New Intex 15' owner, can't figure out vacuuming

[Capo]

Please pardon my ignorance and desperation: We just installed a 15' Intex pool, metal frame (the one with the straight legs) and using the pump that came with it. Works fine. But: lots of dirt/sand and leaves collecting at the bottom. So I bought the following things from local pool store (Leslie's) thinking I was getting the right stuff. Feel free to tell me which parts I got wrong:

- Vinyl pool vacuum head (Leslie's brand) with adapter for 1-1/4 pool hose.
- 25' 1-1/4" pool hose
- a pole, of course
- Vacuum hose adapter (GAME brand) says: "For intex, bestway, polygroup pools. For use with smaller INTEX pools that have filter inlet fitting #11070".
The back of that adapter says "Remove strainer grid from thru-wall intake fitting. Insert vacuum hose adapter. Attached hose".

I can't even make it through the second step there. My blue thru-wall adapter that came with the pool isn't a hole. It's has a dome of blue plastic grid holes and no way to jam a hose or adapter in there. Am I missing a part? I'd hate to yank that blue thing out of the wall weekly. It'd probably wear out something and besides I spent a lot of time getting those hose fittings to not leak.

 

[kellyfair]

Does the blue strainer piece unscrew?

 

[Capo]

Does the blue strainer piece unscrew?

no - the piece that unscrews from the blue piece is a grey plastic dome with holes in it. The blue piece is a one-piece deal that includes the part you twist (tightly) in the outlet built into the vinyl of the pool and it’s held in there by the clamp on the outside of the pool that’s holding the pump hose on. It’s that blue piece that apparently has no way to just plug a pool hose into or even that adapter I mentioned. Did they change the design of these things?

 

[kellyfair]

It’s been a few years since I had one of those... can you post a photo?

 

[ashtonfitzgerald]

I believe that adapter is designed to slide into the fitting #11070. My Intex fittings are also blue and have a strainer grid blocking the hose. You may be able to cut the strainer out of the blue fitting in order to slide the vac adapter into the tube.

My solution actually used some abs fittings: a 3” to 2”reducer, to a 2” pipe piece then a 2” to 1-1/2” reducer with a small length of 1-1/2” pipe. The vacuum hose fits nicely inside the abs pipe and the 4” reducer slides right over the plastic screw on screen. I put a couple wraps of electrical tape over the screen in order to give a better grip. This has worked out well for me.

 

[Capo]

I believe that adapter is designed to slide into the fitting #11070. My Intex fittings are also blue and have a strainer grid blocking the hose. You may be able to cut the strainer out of the blue fitting in order to slide the vac adapter into the tube.

Yeah I guess i have the same issue. I might just try to order that #11070 part that has an *actual* hole in it that isn't blocked. I wonder why our pools didn't come with one of those? All these custom solutions people have to invent (yours included) are interesting but... why should we have to cobble together hardware store parts just to vacuum our pools? It's weird..

 

[ashtonfitzgerald]

Yeah I guess i have the same issue. I might just try to order that #11070 part that has an *actual* hole in it that isn't blocked. I wonder why our pools didn't come with one of those? All these custom solutions people have to invent (yours included) are interesting but... why should we have to cobble together hardware store parts just to vacuum our pools? It's weird..

Yup...Myself everything in my life has been far from straightforward so problem solving is second nature for me. When I expect things to “just work” they rarely do. WHEN they do, it GLORIOUS!

 

[jcrew6311]

Not sure if this is your issue but it fixed my vacuum problem that couldn't adapt. A piece at Ace hardware for like $2.