or are all 3 a return? You might want to look in to that. Also one of them could be a for a presure side cleaner. Just a thought.

 

[Clueless]

Re: First pool. Day two. How can a pool vac be so complicate

On the after picture it looks like you have 3 returns on the left side of the pool. By any chance is one of those a dedicated suction line for the cleaner? Or are all 3 a return?

No. On the left you see three white circles. The one on the bottom and the one on the top are for the fiber lights and the one in the middle is the return. And just so I'm clear, "return" means "returning to the pool", I'm assuming, and not "returning to the pump"?

 

[Bama Rambler]

Re: First pool. Day two. How can a pool vac be so complicate

I can address the floating hose issue. What type hose do you have?

I have the corregated sectioned hose and even filled with water it floats. It's designed that way to stay out of the cleaners way.

 

[Clueless]

Re: First pool. Day two. How can a pool vac be so complicate

I can address the floating hose issue. What type hose do you have?

I have the corregated sectioned hose and even filled with water it floats. It's designed that way to stay out of the cleaners way.

Yes, it's the blue corrugated type. When I finally gave up last night and pulled the hose out of the pool, it sure felt like it was full of water because it weighed a ton. So now I'm thinking maybe I just needed to backwash the filter. Can you tell I'm reaching for some sanity now? :lol:

 

[JohnT]

Re: First pool. Day two. How can a pool vac be so complicate

Ha! That's a GREAT question. Let me rephrase it... Do I THINK I'm filling it with a return? Yes. But the hose still floats which tells me I'm probably NOT which is where U'm focusing my attempt tonight. I will report back, hopefully successful.

When I fill mine, the vacuum head rises to near the surface, bubbles for a little bit, then settles back down. Maybe takes 30 seconds, but I'm not sure. The empty hose floats on top of the water, but the full hose settles into the water and is partly submerged.

 

[jasonknox]

Re: First pool. Day two. How can a pool vac be so complicate

I would try messing with the valve to see if you can get more suction through the vacuum hose. When I run my pool cleaner I have to adjust my valves so that more suction is diverted to my dedicated suction line. If I don't the pool cleaner does not get enough suction to move.

 

[crookm11]

Re: First pool. Day two. How can a pool vac be so complicate

On the after picture it looks like you have 3 returns on the left side of the pool. By any chance is one of those a dedicated suction line for the cleaner? Or are all 3 a return?

No. On the left you see three white circles. The one on the bottom and the one on the top are for the fiber lights and the one in the middle is the return. And just so I'm clear, "return" means "returning to the pool", I'm assuming, and not "returning to the pump"?

I just couldn't tell by the picture but now I can see that.. Yes, return means returning to pool no to pump. Hope you get everything figured out.

 

[Easto]

Re: First pool. Day two. How can a pool vac be so complicate

I am by no means an expert, but I have done my fair share of pool vacuuming.

When I fill the vacuum hose I throw everything in the water and keep the end of the hose in my hand. I go over to the return jet and hold the hose over it to fill the hose with water. The vacuum (or barracuda) will start to rise in the water followed by a bunch of bubbles coming out if it. When the air is gone it slowly falls back down to the bottom of the pool.

The hose itself stays at the top of the water, it floats so it doesn't get tangled up in the cleaner. However when it is empty the hose floats more. When it is full of water, maybe only the top 1/2 of the hose is floating. If you filled the hose with water until the cleaner rose, let out all the bubbles, then fell back down to the floor chances are it is full of water.

This is my experience growing up cleaning my parents pool.

Then I got my own pool put in last year and had a vacuuming issue where the vacuum wouldn't pick anything up. I have a bunch of valves over by the pool equipment and I had to dial down the suction on the floor drain in order to get enough suction from the skimmer. When I was done cleaning all I had to do was open the floor drain back up.

I would try this, it worked for me.