Just bought a crawler for our new pool and the instructions for install don't seem to line up with what we have. We have two suction ports on the side of the pool. There is a manual valve that selects between the skimmer/drain and the two ports. I was hoping to attach the crawler to a suction port, but the manual only describes a situation where there is some sort of regulator stuck in the skimmer while the crawler works from the port. This will not work since the skimmer has no suction when the ports are active. Besides, what's the point of the vac ports if you have to mess up the skimmer anyway? Are all the crawlers intrusive like this? By that I mean, do they have to make it so the skimmer doesn't function anymore, or is the sand shark unique in this respect. I expected the crawler to be able to do its thing without me having to reconfigure the whole pool every time. Thanks for any input.
Kreepy Krauly plumbing
- Thread starter Mastiff
- Start date
I was look at getting one of these in the clasic model, so I browsed the online manual to see if it would work for me. Now I have not got one yet, but from what I recall they provide a threaded adapter that fits into the hole under the skimmer basket. The way I interpreted it, the skimmer basket would fit right back in place when the crawler was not in use. When you wanted to use the crawler, you simply removed the basket and connected it to their adapter. I also recall a mention of using the vac port of your pool as an optional method, but they did not include any additional hardware for that type of installation. I am going from memory here, so I may be way off, but until someone with more experience can answer your query, it might be helpful.
The thing I have to plug in to the skimmer is way too big to allow the basket to go back on.
I tried to install into the vac port last night but it has way too much suction and I have no way to reduce it. It seems to work okay plugged into the skimmer, but it is annoying that the skimmer is of no use with it installed, so you need to continually decide whether you want the bottom of the pool clean or the surface. Putting the crawler in and out is a bit of a chore too since the basket needs to come out, then a cover we have over the two holes in the bottom of the skimmer, then the adapter needs to go in, then you have to plug the hose in and somehow get a enough air out of it to keep the pump alive. Maybe my expectations were too high.
I am confused too because I have two ports that both had suction when I turn the valve to vac port mode. When I plugged the crawler into one of the ports though, the other one just went dead and I could feel no suction there at all. I was hoping that it would moderate the suction on the port I was using.
I tried to install into the vac port last night but it has way too much suction and I have no way to reduce it. It seems to work okay plugged into the skimmer, but it is annoying that the skimmer is of no use with it installed, so you need to continually decide whether you want the bottom of the pool clean or the surface. Putting the crawler in and out is a bit of a chore too since the basket needs to come out, then a cover we have over the two holes in the bottom of the skimmer, then the adapter needs to go in, then you have to plug the hose in and somehow get a enough air out of it to keep the pump alive. Maybe my expectations were too high.
I am confused too because I have two ports that both had suction when I turn the valve to vac port mode. When I plugged the crawler into one of the ports though, the other one just went dead and I could feel no suction there at all. I was hoping that it would moderate the suction on the port I was using.
I own the classic Kreepy Krauly.
There is a threaded flow regulator that screws into the skimmer like stated before. The basket does not get re-inserted while the Kreepy Krauly is hooked up.
If you prefer to use the skimmer basket while using the Kreepy Krauly you need to invest in the Vac plate for it.
It makes installing the Kreepy Krauly much easier and debris such as leaves and twigs will get caught in the skimmer basket.
I'm not aware if it can be hooked up to the vac lines you have. You may be able to contact Pentair and ask them if they make some sort of adapter or if there is something special you need to do.
Like you mentioned, if you use the Kreepy Krauly, your skimmers wont function for the top of the water.
I honestly gave up using mine and just manual vac when needed. My pool has not been getting that dirty this year.
Could you post pics of the vac hookups your talking about?
There is a threaded flow regulator that screws into the skimmer like stated before. The basket does not get re-inserted while the Kreepy Krauly is hooked up.
If you prefer to use the skimmer basket while using the Kreepy Krauly you need to invest in the Vac plate for it.
It makes installing the Kreepy Krauly much easier and debris such as leaves and twigs will get caught in the skimmer basket.
I'm not aware if it can be hooked up to the vac lines you have. You may be able to contact Pentair and ask them if they make some sort of adapter or if there is something special you need to do.
Like you mentioned, if you use the Kreepy Krauly, your skimmers wont function for the top of the water.
I honestly gave up using mine and just manual vac when needed. My pool has not been getting that dirty this year.
Could you post pics of the vac hookups your talking about?
The vac ports look exactly like eyeball diverters. I unscrewed an eyeball and put on the door that came with the crawler. I guess my main limitation is that at the pump I have to throw the valve to either vacuum OR skimmer mode. I can't have both at once. The user manual expects the option of having both so that their vac regulator can go in the skimmer when the crawler is attached to the vac port.
If I had purchased this thing locally I think I'd take it back, but I got it on-line so we'll live with it. Maybe it'll grow on us over time. I naively assumed that the crawler could just do its thing while the skimmer and stuff did their job. I didn't realize it had to be like "let's spend 20 minutes hooking up the crawler this morning and then remember to go stop it and take it all apart again." Oh well.
If I had purchased this thing locally I think I'd take it back, but I got it on-line so we'll live with it. Maybe it'll grow on us over time. I naively assumed that the crawler could just do its thing while the skimmer and stuff did their job. I didn't realize it had to be like "let's spend 20 minutes hooking up the crawler this morning and then remember to go stop it and take it all apart again." Oh well.
Mastiff,
The valve cannot let you draw water from both sources at once? I have this same set-up and can put the valve in a halfway position so my pool cleaner plugged into the wall port and the skimmer are both working..in fact this is how I set the proper intake suction on the pool cleaner by adjusting the ratio (valve position) of wall port to skimmer suction.
If not, perhaps you can change out the valve to a model that will allow it.
The valve cannot let you draw water from both sources at once? I have this same set-up and can put the valve in a halfway position so my pool cleaner plugged into the wall port and the skimmer are both working..in fact this is how I set the proper intake suction on the pool cleaner by adjusting the ratio (valve position) of wall port to skimmer suction.
If not, perhaps you can change out the valve to a model that will allow it.
Worked! Plugged the crawler into the vac port and adjusted the selector valve at the pump to direct most to the vac port but enough to the skimmer to reduce the suction to the right level. Both the skimmer and crawler can work at the same time now. Thanks.