I've been fighting our suction cleaner (Hayward vac xl) for almost a year now and all but narrowed it down to horsepower. I'm not looking for the wisest answer (i.e., most efficient, cost-effective, or most durable) here as I am very busy with work, my wife is pregnant, and I just need the **** suction cleaner to work during the day to take the load off (I've been cleaning manually for a year now). Just hoping to ballpark whether increasing HP is: a)"absolutely retarded", or b) "not the best solution, but it should get your cleaner working and not destroy your equipment."
THE RUB: To get enough suction umph just to manually vacuum the pool, I open 1 skimmer and the dedicated suction line only. This lineup will successfully move the self-propelled suction line cleaner for about an hour before the wheels stop turning, but only if I prime the cleaner hose every time.
I know all the many many contributors potentially at play here (filters, plugs, leaks, etc. etc.). While my ME professional background really just makes me dangerous in the residential arena, hopefully it also means I'm competent enough to have ruled out all these minor contributors as real concerns. Or maybe I'm just a dumba**.
Pool specs:
Hayward 1.25 brake HP (SF = 1.25)
Basic 4-cartridge filter setup
20,000 gal
Hot Tub: 2 drains, 2 returns, 4 jets. Overflows into pool.
Pool: 2 drains, 2 skimmers, 4 returns, 1 dedicated suction cleaner line
*The pool is only 10 years old so pump station manifold/valving is excessive; the underground PVC is likely a mess. In my industry piping head loss is minimal almost no matter how congested. Hopefully one of you can tell me if it can be a more serious residential issue. If it is I would assume the solution is still HP...
THANKS IN ADVANCE GUYS, LOVE TFP.COM.
THE RUB: To get enough suction umph just to manually vacuum the pool, I open 1 skimmer and the dedicated suction line only. This lineup will successfully move the self-propelled suction line cleaner for about an hour before the wheels stop turning, but only if I prime the cleaner hose every time.
I know all the many many contributors potentially at play here (filters, plugs, leaks, etc. etc.). While my ME professional background really just makes me dangerous in the residential arena, hopefully it also means I'm competent enough to have ruled out all these minor contributors as real concerns. Or maybe I'm just a dumba**.
Pool specs:
Hayward 1.25 brake HP (SF = 1.25)
Basic 4-cartridge filter setup
20,000 gal
Hot Tub: 2 drains, 2 returns, 4 jets. Overflows into pool.
Pool: 2 drains, 2 skimmers, 4 returns, 1 dedicated suction cleaner line
*The pool is only 10 years old so pump station manifold/valving is excessive; the underground PVC is likely a mess. In my industry piping head loss is minimal almost no matter how congested. Hopefully one of you can tell me if it can be a more serious residential issue. If it is I would assume the solution is still HP...
THANKS IN ADVANCE GUYS, LOVE TFP.COM.