Easier way to prime vacuum hose?

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H

HopeRyan

0
Jun 16, 2018
12
Irving, NY
Hey all,

I have a variety of vacuum heads. Brushes, lady bug, whale, and the kind that just rolls on the bottom sucking up stuff without brushing. The only hose I have is in like 20 pieces of 3ft sections. While it is extremely handy while vacuuming to have all the swiveling parts for ease of movement, it is a pain to hook it up. I have to be in the pool and submerge each section and have someone outside the pool handing me pieces and controlling the pump so that it doesn't suck up a bunch of air and lose its prime.

Is there any ideas for an easier (maybe one person) way to do this? I can reach the valve handle and plug from inside the pool. I'm really just wishing there was a way to do it from outside the pool.
 
Why not order a 25' hose? And why do you have a hose in 20 pieces with 3 ' sections? How are they attached and this really does not make sense from a time perspective. One hose attached to the vacuum head placed in the water. Fill up the hose with the return water until all the air is out and place in the skimmer and start vacuuming. This is usually what is done.

With my pool, I have so much suction that the hose primes itself. Takes about less than one minute, then I increase pressure by reducing other skimmer and possibly a little of the main drain. My pool is in ground and different. Any pictures would be helpful as well.
 
I always assemble the hoses first then prime all at once....they've never come apart... I attach the assembled hoses to the vac, put the vac in the water, hose goes next, then I hold the hose up to the eyeball return until all the air bubbles come out through the vac and it drops to the bottom, then set hose in skimmer.

May I ask how you calculated your gallonage? I have the same size pool, but it's 13,500 as water does not go all the way to the top of the 52"... Is your pool dug down at all?
 
Thanks Pool Mom. I still have the original one in the basement, not even out of the box that I may just start using that pool company gave me. My pool, the old fashion way. Have a 45 ' hose (too long). Order a 25' foot hose, and they sent me a 35' foot hose. Shipped out another one for free, so now I have 25', 35', and 45'. Only use the 25' foot manually. Did not know this was a suction side cleaner and mine is probably the same way and I should take it out of the box, or at least sell it on E-Bay.
 
Hmm, it sounds like my suction-side cleaner hose (the sections), and it sounds like you're workin' too hard! ;)

Like frustratedpoolmom, my hose sections stay together in or out of the water. But I fill the hose differently. Connect everything up, including the pole and vac head, then push it down into the water. Grab the hose where it enters the water, and hand over hand push it down into the water (The other end is still out of the water). Continue until all the hose is underwater. If you did it right, just as the last bit of hose goes under, you'll see water coming up from inside the hose. The hose may float (mine does) but as long as you push it down correctly, even the floating hose will still be 100% full of water. Then just hand it through the skimmer opening to yourself, keeping the end underwater, then connect it up.

Using the return works fine, I just don't see the need for that extra step if you push the hose down into the water correctly...
 
THIS! THIS IS THE RIDICULOUSLY EASY TIP I WAS LOOKING FOR! makes me want to smack my forehead and say DUH!! Lol thank you.

And yes my pool is dug out a bit underneath and we have to haul water from a nearby spring to keep it full so it's probably always a little **too** full. And Because we made 15 trips with a 1000 gallon tank when we initially set it up.

And I'll say it, that's the number the pool store gave me.

Thanks so much. I'm going to vacuum my pool from outside.
 
Not sure whose tip you were referring to, or which you'll try. No matter. As long as it works! Let us know how it goes. We love a happy ending! ;)

PS. I re-read my version. I wasn't clear on one thing, which is crucial. The entire hose starts out of the water, up on the deck. You connect it to the vac head, push the vac head down into the water. Now you have half the hose underwater, the rest still up on the deck. Then you start pushing the hose underwater. That allows the air to escape through the remaining hose still on the deck... You only connect to the vacuum port after the hose is all underwater...

Like most things pool, it's easier to do than to explain!!
 
Dirk said:
Not sure whose tip you were referring to, or which you'll try. No matter. As long as it works! Let us know how it goes. We love a happy ending! ;)
Click to expand...

Sorry, still new to this and working on figuring it out. PoolMom's tip about filling the hose with the return jet is what had me smacking my forehead saying DUH. I don't have a deck and the pool is tall and I am short so doing anything over the side is difficult. There are built steps I can stand on to use the vacuum once it is connected and running.

I was successfully able to stay dry and vacuum without fear of destroying my pump with so much air! Thanks thanks thanks!
 

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Dirk said:
But I fill the hose differently. Connect everything up, including the pole and vac head, then push it down into the water. Grab the hose where it enters the water, and hand over hand push it down into the water (The other end is still out of the water). Continue until all the hose is underwater. If you did it right, just as the last bit of hose goes under, you'll see water coming up from inside the hose. The hose may float (mine does) but as long as you push it down correctly, even the floating hose will still be 100% full of water. Then just hand it through the skimmer opening to yourself, keeping the end underwater, then connect it up.
...
Click to expand...

Yah I do it both ways, your way for inground pools is easiest cuz there is never a return right next to the skimmer. LOL

Glad things worked out HopeRyan!
 
frustratedpoolmom said:
Yah I do it both ways, your way for inground pools is easiest cuz there is never a return right next to the skimmer. LOL

Glad things worked out HopeRyan!
Click to expand...

Right, I do it my way right by the suction port, which is much closer to the surface than a return. I can kinda squat to do the push-it-in method. I'd have to lay on my belly and stick my whole arm in to use the return, then work my way, commando-style, over to the suction port!! Not at my age!!! ;)

I was actually describing the way I replace my vac after having it out for a party. I drop in the vac and push down the hose then connect it to the port. I couldn't really do that with the return-filling trick because the vac sinks to the bottom and I'd have to force all the air down the hose. With the manual vac head at or nearer the surface, the return method makes more sense. There! More than the OP ever wanted to know about how I fill my vac's hose!! ;)
 
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