If you are one of many who own an older pool built without a floor head system, or a dedicated vacuum line, you probably know how frustrating it can be having a dirty pool. With out a cleaner, or floor heads, there is nothing to suck up dirt, or move dirt toward the drain. For most people, this means removing the dirt with a vacuum and cleaner hose. Not only is this cumbersome and time consuming, the pool will look dirty between each spot vacuuming.
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Adding a cleaner by plugging the hose directly into the skimmer will work, but this eliminates the function of the skimmer and forces all the water through the cleaner. This restricts water flow by forcing everything through the cleaners intake, which is usually a 3/4" hole. If the water pressure is too high at the cleaner, it will wear out the parts faster, causing the cleaner to fail prematurely, raising the cost of its maintenance. Manufactures that make cleaners, offer a solution to stop this from happening. One example is the Zodiac Flow keeper valve pictured above. It has a spring loaded flap that increases water flow to the system, by letting water pass, but takes some pressure off the cleaner. This is an improvement, but there is still a matter of not having a skimmer.
 Vac Mate |  |
The Vac Mate is a device that is designed to sit in the skimmer. Its a great solution for an old pool with out a cleaner port, because it provides a basket and a cleaner hose port and skimmer functionality. The Vac Mate has a valve, allowing you to easily adjust the amount of suction between the cleaner and the skimmer. The Vac Mate does require some ongoing maintenance, as the gaskets get stretched out, or torn periodically. Because it does not perfectly fit every skimmer type out there, it may not always seat properly and the suction will stretch out gaskets, or tear them. The suction over time can also crack the plastic, causing a loss of suction to the cleaner. With all of its faults, the cost of replacing gaskets occasionally through out the year, or possibly replacing the unit itself from time to time if necessary, the benefits of having a working cleaner and skimmer, outweigh the cost.
 | In every pool I have put them in, there has been a noticeable improvement week to week. Just look at this 35 year old pool below, with a Vac Mate. It used to require weekly vacuuming and was dirty through out the week. The surface of the pool is free of debris and the floor is spotless.  Tired of your pool guy? Give me a try! |
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