Choose from the pool cleaning systems that adjust to your needs and budget.
Having a pool, the best remedy for those freaking hot days. Swimming, entertaining, and relaxing is what they were invented for. But remember you must: it’s great to own a pool and the price for it you’ll have to pay—and not just the cost of designing and installing it. It doesn’t matter how, you’ll need to keep the pool clean—unless you want a green swamp or a mosquito breeding facility.
If you are not planning on hiring a pool cleaning service to clean and give maintenance to your pool or spa, you will surely need some kind of DIY strategy for keeping your pool clean. Don’t make any assumptions, this usually involves purchasing some kind of pool vacuum cleaner or other tools.
After realizing that you’ll need any of the pool cleaning systems available, you’ll need to determine how to pick yours. We want to show you six different options to consider.
Manual Brushing With a Telescoping Pole
If your pool has a good filtration system, it is possible to remove debris, stains, and algae using the old-fashioned way, yes, with brushes and skimming nets. It is easy to reach the deepest parts of the pool with a telescopic pole to scrape and brush off stains and algae from the sides and bottom, then use a skimming net to remove floating debris.
As an exercise, it’s a great upper-body workout. It might fairly be time-consuming but doable and inexpensive. It can take a lot of work to clean a pool this way, and you may find your filtration system needs to work extra hard to filter out the debris you miss with skimming.
Benefits of manual scrubbing:
- Good for fairly small pools
- Good choice for above-ground pools
- Offers a good physical workout
- More thorough cleaning is possible
- Minimal cost
Handheld Pool Pool Cleaning Systems
As you might expect, handheld pool vacuums work much like a household floor vacuum. With bristle/suction heads, a built-in filter, a debris-trapping compartment, and a long handle, they are self-contained appliances. You can find both plug-in and battery-operated types available. The operator maneuvers the suction head, which is fitted with bristles, across the pool’s side and bottom surfaces, much the way you vacuum the floor of your home. A handheld vacuum has no mechanical parts (there is no roll brush, as is found on an indoor vacuum) and offers an inexpensive way to relieve the load on your pool’s filtration system.
A warning: The bigger the pool, the longer it will take to clean the pool—possibly a few hours. Hand vacuuming often works best if you combine it with a light hand-brushing before vacuuming. The bristles on the vacuum will likely kick up some excess debris in the water, so count on backwashing the pool’s filter system after vacuuming, which adds even more time to the chore.
Benefits of handheld vacuum pool cleaning systems:
- These pool cleaning systems is efficient and affordable
- Easy spot-cleaning of specific areas
- They are so easy to use
- You can buy both plug-in and battery-powered models are available
- They are more powerful than a lot of automatic pool vacuums
- They can be used on all types of pools and spas
- They are an excellent choice for above-ground pools
Automatic Suction Vacuums Pool Cleaning Systems
Another interesting type of hand-operated pool vacuum is the “automatic suction” or “suction side” vacuum. The name would depend on the manufacturer. “automatic suction” or “suction side” vacuum connects directly to the filtration system’s water intake with a flexible hose. Most of the time, by a connection at the skimmer basket, and it takes advantage of the pool pump’s suction power to attract and collect debris.
As expected, suction-side pool cleaners will always require that the pool pump is running during operation. This means that the “automatic suction” or “suction side” systems will be using more electricity than other types of pool cleaners.
Is important to take into consideration that to use this type of vacuum system, the filtration pump has to be in good condition and be powerful enough for the task. You must be prepared to clean and backwash your filters more often. since the vacuum is connected to the filter more than the normal amount of dirt will run through the system.
Benefits of suction-side vacuum pool cleaning systems:
- Low cost
- Very easy to maintain and use
- Dependable and long-lasting
- Good choice for in-ground pools
Pressure Vacuums Pool Cleaning Systems
These pool cleaning systems are also known as pressure-side cleaners. These cleaners operate very similar to suction side vacuums, they use the pool’s filtration pump to provide the suction too. The main difference is that this type is equipped with its own filter bag. Therefore, it doesn’t place any added load on the pool’s filter. And of course, if you add a booster pump, this type of cleaner can become more powerful.
Pressure pool vacuums are auto-powered, independent of the pool’s circulation system. They are mounted on wheels to easily move around the pool. An important disclaimer is that pressure cleaners don’t scrub the pool surfaces as thoroughly as contact-type cleaners do.
Benefits of pressure vacuum pool cleaning systems:
- They are good for pools that have lots of debris and dirt
- As mentioned before, has its own filter and debris bag; won’t clog pool’s filtration system
- They have a long life span
- Easy to clean and maintain
Robotic Pool Cleaning Systems
Machines are conquering the world! Some of the most popular types of pool cleaning systems are robots. They move on their own, they are powered independently of the swimming pool circulation system and place no extra load on its filter.
From all the different types of pool cleaning systems and vacuums, robots are considered the most energy-efficient. They are self-contained units with built-in filters and motors, robotic cleaners can grab the smallest particles from all types of pool surfaces. Some of them come equipped with amazing features like remote controls for spot cleaning and four-wheel drive movement.
Benefits of robotic pool cleaning systems:
- Excellent for above-ground pools that aren’t equipped with skimmer baskets
- Self-filtering; no connection to pool pump required
- Filters water, reducing the need for chemicals
- Fast, easy to use
In-Floor Vacuum Pool Cleaning Systems
Many of the more luxurious in-ground swimming pools that con can find have in-floor automatic vacuum pool cleaning systems. They are installed during the construction process. Jets are placed into the bottom of the pool and connected to the filter system’s return line.
When the system is turned on, its heads pop up and a booster pump generates a high-pressure swirl of water through the pool. A very strong current is produced as the water moves along the pool’s floor, and dirt and debris are brought toward the main drains. The main pump sucks the debris out of the pool as the water circulates to the filtering system.
Most of the vacuum pool cleaning systems require that the pool filters be cleaned more frequently—but, let’s be real, if you can afford an in-floor vacuum, it’s likely that a hired pool service is also coming for the routine filter maintenance.
Benefits of in-floor pool cleaning systems:
- The most carefree, automatic system for owners who can afford it
- Eliminates an unpleasant maintenance chore
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