A beautiful swimming pool can be a great centerpiece for you, your family, and your friends to enjoy throughout the warmer months of the year. However, swimming pools have a way of collecting debris and harboring all sorts of pathogens that can negatively impact your health. Vacuuming is a great way to help keep your swimming pool clean, crisp, and bacteria-free. Ideally, you are going to want to vacuum your pool at least once a week, but if you your pool gets a lot of use you are going to want to vacuum more often.
When it comes to vacuums, you have the option of using either a manual pool vacuum or one of the three types of automatic pool cleaners (Pressure Side, Suction Side, or Robotic). Each type of pool vacuum will have its own set of strengths and weaknesses, depending on the type of pool you own. It is important to figure out how the qualities of each kind of vacuum will suit your needs.
Manual pool vacuums are going to need to be purchased as separate parts, which are relatively inexpensive compared to the alternatives. These parts include a vacuum head, a telescopic pole, a flexible hose, and a skimmer vacuum plate. Since these parts have to be bought separately, you will need to assemble them before your vacuum will be ready to use. This is easily the most affordable option, but will require the most effort on your part. Some vacuum heads only have the ability to vacuum, some will give you the ability to brush and vacuum at the same time, and some can even be battery-powered.
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Automatic pool cleaners do exactly as the name implies, they clean your pool automatically. Other than being set up, these vacuums won't require much interaction on your part. There are three different types of automatic pool vacuums, including, pressure-side, suction-side, and robotic cleaners. All of which have their own unique set of strengths and weaknesses.
Pressure side vacuums, such as the Polaris® Vac Sweep 380, are powered by your pools water pressure and are ideal for swimming pools where medium to large debris accumulates. This type of vacuum works by using the force from your pools water pressure to suck up the debris into a mesh bag. As the vacuum collects debris the water is filtered back out into your pool. A booster pump comes with this model but can be optional depending on the unit you chose. A booster pump increases the performance by sending additional water volume to the vacuum and they are typically recommended.
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The suction side vacuums are typically the most affordable option out of all the automatic pool cleaners. This type of vacuum uses your existing pump and filtration system, so the vacuums performance is dependent on the quality of your system. With that being said, you are going to need to tend to your filter on a more frequent basis. Vacuums such as the Zodiac Baracuda G3, are able to quickly pick up small and medium-sized debris. Not only are they quick and more affordable, but they are very easy to maintain as well.
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Robotic pool vacuums are usually the most expensive yet they are the most efficient type of automatic pool cleaner. Despite the high cost, robotic systems are very easy to use and will likely save you money in the long run. They are completely automatic and require very little human supervision if any at all. The system drives itself around your pool, effectively collecting debris of all sizes while scrubbing your pool at the same time. Some robotic vacuums can be controlled with a remote and some are controlled by a timer, such as the Aquabot Breeze XLS.
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