A few years ago I tried a manual vacuum attached to a hose and pole using the suction side of my skimmer. I have popups which do great for general circulation and simple debris, but I get a lot of sand blown in by desert winds and dragged in by the dog's paws. As careful as I was I could never get all the air out of the system when I hooked it up . I did submerge the piping fully and even tried to fill it from a return but no matter what I did I got air into the pump filter basket, leaving an air space in there when it should be full of water (to protect the pump motor, right? Is this really bad for a pump for the 10-15 minutes it would take every few days to vacuum with this method?)
No matter how much I brush I still get a lot of sand left behind. I got a quote on installing a direct underwater connection to the filter but it was $700 and required the draining of a 9500 gallon pool into the Tucson desert, not environmentally friendly. I do have a cartridge filter so no back flushing. Water is quality is good with CYA under control for the last 5 years or so (since I found TFP) runs 55-60 which is where I want to be here in sunny Arizona. Was almost 300 when I starte4d (hard to measure at those levels)
OK, the question. Best hand vacuum to get and any hints on how to prevent air in the system would be appreciated. The sand is not organic like debris would be but it is unsightly and not the pool water quality I want.
Thanks
No matter how much I brush I still get a lot of sand left behind. I got a quote on installing a direct underwater connection to the filter but it was $700 and required the draining of a 9500 gallon pool into the Tucson desert, not environmentally friendly. I do have a cartridge filter so no back flushing. Water is quality is good with CYA under control for the last 5 years or so (since I found TFP) runs 55-60 which is where I want to be here in sunny Arizona. Was almost 300 when I starte4d (hard to measure at those levels)
OK, the question. Best hand vacuum to get and any hints on how to prevent air in the system would be appreciated. The sand is not organic like debris would be but it is unsightly and not the pool water quality I want.
Thanks