The Xtreme Power US pool cleaner is an automated vacuum that will clean the bottom and sides of your swimming pool automatically. Simply connect several of the 3 foot hoses that it comes with until you get the desired length that is needed for your pool.
After you have your hose length completed, connect one end to the vacuum and the other in your skimmer, turn on your pump and the cleaning will begin.
While this is a hands off automated approach to cleaning your pool, there are also situations that can cause it to get hung up or stuck.
How can you prevent the cleaner from getting stuck? While the Xtreme US Pool Cleaner is an automated way to vacuum debris from your pools bottom, it can get stuck on ladders, slides and other objects. The most common solution for this is reducing or increasing the pressure on the regulator valve to change the amount of suction while it is vacuuming.
Ways To Help Prevent Vacuum From Getting Stuck
When you place your automated Xtreme vacuum in the water, you don’t want to worry about it getting stuck or watching its every move. There are a few things you can do that will help reduce the chance of it getting hung up while it is vacuuming.
1. Reduce / Increase The Pressure
The regulator valve that is included with the vacuum is able to be adjusted. This will allow the pressure to be increased or decreased. You can change this to multiple settings and test the performance to see if it will get stuck less freqently. Trial and error may be necessary until you find the best setting.
Increasing Pressure
When you increase the pressure the vacuum will have more power. This will also make the vacuum move at a more rapid pace along the bottom of your pool.
By increasing the pressure, it may give your vacuum the extra power needed so that it no longer gets hung up in a particular area. Increase it little at a time, until you find the desired pressure level.
Decreasing Pressure
While increasing the pressure will give your vacuum more momentum, that could also be the exact reason your vacuum is getting stuck. By reducing the pressure on the regulator valve, the vacuum will slow down while it is doing its job.
By decreasing the pressure, it may prevent your vacuum from having to much aggessiveness causing it to push right into a ladder or other object and instead have a more settle approach while it vacuums.
2. Change Direction Of Your Jet Return
Water circulation is important and I go into detail about the best direction to have your water circulate in my Which Direction To Point Your Jet Return article, but this is different when you are vacuuming your pool.
It Is Best In Calm Water
It is best to have your water as calm as possible when you have it hooked up and working. If you have your return creating a whirlpool, it will keep the vacuum hoses and vacuum head moving in one direction during the majority of the cleaning process.
If possible set your return divertor so that it is pointing straight into the water, straight down or straight up. You can use the diverter that the vacuum came with if your pool is compatible. This will prevent it from creating a draft in the water that pushes the vacuum in a particular direction.
Create A Whirlpool
While this contradicts keeping the water calm, in certain instances you may want to create a draft to keep the hoses and vacuum head from always hanging up on a particular area. I have found with the proper pressure on the regulator valve and calm water, this is usually not necessary but at times could be a benefit.
3. Remove Blue Bumper
The bumper that it comes with helps the vacuum maneuver around walls and edges of your pool and does it well. It also becomes a part of the vacuum head that can get hung up on some styles of ladders.Removing it just might stop it from getting stuck as once it is removed it makes it easier for it to climb walls and get around various objects. Rather than it getting hung up, the vacuum will be pushed into the side of the pool and attempt to climb the wall while getting out of an area it otherwise would have been stuck.
4. Position Yellow Weights Differently
When the weights are properly placed on the vacuum hoses it allows the vacuum to move across the pool straight and evenly. Depending on the water depth will change the number of weights needed and placement locations.
You can adjust them slightly to modify the operation of the vacuum. You need to have the first weight fairly close to the vacuum by about six inches or less and at least one more several feet away from it to help keep it on the bottom and guide it properly.
5. Fill A Bottle With Sand
If you have a ladder or areas in your pool that causes the vacuum to hang up, you can place sand in an used chlorine bottle with a lid or something simlar.
Then place it on the bottom of the pool blocking the area that the vacuum hangs up. This will provide a new wall-like feature for it to navigate around and negate the chance of it getting stuck at this location again.
You could also use ladder weights filled with sand and place them on the ground as well on both sides of the ladder where openings are so that the vacuum will not get stuck.
6. Change Hose Length
Changing the hose length can cause the automated vacuum to take a different path if continuosly gets stuck in a particular location of your pool. Not only can it possibly help keep you vaccuum moving, it is a way to have it concentrate on a particular area of your pool.
You can limit where it can reach by shortening the hose. It comes with multiple 3 foot long hoses and you can shorten the vacuum area by removing some of the hose partitions.
Even if you do not have issues of your vacuum getting stuck, changing the hose length a couple times is a great way to ensure more of your pool is getting cleaned thoroughly before removing it completely for storage.
7. Remove Ladder
This is obvious, but not always ideal. if possible remove the ladder or object in the pool to keep a clear path for the vacuum to pass through.
Why Will It Not Move At All?
Is your vacuum not moving when you hook it up or has it completely stopped in the middle of the pool? If it is not getting stuck on anything, but is still not working here are a few things you should check.
Check For Air In Hose
One of the most common problems especially after initial setup is air getting in the hose. This can create an air pocket and the pump will not be able to pull in water and will cause the vacuum to stall.
To avoid this, it is best to add some water to the hose as you are preparing to hook up your vacuum. Make sure you let all the bubbles out prior to connecting the hose to the skimmer.
If you have a more permanent ladder installed, you will have to use of the other tips mentioned to avoid issues with the vacuum getting hung up.
However if you still have issues, don’t panic. All you need to do is turn off the pump, remove the hose from the skimmer to see if air could be the problem. If you hear bubbles and water begins to fill your pump, that was the issue.
Add water to the hose, reconnect and start the pump again.
Check Vacuum Head Opening
While this vacuum has great suction and usually has no issue collecting leaves and other large debris as it passes, occassionally something could hung at or in the opening reducing or completely stopping all suction.
To check this it is best to first turn off your pool pump and lift the vacuum head from the bottom of the water with the hose and fill the bottom of the vacuum head. You can also turn it upside down to make sure the opening has no obstructions. If it does, remove the large paper or other object, place it back on the bottom and resume vacuuming.
Clean Skimmer Basket
When you are vacuuming your pool, it collects a lot of debris and fills the basket quickly. It is recommended you clean your pool pump skimmer basket at least once per week and after a heavy cleaning.
If the basket becomes clogged with grass, bugs and other debris it will reduce the suction. Remove the basket and spray it with a water hose to clean it well.
Once it is clean replace it and resume vacuuming to see if your vacuum’s suction hasn’t been restored.
Backwash / Clean Filter
If your filter has reached maximum capacity, suction will be lost. Check to ensure that your filter does not need replaced or cleaned. If you have a sand filter, check your pressure gauge to see if you need to backwash to rid the filter of all the contaminants that it has collected from your swimming pool.
A dirty filter will hinder the function of your vacuum and can cause it to have no suction. Keep your filter clean and your vacuum will operate more efficient.
Final Thoughts?
If you keep your filters cleaned and objects removed from the pool during the automated vacuum time, you will have little issues with it getting stuck or not moving as it is designed to do.
When you cannot move objects such as large ladders, a few modifications and trial and error with the tips mentioned will largely reduce your time trying to get your vacuum unstuck and more time allowing it to clean.
I have been using my Xtreme US Pool Cleaner automated vacuum in my above ground pool for some time and love it. It helps reduce the amount of particles that gets stirred up when manually vacuuming and less work on my end. It is always great to find new ways to help reduce the workload required in maintaining a swimming pool.
For a complete look at this vacuum check out the video below.
Watch Me Set It Up
The video below shows me setting up the Xtreme Power US Vacuum and how it works. I have been presently pleased with the way it has helped me clean my pool and you might just find a golden nugget or two in this video.
