How to Vacuum a Pool: Step-by-Step

Here is how to vacuum a pool by hand: attach a vacuum head to a telescopic pole, fill the vacuum hose with water so it holds no air, connect the hose to the skimmer’s suction port, then move the head slowly across the floor in overlapping strokes while the pump runs. Set a multiport filter to FILTER for routine debris, or to WASTE for a heavy load you do not want in the filter. When you finish, empty the baskets, check the filter pressure gauge, and top the pool back up. The steps below explain each part, including the filter settings that trip up most new owners.

Safety note: vacuuming uses your pump and filter, which run on household power and hold water under pressure. Follow the owner’s manual for your pump and filter, turn the pump off before you change a filter valve, and call a licensed electrician for any electrical problem. Keep swimmers out of the pool while the vacuum hose is connected.

What you need to vacuum a pool

• A telescopic pole long enough to reach the deepest part of the pool from the deck.
• A vacuum head. Weighted heads with brushes suit vinyl liners and plaster. Heads with wheels roll easily on smooth plaster and concrete floors.
• A vacuum hose long enough to reach the far end of the pool from the skimmer, with a little slack.
• A skimmer vacuum plate or adapter, if your skimmer has no dedicated vacuum port. It sits on top of the skimmer basket so leaves stay out of the pump.
• A leaf skimmer net and a pool brush for the work you do first.

This guide covers manual vacuuming, which works on any pool with a skimmer and a filter pump. Automatic cleaners (suction-side, pressure-side, and robotic) do the same job on a schedule, and they are covered in the last section.

Before you start: skim, brush, and check the water

A few minutes of prep makes the vacuuming itself faster and keeps the pump from losing suction halfway through.

• Skim floating leaves first. A backyard pool under an oak or maple can collect a lot of leaves overnight in the fall. Net them off the surface before they sink and clog the vacuum hose.
• Brush the walls and steps. Brush toward the main drain or the middle of the floor so loose dirt settles where the vacuum can reach it. Give it a little time to settle before you start.
• Empty the skimmer and pump baskets. A half-full basket cuts suction. Pentair’s SuperFlo Installation and User’s Guide says to look at the pump basket at least once a week, and to turn the pump off at the breaker and release filter pressure before opening the strainer lid.
• Check the water level. The water should sit well up the skimmer opening. If it is low, the skimmer pulls air and the pump loses prime. Pentair’s SuperFlo VS owner’s manual gives half way up the skimmer opening as the proper level. If you plan to vacuum to waste, start a little higher, because that setting sends water out of the pool.
• Note the filter pressure. Write down the reading on the filter gauge before you start. You will compare it at the end.

How to vacuum a pool, step by step

1. Pick the filter setting with the pump off

Decide where the dirty water goes before you connect anything. Hayward’s ProSeries sand filter owner’s manual warns never to change the filter control valve position while the pump is running, so set the valve first and then turn the pump on. The settings are covered in detail in the next section. For a light layer of dust and a few leaves, FILTER is the normal choice.

2. Assemble the head, pole, and hose

Clip the vacuum head onto the pole and push one end of the hose onto the head’s swivel fitting. Lower the head into the pool until it rests on the floor, close to the skimmer side, with the pole leaning against the deck.

3. Fill the hose with water

Air in the hose is the main reason a pump loses prime during vacuuming. Feed the hose down into the pool a section at a time so it fills from the head end, or hold the open end against a return jet until water pours out of it with no bubbles. A full hose sinks. If it floats in loops, there is still air inside.

4. Connect the hose to the skimmer

Keep the open end under water and push it into the skimmer’s suction port, or onto a vacuum plate that sits on the skimmer basket. If your pool has more than one skimmer, use the one closest to the pump. The hose should grip the pool floor and stop drifting once suction takes hold. If you are new to the fittings, the details of how to hook up a pool vacuum vary by skimmer design, so check the skimmer maker’s instructions for which port to use.

5. Vacuum slowly in overlapping strokes

Start at the shallow end and work toward the deep end. Move the head in long, slow, straight strokes, and overlap each pass a little, the way you would mow a lawn. Fast strokes stir fine dirt back into the water, and it takes hours to settle again. On a sloped floor, keep the head flat. If the head tips up, it loses suction and pulls air.

6. Watch suction and stop to empty baskets

If suction drops, the skimmer or pump basket is probably full. Turn the pump off, empty the basket, and refill the hose before you restart. On a pool full of leaves, a leaf canister on the vacuum line catches debris before it reaches the skimmer and saves you several stops.

7. Finish and put the system back

Pull the hose out of the skimmer, then lift out the head and pole. Turn the pump off before you move the filter valve back to FILTER if you used another setting. Empty the skimmer and pump baskets once more. Compare the filter gauge with the reading you noted at the start. Hayward’s sand filter manual says to backwash when the gauge climbs 8 to 10 psi above the clean, start-up pressure. Cartridge filters do not backwash, so follow your filter’s manual for rinsing the cartridge.

Which filter setting to use when you vacuum

The right setting depends on your filter type and how dirty the pool is. On a sand filter with a multiport valve, Hayward’s ProSeries manual describes the two options this way:

• FILTER: the normal filtering position, which Hayward says is also the setting for regular vacuuming. Dirt goes into the filter, and the water returns to the pool.
• WASTE: bypasses the filter. Hayward says to use it for vacuuming heavy debris loads directly out to waste. The water does not come back, so the pool level drops while you work.

Use WASTE for things you do not want sitting in the filter: a thick layer of silt after a storm, dead algae after a cleanup, or the mess left from a spring opening. Watch the water level the whole time and stop before it falls toward the bottom of the skimmer opening. Check your local rules on where pool water may drain before you point the waste line anywhere.

Cartridge filters usually have no multiport valve and no WASTE setting. Everything you vacuum goes into the cartridge, so on a very dirty pool you may need to stop and clean the cartridge partway through. The pressure gauge will tell you when flow is dropping.

Common problems while vacuuming

• The pump loses prime or gurgles. Air got into the line. Refill the hose, check that its end is fully under water, and look for a cracked cuff or a split in the hose. A full basket or low pool water causes the same symptom.
• The head barely picks anything up. Check both baskets, then check the filter gauge. A filter that is overdue for cleaning cuts flow at the vacuum head too.
• Dust blows back into the pool through the returns. Very fine debris can pass through some filters. Vacuum slowly, and for heavy fine silt on a multiport filter, use WASTE instead.
• The water is cloudy afterward. Fast strokes stirred up fine dirt. Let the filter run and vacuum the settled layer again the next day.
• Bubbles come out of the return jets. Hayward’s ProSeries troubleshooting list notes that bubbles returning to the pool point to an air leak in the intake line. If you have ruled out the hose, a pool technician can trace the leak.

Vacuuming inground vs. above ground pools

The method is the same, but the equipment is smaller on most above ground pools. Many come with a cartridge filter pump and a skimmer that needs an adapter plate for the hose. Shorter hoses and lighter vacuum heads are easier to handle on a vinyl floor, and a brush head is gentler on the liner. If you need to vacuum an above ground pool with a small pump, empty the cartridge often and keep strokes slow so the pump does not lose prime.

Inground pools often have a main drain, a dedicated vacuum port, and a multiport sand or DE filter. That gives you the WASTE option for heavy cleanups. Plaster and pebble finishes handle wheeled heads well. Gunite pools with steep transitions between the shallow and deep end take more care to keep the head flat on the slope.

Manual vacuuming vs. automatic pool cleaners

Manual vacuuming costs little beyond the pole, head, and hose, and it handles spot jobs well. It also takes time each week, and it is easy to miss the deep end on a tired evening. Automatic cleaners fall into three groups:

• Suction-side cleaners connect to the skimmer like a manual vacuum hose and use your pump’s suction. Debris goes to the pump basket and filter.
• Pressure-side cleaners run off a return line or a booster pump and carry their own debris bag.
• Robotic cleaners have their own motor and filter, plug into a power supply on the deck, and run independently of the pool pump.

Most owners still keep a manual vacuum for corners, steps, and heavy cleanups even with an automatic cleaner. If you are choosing a pool vacuum or cleaner, match it to your pool’s surface, your filter type, and how many leaves fall into the water each week. Browse more cleaning guides in our pool vacuums and cleaners section.

When to call a pool technician

• The pump will not hold prime even with a full hose, clean baskets, and the right water level.
• Sand or DE powder shows up on the pool floor after you vacuum, which can point to a problem inside the filter.
• The filter pressure climbs fast again right after a backwash or cartridge cleaning.
• The pump motor hums without starting, trips the breaker, or the GFCI cuts power. For anything electrical, call a licensed electrician.

FAQ

How do you vacuum a pool without losing suction?

Fill the hose completely with water before connecting it, keep the hose end under water when you push it into the skimmer, empty the baskets first, and keep the pool water at the proper skimmer level. Move the head slowly so it stays flat on the floor.

Should I vacuum my pool on FILTER or WASTE?

Use FILTER for routine vacuuming. Use WASTE on a sand or DE multiport filter when you are cleaning up a heavy load of dirt or dead algae. Hayward’s sand filter manual gives the same advice. WASTE removes water from the pool, so watch the level and refill afterward. Turn the pump off before you change the valve.

How often should I vacuum my swimming pool?

There is no fixed schedule. Vacuum when you can see dirt or leaves on the floor. A pool under trees, near a garden bed, or after a windy day needs it more often than a screened pool. Many owners fold it into a weekly routine with brushing and emptying baskets.

Can you vacuum a pool with the pump on?

Yes, a manual vacuum needs the pump running to create suction. What you should not do is change the multiport valve position while the pump is running. Turn the pump off, move the valve, then turn the pump back on.

Why does my pool vacuum blow dirt back into the pool?

Fine dirt can pass through some filters, especially a filter that needs cleaning or a sand filter handling very fine silt. Vacuum slowly, clean or backwash the filter as its manual directs, and use WASTE on a multiport filter for heavy fine debris.

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