Vacuuming with a trash pump

[Micloose]

I've decided open my pool by myself this year after closing it myself in the fall. Couple of things: I didn't do as good of a job as I thought I did of removing all of the leaves last fall, so now the bottom is covered in leaves and algae.

Is it possible to vacuum out the pool using a trash pump and my 1.5 inch pool vacuum hose?

I've already clogged my pump up once going to wast, so if I can avoid doing that again that would be preferred. I've had little luck finding any info online regarding this, so any helpe or advice is appreciated!

 

[tjwaggoner]

Maybe use a net to scoop out the bulk of them? Might save you a clog. Not sure about a trash pump, may work fine depending on the pump

 

[duraleigh]

I see only good things from using a trash pump EXCEPT the significant water loss. If that is not a problem, then a trash pump would be a great weapon. (many of them are quite powerful and, I guess, might collapse a normal pool vacuum hose)

 

[Micloose]

Thank you for the responses. The people at the pool store had suggested that I do a siphon vac. With an inground pool, that just doesn't seem like it would work. Are there any specific websites that demo how to use a trash pump that anyone has come across?

 

[tjwaggoner]

Yeah the water loss could put you on a pretty tight clock to get it done if you use a pump of any size. Probably not an option for guys like me with pools in the 10k gal range anyway. When I was growing up we bought a house with a pool that had sat uncovered for several years, very large inground vinyl pool. Dad didnt need a vacuum or trash pump cause he had me, ha. I put a swim mask on and drug chairs, a bicycle, tires, and several concrete blocks out of that pool. My kids would look at me like I was from another planet if I had asked them to do something like that.....times change.

 

[applgrl]

We rent a trash pump with a 3" hose every year: our pool is concrete and has no bottom drain. It takes us about 6-8 hours to completely drain 38,000 gallons, so it's incredibly efficient if you have somewhere for all that water to go. The biggest concern you would have is making sure that the hose doesn't suck up your liner! (i.e. it couldn't sit flush against wall or floor!)

In our experience, some hoses have a perforated guard at the end which promptly become clogged with leaves, so that has to be removed. The rental guys give us the hairy eyeball about that, so we have to assure them we are only sucking up soft material, nothing that will ruin the pump. Also, some pumps have different torque/horsepower and the heavy metal end of the hose can begin swinging with enough force to damage the pool. So you have to watch for that as well.

The exit hoses are usually 50 feet long or more, so you can wind them around corners and distribute the water as you are able. (We irrigate farm land with all that lovely sludge, so it doesn't go to waste fyi)

If you can creatively rig the end of the intake so that it sits securely on the bottom, with hose end perpendicular to the floor, I would push as much of the debris as possible into one area of the pool and let it sit overnight. Then, carefully position the hose and use your pool brush to brush the mucky stuff into the intake until you were happy.