Help

[hzz]

Are you filling up the hose of the cleaner with water before you attach it to the skimmer? Put the hose over a return jet and make sure all the air is cleared out of it.

It sounds like you are losing prime when you attach the cleaner due to the air in the hose.

[sevver]

Ok, so the pump hoses run downwards towards the pool? You filled the dirt around the pool and made it underground sort of? You need to maybe fill the pipes slowly to get all of the air to come out of the high side of the lines before hooking the pump up to them. When you vacuum you may be pulling the air into the pump and losing prime, and since air compresses differently than water, it will do that hissing thing.
I have installed alot of watermain in my time, and it is basically the same theory. Good luck.

[gsz89]

thank you -- we will try that and i will post back!!

thanks!!

[gsz89]

well after days of not being able to figure this out, we called our pool installer. he called us back and said it was probably the "cottonwood floaties" that are clogging the skimmer/pump. he told us to clean everything out (you would not belive all the floaties stuck in the skimmer/pump) and to go buy some skimmer basket nets.

lo and behold--it worked!! we finally got to vacuum yesterday!!

after about an hour or so of running smooth--we then started getting champaign bubbles from the jet. the vacuum continued to work fine, so we are still stumped.

hubby is going to backwash today. we may have to replace the sand.

hopefully after those things, all will be well.

just wondering about those champaign bubbles--any ideas on what could cause them after about an hour of working fine??

thanks for all the help!!

[Poconos]

No need to replace the sand unless it's gummed up from something like a baquacil to chlorine conversion. Bubbles in the returns indicate a suction side air leak of some kind. Could be a tiny crack/slit in the hose to the vacuum. Just possibly when the thing moved into a certain position this slit opens up. Does everything continue to run OK without the cleaner? Best guess for now.
Also, deleted your test post.
Al