About "Fine-Tuning" Vacuum Adjustments And Connections - STA-RITE PoolShark Vacuum Owner's Manual

Pool pump suction is hazardous and can
cause entrapment with severe personal injury or
drowning. Use regulator (see instructions below) in pool
cleaner system at all times.
NOTICE: Each pool's hydraulic system and vacuum
connections are different. Be sure you have installed the
regulator before you "fine-tune" the system. This not only
regulates vacuum, but also acts as a safety device.
About "Fine-Tuning" Vacuum
Adjustments and Connections
Suction entrapment, injury, and drowning hazard. If your
pool has a dedicated suction port ("vac port") for vacu-
uming or for an automatic pool cleaner, it must be cov-
ered when not in use. Purchase a spring loaded safety
cover from your local pool store and install it on the suc-
tion port to prevent entrapment and injury.
For the "NOVICE POOL OWNER" where vacuuming is a
new experience, please read all of the following points, the
installation instructions, and the trouble shooting guide
carefully. Please note the following:
• " Vacuum " and " suction " are two words meaning the
same thing.
• " Dedicated suction line ", " vac port ", and " vac fitting "
are different terms for a hole in the side wall of pool;
this hole is connected to the pump suction and is dedi-
cated to vacuuming.
• Some pools do not have a vac port. If your pool does
have one, please read the " Suction Entrapment " warn-
ing, above.
For the "SEASONED POOL OWNER": The automatic pool
cleaner connection and vacuum adjustments can be simi-
lar to using your manual pool vacuum. Please read on.
Valves (pump, skimmer, and main drain) and
vacuum adjustments
You may need to spend some time adjusting the skimmer
and main drain valves in order to obtain the best vacuum
setting for good cleaner operation. Once you have found
the correct valve settings for best operation, we suggest
you mark the valves to ensure repeated success.
In-Line leaf canisters
If your pool is exposed to large quantities of leaves, we
suggest purchasing and installing an in-line leaf canister. A
leaf canister will provide more debris-loading capacity and
also provides a water by-pass when the canister is full. It is
very important that the pump not starve for water!
Dedicated suction
line/vac port/vac
fitting
Some pools have a dedi-
cated wall fitting just for vac-
uuming. If the wall fitting
connection is used, you may
notice that the clear pump
lid shows signs of bubbles or
what appears to be the pres-
ence of air. To eliminate this, slightly open the main drain
valve to supplement the water intake. The cleaner may
slow down a bit when you change the suction.
Skimmer vac plates
Some pool owners connect the hose to a skimmer vac
plate, which allows the skimmer basket to remain in the
skimmer. If this method is used, empty the basket fre-
quently. Also make sure that the vacuum regulator pro-
vided is completely submerged so that it will not suck air
and damage the pump.
Skimmer vac plate vacuum control adjusters
Some pool owners use one of a variety of manufacturer's
skimmer vac plates. Some have a vacuum control adjuster,
and some do not. The adjuster could be a screw-type, a
spring loaded apparatus, or a dial design. For those vac
plates with adjusters, it is important to adjust them when
fine tuning the vacuum for the cleaner.
7
Vac
Port
Figure 15: Typical Dedicated
Vacuum Port.