I was hoping someone could give me tips for running my pool cleaner effectively. I've been doing searches on the web and this forum to try to do some troubleshooting on my own. After bad experiences with a Hayward Navigator and a secondhand Polaris 360, I got tired of years of manual vacuuming and decided to give pool cleaners a try again. I don't seem to have enough pressure to operate cleaners well. I picked the Baracuda G2 specifically because of reviews stating that it worked well with low suction. I am able to get it to work, but to do so, I have to close the drain (which I understand is normal), close off the opposite skimmer, and put the flow control valve on the highest setting. Once I do those all of those things, it functions well. Of course, I get no skimming action and I also see air in the pump filter basket when the cleaner is hooked up. I'm nervous that the air in the system puts a strain on the pump so I don't like to leave the cleaner hooked up for long. :?
I've done most of the tricks to try to eliminate air leaks. I've tighted up the connections between all the cleaner hose sections. I've checked the impeller for blockage, cleaned the pump basket, and lubed the O-ring. I even got a plumber's bladder and tried to blast out the skimmer lines, but only a few small pieces of debris floated up.
I was wondering if a 2-speed pump would do the trick. :?: We've always just gotten 3/4 HP motors because that's what the pool builder installed so it was easiest to just replace it with the same thing. Would having a higher speed for running the cleaner solve the inadequate suction issue? The motor we have is only 1-2 years old so I should have plenty of time to think about it before needing to get a new one. Until then, I guess I'll keep fiddling with skimmers and hooking and unhooking the cleaner!
I've done most of the tricks to try to eliminate air leaks. I've tighted up the connections between all the cleaner hose sections. I've checked the impeller for blockage, cleaned the pump basket, and lubed the O-ring. I even got a plumber's bladder and tried to blast out the skimmer lines, but only a few small pieces of debris floated up.
I was wondering if a 2-speed pump would do the trick. :?: We've always just gotten 3/4 HP motors because that's what the pool builder installed so it was easiest to just replace it with the same thing. Would having a higher speed for running the cleaner solve the inadequate suction issue? The motor we have is only 1-2 years old so I should have plenty of time to think about it before needing to get a new one. Until then, I guess I'll keep fiddling with skimmers and hooking and unhooking the cleaner!