Vacuum port not working

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neitherman
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Joined: Sat 05 Dec, 2009 17:37
My Pool: In ground pool with 2 main drains, 1 skimmer, catridge filter, Polaris AutoClear Plus salt chlorinator
Location: Avondale, AZ

Vacuum port not working

Postby neitherman » Sat 05 Dec, 2009 18:16

I just got a house with a pool in Arizona. I was digging through a container left in my garage when I saw a pool vacuum. Seeing as a dust storm went through the area before I arrived, it ended up a large amount of dirt was sitting at the bottom of the pool and I wanted to use the newly found pool vacuum to take care of it. I hooked up the vacuum and looked for the vacuum port on my pool. I found a port with a flap on it and seeing as the vacuum hose fit the opening perfectly, I assumed this was indeed for the vacuum. However, when I inserted the hose after immersing the vacuum and running it across the pool bottom a few passes, I was not seeing an improvement. I pulled the vacuum out of the water and felt no suction coming from the vacuum. I unhooked it and even put my hand up to the port with the flap opened and still felt no suction. I read online I may have to turn off the main drains and only leave the skimmer intake running to generate the needed suction. I have taken a picture of my plumbing as I have received no documentation on what valves do what and do not wish to accidentally shut off an intake and burn out my pump. Your help is appreciated.

Vacuum:
Image

Plumbing (Angle 1)
Image

Plumbing (Angle 2)
Image

Vacuum Flap (maybe?)
Image


casadixiepv

Vacuum port not working

Postby casadixiepv » Sun 06 Dec, 2009 13:30

my vacuum is not working either. I have had pool for about 5 years and all of a sudden it wont suck,haha. When I attach hose to vacuum, the jets start blowing air. I have excellent flow from the jets, but just cant find where air is getting into the system. Also filter sand hasnt been changed in 3 years, maybe part of problem.
Gavin Wills
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Posts: 16
Joined: Sat 28 Nov, 2009 17:01
My Pool: verification was 100% wrong it asked me is there a P
in pH but it is clearly not a P it is a p. The 2nd one asked me the colour of a nice clean pool, I was wrong again! there are many different colors it could be.A black epoxy coating will change from dark blue to greeny blue to bluey gray greeny gray ect it all depends on the colour of the sky and the angle you look at it. anyway I'll get the next one right, I will just be a robot and answer the way I am supposed too
Location: Australia

Vacuum port not working

Postby Gavin Wills » Tue 08 Dec, 2009 17:37

neitherman, you can never vac your pool the way you have shown in the pic.lol
you need to post a picture of it set up the way you are going about it.then help will be easy GW from Australia
Gavin Wills
Pool Enthusiast
Pool Enthusiast
Posts: 16
Joined: Sat 28 Nov, 2009 17:01
My Pool: verification was 100% wrong it asked me is there a P
in pH but it is clearly not a P it is a p. The 2nd one asked me the colour of a nice clean pool, I was wrong again! there are many different colors it could be.A black epoxy coating will change from dark blue to greeny blue to bluey gray greeny gray ect it all depends on the colour of the sky and the angle you look at it. anyway I'll get the next one right, I will just be a robot and answer the way I am supposed too
Location: Australia

Vacuum port not working

Postby Gavin Wills » Tue 08 Dec, 2009 18:01

Casadixiepv, to really give your sand filter a good cleanout without having to replace the sand,GET THIS RIGHT
it does work! while backwashing your filter, always preferably after it has rained and filled to the max, tip gently and slowly 10 litres [thats how we spell it in Aus] of hydrocloric acid into your skimmer box GENTLY AND SLOWLY BECAUSE IT IS NOT DILUTED AND WILL BURN YOUR EYES IF YOU SPLASH ANY! keep the pump running for 2 more minutes to flush it all out. turn off pump move the handle to rinse for another approx. 2 minutes then turn off the pump move the handle back to filter and voila perfectly clean sand filter.
Your vac problem: if you have no bubbles coming out of your FWRs [filtered water returns] you have a hole in your vac hose, the water is too low in your skimmer/pool. Swap ends the way you connect your vac hose to the vac head and into the skimmer,let me know how it turns out GW from Australia
neitherman
I'm new here
I'm new here
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat 05 Dec, 2009 17:37
My Pool: In ground pool with 2 main drains, 1 skimmer, catridge filter, Polaris AutoClear Plus salt chlorinator
Location: Avondale, AZ

Vacuum port not working

Postby neitherman » Tue 08 Dec, 2009 20:33

Gavin Wills wrote:neitherman, you can never vac your pool the way you have shown in the pic.lol
you need to post a picture of it set up the way you are going about it.then help will be easy GW from Australia

I have explained the procedure I went through in detail in my post. The picture is strictly for reference.
czechmate
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Joined: Sat 16 May, 2009 09:20
My Pool: 16 x 32 gunite21000 gal., Diamond Brite Blue, Swimquip XL pump, DE36
Location: Texas

Vacuum port not working

Postby czechmate » Tue 08 Dec, 2009 21:48

I bet Gavin can teach an old Cajun how to catch a gator, too!
Guest

Vacuum port not working

Postby Guest » Wed 09 Dec, 2009 04:07

:wink:
carolinacowboy
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My Pool: i have a 6person hottub
Location: beafuort sc

Vacuum port not working

Postby carolinacowboy » Wed 09 Dec, 2009 11:22

ok first things first. you have D.E filter. take the band clamp off and pull the grids out and clean them. once you got it back together. hook up your cleaner and fill the hose with water while it is in the pool. (do not pull it out of the water or it will loose prime.) open the flap on the side of the pool and insert your hose. once this is done while looking at your pump the 3-way valve on the left infront of the pump needs to be turned 180 deg. from where it is in the pic. turn the pump on and you should be able to clean the bottom.

*****( the port you have on the side of the pool is mainly there for an automatic cleaner and not a manual one. you should really vac thru. the skimmer with a skim vac. so any large trash will be caught in the skimmer basket.)******

hope this helps out.
john
neitherman
I'm new here
I'm new here
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat 05 Dec, 2009 17:37
My Pool: In ground pool with 2 main drains, 1 skimmer, catridge filter, Polaris AutoClear Plus salt chlorinator
Location: Avondale, AZ

Vacuum port not working

Postby neitherman » Wed 09 Dec, 2009 14:54

carolinacowboy wrote:ok first things first. you have D.E filter. take the band clamp off and pull the grids out and clean them. once you got it back together. hook up your cleaner and fill the hose with water while it is in the pool. (do not pull it out of the water or it will loose prime.) open the flap on the side of the pool and insert your hose. once this is done while looking at your pump the 3-way valve on the left infront of the pump needs to be turned 180 deg. from where it is in the pic. turn the pump on and you should be able to clean the bottom.

*****( the port you have on the side of the pool is mainly there for an automatic cleaner and not a manual one. you should really vac thru. the skimmer with a skim vac. so any large trash will be caught in the skimmer basket.)******

hope this helps out.
john

Yes that helps tremendously, thank you very much. Looking into a skimmer vacuum sounds like a smart idea as well, have any recommendations?
czechmate
Swimming Pool Superstar
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Posts: 401
Joined: Sat 16 May, 2009 09:20
My Pool: 16 x 32 gunite21000 gal., Diamond Brite Blue, Swimquip XL pump, DE36
Location: Texas

Vacuum port not working

Postby czechmate » Wed 09 Dec, 2009 15:04

Well, I was going to stay out of this debate, but too much half truth and misinformation is getting piled up on these pages.
From putting acid directly in the pump strainer to unnecessary pulling elements out of the D.E. filter.
Sure it can be done, question is, if it is worth it.
You may have filter pressure just fine, so why spend the time waist a D.E. coating.
Further, as soon as you would take a cover of the filter can, you will loose pump prime anyway. Everybody knows that. So no need to prime up some hoses.
Your left valve should be the bottom drain intake, your right side valve should be from two skimmers.
That way you can close the bottom intake and one skimmer and operate the vacuum hose out of the sole intake skimmer available. That way the whole suction of the pump will be directed to your vacuum hose.
(I realize, that you most likely already know all this. Any debris sucked in the vacuum will end up in the pump strainer, so you need to empty that one too).
njnewbie

Vacuum port not working

Postby njnewbie » Sat 29 May, 2010 18:04

My vaccum port won't suck either! and this my firt time doing this my self. I don't know which way to turn those levers. can someone help me please?

Thank you
Tony002
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Pool & spa

Re: Vacuum port not working

Postby Tony002 » Tue 25 Jun, 2019 18:53

Did you ever find a resolution? I’m having the same problem.
Teapot
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Joined: Tue 17 Oct, 2017 10:52
My Pool: 12 x 24 (45m3) liner pool, Triton TR60 filter with AFM glass media (Activate) and variable speed pump running 0.08HP
Location: UK

Re: Vacuum port not working

Postby Teapot » Tue 25 Jun, 2019 23:14

You will normally have to open a valve on the line into the pump

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