I am trying to get my Diver Dave to vacuum and it seems that there is so much coming out of the return jet that it directs him to only one side of the pool or the other, nothing in-between. It seems as if the vacuum is working fine, just too much coming out of the return. Any way to turn this down? I don't recall having this problem last year, but I wasnt using Diver Dave. Thanks.
too much coming out of return for diver dave
- Thread starter Jeff74
- Start date
I just got a Diver Dave this year too and have had a bit of the same problem, even when moving the return jet. Seems if I move it upwards it pushes Dave's hose around which then pushes him around, if I push it further downward it pushes him around... sometime he just gets suspended in the current. I always have the jet turned away from the skimmer to make for a circular flow, but Dave always seems to have trouble in that area regardless of the direction of the return flow whether up or down. I have another problem in that just beyond the point where he gets into trouble there sit my stairs.. I would move them but there's not a better place for them. I've taken to brushing that area of the pool toward the center and keeping an occasional eye on Dave in case he does get caught up in the currents there. If I turn on our solar heater and slow down the current of the return Dave doesn't have enough suction running to him to move or clean. I've been considering if Dave needs a little more weight added to him to be more stable in the water but haven't tried that yet.
Anxious to see if others have any experience with Diver Dave, Wanda the Whale or the Bug... ?? Seems a lot of people like them and I've not heard the complaints before. Just thought it was me wanting more than I paid for.
Anxious to see if others have any experience with Diver Dave, Wanda the Whale or the Bug... ?? Seems a lot of people like them and I've not heard the complaints before. Just thought it was me wanting more than I paid for.
I have an eyeball in the return jet. I have tried lots of things, pointing down in the middle, down away from the skimmer, on top of the surface of the water, etc. You name it, I have tried it. What about partially closing the valve on the return side? Will it decrease the suction side?
I had the same problem with my Aqua Bug. What I found that helped was to remove the eyeball before vacuuming and use a cheap arm-type waterfall fountain that screws into the return. Like this:
[attachment=0:3cdwe4u4]Waterfall1.jpg[/attachment:3cdwe4u4]
The base usually has an adjustable sleeve for the water pressure for how high you want the fountain spray, but it is easy to direct the water flow and adjust the pressure for vacuuming. I just keep it by the filter and use with the Bug and sometimes just for the fountain effect. It wasn't expensive either. My Bug now cleans the pool like its supposed to without the water pressure pushing the hose to one side.
[attachment=0:3cdwe4u4]Waterfall1.jpg[/attachment:3cdwe4u4]
The base usually has an adjustable sleeve for the water pressure for how high you want the fountain spray, but it is easy to direct the water flow and adjust the pressure for vacuuming. I just keep it by the filter and use with the Bug and sometimes just for the fountain effect. It wasn't expensive either. My Bug now cleans the pool like its supposed to without the water pressure pushing the hose to one side.
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You can't reduce the return because that reduces the suction that makes the little critters work... I basically tried that concept by forcing my solar system to take the full load which decreased the rate of return. Diver Dave almost came to a halt.
I will have to get creative with some way to re-direct the water from the return. I know I won't do the water fountain idea because I will never take the time to unscrew and screw it on every time I want to use the vacuum. I would have to turn off the pump and then after making the switch, make a long trip around the deck, down the stairs and back around to where the pump is to turn it back on, then back up to make sure he was secured to the skimmer and ready to work. Because of the layout of our deck, it is quite the trip to run from the skimmer to the pump and back. I would sure get my exercise though.
I will have to get creative with some way to re-direct the water from the return. I know I won't do the water fountain idea because I will never take the time to unscrew and screw it on every time I want to use the vacuum. I would have to turn off the pump and then after making the switch, make a long trip around the deck, down the stairs and back around to where the pump is to turn it back on, then back up to make sure he was secured to the skimmer and ready to work. Because of the layout of our deck, it is quite the trip to run from the skimmer to the pump and back. I would sure get my exercise though.