Your pool can become a home to algae and dirt fast if regular maintenance is not implemented. There are several ways to maintain your clean and good-looking pool, but the most common way is to use either a manual pool vacuum or an automatic cleaner. Many questions arise as to how proper pool cleaning or vacuuming is done; for instance, do you remove skimmer basket while vacuuming pool or do you let it sit in place during the process?
Do You Remove Skimmer Basket While Vacuuming Pool
Swimming pools are a great addition to any home. Vacuuming your pool does wonders for you and your family for many years to come. To answer questions on how to vacuum an inground pool the proper way, let’s take a look at the guides below.
Preparing the Necessary Tools
First things first: prepare all the tools you need at hand to save time. You will need the following:
- Vacuum head – Any vacuum head will do, as they are universal. However, you will need to consider the material of the pool’s surface as certain head types are best for vinyl or others. It is also recommended to use a weighted one so it won’t float around when vacuuming the pool.
- Telescoping pole – Most telescoping poles are also universal and connect to pool any pool skimmers. Just make sure to use one that is long enough to reach the deepest part of the pool.
- Vacuum hose – Universal vacuum hoses can be connected to any system, but see to it that yours can reach every part of the pool.
- Vacuum plate or Skim vac – A skim vac is essential as it allows you to use the skimmer basket rather than the pump strainer. This way, you won’t need to turn your pool pump on and off.
Vacuuming Your Pool Manually
Once all tools are ready, follow the steps below and start from the shallow end of your pool. Remember to always follow pool safety tips to prevent injuries when cleaning your pool.
1. Priming the vacuum.
If air is present in the vacuum hose, you will render it useless. So the first thing you need to do is prime your vacuum. Simply purge all air from inside the system to eliminate all air pockets that can hinder its suctioning capacity.Do You Remove Skimmer Basket While Vacuuming Pool
To prime your vacuum:
- Attach the vacuum head to the telescoping pole, making sure the head is properly snapped in place. Lower the head into the pool floor.
- Connect the vacuum hose to the head and push it against a jet, allowing it to push air out of the hose.
- As a result, air bubbles will float from the head. Wait until there are no more bubbles and you are ready.
2. Connecting the vacuum system to the pump.
Next, attach the vacuum system to the skimmer inlet powered by the circulation pump of the pool. Now, here answers the question earlier: do you leave skimmer basket in when vacuuming pool? YES, you need to remove the skimmer or strainer basket before attaching the open end of the hose to the inlet. Finally, plug the open vacuum hose into the suction port.
3. Vacuuming your pool.
The actual vacuuming of your pool is easy and straightforward – just move the head back and forth along the pool’s surface to clean it. Repeat the first and second steps in case you lose suction.
Using an Automatic Cleaner
Aside from having a good filtration system, which is undoubtedly important to reduce algae formation and help in keeping the pH levels at a normal level, cleaning your pool at least once a week is also critical to maintaining it. And while it is good and effective to manually vacuum your pool, it would only take some time before you realize having an automatic pool cleaner is worth an investment.
Different Types of Automatic Cleaners
Depending on your preference and situation, you can choose from a few automatic cleaner types.
- Pressure-side cleaner – This type has its own collection bag and connects to the return hose on the pool filter to produce suction. The drawback is you need to change the bags often.Do You Remove Skimmer Basket While Vacuuming Pool
- Robotic cleaner – The quickest and most effective type, a robotic cleaner does not require to be attached to the pool pump. One downside is that it is more expensive than others.
- Suction-side cleaner – The most affordable of all, this type connects to your pool filter to generate suction.
Questions
Can you vacuum algae out of a pool?
To get rid of algae that have sunk at the bottom of the pool, bypass your filter and vacuum from the pool to waste instead. You can do this if you have a multiport system. You can also vacuum from your pool to the pool installer connected to a waste line on your system.
What setting should the pool filter be on while vacuuming?
When vacuuming, set the filter valve to the normal ‘filter’ position to lead dirty vacuum water through the filter, thus eliminating contaminants, and to direct filtered water back to the pool. The ‘filter’ mode is applied when cleaning the pool of light to moderate sedimentary levels.
Regular pool maintenance is undoubtedly the best way to keep your pool sparkling clean and healthy. Aside from installing a good filtration system, there are other ways to clean your pool, including vacuuming it manually and using an automatic cleaner. If you are a beginner in the subject, questions like do you remove skimmer basket while vacuuming pool or how to vacuum above ground pool may pop up. No worries, with the instructions we laid out, you are on your way to becoming a vacuuming pro. For more information on ways to keep your pool clean contact our professionals here at Teserra Outdoors.