Hi Ben,

I have two quick questions that I'm having a surprising amount of trouble figuring out.

First, the fitting that comes out of my Hayward Vari-Flo valve onto which the backwash hose is gear-clamped is cracked (under the clamp, meaning either my pool guys or I tightened it too much) and therefore leaks whenever I backwash or vacuum to waste. It seems like it should be a simple fix - remove the fitting and replace - but I can't find anything in any of the Hayward literature that mentions this part, and I am reluctant to go at it with my pipe wrench until I know I can replace it, and that I am not damaging the valve somehow in removing it. Is this fitting a separate part?

Second, I broke my vacuum head this morning when the head glommed onto the bottom of the pool while I was vacuuming to waste (first vacuuming of the season) and I could not lift it. Is the suction really that much greater when vacuuming to waste than when going through the filter? Should it be?!

Thanks for setting up the subscriber forum!

Alison