CLEANING YOUR POOL

Pool Vacuum

Some dust and debris will blow into the pool and accumulate on the pool floor. This can only be removed with a pool cleaner or automatic pool cleaner. New pool owners may experience a little trouble in operating the vacuum for the first time, and the following technique is suggested:

1. Put the pool vacuum head with the hose attached into the pool. This should be close to the skimmer/vacuum position, and stretch the remaining hose along the pool surround.
2. Feed the hose down into the water a little at a time which will fill the hose up with water and remove the trapped air through the open end above the water.
3. Fit the end of the hose through the skimmer on to the special skim vac plate available which is positioned above the skimmer basket. If there is no vacuum plate available, remove the skimmer basket and place the hose in the suction hole at the base of the skimmer. Alternatively, if the vacuuming is carried out from the vacuum point, attach the hose direct to this point.
4. The vacuum will now operate, and to get maximum suction, the skimmer (vacuum) valve must be fully open and the other suction valve(s) should now be closed either fully ot partially depending on flow balance. The pump will make distinct straining noises if the flow balance is incorrect, which is adjusted by opening valve(s) slowly until the noise stops. Do not take the vac head out of the water as it could cause the pump to lose prime.
5. The vacuum head should be slowly pushed across the floor and slopes. If pushed too fast it will stir up the dirt into suspension. The suction of the vacuum will gradually diminish as the filter becomes dirty, and it may be necessary to backwash the filter to get good suction to complete the pool cleaning.

Vacuum to waste
If the floor is very dirty it is best to vacuum to waste, which is the quickest way to vacuum without blocking up the filter. Commence vacuumingin the normal way, and then stop the pump and re-position the multiport at ‘WASTE’ (if a valve is fitted on the waste line, open this before switching on the pump). Recommence vacuuming. All the water is sucked out, by-passing the filter and pumped out to waste along the backwash line. This operation reduces the pool water level, which must be topped up. It is therefor advisable to overfill the pool before the cleaning process.
If pool vacuum stops operating
This can be due to the following:

1. If using the skim/vac adaptor, the basket in the skimmer may be blocked up with leaves.
2. Large leaf or similar sucked over the opening on the pool vac head.
3. Leaves or debris blocking up the hose.
4. The basket in the coarse strainer in from of the pump may be blocked, especially if vacuuming through a vac point.
5. The pump may have become un-primed through sucking in too much air. This can happen quite easily on commencement if all the air has not been removed from the hose.
6. If all the above are correct and there is still no suction then the filter should be backwashed (this is the most common).

Automated Cleaners
There are several makes of automated cleaners, which divide into vacuum, pressure and electric self-contained cleaners. Electric cleaners have strainers and filters that will require cleaning on a regular basis. If you are not sure of what needs doing consult your swimming pool manufacturer.
For safety reasons, due to potential for entanglement and entrapment underwater, then hoses and cables along with cleaners must be removed from the pool before swimming commences.

see our range of Swimming Pool Vacuums and other Maintenance products here