Pump volume

My pump seems to be in good shape (about 10 years old) but does not pump sufficient volume to allow my Kreepy Krauly to function. The sweep specs say that it needs a minimum of 25 gpm which seems like it should be easy for the pump to achieve inasmuch as the spec sheet shows it should pump 40 gpm with a 3-foot head. The impeller looks like new and the pump overall functions as it should. The motor runs smoothly. The lines are clean and I cannot think of what could be limiting the water flow. Any ideas??

Hi RPearson is this an issue that just popped up or has it always been this way?

If you have a 3-way valve back at your pool equipment that allows you to put more suction to the cleaner, then slowly turn that valve to give more suction to cleaner but keep an eye on the pump that you don’t starve it for water. If that does not do the trick then you can try hooking the cleaner to a different suction line, for example if you are hooking the cleaner to a dedicated suction line then you can try connecting it to one of your skimmers or if you are connecting to a skimmer and you have a second skimmer then try hooking up to the second skimmer.

Another common problem is a dirty filter, so clean your filter and see if this makes a difference.

Finally different plumbing set ups can really affect the cleaners performance so if you could post a picture of your plumbing back by your pump then we should be able to help you troubleshoot this further.

One other thought from one of our technicians…

Is the cleaner new? Also, how many skimmers does he have? If he has 2 skimmers, he will need to close the one farthest from the pump while the cleaner is in use.

More investigation revealed what I think is the real villain: a vacuum leak in the top of the Kreepy Krauly. I accidentally pulled the handle out of the water while the pump was running and immediately heard a loud hissing. There seems to be three leaks: at the base of the swivel, at the joint just below the first leak, and somewhere I can’t seem to isolate about 6" lower. I tried taping up the two upper leaks and the occasional flapper pulse became slightly stronger. I then tried to mummify all the upper parts with saran wrap (yes, it was hilarious as I tried to get that film to where I wanted it), but somehow I couldn’t get the lowest leak to stop. Has anyone else had such a problem??

That is the first I have heard of the saran wrap fix, that is too funny

Can you post a picture of your cleaner to this thread as it would help determine the proper fix.

Just to clarify, the cleaner is new, there is a 3-way valve that I have set to the single skimmer only, and the filter had just been cleaned. Unfortunately, I could not take photos because I shipped the unit back for a replacement. I will report back as soon as I receive the new unit.

Hi RPearson,

Do you have a second skimmer or a dedicated skimmer line that you could try instead of the skimmer line you are currently using? Look forward to hearing your report.

My pool has only one skimmer and no other line.