Pentair R211100 Vac-Mate Multi-Function Skimmer Attachment

As I just bought a Kreepy Crawler I wanted to be able to skim the pool while using the Kreepy. You don't have a lot of options out there and so obviously I went with the Pentair R211100 in order to help out with my issue.It was really easy to set up and Amazon got the best price available so it was a win win.The basket and the gasket fit nicely in my skimmer. I used the gauge to check the vacuum pressure and tune the whole thing up as stated in the manual and I made sure to remove the gauge afterward and put the plug back.It was kinda hard to put the female tube inside the elbow so I put some silicone grease around and it made the process much easier.I like this system for a couple of reasons. One, you can skim and vacuum the pool at once while catching leaves and debris in the basket. Two, no air bubbles can penetrate the system as the gap between the elbow and the suction hole as there is only water there, at least it's my theory.I have two holes in my skimmer. One is the suction line, one is the main drain. In order to allow a good suction for the vacuum, you need to plug the main drain with the screw in plug provided. If you don't, the vacuum will not work as there is not enough suction for it. Also make sure you tight the plug snug as mine came out a couple of time and I had to scratch my head on why the vacuum wasn't working anymore.The width of the basket and gasket may be a bit tight for the skimmer hole however if you tilt the basket after you remove the elbow it is much easier to pull it out.The system has a relieve valve in order to provide the skimming and a needle with graduation from 0 to 6. I have to set mine to 2 in order to have the vacuum working properly with the pump running at 2350RPM. The setting works also with the pump set at 1350RPM however the vacuum goes slower obviously.The kit comes with an extra gasket and and extra soft tube to connect the elbow to the unit. I'm guessing these will be the parts to break but it should be a cheap fix.In the box you will also find a rod in order to keep the basket from floating. I set it up however I doubt it's going anywhere with the weight included in the basket and the vacuum hose attached to it.I have read that the basket was being pushed off the skimmer when the pool pump stops. If that happens it means that you may be using a sand filter and the sand hasn't been changed for a while (should be every 3-5 years I think). If so, the back pressure from the filter pushes everything back through the pump and the suction line back to the pool and the basket will then rise creating this issue. I used to have a sand filter with the same issue. I switched it to a cartridge filter and voila, no more issues.All in all the system has been working well. I added an extra leaf canister with fine mesh from Hayward in order to pre-catch whatever the vacuum is getting from the bottom of the pool which also add an extra layer of protection for the pool pump and more peace of mind.I would recommend this unit, although know that I couldn't find a comparable one anywhere so I didn't have a choice but to get it however I'm glad I did.

This product does exactly what it is intended to do, and does it well.I recently acquired "The PoolCleaner" and am thrilled with its performance. But that's for a different review. While the bottom of my pool hasn't looked this good in years, I only have one skimmer and attaching the cleaner to it meant that the occasional collection of leaves and dead bugs would gather on the surface of my water. Since most of the time I had to move the cleaner away to swim anyway, I got in the habit of unplugging it and letting the skimmer run when swimming, and plugging it back in afterwards, juggling the hose and skimmer basket for a few minutes each time. Those few minutes add up, especially when you spend them at the times you just want to just relax in the pool.Those days of swapping hose and strainer basket are now gone. I can use the Vac-Mate's adjustment to apply all suction to the cleaner, or optimize skimming, within a few seconds. But better yet, I can find a setting that lets the cleaner still work effectively, but provides enough skimming action to keep the water free of floating bugs, my primary goal.I read all the other reviews before purchasing and saw one of the main complaints was that the unit would float up when the pump was off. My unit came with a tension rod which you're supposed to put right on top of it to keep it from floating up. Unfortunately, this doesn't quite solve the problem, as there's enough bouyancy to nudge the rod upward. If you're able to get it under the edge of the poolside skimmer opening where it can't get nudged any higher, it works rather effectively. There's still a half inch of movement, enough to unseat the strainer gasket and let it twist slightly with the cleaner hose, but it immediately reseats and provides great suction.There is a pressure gage which comes with the unit, as shown in the picture. It is only used during installation, in order to set the pressure relief valve (if your pool cleaner hose gets clogged it still takes water from the skimming opening, and then it is removed..The PoolCleaner instructions state an optimum right wheel roation of 11 rpm, and prior to installing the Vac-Mate I measured 10.5 for my unit. With the Vac-mate installed per instructions (which include opening a bypass valve with a 1psi pressure reduction on the suction) and the skimmer setting fully closed, I still got over 10 rpm. I experimented with a few settings and was able to open the skimmer to a setting of 2 (out of 5) and still maintain 9.5 rpm with effective skimming action. Fully opening the skimmer inlet allowed the pump to still operate at about 8rpm, its minimum recommended setting.Setting water level in your pool properly is important. If it's too low, air can leak in through the cleaner hose connections. If it's too high, the skimmer doesn't work as effectively. There's about a one-inch "sweet spot" where it works perfectly, and if you have an auto-fill valve on your pool that you can adjust, this should not be a problem.The bottom line is that this appears to be one of the only products on the market that attempts to let you use a suction cleaner and skim at the same time (or, switch quickly between either option without a lot of plugging/unplugging). It succeeds at this task as well as anyone could hope and I'm very happy with my purchase.