How To Vacuum A Pool Manually
If you don't own an automatic cleaner, or are having water issues, you need to learn how to vacuum your pool manually with this easy-to-follow guide.
There are two reasons to know how to vacuum a pool manually:
- Because you don’t own an automatic pool cleaner – and shame on you because you NEED to own one if you have a pool
- Because there is a major problem that can’t be solved with an automatic pool cleaner, like algae
What you'll need to vacuum your pool:
• Telepole to attach the vac head >
• A vacuum hose long enough to reach every area of the pool »
• Skim vac or vacuum plate (you probably already have one) »
1. Attach the vac head to the open end of the telescopic pole.
2. Take one end of the hose and attach it to the top of the vac head. Use a hose clamp if the hose tends to slip off frequently.
3. Place the vac head, pole, and hose in the pool – all the way to the bottom so that the vac head rests on the floor of the pool.
4. With the pump and filter running, take the other end of the hose and put it up against a return jet in the pool. This will push water through the hose and get all the air out.
NOTE: Bubbles will come up from the vacuum head on the floor of the pool. Once the bubbles stop, all the air is out of the hose.
5. If a vacuum plate is NOT being used, remove the basket inside the skimmer, block (with your hand) the end of the hose that has been filled up with water, and bring it over and into the skimmer. Make sure the hose is inserted into the suction hole at the bottom of the skimmer.
If a vac plate is being used, attach it to the end of the hose that was up against the return jet, block the opening, and bring it over to the skimmer. Be sure to create a good seal or suction will be lost.
This will create the suction from the vac head, through the hose, into the skimmer, and through the filter system. Now, it’s time to vacuum the pool.
NOTE: if suction is lost, just repeat steps 4 and 5.
Vacuum your pool
Start at the shallow end and slowly move toward the deep end of the pool. Use long, slow, sweeping strokes to clean. Make sure your strokes overlap slightly to avoid leaving any debris behind.
Not to belabor the point, but this is no time to go for the world pool cleaning speed record. As the Beastie Boys might say, slow and low is the tempo. Rushing will just kick up debris, which will reduce visibility and take hours to settle down again, leaving you on the hook for another super-fun session of vacuuming your pool.
If you’ve got a load of debris, you’ll likely kick up a cloud no matter how careful you are, but there’s no need to make more work for yourself by hurrying.
If the water does become cloudy, give it a couple of hours to resettle, then come back and vacuum again, repeating as necessary.
If the vac head becomes stuck, switch off the pump for a second to break the vacuum force and set it free
At this time I would recommend getting an automatic (or one step better, a robotic) pool cleaner if you don’t already have one. You will thank me :-)
After you vacuum your pool
When you’ve finished cleaning your pool, remove the vacuum head from the telescoping pole, and drain any water still in the vacuum hose. Attach your cleaning brush to the pole, and use it to scrub away any algae, dirt, and debris from the sides of the pool.
Clear any debris in your pump strainer basket, and give the sand filter a final backwashing if you have a multiport system and used the “Filter” setting. If you have a cartridge filter, take your filter element out and give it a good hose down.
If you used the “Waste” setting to vacuum the pool, make sure you switch the valve back to the “Filter” setting, and keep adding fresh water to your pool until the water level is restored.
Rinse all your equipment with fresh water, dry it, and return it to storage. This will help keep it in top working condition and avoid unnecessary wear and corrosion.
You don’t have to dread the vac head! When it’s time to vacuum your pool—whether you’re just the hands-on type or waging war on invading algae—you can get the job done by hand with a little preparation, a lot of elbow grease, and a healthy dollop of patience.
What if you don't like vacuuming your pool by hand?
First of all, welcome to the club! While some people find this to be a form a meditation, it’s still a chore. And thankfully, we live in a world of blossoming technology that I can help you task this to a swimming pool vacuum that acts like a robot. Here are some options:
Robotic Cleaners
Independent cleaners that vacuum your pool using electricity. You plug them in, drop them in your pool, and let them do all the hard work on their own. All you have to do is empty the built-in filter bag when they get full of debris. These are by far the best automatic pool cleaners on the market, but they can be a bit pricer. Hey, you get what you pay for. We recommend the Zodiac OT15 which you can view by clicking here.
Suction Cleaners
This is just an automatic version of vacuuming your pool manually. They hook up the same way you do when you vacuum your pool manually. The biggest difference, however, is that they move around the bottom of your pool by themselves. That way, you don’t have to stand there in the hot sun and do it yourself.
We recommend the Water TechniX Rapid which you can view by clicking here.
OR
We also recommend the Water TechniX Matrix which you can view by clicking here.
The difference between the two? Other than the price:
The Rapid is a great workhorse for basic cleaning duties. It works off a rubber skirt and a rubber diaphragm in the middle chamber which uses suction to propel itself around the pool. These diaphragms do need to be replaced once or twice a year, we stock these replacement diaphragms and you can view these by clicking here.
The Matrix goes 2 wheel drive, using gears and cogs to propel it's wheels and a suction propeller in the middle to suck up debris. The Matrix is better for higher-debris pools and pools with gum nuts.
Both clean your walls, floor and steps. Just comes down to personal preference!
Happy swimming!
