Total loss of suction using manual vac at skimmer

[JohnGn]

Hi, all:

I have a manual vac (budgeting for a robot for next season!) and I have been having a devil of a time generating any suction from my skimmer. I have a Hayward skimmer diverter valve as shown below, and I have tried to set it all different ways but always seem to lose suction and the pump runs dry very quickly. Today, I set it as shown for full skim (lever set vertically, flap all the way open), and the pool water was being sucked into the opening BIG TIME, but when I properly connected the vacuum plate to the skimmer (having filled the vac hose with water already), the vac head developed zero suction and the pump ran dry in mere seconds. Any ideas?

 

[Texas Splash]

Any chance the vacuum hose was actually squeezing closed on itself from too much suction?

 

[JohnGn]

No, it's a brand new hose and seemed fully circular for its entire length. Would there be some kind of time-delay between the hose water making it to the pump and the time I feel suction at the vac? Vac suction has NEVER been good with this particular setup, but today it was zero.

 

[Texas Splash]

Can't think of a delay of sorts. Between the hose full of water and the suction line already full, that shouldn't be an issue. If the hose isn't shutting on itself (or clogged), is fully primed with water, the diverter otherwise sucks water well, and the pump stays primed when not vacuuming, sure seems like something between the skimmer plate and diverter don't work well together. I wonder if you're not getting a good enough seal around that plate?

 

[JohnGn]

That is a possibility. I actually had someone else helping me and I told her exactly how to do it but I was at the other end of the hose at the time. As soon as I could tell the pump was running dry (change in pitch and almost nothing from the returns), I told her to pull the plate off the skimmer. I'll try again another day and put eyeballs on it directly. Thanks!