How to Make a Pool Vacuum Using a Garden Hose?
I always looked forward to moving to a house with a swimming pool, and I finally got to rent one. And oh boy! Did cleaning the pool turn the dream into a nightmare fast!
It wasn’t only the cleaning only; the cost of the cleaning equipment was a nightmare too. I wasn’t ready to invest in a pool vacuum at the time, so I learned how to make a pool vacuum using a garden hose.
This hack I found online was tough to understand at first. But eventually, I got the hang of it and will be sharing with you a guide on how to do it.
What You Need to Make a Vacuum Cleaner from a Garden Hose
Here are the essentials you need for this process:
A Quality Garden Hose
It doesn’t really matter whether the garden hose is old or new; ensure it’s of high quality. The hose should also be long enough to cover your pool from to the bottom. In most cases, you’ll need a hose pipe that’s 25 feet long.
Lastly, ensure the hose pipe has no tangles or kinks so that water can pass through without any problems.
Plastic Funnel
The garden hose has a small diameter, limiting its ability to collect debris, slowing down the cleaning process.
Getting a plastic funnel helps expand the hose. If you don’t have a funnel and you’re trying to save a few bucks, you can use a 500 ml water bottle. Simply cut it at an angle of 45°.
A Telescopic Pole
A telescopic pole varies in length depending on the size of the pool. The main purpose of the pole is to collect all the debris from the pool and put it in the attachment bag.
A Vacuum Bag
The one drawback of the garden hose as the vacuum is that it doesn’t have suction power. This means that the debris and parasites may go back to the pool after vacuuming. In this case, having a vacuum bag helps in acting as a suction source by providing the right amount of pressure.
The suction from the vacuum bag helps prevent the debris from spilling into the water again, making the process easier and faster.
How to Make a Pool Vacuum Using a Garden Hose
Now that you have all the equipment you need, the next thing is to make your vacuum.
Here are the simple steps I followed to get it done:
Step 1: Attach the Vacuum Bag
At this point, I hope you’ve already selected a suitable garden hose. The first step of creating your vacuum cleaner is attaching the garden hose to the vacuum bag.
Normally, cleaners come with a dustbin that collects all the dirt and debris from the pool. For your DIY cleaner, be creative with the items you find around the house.
When attaching the garden hose to your vacuum bag, ensure the side with the valve is the one that’s attached to the vacuum bag for maximum suction.
Step 2: Connect Your Telescope to the Construction
Before connecting the telescope to the garden hose, disconnect it from the leaf sweeper. If your handle has two pins, you’ll have to compress both to detach it from the sweeper.
However, you can separate the pole and the skimmer in many cases by bending the leaf skimmer section. Next, pick and insert the pole into the vacuum pool hole in your garden hose.
Don’t be frustrated if it takes time to join the two; it took me more time than I’m proud to admit. If it proves impossible to join the two, simply use a knot to tie them – make sure it’s tight enough to not open during cleaning.
Step 3: Start Vacuuming
The vacuum cleaner is ready, and it’s time to start the cleaning. You’ll need a very tight grip to make sure the cleaner touches the pool floor. The gadget will do a more thorough job if it touches the bottom of the pool.
Once you have the device at the right place, move the pole along and pay attention to the debris at the bottom of the pool. Continue vacuuming as you observe the floor – give the vacuum cleaner enough time to draw water through the hose pipe.
Since the vacuum bag doesn’t have a high suction pressure, all the debris and dust particles are sucked in the hose.
Step 4: Drain and Rinse
It might take you a little bit longer than when you’re using gadgets designed for pool cleaning. However, with patience, you’ll end up with a clean pool floor.
Once you’re done, remove your garden hose vacuum from the water.
Disconnect the nozzle attached to the dust bin, empty the vacuum bag, wash the whole setup, and store it carefully.
You can also hand clean your pool floor using a pair of scrubbers once the pump has drained the pool.
What If I Don’t Want to Clean My Pool Manually?
There is no need to be ashamed for not wanting to clean your pool manually. We don’t judge at the lazy pool owners club. I did enjoy cleaning my pool with my garden hose vacuum cleaner, but it was too labor-intensive.
This should be a temporary solution. Here are some of your options once you’re ready for an upgrade:
Suction Pool Cleaners
These are a great alternative to the manual cleaning pool as they automatically do the job. You install the device as you would with a manual vacuum, then leave it to do the cleaning.
Pressure-Side Pool Cleaners
A pressure-side pool cleaner is a substitute for your pool’s filtration system. The automated cleaner uses a filter system that traps all the debris, keeping the pool clean.
Robot Pool Cleaners
These vacuums are entirely automated. All you need is to plug them into the power outlet and wait for the magic to happen.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does iRobot make a pool vacuum?
No, iRobot does not make a pool vacuum. It makes “Roomba,” a robotic vacuum cleaner for the home. The number of rooms it can clean depends on the room size and layout. You should check whether Roomba can clean multiple rooms or not before buying it.
How do I clean my pool that looks like a swamp?
One way to clean a pool that looks like a swamp is to add chlorine bleach. Add 1 gallon of household bleach for every 10,000 gallons of water in the pool. Be sure to read and follow all safety instructions on the bleach container. Other additives, such as algaecide or clarifier, may also be needed to properly.
Will baking soda clear a green pool?
No, baking soda will not clear a green pool. There are a number of products on the market specifically designed to clear green pools, and baking soda is not one of them.
Final Words
Having a pool is a great idea until you need to clean it. As a first-time pool owner, the maintenance can feel impossible, and the financial burden of investing in the right tools can be overwhelming.
Well, as you save up for that robot vacuum cleaner you’ve been eyeing, you don’t have to swim in a dusty pool full of debris. With a long garden hose, you can make a vacuum cleaner – and although it will be more labor-intensive, it will get the job done.
Did you get all the tips on how to make a pool vacuum using a garden hose? Let us know in the comment section. And don’t forget to share any additional tips or tricks that you may have discovered along the way. We want to ensure that everyone has the most effective pool vacuum possible. Also, if anyone has any insight or advice on vacuum suction power measurement, please share that information as well. Your input is greatly appreciated!
