Now that you have your Smart on-ground pool, it’s important for both its beauty and longevity that you maintain your pool with regular cleaning. Not unlike your car or home, your on-ground pool is easier to keep clean if it is done consistently. The more time that passes between cleanings, the more effort it will take to get it back to sparkling.
As far as options for on-ground pool cleaning, manual cleaners are a popular choice among customers across many regions including Burlington, Hamilton, Cambridge and Kitchener-Waterloo. They are quite easy to use and do a precise job, largely depending on the manual operator. Manual pool vacuums typically consist of a vacuum head, a vacuum hose, and a telescoping pole. The vacuum hose is connected to the vacuum head at one end and your pool skimmer using an adaptor plate at the other. This hose must be primed or filled with pool water before attaching to the skimmer to maintain suction. Keeping the vacuum head submerged, it can now be maneuvered around the pool floor and into the areas most prone to dirt/debris build up. Move the vacuum head around slowly to ensure the dirt is collected and not stirred back into suspension.
Among the biggest advantage of manual pool cleaners is the low expense to both buy and operate them. They are simple in design and much cheaper than their automatic cousins. Manual pool vacuums take only a couple minutes to connect, and they can be used to target problem areas where dirt accumulates frequently (at the steps, along liner seams, or in the corners). After a windy or stormy day that adds extraordinary debris in your pool, the hands-on approach of a manual pool vacuum is the best solution to cleaning up. The extra benefit of your manual pool cleaner is that it’s very easy to use for a quick cleaning before a pool party or swim day. Once you hook it up, you can quickly target the area(s) that you want to clean rather than waiting for an automatic cleaner to run its course.
Despite their cost-saving advantage, manual pool cleaners can be a bit more time consuming and labour-demanding for the on-ground pool owner. As such, automatic pool cleaners can be a very popular option for establishing a regular cleaning routine. Among automatic pool cleaners, there are two main types to consider – suction vacuums and robotic cleaners.
Suction pool vacuums are connected to your pool’s circulation equipment and will only function when your pump is turned on. They are connected to the pool skimmer in exactly the same manner as the manual vacuum, and move around the pool collecting debris which is then passed through the pool’s filtration system. These cleaners are self-propelled randomly around the pool and may miss certain areas that require attention. They may also become clogged with larger debris (leaves and small twigs, needles, walnuts etc.) or climb the wall and “gulp” air above the water line, causing your pump to lose its prime and stop the cleaning process. These types of cleaners require some intermittent supervision to ensure they are functioning properly and should not be left to run unmonitored. They may also tangle in a ladder, or in the excess hose that connects the cleaner to the skimmer, which requires some intervention to resolve.
Robotic cleaners have become quite popular throughout the Cambridge and Kitchener area and operate independently of the pool’s circulation and filtering system. As such, these fancy cleaners require an independent outdoor power source (GFI outlet), and may require frequent maintenance to clean the onboard filtration system, which has limited capacity. They are a bit more precise in their coverage of the entire pool area, which includes passes around the walls and the waterline around the top of the pool, an area that usually requires manual brushing to keep clean. The robotic cleaners are very effective in pools that do not accumulate a lot of foreign debris and can be left to operate without monitoring.
The cleaning capacity of the robotic pool cleaner will vary depending on the model, but all are fairly simple to operate. They simply get placed in the pool and left to independently work their way around the pool surface. These cleaners can climb walls, work over stairs, and scrub all the way to the waterline. Also of note, these types of automatic cleaners should be removed from the pool prior to swimming as they do present an entanglement hazard, even when they are switched off.
Clearly there are a few important things to consider when choosing an on-ground pool cleaner and the process may be daunting. However, your on-ground swimming pool specialist will have the expertise to guide you through the process and help you decide on the cleaner that’s best suited for your personal preference, lifestyle and budget.
