Once you’ve got your pool, taking care of it is the key to maximizing the enjoyment you get out of it. Proper maintenance of your pool includes cleaning the filtration system, keeping the water circulating and clean, balancing the pH and chemicals, and removing foreign debris. The last step involves vacuuming your pool, a small amount of work for a huge payoff. Your pool water will be free of foreign debris, will look much more fresh and appealing, and your chemicals will work much better. Best of all, it’ll make your pool an environment that’ll discourage algae from growing. Ready to get started? Here’s how to vacuum a pool.
Vacuuming Your Pool: Having The Right Tools
Having the right tools on hand is important to make sure you can successfully complete a vacuuming session. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Vacuum head. This is what will do the actual cleaning off of your pool’s surfaces. The type of head you’ll need depends on the size and material of your pool. Concrete or gunite surfaces can benefit from vacuum heads with wheels for ease of movement. Vinyl pool surfaces will require a softer head to prevent damage.
- Telescoping pole. It’s essential to get a telescoping pole so you can reach into your pool. The head will attach to the end of the pole.
- Vacuum hose. This will attach to your pool pump via your skimmer inlet. Get the length that’s right for your needs.
- Skimmer plate. Also called a vacuum plate, it’ll connect the hose to the inlet of your skimmer.
How To Vacuum Your Pool: Instructions
Put all the parts together. Assembly is easy. Attach the vacuum head to the telescoping pole. Then attach one end of the hose onto the vacuum head and the other to your skimmer inlet via the skimmer plate.
Remove all the air from your vacuum head. Just hold the head over any of the pool’s jets until there are no more air bubbles.
Set your filter valve. Make sure your multiport valve filter is set to the FILTER setting. However, this will only work for light maintenance jobs. If you have a lot of debris in the pool and vacuum thoroughly, set it to the WASTE setting. This will drain water out of your pool, so make sure you keep the pool topped up using a garden hose or other source of freshwater.
Begin vacuuming! Like you’d vacuum a carpet, make sure to move slowly and in straight lines. This can even be meditative or fun to do, so take your time to get everything clean. Keep an eye on the skimmer, as it might fill up if you’ve got a lot of debris. Empty it in between passes if needed.
Finish up. When you’re done, make sure you change back to your original filter settings. Disconnect the vacuum head and hoses, and dry and store them away. Clean out the skimmer one last time.
Conclusion
Learning how to vacuum your pool is a great way to get ahead of any issues and even be a fun activity. You can vacuum once a week for best results or whenever you notice it getting dirty. If you’d like any advice on how you can make the most out of your vacuuming sessions, you should contact an experienced professional.
At Town and Country Pools of Texas, we pride ourselves on our 45+ years of experience in the business of outdoor leisure. We know what pool products are best and know how to maintain your equipment for maximum enjoyment. If you have any questions about your pool, please give us a call at (281) 252-6337.