I'll preface this by saying we are new pool owners. We do not know the age of the pool, but it's old and has been neglected.
Upon startup of the pump, large amounts of rocks and red dirt are being pulled into the pump basket through the skimmer line. These rocks are the same rocks mixed in with the soil around our entire property, so my husband suspects a break in the skimmer line but we aren't sure. We know it's being pulled in through the skimmer line because this doesn't happen when we close off the skimmer line. There is red dirt settled in the skimmer basket area as well. This only lasts for about 20-30 seconds upon startup and then the red water clears and rocks stop coming into the pump basket.
We recently tried to hook up a new automatic vacuum and it wasn't moving around the pool properly, the pump wouldn't stay primed while it was hooked up, and it was a disaster. The rock and dirt issue started after this fiasco. We are wondering if somehow the pressure from the vacuum caused a break in an already weak pipe?
Any ideas what would be going on here? The only pool company that returned my call can't get out here for at least two weeks to look at it, so I'm hoping someone has some ideas. Thanks!
Upon startup of the pump, large amounts of rocks and red dirt are being pulled into the pump basket through the skimmer line. These rocks are the same rocks mixed in with the soil around our entire property, so my husband suspects a break in the skimmer line but we aren't sure. We know it's being pulled in through the skimmer line because this doesn't happen when we close off the skimmer line. There is red dirt settled in the skimmer basket area as well. This only lasts for about 20-30 seconds upon startup and then the red water clears and rocks stop coming into the pump basket.
We recently tried to hook up a new automatic vacuum and it wasn't moving around the pool properly, the pump wouldn't stay primed while it was hooked up, and it was a disaster. The rock and dirt issue started after this fiasco. We are wondering if somehow the pressure from the vacuum caused a break in an already weak pipe?
Any ideas what would be going on here? The only pool company that returned my call can't get out here for at least two weeks to look at it, so I'm hoping someone has some ideas. Thanks!