what is the recommended setting when vacuming???

Hey guys, As long as I've been using this forum, I must say I have learned a lot, but not all I need to know. I have so far (and no finger shakin at me yet) been leaving my pump/filter on "filter" when I vacuum or run my barracuda. Is this correct? It seems like if it's on waste it will loose alot of H2O since I really take my time while I do this. I just recently learned from a gal at work about the piece that goes over the skimmer basket that you hook your hose up to. THANKS POOL PEOPLE THAT I BOUGHT FROM FOR NOT TELLING ME ABOUT MY "PARTS"........ but this seems like it would really help in keeping the leaves IN the skimmer basket and OUT of the basket in the pump. But I feel like I might be doing the vacuming wrong by leaving it on "filter"....

Anyone? anyone? Please I need some feedback. There are like 8-10 settings on my pump......

Filter is the normal way to vacuum. Waste is only for if you've got a big mess to get rid of. Using the skimmer plate is better because the skimmer basket stays in place to catch the big stuff before it gets in the pipe.

Yes, you leave your pump on filter, unless you have a lot of bad stuff you want to vacuum out to waste so that it doesn't get in your filter. This is rare, mostly at the opening, or if a really bad algae bloom leaves you with very fine dead algae. There is a vacuum part that goes over the basket and makes a seal. Look at #7 in this link - it is probably what you want:

://www.poolsinc.com/pd_olyskim1.htm
You can find the part to the skimmer you have

Hi Tracey - I live in the country where water is rare, I have never vacc'd to waste, only because it takes me over an hour to do the floor, so I'd have an epty pool then.
I keep the basket in, use the skimmer plate adapter and vac until the pressure change is about 6lbs - usually about the same time I can't fell much flow from the return.
Backwash, rinse clean both baskets and back to vacuuming. Never seen any adverse effects on my filter or equipment because of this.

Thanks guys, I have that part I'm almost sure of it. The pool company installed my pool,but have failed me since. I also have an "L" shaped piece that might attach to this. My barracuda/vacuum hose come with a weird appliance that goes directly into the hole in the skimmer, so maybe I won't need to use this cause apparently the"L" shaped piece fits into the hose, where as that appliance fits into the hole??????

I'll have to look when I get hom and see what I have???

The rubber L shaped piece likely came with the barracuda - IMO - garbage.
The "weird appliance" from the barracuda - IMO also garbage, it's an automatic safety bypass gadget that triggers when the suction increases, in 3 years of running my barracuda, it has never been used and I have never had issues.
I think it's supposed to go to bypass when something blocks the diaphram - like a washcloth. Since my kid bathes in the bathtub, we don't keep excess washcloths inside our pool.
I did try to use it, however, it kept triggering at all 3 settings when the cuda was working fine, so I filed it under "extra pool crap".
I also can't see my cuda sucking itself to the wall unless it miraculously wears off all the bumps on the bottom in 1 or 2 days.

My skimmer plate adapter has the L built right in so my vac hose comes out through the skimmer opening, however, you can connect your hose straight down onto a non L unit and have the hose come out of the top of the skimmer, over the wall and into the pool that way - works just as well.

Your cuda also came with a short 4" piece of female to female hose adapter - may be right on the cuda itself at the neck, if it's there, remove it, start with your hose sliding the female end over the cuda neck, keep the 4" stub to adapt to the different things at the skimmer end, for instance, you will need it if using the skimmer plate to connect the hose, however, if you plug the hose directly down into the hole in the bottom of the skimmer, you will want to use the male hose end and set the 4" stub aside.

Thanks matt, I'll get into my box of stuff tomorrow and see what I've got. I might even snap some photos and put them on here if I have enough time. Thanks though...I'm sure this will help my "cleaning out the pump basket" so often, which is a pain in the you know what.

It worked. I used the skimmer plate w/ the attachment for it. You're right matt, that funky piece IS useless in this case. I vacuumed for about 30 minutes and waaa laaa, all the leaves were in the skimmer basket. I loose too much water each time I clean out the basket in the pump. Thanks so much......for making my future life easier. If I would have just been told when they slapped me w/ this equipment....GO POOL FORUM!