Tips and Tricks

[TriangleMan]

I've seen folks lament every now and then that there isn't a better way to keep the vacuum hose from being wound up in the water, twisting and fighting the vacuum or even kinking up.
Here's what I do:

1) Before putting the hose in the water, lay the empty coil on the ground next to the pool.
2) Step one foot directly into the center of the coil.
3) Take a free end of the hose and begin feeding it into the pool.
4) Allow the remaining hose to naturally unwind itself from around your planted leg.

Now that the hose is nicely unwound and free of kinks and coils, proceed to hook up the vacuum head & pole, take an end over the return jet to fill it with water, and then over to the skimmer to connect to the adapter plate.

One less annoyance.

Happy swimming!

 

[drsipe]

My grandkids love the blow up pool toys/floats. I usually use use a compressor to blow them up, but when the season is over and it's time to deflate them, the built in check valves make deflation difficult and slow. Today I tried something and it worked so well. I insert a small screwdriver into the inflation valve to hold the check valve open, then I used a shop-vac to suck the air out. That reduced deflation time drastically.

 

[djw]

While this thread used to be active, but seems dead now... I stumbled across this and have needed this solution in the past.

People seem to crack the threads on salt cell unions, and they are fairly fragile imo. Sure, if you periodically replace the old, flattened union o-rings and lube them up (not many do this) you don't need to torque on the union ring very hard to get a good seal, but some pvc union rings do crack with age and if they do you have a leaky mess.

Apparently these split union replacement rings work, although I have not personally tried one yet. Cut off the broken ring and use this without any major surgery on the plumbing and you are back in business.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07J9QQDSS

Magic Plastics Salt Cell 2" Split Union Replacement​

 

[Chuckiechan]

I've seen folks lament every now and then that there isn't a better way to keep the vacuum hose from being wound up in the water, twisting and fighting the vacuum or even kinking up.
Here's what I do:

1) Before putting the hose in the water, lay the empty coil on the ground next to the pool.
2) Step one foot directly into the center of the coil.
3) Take a free end of the hose and begin feeding it into the pool.
4) Allow the remaining hose to naturally unwind itself from around your planted leg.

Now that the hose is nicely unwound and free of kinks and coils, proceed to hook up the vacuum head & pole, take an end over the return jet to fill it with water, and then over to the skimmer to connect to the adapter plate.

One less annoyance.

Happy swimming!

I am using them, but it takes extra teflon plumbing tape and some putzing.

 

[superdave5599]

Maybe something like this is somewhere in the thread (still reading page one) but I thought I'd post a tip I have done.

We only have one skimmer, and use one of those vacuums (some version of the kreepy krawly) that hooks up to the skimmer. I stopped using the attachment that goes directly to the skimmer throat most of the time because I wanted to catch stuff in the basket rather than send it all the way to the filter.

But I also wanted a little bit of skimming action, too.

So I drilled one hole in the round dome thing that covers the whole skimmer basket, and the hose attaches to. It's just enough to create a little suction so some leaves get drawn in even when it is capped and vacuuming. Sometimes leaves will get sucked through that little hole. Occasionally they'll block it, but I figure that isn't a big deal, since it then simply becomes like I hadn't drilled the hole at all.

 

[superdave5599]

One more for now.

I had a roll of the chain link fence privacy screen fabric laying around. So I tacked a length of it to the underside of a fence railing where the pool cover roller goes. Roll up the solar cover, and scoot the whole roll to the fence. Just drape that fabric over the cover, and it is protected from the sun!

Here's the only pic I have of that setup already uploaded. I was trying to show the newer deck arrangement, so it is just sort of in the background along the fence.

20230513_091019.jpg

• superdave5599
• May 13, 2023

 

[superdave5599]

My grandkids love the blow up pool toys/floats. I usually use use a compressor to blow them up, but when the season is over and it's time to deflate them, the built in check valves make deflation difficult and slow. Today I tried something and it worked so well. I insert a small screwdriver into the inflation valve to hold the check valve open, then I used a shop-vac to suck the air out. That reduced deflation time drastically.

The back wall of my garage is one side of our pool area.

So when I set up my air compressor, I ran a line to an easy to access spot in the pool area, and installed an external air compressor hose bib. Now blowing up floaties is quick and easy!

 

[Dirk]

The back wall of my garage is one side of our pool area.

So when I set up my air compressor, I ran a line to an easy to access spot in the pool area, and installed an external air compressor hose bib. Now blowing up floaties is quick and easy!

Ugh, I'm trying to reduce my to-do list. Now I have to have one of these. Thanks a lot, pal!

 

[Dirk]

The back wall of my garage is one side of our pool area.

So when I set up my air compressor, I ran a line to an easy to access spot in the pool area, and installed an external air compressor hose bib. Now blowing up floaties is quick and easy!

I think I've seen compressor lines run in 1/2" copper. And I have a slew of flexible rubber(?) hoses for my compressor. But I wouldn't want to run either through my attic (which is the only way to get to the pool area).

Is there something like PEX for air lines?

Can you run something like this through an attic (with blown-in insulation)?

Amazon.com

 

[Newdude]

For both inflating and deflating, This little guy is a champ. You pop the nozzle from the exhaust and pop it on the intake and it'll suck it out instead.

 

[superdave5599]

I think I've seen compressor lines run in 1/2" copper. And I have a slew of flexible rubber(?) hoses for my compressor. But I wouldn't want to run either through my attic (which is the only way to get to the pool area).

Is there something like PEX for air lines?

Can you run something like this through an attic (with blown-in insulation)?

Amazon.com

After looking at all sorts of options for specialty air lines and such, I ended up cutting up an old hose and running that to the places I wanted air, utilizing joiners and fittings I found at Menards (besides the hose hookup block that is screwed to the wall outside, which I found probably on Amazon).

My 50 gallon compressor is sitting in my attic, with the main line coming down to the retractable hose reel in the garage, and also the drain hose going down in the garage. I just T-ed into one of those hoses for this one.

 

[thenewpoolgirl]

Nice topic. I think we all have developed techniques through trial and error and maybe it would be a good idea to collect them in a sticky.

Here's my contribution, has to do with vacuuming. I used to have a terrible time seeing the dirty spots because the water return cause so much turbulence. It finally occurred to me to point the eye way down. Now I have a smooth surface to help me see what I'm doing.

Anna

I know this thread is ages old but I'm reading through some of the old ones and this is a great idea! Thanks for the tip !

Nice topic. I think we all have developed techniques through trial and error and maybe it would be a good idea to collect them in a sticky.

Here's my contribution, has to do with vacuuming. I used to have a terrible time seeing the dirty spots because the water return cause so much turbulence. It finally occurred to me to point the eye way down. Now I have a smooth surface to help me see what I'm doing.

Anna

 

[uraceulose]

Here ya go. I just snapped this pic just now. We’ve had some strong winds yesterday and today, and this is what was in it. The rock is used to weigh down the basket so it doesn’t float up to the surface of the skimmer. Just make sure the rock is larger then the diameter of the pipe at the bottom of your skimmer in case you drop it by accident.

And these are the exact hair nets you see in the picture. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0725HRKWK?psc=1&ref=yo_pop_mb_pd_title

To add to this tip...take the rock and put it under the skimmer sock/hair net/paint filter...still in the basket to hold it down but you don't have to dig it out...just grab the sock, toss it and put a new one on.

Another tip is add a security camera to your pump pad/pump house that shows your filter pressure gauge.

 

[Dirk]

Another tip is add a security camera to your pump pad/pump house that shows your filter pressure gauge.

Hey! You're stealing my tips!! You left out the part about pointing the gauge up if your cam is overhead...

 

[uraceulose]

Yessir!! An even cooler one that Dirk shared with me is to put a mirror in front of something you need a better angle/lighting on and the camera will often times pick it up better. I'm still experimenting with that one but it's awesome if you guys/gals go check out Dirks thread..

 

[Dirk]

Yessir!! An even cooler one that Dirk shared with me is to put a mirror in front of something you need a better angle/lighting on and the camera will often times pick it up better. I'm still experimenting with that one but it's awesome if you guys/gals go check out Dirks thread..

Post pics of what you come up with!