I had problems getting good suction on my vacuum. Feeling around the skimmer led me to find that the support ring that holds the skimmer basket up is broken. I pulled it out, put the skimmer vacuum plate on and--voila--good suction. I want to replace the support ring but it seems like it is larger than the hole at the top of the skimmer into which I'd have to insert it...the only reason I could get the broken one out was because it was broken and I could bend it quite a bit. I have no idea how to get a new one in. It's a Hayward skimmer BTW, no idea of model number.