I've been using my Kreepy Krauly by connecting it to my skimmer via a Vac-Mate (which gives me the ability to balance flow and I retain a bit of skimming action via the "half-weir.") One of the main problems with this setup is that I end up needing a VERY long Kreepy hose (15 sections I believe) in order to reach the entire pool, which creates some issues. There is an unused port, however, located mid-pool that used to be used for a pressure side cleaner. My thinking was that if I re-plumb on the equipment deck and convert this line to be a suction port, I could connect the Kreepy to it's own port mid-pool, reducing the hose length by half, and giving me a full weir on the skimmer.
The one problem is that even though the port is the standard 1 1/2 inch type, at some point under the deck it reduces to a 1 inch pipe (which is what comes up at the equipment deck.) I had always assumed that the Kreepy needs at least a 1 1/2 inch pipe, but I just saw a post on another forum where someone asked the same question, and the response was that the 1 inch line COULD be used for a Kreepy Krauly cleaner. The response came from someone that appeared to be a Pentair rep, so it seems credible as far as I can tell, but I wanted to ask here to see if anyone had any feedback or opinions on this.
Note that I always use a leaf basket on the Kreepy hose to intercept any large debris, so I would think this would prevent anything from getting stuck in the 1 inch pipe. The only other concern I can think of would be flow balancing issues between the skimmer and the Kreepy port (the main drain is plugged), but I believe that Pentair makes some sort of regulator that can be placed into the skimmer for this situation. I was also thinking that it might work to install a valve on the equipment deck that would allow me to control the flow from the skimmer, reducing it enough such that the Kreepy could work. Having said that, it strikes me that another valve on the 1 inch line would allow me to switch to "skimmer-only" if desired without needing to disconnect the Kreepy from the wall.
Any suggestions and/or feedback on all this would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Larry
The one problem is that even though the port is the standard 1 1/2 inch type, at some point under the deck it reduces to a 1 inch pipe (which is what comes up at the equipment deck.) I had always assumed that the Kreepy needs at least a 1 1/2 inch pipe, but I just saw a post on another forum where someone asked the same question, and the response was that the 1 inch line COULD be used for a Kreepy Krauly cleaner. The response came from someone that appeared to be a Pentair rep, so it seems credible as far as I can tell, but I wanted to ask here to see if anyone had any feedback or opinions on this.
Note that I always use a leaf basket on the Kreepy hose to intercept any large debris, so I would think this would prevent anything from getting stuck in the 1 inch pipe. The only other concern I can think of would be flow balancing issues between the skimmer and the Kreepy port (the main drain is plugged), but I believe that Pentair makes some sort of regulator that can be placed into the skimmer for this situation. I was also thinking that it might work to install a valve on the equipment deck that would allow me to control the flow from the skimmer, reducing it enough such that the Kreepy could work. Having said that, it strikes me that another valve on the 1 inch line would allow me to switch to "skimmer-only" if desired without needing to disconnect the Kreepy from the wall.
Any suggestions and/or feedback on all this would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Larry