vacuum loses suction quickly

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Ideal homes

vacuum loses suction quickly

Postby Ideal homes » Tue 19 Apr, 2011 17:43

I have the same problem great suction for about 10 minutes then the barracuda just stops and the pressure in the filter is high which means it has to be cleaned. The problem is I just cleaned the filter with no DE for more suction. If I back flush the system it works for about 10 more minutes. I have proper water level in the pool, no air leaks no obstructions as far as I can see and yet no suction after about 10 minutes. If everyone is having the same problem you would think someone would know something about it. I haven't read any good answers here yet. Somebody please HELP us all out with some good info.
Thanks in advance Jim C.


Poolio

vacuum loses suction quickly

Postby Poolio » Thu 21 Apr, 2011 23:10

Ideal homes wrote:The problem is I just cleaned the filter with no DE for more suction. If I back flush the system it works for about 10 more minutes.


I don't understand this. do you mean that you backwashed the filter and then didn't add more DE?
billy5865

vacuum loses suction quickly

Postby billy5865 » Sun 29 May, 2011 13:20

Kenny wrote:When I'm vacuuming my above ground pool, I start with real good suction power. Within 2 or 3 minutes, I have lost all suction. I backwash the filter, but the backwashed water isn't very dirty. I start vacuuming again and have real good suction for another 2 or 3 minutes, but again, I lose sucking power. I backwash again, and again I have good sucking power for a couple of minutes. I have not had this problem in past years.
Do I have a problem with my pump or filter?
Thanks,
Kenny
shelyn

vacuum loses suction quickly

Postby shelyn » Tue 07 Jun, 2011 20:42

Same thing happening to us. Air pressure at optimum, hook up vacuum works for less than five minutes then nothing. No holes in the hose. Pressure spikes and no air return into the pool. Backwash, works again for a few minutes and same problem returns. We have a sand filter so we replaced all the sand thinking that might help but nothing. Hoping someone can assist.
SPMG
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Vacuum suction

Postby SPMG » Wed 08 Jun, 2011 10:25

StarterPoolUser wrote:Thanks, Backglass. I don't notice a difference when I backwash or rinse. I'm basically just doing that (backwash/rinse) to throw off the pump and get it started again (similar to rebooting a computer!). It seems to work, so that's what I do each time.

I've taken apart the entire vacuum and found no leaks/issues with it ( I have a DirtDevil pool vacuum for above ground pools).

I haven't thgought of checking the fittings around the pump -- honestly, I'm afraid to mess with any of those connections since I'm not sure what to do if I mess things up.

When the installers came to install the pool last summer, all they left me with was one sheet of paper with very vague drawings and instructions. I thought I would have gotten a "users manual" or something! lol

Do you, by any chance, know if something like that exists for real novice pool owners like myself?

I appreciate the help and any feedback you can continue to provide. Enjoy your weekend!


Hello everyone (this is a popular subject, isn't it?)

First check for calcification on the pool surfaces.
If your pool walls are calcified then so also is the sand in the filter.
Filter and pool-surface calcification are caused by high pH - 8.6 or above at some point in the pools history.
read about the importance of pH here -


Filter calcification causes the sand to turn to stone and this typically happens from the outside in; as it does so the number of channels through the sand becomes reduced. Next what happens is the filter has just a few open spaces inside it (that are filled with loose sand that is capable of filtering) and all the rest is rocks!
Open the filter and check the sand - it should feel like soft sugar and be completely free of lumps.

The visible symptoms of filter calcification are: -
A very short time of operation before a backwash is needed,
Not much dirt being flushed out during a backwash,
High filter pressure.


The solution is to change the sand and get the pH correct asap.
Learn how to do this here -

Also try setting the selector valve to 'circulate' and then vacuuming the pool. This is best done with a clean pool or you'll make the water cloudy.

If you can continue to vacuum the pool with the valve set to 'circulation' then it is 100% certain that the problem lies within the filter.

Good luck with your pool.

SPMG
tdfuller
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My Pool: in-ground, vinyl, 28000 gallons, one skimmer, DE filter FNS Plus 48 (Pentair)
Location: Charlotte

vacuum loses suction quickly

Postby tdfuller » Wed 08 Jun, 2011 10:39

I am going to try to the small plastic bag sucked through the skimmer first, to see if I have a partial blockage in my line going from skimmer to pump. I only have low suction while vacuuming.
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Alicec2prz
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vacuum loses suction quickly

Postby Alicec2prz » Wed 08 Jun, 2011 11:09

tdfuller wrote:I am going to try to the small plastic bag sucked through the skimmer first, to see if I have a partial blockage in my line going from skimmer to pump. I only have low suction while vacuuming.

also never experienced it and it does not matter and what you are doing the same as what I do first. :thumbup:
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shelyn

vacuum loses suction quickly

Postby shelyn » Wed 08 Jun, 2011 18:32

Tried everything suggested and still a no go. Only other thing I can think of is possibly the hoses need to be replaced. They are old. I can't see them leaking anywhere but not sure what else to do at this point and don't want to replace everything...
doglover

vacuum loses suction quickly

Postby doglover » Fri 15 Jul, 2011 11:04

People, it's not your pool, it's the Dirt Devil..it sucks - or rather, doesn't suck! You can google it, everyone has this problem with it, me included.
MKeller

vacuum loses suction quickly

Postby MKeller » Tue 19 Jul, 2011 13:10

As most the issues I see posted above, I am having the same issue with vaccuming my above-ground pool, I have replaced the sand, see no leaks- however did replace all hoses. I have cleaned the basket and check skimmer intake for blockage. I have good circulation and I can vaccum the pool for about 7-10 minutes and then no more suction. I replaced the bottom vinyl pad on the Creep Crawler and still an issue, I also bought a vaccum to use by hand and does same thing...I replaced the pump
and basket assembly last year. I see some suggestions in the posts anything else I should try or investigate?
cpo2go
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My Pool: 27,000 gal, pebble tec, all Pentair equipment; DE filter, 3/4 hp, 400k heater, Poolvergnuegen 4x Pool Cleaner
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vacuum loses suction quickly

Postby cpo2go » Wed 27 Jul, 2011 16:27

Worst problem I've ever had. In my case, there was a suction leak which was only obvious when vacuuming, as you are indicating.
Mine was an inground pool and required a whole new skimmer and putting in a completely new suction line. With an aboveground pool I would expect the leak to be easy to find and fix. Is there air in your pump? When you open the air bleed valve on top of your filter, does a lot of air come out? If so, that's your problem. Track down the air leak and I'm confident your problem will be solved.
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dirtypool

vacuum loses suction quickly

Postby dirtypool » Wed 10 Aug, 2011 14:01

I have no problems vacuuming with the hand held vacuum, everything works great. Yet when I put in the barracuda it runs for about a minute. I've tried my barracuda at a friends house in their pool and it ran for over 30 minutes. What could be the problem.
John From Derry

vacuum loses suction quickly

Postby John From Derry » Sun 21 Aug, 2011 16:24

Same Problem... Have not seen a solution here...
I have an above ground pool with a DE filter. The pump works well for a few minutes and then loses suction/pumping power. I took apart the front end, cleaned all the parts (the impeller looked perfect and seemed to spin properly), replaced o-rings and gaskets, used magic lube and reassembled. Cleaned filter panels and added new DE. After reassemble, no leaks on front end at all. Everything seemed to work properly. The basket stays completely full of water. Don't see any leaking water on back end anywhere around hoses or filter tank. Pump/filter work great for about 5 to 10 minutes then flow slows to a crawl (with or without vacuum attached).
If I hold my hand over the return outlet inside the pool for about 10 second (to create some back pressure) and then let go, then flow will improve dramatically for another few minutes but not enough to use the vacuum.

There is no problem with air getting sucked in. The o-rings and gaskets are properly lubed and mounted. The pump sounds smooth and strong. Could the impeller be slipping on the pump shaft??? Is there a bad type of DE or some chemical that clogs the filter panels???

If anyone out there has an answer to this (or any good suggestions) please let us all know!

Thanks very much
cpo2go
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My Pool: 27,000 gal, pebble tec, all Pentair equipment; DE filter, 3/4 hp, 400k heater, Poolvergnuegen 4x Pool Cleaner
Location: santa barbara, ca
Contact:

vacuum loses suction quickly

Postby cpo2go » Mon 22 Aug, 2011 17:51

There is no problem with air getting sucked in. The o-rings and gaskets are properly lubed and mounted. The pump sounds smooth and strong. Could the impeller be slipping on the pump shaft??? Is there a bad type of DE or some chemical that clogs the filter panels???


Yes, it's possible that the impeller could be stripped if it is the type that threads onto the shaft. You can tell by whether or not it has a screw in the head of it. If it does, the screw is what holds it in place. If there is no screw, it is threaded and you need to be sure it is tight.

The problems that could come from clogging the filter wouldn't be related to a type of DE but more with an excess amount of it being used. You can close off filter area by using too much DE. This is a condition known as 'bridging' in where the area between grids is full of DE. Thus allowing the grids, in effect, to touch. The DE is designed to create only a thin coating over each grid. I often have opened a DE filter to find that there is bridging and this reduces filter area and restricts flow. Mostly I see this where people backwash their filter and then add too much DE to replace the amount that was washed away.

The only other chemicals which can clog a filter are phosphate removers, or other sequesters, which work by collecting whatever they're designed to collect (metals, phosphates, etc.) and they can cause the filter to become clogged. You would know if you had used one of these. Backwashing or cleaning the filter will fix this.
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jewel

vacuum loses suction quickly

Postby jewel » Tue 23 Aug, 2011 14:57

I hace had the same problem all summer. No PSI levels or anything. Checked filter, good sand. Took apart the pump, and sure enough it was clogged with leaves. Let it run for 2 days alone and now the PSI is at 10, and great suction with the Baracudda. Have to empty the leaves every hour, but it is working, and didn't have to spend a lot of money. Hope this helps.
shelyn wrote:Same thing happening to us. Air pressure at optimum, hook up vacuum works for less than five minutes then nothing. No holes in the hose. Pressure spikes and no air return into the pool. Backwash, works again for a few minutes and same problem returns. We have a sand filter so we replaced all the sand thinking that might help but nothing. Hoping someone can assist.

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