Pentair Kreepy Krauly 'Lil Shark

The 'Lil Shark is Pentair's suction cleaner for above-ground pools, item 360100. The pump's suction drives an oscillator inside it, its only moving part. Two rings of nylon bristles scrub the floor as it goes, and it cuts a 10-inch path. It connects to the skimmer or a suction port, and it has no bag, wheels or diaphragms to wear out.

It's the only above-ground cleaner Pentair still lists as current. The 'Lil Rebel suction cleaner and the Prowler 910 robot are both marked discontinued on Pentair's site.

What it won't do

The manual is plain about the limits. The 'Lil Shark is designed to clear the pool of debris in about 4 to 6 hours. It isn't designed to clean steps or swimouts, to work under a solar cover, or to do the first cleanup of a new pool or a pool you've just opened. It also moves in clockwise circles by design, which the manual lists under troubleshooting so nobody mistakes it for a fault.

Before you start

From the manual:

1. Balance the water, brush the pool and let the debris settle, then vacuum it by hand.
2. Clean the filter and the pump basket. The manual says a clean system is necessary for the cleaner to work and cover the pool.
3. Start the pump.

On a vinyl liner, check it first for deterioration or damage, and remove any stones or roots under it. Pentair warns that some vinyl liner patterns are prone to wear or ink rubbing off from anything that touches them, cleaners included, and says it isn't responsible for that.

Setting it up

1. Join the hose sections.
2. Fit the swivel into the top of the cleaner and twist it a quarter turn clockwise to lock it, then attach the hose.
3. Fill the hose with water. Turn the cleaner upside down, submerge it, and feed it and the hose down the pool wall.
4. Connect the hose to the skimmer or the suction port with the pump running. Pentair's manual shows both. Fit the reducer cone in the skimmer.
5. Fit the vacuum regulator. The manual says every installation needs one. It relieves the suction if the cleaner gets blocked, and its black rubber diaphragm must stay under water. If it sucks air, the pump loses prime.
6. Size the hose. With the cleaner running, pull the hose to the farthest point of the pool. It should reach that, plus one more section. Add or take off sections to suit.
7. Set the coverage. The brush ring adjuster ships at 0. Watch the first run and adjust between the settings for large, moderate or tight circles.

If your pool has a dedicated suction port for the cleaner, cover it when the cleaner isn't in use. Pentair includes a spring-loaded safety cover for it.

Nobody should swim while it runs. The manual warns that the hose can trip or tangle a swimmer, and that the suction can trap hair or body parts.

When it isn't cleaning properly

The manual's troubleshooting, condensed:

• Moves slowly or not at all: backwash or clean the filter and empty every basket, then clear the oscillator and hose. If the hoses from the pool to the filter and pump are smaller than 1½ inches, replace them. The pump may be too small. If the pool has a floor drain, close it while the cleaner runs.
• Cleans only the edges: make sure the vacuum regulator is fitted, and turn the brush ring adjuster to a higher number.
• Covers only one section: turn the adjuster to a lower number.
• Hovers in one spot with the hose fully out: the hose is too short.
• Runs too fast: fit the vacuum regulator. The one marked 50 slows it. You can also partly close a return valve.
• Hose keeps coiling: it's too long, or it was stored coiled. Store it flat, straight and out of the sun.
• Missed spots after four hours: try other adjuster settings, from 0 to 4. Wind can move the hose enough to spoil coverage. For spot cleaning, the Unidapt handle lets you steer it by hand on a vacuum pole.
• Flips on its side when the pump stops: normal, from a backpressure surge. It rights itself when the pump restarts.
• Hose comes loose when the pump stops: use the reducer cone, and check the connections are tight.
• Sticks to the floor or the drain: fit the regulator diaphragm marked 50, and check the inner brush ring for wear.

The comparison of cleaner types covers what a suction cleaner asks of your pump and filter.

Warranty

Pentair doesn't publish a warranty term for the 'Lil Shark. Its warranty page lists its in-ground cleaners and the discontinued 'Lil Rebel, but not the 'Lil Shark, and the manual's warranty section gives no term. The manual does say the warranty doesn't cover parts discolored by sunlight or chemicals, or wear that doesn't affect performance. Pentair counts cleaner hoses as wear items and gives no labor coverage on internet purchases. Ask the seller what applies before you buy.

Where Pentair's documents disagree, or are unclear

• The vacuum regulator. The 2013-model parts sheet gives GW9016. The 2013 manual and the earlier parts sheet give GW9018. The fitment table above follows each sheet.
• The body. The 2013 parts sheet lists the pool cleaner body, with bristles, but gives it no part number. The earlier sheet says to order GW8000 if the body fails.
• The ring adjuster. The manual's troubleshooting refers to a brush ring adjuster on every cleaner, but only the earlier parts sheet lists one as a part, 41100-0026.
• The warranty. Neither Pentair's warranty page nor the manual gives a term.