Vacuuming your pool
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 above ground or inground swimming pool.
- Attach the vacuum head and pole together. Then attach the vacuum hose to the vacuum head.
- 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.
- Connect the free end of the hose to the opening at the back of the skimmer, after taking the skimmer basket off.
- At the filter slab, turn main control valve off, and turn the control valve attached to your skimmer towards the off position until you hear the pump activate. Then open it slightly until the pump can be heard running smoothly again.
- 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 pump strainer during this process.
- Do not lift the vacuum head until you have gone back to the filter slab and opened any of the valves you have closed.