How to rig up vacuum to filter on donut pool?

Hello, I am a newbie and have aqua leisure 18x48 donut pool. I have seen a few posts where it was mentioned that to vacuum pool you can rig up to work with your filter pump. Can you tell me how to do this? I have low water pressure at my home and have purchased several different pool vacuum heads but just don't have the pressure to clean. Or any other suggestions? I also saw where someone used their shop vac and then removed the hose? I do not understand how this would work. If there is already a post on this just direct me to it. Thanks so much!

Are you talking about a pool cleaner? Look for something with "low flow" ability, like the Sta Rite Lil Shark - it will work on VERY low flow, it will also clean a smaller pool like that in a snap! They are suction side cleaners, have an adapter that just gets pushed on for those type pools and you put it in your suction/skimmer opening (the suction side screen/cap has to come off) If your pool has one of those over the wall skimmers with it, this is used INSTEAD of the skimmer in the suction hole. I would guess the vac head could be used the same way, using the telescoping pole attached to it to move around. I like the automatic cleaners because I'm lazy - used the Lil Shark on our 18' round intex we had for many years before our big pool.

You can vacuum to waste with that pool one of two ways. Using your pump, disconnect the return line where it connects outside the pool. Lay it on the ground and vacuum through the pump with the water going to the ground. I don't know if you have the new vacuum set up that goes through the skimmer, if so, just hook that up - disconnect your return hose and turn the pump on. Works great, but makes a mess.

If you don't have the new system, you can purchase a pool hose - don't get a cheap one as they break real easily. Go to Lowes and pay around $30 for a semi-decent one. You will need to measure your output port and the end of the hose and buy a rubber bushing to attach between the hose and your port nipple. You will also have to buy a vacuum head that fits the hose. Disconnect your input hose, turn on the pump and vacuum. ***Make sure you get all the air out of the hose or you'll be fiddling with the pump for days. I do this by turning on the pump and holding the hose near enough to it to pull the air through, then pull the hose back so the air rises to the surface in the water.

Another way you could do this is using the hose set up on the output nipple inside the pool. You could connect a hose using a rubber adaptor and then hang that hose outside the pool. The advantage of this is you can get the water that's draining to waste further away from your pool so you don't end up with a muddy mess right next to it.

I have found Vacuuming to waste to be the quickest - though maybe not the easiest - way to getting the pool cleared of dead algae, debris, and calcium fall out in these pools. You still have to keep your CL levels up, but it clears up much more quickly if you can get the stuff out of the pool.

Suz

Intex AG 18x48 Metal Pole pool 3rd year

I came up with a vacuum system for my 15' Intex donut back in the stone ages--about 7 years ago.

I bought 18' of 1 1/4" hose. I found a 3/4" (ID) double-female PVC adapter at H/D. I forced the adapter in the hose, and the other end fit perfectly in the Intex return.

For a vacuum head I used a Biogard garden hose-type vacuum (like a Black Magic) that had an adapter to use as a regular vacuum head and had a 1 1/4" fitting.

While the suction wasn't the greatest, it DID catch the super-fine stuff in the filter.

Our donut only came with a garden hose driven (venturi?) vac... it did ok on the med sized stuff--larger stuff clogged it--algae residue, dirt, sand & road dust from our caliche road went right through it--and we don't have real good water pressure either. Another option is a PoolBuster. I heard about it on this forum from many who own them and are happy. It's perfect for a 18' donut. It was pricey compared to the price of the pool, but probably the best investment I've made. The pooldoc site (I'm not promoting here... just referring) sells a model that they claim is specifically for these type pools. I got mine about a month ago and I cannot believe all the gunk I have gotten out of the pool. Plus, no more hoses.

As for the fine stuff... after watching the silt and gunk go through the pump, cartridge filter, and back out the return, I don't think you'd catch a whole lot by rigging a vac to the pump unless you add a sock somewhere to catch the fine particles. Otherwise, as sugggested above, maybe disconnecting the return hose... you're going to loose some water that way though.

Lori

Sounds to me like there's a problem with your filter cartridge. Have you changed it or keep using the same one over and over? I found the carts picked up the fine stuff. You can also try tossing a few handfuls of cotton balls in the vacuum bag--or just use a syphon to vacuum to waste--it will grab everything, no matter how fine.

Carl- I've been changing the filter weekly. They were available and cheap enough this year to just replace rather than try to clean. Might be that the pump is a little oversized... it's a discontinued Model 51, which I believe pumps 2000 gph in a 5500 gal. pool. If the sediment gets stirred up, it will pick up some in the filter, but there seems to be a lot that passes on through and dumps by the return. We had bad algae when we opened that I got cleared up thanks to this wonderful website. Had a lot of residue left from that, plus we have a caliche driveway running about 5 feet in front of the pool and have been in a pretty severe drought here in Texas. There's dust everywhere, including in the pool. I did try the cotton balls in the bag... that picked up some extra stuff. But based on your recommendation in another post, I went ahead and splurged on the pool devil & bought the extra fine bag, plus socks to fit into that. It picked everything up. The first time I used it, the bag was almost full of tan sludge... globs of it. I couldn't believe it got it all out. Now, once a week does it and it doesn't take very long. I'm hoping to move on up in a year or two to a nice above-ground and hopefully can use the devil on that one too. An automatic cleaner would be nice... but for now, I enjoy getting it the pool and vacuuming... beats vacuuming the house!

Lori
:)

Hello and Thanks to everyone for great ideas! I do change the filter at least once a week and clean it in between. Since I found this forum and started using bleach instead of all those other chemicals, my pool water is clear again but I can see stuff on the bottom that I need to get out of there.
Again, Thank You!:p