Description

The Hayward W400BBKP is the vacuum lock safety wall fitting in black, listed as the replacement vac lock for Hayward Navigator suction side pool cleaners.

What it is

The vac lock is the piece at the wall that the vacuum hose plugs into. It threads into the suction port with a 1-1/2 inch MPT connection and gives the hose something to lock onto, so the cleaner pulls water through the suction line instead of pulling air.

How it fails

It takes the strain every time a hose goes on or comes off, and it sits underwater in treated water all season. In time the plastic goes brittle, the locking feature wears, or the body cracks. What you see at the pool is a hose that will not stay put or a cleaner that has gone slow for no obvious reason, and the leak is at the wall rather than anywhere on the cleaner itself.

Color

This is the black finish, which suits dark wall fittings and darker interiors. Hayward lists the same fitting in white for lighter pools.