Hayward Suction Cleaner Hose Tangling and Getting Stuck

Three Distinct Hose Problems — Different Causes

The Hayward manual explicitly separates hose problems into three categories, each with a different root cause. Misdiagnosing which type you have leads to the wrong fix. Before doing anything, observe the hose behavior for a few minutes with the pump running:

• Curling or coiling — the hose bends into curves or circles. This is coil memory from storage.
• Twisting (pretzel tangles) — the hose wraps around itself in tight spirals. This is caused by the cleaner spinning in only one direction.
• Floating or rising — the hose lifts off the pool floor and floats near or at the surface. This is caused by air, excessive suction, or current from return jets.

Diagnosing and Fixing Hose Curling

Cause: coil memory from storage

The most common cause of hose curling is that the hose was stored coiled — either wound up for the winter or bundled up on deck between cleanings. The corrugated plastic hose takes on a permanent set in the coiled shape, causing it to curl and tangle in the water.

Fix: straighten in direct sunlight

1. Remove all hose sections from the pool.
2. Disconnect all sections and lay them completely straight on the pool deck in direct sunlight.
3. Allow 30 to 60 minutes in full sun. The heat softens the plastic and allows it to relax to a straight shape.
4. Reconnect the sections and reinstall. In severe cases of coil memory, the hose sections may need to be replaced — heat straightening has limits.

Going forward, always store hose sections straight — never coiled, never bundled, never looped. Lay them on the deck or hang them on straight hooks. The Hayward manual explicitly states that coil memory from improper storage is not covered under warranty.

Diagnosing and Fixing Hose Twisting

Cause: cleaner turning in one direction only

When the cleaner's cone gear steering system fails and the cleaner begins turning in only one direction, every rotation winds the hose incrementally tighter in that direction. Over hours of operation, the hose builds up twisting torque until sections wrap around each other in a spiral tangle.

Fix: diagnose and repair the steering system

1. Perform the Hang Test: with the pump running, raise the cleaner off the pool floor by its hose and hold it about one foot below the surface. Observe for 5 minutes.
2. A correctly functioning cleaner will rotate in both directions with a brief stop in between — roughly equal time in each direction.
3. If the cleaner turns only in one direction or turns heavily in one direction, the A-frame-to-turbine connection or the A-frame-to-pod connection has excessive wear or play.
4. Inspect both A-frames and pods. The connection between the two parts should move as a single unit. If one is loose relative to the other, both the A-frame and the corresponding pod must be replaced as a set — never just one part.
5. Also check the rear screen for debris — a blocked rear screen can disrupt the steering pattern.

Diagnosing and Fixing a Floating Hose

Cause 1: air in the cleaner or hose

The cleaner body is heavier than water and cannot float on its own. If it is lifting off the pool floor, an external source of buoyancy is involved. The manual identifies trapped air as the primary cause.

1. Remove the cleaner from the pool. Submerge it completely in the water to expel all air. Rotate the cleaner body while submerged to release any air trapped in internal cavities.
2. Submerge all hose sections before connecting them. Connect the hose sections while they are underwater to prevent air pockets at the joints.
3. Verify all hose section connections are fully engaged and watertight. Even a small air leak at a joint allows air to enter the line and cause sections to float.

Cause 2: excessive suction lifting the hose

1. Check the Flow Gauge. If the disk is above MAX, the suction is too strong. The hose sections are being sucked upward and become buoyant relative to the strong water current through them.
2. Reduce suction using the regulator valve at the skimmer or the suction valve at the equipment pad. Adjust until the Flow Gauge disk is between MIN and MAX.
3. For pools with large pumps where a standard regulator valve provides insufficient restriction, two regulator valves can be stacked to reduce flow further.

Cause 3: return jets pushing the hose

1. Observe which direction the hose is being displaced. If the float or lift is directional toward a specific area of the pool, identify the nearest return jet.
2. All return fittings should point downward. Use a flat-head screwdriver to reposition any returns that are aimed horizontally or upward.
3. For pools with strong return flow patterns, directional eyeball fittings can redirect flow away from the cleaner's operating area. Install these on returns that consistently interfere with hose position.

Cause 4: kinking or collapsing at the skimmer connection

1. Inspect the angle at which the hose connects to the skimmer. If the angle is too sharp — the hose bending more than about 45 degrees at the point of entry — the corrugated hose will kink and collapse.
2. Use the V093C cone adapter with the V094 regulator valve to create a smooth, gradual transition angle between the hose and the skimmer inlet.
3. In cases where the pool skimmer placement creates an inherent sharp angle, add a 90-degree fitting or an elbow extension to the skimmer to change the hose approach angle.

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