Leaves.  They are beautiful on trees, but an eyesore in our swimming pools.  They also add food for algae known as phosphates. We need to scoop and vacuum them out.  There are several ways to vacuum leaves out of a swimming pool.  Let’s chat about the different methods.  After all, we all are in search for the same things: love, acceptance and a clear swimming pool, right?

Manually Vacuuming

This is the most basic, and arduous, form of vacuuming your swimming pool.  This method involves using your telescopic pole, a vacuum hose and a vacuum head.  You connect one end of the pool hose to your skimmer or dedicated suction line and the other end to your vacuum head.  It is important to purchase the correct type of vacuum head for your pool’s surface. The vacuum head also attaches to your telescopic pole.  You then juggle them and make long swipes across your swimming pool, kind of like vacuuming your carpet inside your home.  The leaves and other debris are then captured into your swimming pool filter.

Pressure Side Automatic Pool Cleaners

These types of automatic pool cleaners are not as popular in places where electricity is expensive.  That is because they require their own pump to operate.  They also require a designated pressure line to be built in.  These types of cleaners, when their pump is on, get propelled around your swimming pool, capturing dirt and debris inside the netted basket on the cleaner.  The leaves and other debris do not go into your filter.  You empty the basket whenever it gets full.

Suction Side Cleaners

These are probably the most common type of automatic pool cleaners.  The way they work is in the name.  They suck.  They consist of a cleaner body and individual, buoyant hose lengths strung together and then connected on one end to the cleaner head and the other end into either your skimmer or your designated suction line.  Never use a manual vacuum hose with your suction cleaner.  It is too heavy and not designed for this application.  

With a suction automatic pool cleaner, whenever your pool pump comes on, your cleaner meanders around your swimming pool, capturing dirt and debris.  Like a pressure side cleaner, they do not climb the walls.  These cleaners will vacuum the floors and may go as far as a third up your swimming pool wall, depending on the shape of your pool and the amount of suction.  Suction cleaners add extra stress to your pump because it is having to suck through all of that hose.  The dirt and debris is then deposited into your filter.  You can add what is known as a “leaf canister” in between two hose lengths to help trap the larger debris.  Make sure you don’t let it get clogged and always keep the leaf canister’s o-ring lubricated.

Robotic Automatic Pool Cleaners

In my opinion, these are the best cleaners available.  They do not utilize your pump or filter so there is no extra strain on your equipment.  They are completely self contained and plug into a standard 110v outlet.  They are the only automatic pool cleaner designed to do floors and walls.  Some cleaners you can even set to scrub just the tile line, just do the walls, just do the floor or do all.  They have a basket inside which will collect the leaves and other debris from your swimming pool.  With any pool cleaner, they are designed to keep a clean pool clean.  So if there is ever large debris, scoop it out first so you don’t clog up your cleaner, regardless of what type.