Kreepy Krauly Not Moving Inspection
Kreepy Krauly Pool Cleaner on Amazon.com
It’s time for a Kreepy Krauly not moving inspection. My pool cleaner won’t move when the pump starts up. I know the drill, I’ve been thru this before.
- Check that nothing is blocking the flow of water at the cleaner(Check for debris in Kreepy Krauly’s flapper and tubes).
- Make sure that the pool cleaner is the only one getting the pool water sucked thru it(main drain and all suction lines are closed).
- Make sure that the pool cleaner hose does not have cracks which would reduce the water flow thru the pool cleaner.
- Clean the skimmer basket.
- Check that the Vac-Mate is set up properly and in good working order(this is optional, I have one of these pieces of equipment)
- Make sure the pool pump basket is clean(check the pump basket lid for cracks, or a worn or a missing o-ring).
- Check that the inlet to the pump impeller is not blocked with debris.
- Make sure the filter is clean.
Related Article: Backwash Sand Filter
Related Article: Deep Cleaning a Sand Filter
Vac-Mate Related Article: Suction Pool Cleaner Skimmer Fix
Checking the pool cleaner’s hose
You may have a hose that allows air to get sucked in intermittently when the cleaner moves. With the pool pump running start from the closest connection at the skimmer and lift the hose out of the water one section at a time and shake it while it is out of the water. Listen for a slurping sound do this for each hose section until you get to the last hose section at the Kreepy Krauly.
I found something!
This time I noticed that the flapper had flat spots worn into the place where it pivots in the cleaner. So I laid down some sandpaper on a smooth flat surface(my kitchen table) and started sanding out those flat spots. Then I grabbed a propane lighter and heated the newly sanded areas to smooth them down.
I proudly installed the flapper and started the pool’s pump. I fully expected to watch the pool cleaner start moving. It didn’t move, not a lick. Well on to plan “B”. I purchased a new flapper online and waited for it to arrive.
Caution going off topic
I hate doing this(buying the part for no reason except that it may work). This is what I call a shotgun approach to troubleshooting. I don’t know for a fact that the flapper is bad, I am simply throwing money at the problem by buying a part that could be the problem. I don’t actually know if the replacement part will cure the problem. Ok, I got that off my chest, I’ll put away the rant box.
The new flapper versus the old flapper
When the new flapper arrived I took a really good look at it and looked at every attribute that this new part had that my old one did not. That’s when I noticed the rather obvious differences I could not see when I didn’t have a new piece to compare the old part too.
Those differences where that the new flapper’s edges were flat. What I mean is that when it lay on my kitchen table it contacted the kitchen table’s surface perfectly. When I turned the new part over to the other surface it was also flat with no gaps. When my old part rested on the kitchen table surface it has gaps on both edges. It had an especially large gap half way from the pivot to the thickest part of the flapper. It also had high spots on the corners of the unit.
Old flapper with a large gap along one of the surfaces.
These gaps in surface contact reduce the water movement in the unblocked tube in the pool cleaner. The gaps allow some water to be sucked past the flapper into the blocked tube and help hold it in place(the water moving past the flapper creates a vacuum and keeps it from moving).
Test versus guess whether to replace your flapper
Finally, I had a method to test the old part. I now have a rationale for changing out the part based on facts, not guesswork. No more shotgun troubleshooting for me. You too can use this method to determine if your flapper needs to be replaced. It is a pretty simple test. It will take longer to remove the flapper from the Kreepy Krauly than it will take to test it.
Here’s how to test the flapper
- Place the flapper(must be dry) on a clean flat surface(kitchen table works for me).
- Use step feeler gauges(Go-No-Go) to determine your gaps. If you don’t have feeler gauges use paper cut into small strip-like pieces so that it can be stacked.
- Try to slide a piece of paper between the flapper and your flat surface.
- Determine where your gaps are and if you’re curious, stack the paper together until it will no longer slide between the flapper and the flat surface.
- Turn the flapper over and check the other surface for gaps.
- An average piece of copy paper is approximately .004″ thick, any gaps you find will hurt the Kreepy’s performance.
How much gap is bad?
If you find gaps between the flapper and the flat surface and your Kreepy Krauly won’t move when the pump starts up it is probably time to change out the flapper. My flapper had gaps as large as 8 sheets(approximately 0.032″) of stacked paper. I can’t tell you definitively how large a gap will cause the flapper to stop moving since I have only tested my own flapper. But I can tell you that the new flapper started the Kreepy Krauly working as soon as the pool pump started.
Related Articles: More pool articles
(Mybusyretiredlife.com All Rights Reserved)
(Mybusyretiredlife.com All Rights Reserved)
(Mybusyretiredlife.com All Rights Reserved)
Liked This Post? You May Like These:
