- Aug 2, 2011
- 8
This season pool started ok, but when I tried to vacuum, lost all suction. Pump basket went dry.
When took the vacuum off it started pumping fine again.
The vacuum hose is fine. What I had to do to vacuum, was add a seperate line into the pump, with a shutoff valve
(2 actually - one on the skimmer line, another on the vacuum line). I don't like this because all the debris goes directly into the pump basket,
but it does let me modulate the flow which helps me vacuum to waste longer at a lower flow rate, such as when vacumming alega,
which is the subject I wanted to discuss.
After having an algea attack (salt clorinator went offline due to a power outage), I floc'd and vacuumed out the green
slime at the bottom. However, after a time vacuuming to waste, I noticed brackish water stuff coming back into the pool through
the outlets. Not at a high rate but enough of it to bother me. So, I switched from vacuuming to waste to backwash.
And that worked. For a while. Now vacuuming to backwash also sends the stuff back into the pool! I have a hayward
pump and filter.
Further, when I try to do a regular backwash now (at full flow) it seems clogged. The filter seems to be clogged.
Is that possible? Pressure goes up close to 20 (normally less than 10) and water flow out of the pool is
less than half of what occurs when using rinse. Rinse seems to create the biggest water flow, and
I am thinking of using this setting now to vacuum out the remainder. Ok to get the job done?
Did I clog the filter by not using a full rate of flow when going to waste and backwash?
Is it ok to vacuum using the rinse setting? Can I use a lower rate of flow so that I don't drain my pool?
There should be a special setting and/or equipment to clean algea off the bottom so that you don't need to
drop you water inches, but that is another topic. I need to get this stuff cleaned and the pool open
for business (family party) today if at all possible.
Thank you so much!
When took the vacuum off it started pumping fine again.
The vacuum hose is fine. What I had to do to vacuum, was add a seperate line into the pump, with a shutoff valve
(2 actually - one on the skimmer line, another on the vacuum line). I don't like this because all the debris goes directly into the pump basket,
but it does let me modulate the flow which helps me vacuum to waste longer at a lower flow rate, such as when vacumming alega,
which is the subject I wanted to discuss.
After having an algea attack (salt clorinator went offline due to a power outage), I floc'd and vacuumed out the green
slime at the bottom. However, after a time vacuuming to waste, I noticed brackish water stuff coming back into the pool through
the outlets. Not at a high rate but enough of it to bother me. So, I switched from vacuuming to waste to backwash.
And that worked. For a while. Now vacuuming to backwash also sends the stuff back into the pool! I have a hayward
pump and filter.
Further, when I try to do a regular backwash now (at full flow) it seems clogged. The filter seems to be clogged.
Is that possible? Pressure goes up close to 20 (normally less than 10) and water flow out of the pool is
less than half of what occurs when using rinse. Rinse seems to create the biggest water flow, and
I am thinking of using this setting now to vacuum out the remainder. Ok to get the job done?
Did I clog the filter by not using a full rate of flow when going to waste and backwash?
Is it ok to vacuum using the rinse setting? Can I use a lower rate of flow so that I don't drain my pool?
There should be a special setting and/or equipment to clean algea off the bottom so that you don't need to
drop you water inches, but that is another topic. I need to get this stuff cleaned and the pool open
for business (family party) today if at all possible.
Thank you so much!