Vacuum/skimmer/ pump? Help!

[Riven]

I got a new filter/pump this spring.

This may not be the right way to vacuum but this is how my grandparents always did it, and they owned this exact pool for over 20 years before we got it.

When I vacuum we drop the main skimmer lid to create suction, plug in the vaccum hose, get all of the air out, and turn the pump onto waste and vacuum.

The vacuum hose is a 1" hose, which is smaller than the rest of my hoses, so perhaps I just need to upgrade that, but the problem I'm having is that the water doesn't seem to suck through fast enough to satisfy the pump and and the water in the pump strainer get low and I lose suction. This happens every 5 minutes or so, which means I have to stop, shut down, pull up the lid and let everything refill... start over. Which makes vacuuming a very time consuming and frustrating project. I am looking into getting a auto vac, but want to make sure this isn't going to be an on going issue or if there is something I need to change or address before doing so to prevent this from happening.

Thanks for any suggestions!

 

[zea3]

It may be that the vacuum hose diameter is too small for your pump. How much horse power is the pump? You may also have an air leak in the hose that is causing the pump to lose suction. Does the hose fit snuggly into the skimmer?

 

[waste]

It could also be an air leak in the hose. Maybe it's time to get a larger hose

 

[Riven]

The pump is a 1HP pump
I get all of the air out when I put it in, and it plugs in tight to the skimmer. I think it's probably time for a new skimmer anyway, this ones only about... 25 years old, and has a patched crack. I worry that if the hose is bigger than the hole on the skimmer we'll get a bottle neck there... hmmm