Thumper has a hang up on the main drain

[Chas]

Since the grandkids aren’t around to stir up the pool and help keep it clean, I want to throw Thumper back in to get to work. But – I’m afraid to do this now that there’s a new liner in the pool. Thumper hammered away at the old bag for hours at a time while stuck on the main drain and contributed to its demise, the new bag is all pretty and wrinkle free , I don’t want Thumper wrecking it.


So – anybody have any luck with a main drain protector/cover that will keep Thumper free? Thumper is a suction side Barracuda Alpha 1 (yeah, I know, he’s old but with a new diaphragm every few years he keeps on a-thumpin’). When he’s over his hangup he does a great job of cleaning, it’s just that main drain hangup thing he’s got. I’ve tried a variety of directions in aiming the eyeball, tried running him with the MD turned off, he just keeps getting stuck. The main drain is a basic standard Hayward IG vinyl MD with anti-vortex grate.

 

[JVTrain]

You could try one of these Amazon.com : Zodiac 5820 White Unibridge Main Drain Cover Replacement : Lawn And Garden Tool Replacement Parts : Patio, Lawn Garden

I had one that was inherited from previous owner but used it for a day and threw it out. The reason was that it was old, used and probably not treated well. The outer area of the cover is made of a flexible rubber material. My second-hand cover was warped, faded and kinda degraded in spots. This meant that my TigerShark robot just got hung up on it, instead of the main drain and even pushed it around the bottom of the pool. So... part of the problem is the design of the rubber material and in my case, that the previous owner abused the product with terrible chemistry before I got to use it. For my pool, it would work better if the whole thing were rigid plastic and I could anchor it to the main drain directly rather than relying on gravity.

If you purchase a new one, it may work for you. I've heard they work well for some, not for others. My opinion is that it would work new, perhaps even better if there were more weight added to the underside or clipped to the drain somehow rather than just gravity. But, durability appears to be an issue.

 

[Chas]

Bingo! That's the one!!! I know I saw one at a customer's house last year, just didn't know what model ot brand it was. THANKS!! I googled around a bit on it and it sounds like it's what I'm looking for. There was a pretty good review on it at Amazon as well.

THANKS!

 

[Chas]

Ordered one! Can't wait to get Thumper to thumpin'