Pool Vacuuming

Pool Vacuuming 2018-01-15T17:21:05+00:00

Proper swimming pool maintenance requires that you vacuum your pool. Most pool owners opt for an automatic swimming pool cleaner, but some also choose to perform this task manually with basic cleaning equipment. Follow the technique below to manually vacuum an inground swimming pool. You will need a Telescoping pole, Vacuum head, Vacuum hose, Vacuum plate (optional) for the skimmer.

  1. Attach the vacuum head and pole together. Then attach the swivel end of the vacuum hose to the vacuum head. The SWIVEL END of the vacuum hose must be on the vacuum head.
  2. Extend the pole and lower the vacuum head to the bottom of the pool and use a hand-over-hand method to sink the vacuum hose, working from the part attached to the head towards the free end. This will remove air from the hose. You can tell if you have done it properly when water runs out of the hose. OR you can hold the end of the vacuum hose over a return and force the air out of the line like that.
    Keep the end of the hose in the water while moving over to the skimmer location. With your palm over the end of the hose , connect the free end of the hose to the opening at the bottom of the skimmer, after taking the skimmer basket out. You can go through the skimmer throat or over the deck and into the top of the skimmer. If you have a vacuum plate, keep the basket in the skimmer and place the plate over the basket.
  3. If you are planning to vacuum to waste due to high water level or dirty water, you will need to turn off the pump and place the multi-port valve on “waste” (or open the bypass valve if so equipped on a cartridge filter) DO NOT ATTEMPT TO VACUUM TO WASTE IF YOU HAVE A PUSH/PULL VALVE or a SLIDE VALVE. You will destroy the DE grids.
    At the filter, turn off the skimmer that is not being used for pool vacuuming, and if there is a bottom suction, turn that off also. Stay with the pump until you hear/see the pump draw water and fully fill the lint basket in the pump. If the pump does not sound normal, or if the basket is not filling completely, slightly open the other skimmer or bottom suction until the basket fills and the pump can be heard running smoothly again.
  4. Move the vacuum like you would a real vacuum on a rug, in slow linear passes. If the pool is especially dirty, you may have to empty the Skimmer basket (if using a vacuum plate) or the pump basket during this process.
  5. Do not lift the vacuum head until you have gone back to the filter slab and opened any of the valves you have closed.
  6. See Priming the pump if you are having trouble.