Maintaining Vacuum Suction..Loss Of Suction With A Cartridge Filter..
by Stephen Melamed
I cannot maintain a steady suction when vacuuming pool. I checked the hose, no leaks. I cleaned the filter (cartridge, above ground pool) filter is white and is only one year old. All connections are tight. I have felt slime in close to filter center between membranes,cleaned with special solution for cleaning filters. I got strong flow and suction didn't last more then one hour. O-ring is not worn or cracked and is lubricated. What is wrong and how can I rectify the problem. Help! Thanks for the question Stephen There could be a alot of reasons for a loss of suction, but we'll start with some of the more common reasons. Reduced suction during vacuuming is pretty normal as the filter gets dirty. This is especially true when there's alot of dirt and debris being vacuumed up. Clogged up pump basket. Maybe you need to check it more often and empty it out. Also check the impeller for any large debris that might get through the basket. Check for basket for cracks. If there are any, replace it. The loss of suction might be related to the skimmer basket. Having that and a vacuum adapter reduces flow. You may want to remove the basket and just allow the larger debris catch in the pump basket. Water level gets below the skimmer. You should keep it between 1/3 - 1/2 up from the bottom of the skimmer. If you have a vacuum hose with a swivel, be sure the swivel end is on the vacuum head, not the skimmer. Prime the vacuum hose. You can either feed the hose into the water, or put one end near the return and fill the hose that way. Either way, the hose always needs to be filled with water. A clogged line, hose, or vacuum head. Be sure everything is cleaned out and you have a good flow of water. A loss of suction might cause air to get into the pump motor. If the filter is undersized you'll see shorter filter cycles. This is especially true during vacuuming. Filters have design flow rates, as do pool pumps. One drawback of a cartridge filter is that you can't vacuum to WASTE as you can with a sand filter. This bypasses the filter altogether. Never raise the vacuum had out of the water when the pump motor is running. The hose will fill with air quickly and go directly into the entire filtration system. Hope this helps and let me know how it turns out for you. Have a great and safe swimming season. Be sure to subscribe to my free monthly E-Zine newsletter. Basic Swimming Pool Care Blog Best of luck. Robert |
