How To Get Leaves Out of Your Pool (6 Simple Steps)
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Leaves look beautiful on all of your landscaping surrounding the pool, but they can make for a really annoying problem when it comes to pool cleaning.
Leaves are a problem on the surface of the water and the bottom of the pool.
Several different cleaning methods will make getting these leaves out much easier and quicker.
If Leaves Are on The Top
1. Manually Skimming
No, this is not the most revolutionary method of leaf removal, but it is effective. If you can grab these pesky intruders before they start to fall to the bottom of the pool, your job will be quite a bit easier. Unfortunately, unless you have lots of free time on your hands, this method will not be one hundred percent effective. Leaves will sink, and you will still be left with issues to clean up.
2. Pump-Driven Skimmers
These skimmers are built into the sides of your pool. They will do a good job of collecting leaves from the surface of the pool water, but they won’t do anything for leaves on the bottom. The downside to the pump-driven skimmers is that your pump needs to be running to keep them going. This will raise your energy bill, and although the process works, it’s not one hundred percent effective.
- Large debris collection basket
- Heavy duty UV resident ABS construction
- Top and front basket access
3. Solar Powered Floating Skimmers
Solar powered floating skimmers are a great concept for someone that doesn’t want to manually skim their pool all day. This skimmer will use power from the sun to float around your pool and clean up the top layer. Depending on the model you go with, there are ways to use this skimmer to distribute chlorine as well. Although a solar powered floating pool skimmer is not the cheapest method up front, it will significantly lower your energy costs.
If Leaves Are on The Bottom
4. Pump Driven Vacuum
Using a vacuum, automatic pool vacuum, or robotic pool vacuum will effectively remove the leaves from the bottom of the pool. If your particular pool has an issue with leaves, be very careful about the type of automatic pool vacuum you choose. You will need a good amount of power and a machine that does not clog easily. Robotic pool vacuum cleaners tend to do better than automatic pool cleaners when it comes to leaves and larger objects. Robotic cleaners can usually be programmed to make sure they cover all areas of the pool.
5. Pop-Ups
Pop-ups are often seen in newer pools, and they are a great way to keep the bottom of the pool clean. Pop ups look like sprinklers that come up from the bottom. They will suck in the leaves, and you will have to empty the collection baskets continually. When you have pop-ups you also need to backwash your pool a bit more often. It’s a great method for leaf removal, though you will be using the pump and electricity when doing this.
6. Leaf Vacuum
If you don’t feel as though your regular or automatic pool vacuum is cutting it when it comes to leaf removal, you can purchase a specific leaf vacuum. A leaf vacuum has a large collection bag on it, and it uses water pressure underneath to shoot leaves up into the bag. This method, although manual, is extremely fast. You will need to attach your pool hose to this unit, but the setup and actual use of this unit is extremely easy.
- Large pool vacuum is specifically designed for removing big loads of leaves, dirt and debris from inground and above ground pools
- Pool vacuum head features 8 high-pressure water jets that create powerful suction and help suck leaves into included mesh bag when pool...
- The 4 multi-direction rotating wheels on this vacuum for swimming pools aid in smooth maneuvering along pool floor while loosening and...
Which Method Is Best?
When it comes to leaves, it is kind of an all-hands-on-deck approach. You will need a combination of a top layer removal system mixed with a bottom layer removal. Depending on your budget and how quickly you need the leaves removed, there are several options. If we had to choose a best overall method, the Leaf Vacuum stands out because of how quickly it gets the job done. With all the money spent on pool filter and pump energy in a year, this very inexpensive model can get your pool cleaned up in no time.
Conclusion
If your pool is located anywhere near a tree or a bush, you will be struggling with leaf removal at some point. Depending on how big of an issue it is will determine the investment that makes sense for you when it comes to removal. Without knowing your individual pool and its location, it is impossible to say which of these methods works best. Without a doubt, the most energy-efficient way is the solar-powered floating skimmer, and the most budget-friendly option is the leaf vacuum that connects to your hose.
- Instead of being at war with leaves, check out our tips for keeping them out of your pool in the first place.
Featured Image Credit: Pixabay
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