Recently started a pool service. Question about vacuuming liner pools

[cnshough]

More specifically, I bought an above ground pool pump. It's a Blue Wave 1 HP pump. I bought adapters so that I could plug a short vacuum hose to the discharge side, and a vacuum hose to the intake side. The intake side will have a vacuum head attached to it, while the discharge side is just to dump the water. A sort of vacuum to waste, if you will. Mostly this will be used to clean above ground pools that have the pump filter that came with them that have gone green and the owner doesn't want to drain and refill. There are actually alot of those people in my area, and they are underserved. The problem is, I just tried it out on my in ground liner pool, and it is too powerful. It just sucks the liner right up. I know, I know, the brushes are worn down. No, it's a new brush. So, is there any way I can limit the amount of auction somehow? Is there a valve I could put between the end of the hose and the vacuum head that I could shut 25-50% to allow me to vacuum liner pools, both in ground and above ground?

As an aside, if I am correct, I should be able to add flocculant to these above ground customer's pools by using this same system, which when there is no vacuum attached would act as a sand filter would when it's valve is in the recirculate position. Am I wrong about that?

 

[Newdude]

A valve on the suction side might collapse your hose if the pump pulls too hard. I imagine a valve on the discharge side would slow the pump down just as well, but no idea if you'd be reducing its lifespan by putting the extra load on it.

 

[Oly]

How about installing a ""T" between the hose and vac head to split the suction and using the valve on the open end to regulate vac head pull. You could also modify the head to stand off the bottom and increase the suction area.

 

[JamesW]

Put a valve on the discharge and control the suction by closing down the valve as much as necessary. As long as you don't close the valve completely, it won't damage the pump.

 

[cnshough]

How about installing a ""T" between the hose and vac head to split the suction and using the valve on the open end to regulate vac head pull. You could also modify the head to stand off the bottom and increase the suction area.

What would modifying the head involve? I can't picture it

 

[Oly]

Rather than decrease your suction, increase the size of your vac head so it can pull more water/trash and not pull up the liner. Perhaps this is a simple as buying a larger vac head with wheels to raise the suction port. I would try several larger off the shelf types first. You could DIY something with adjustable wheels, it does not have to be pretty. Time is money in business, suck more push less.

 

[JamesW]

A better vacuum head would help, but you should put a valve on the discharge to give you control of the suction.