Three Varieties Of Above Ground Pool Vacuums Described

Many people might say that above ground pool vacuums are essential rather than a luxury and I'm inclined to concur, particularly if you've a sizeable swimming pool.

The principal task in maintaining your pool is manually cleaning the dirt and debris off the floor. Because it's too heavy to float in the pool it doesn't get sucked into the filter via the skimmer and falls to the floor. So, you either have to clean it by hand or with a specially designed swimming pool cleaner.

Nowadays, there are dozens of assorted accessories to make it easier to do this but the easiest to operate, by far, are the automatic pool cleaners that are available in both in-ground and above ground models. Without one, you'll end up in the water, washing the bottom every couple of days or even more frequently if weather conditions drive leaves and grime into the pool.

Varieties of In Ground and Automatic Above Ground Pool Vacuums And Cleaners

Automatic Suction Side Vacuums

Suction side cleaners are powered by the suction produced by your swimming pool pump. This enables them to travel around the pool bottom where they suck up the debris. The water is sucked through your filter so more water is drawn through the system in a shorter time period.

Since there's no requirement to put in any extra pumps or plumbing, suction-sides are frequently half the cost of other cleaners. Though, since they suck material directly into your filter and pump basket, they can cause problems if the skimmer becomes blocked.

This is a regular occurrence if your pool is located in a place that has lots of vegetation. Setting up a leaf trap will help avert this problem since it catches the larger stuff before it gets to your pump basket. If the suction cleaner doesn't have a leaf collector, you might be able to include one in the cleaner hose.

Several suction side vacuums are able to "scrub" the pool's walls. It does so by agitating itself as it moves around the pool. This cuts down the frequency you will have to brush clean your pool. And, since it draws dirt straight into your filter, it can extract much smaller particles than a swimming pool cleaner with a bag.

If you do not normally have foliage in your pool, the daily grime and debris should not block the skimmer basket.

If you select this sort of cleaner for your swimming pool you need to be sure you keep your filter clean. If your filter is blocked the suction will be reduced and so it will move less easily and cleaning will be negatively affected.

Pressure-side Automatic Pool Vacuums

In contrast, pressure side vacuums are driven by water pressure, created by a pump, and include internal vacuum bags.

The pressure drives the vacuum around the pool and forces the debris into the bag. It does not suck stuff into your swimming pool filter or pump basket which means you do not have to clean them so often and they can deal with leaves. However, they're not able to filter tiny particles through the bag and do not scour the walls very well either.

The price of a pressure side pool vacuum is dependent, partly, on whether or not you choose a booster pump or make use of the pool's main circulation pump.

A dedicated booster pump tends to clean the pool slightly better and continue for a longer time than using the main pump but it's an additional outlay and will need a dedicated line installed.

Robotic Automatic Pool Cleaners

Robotic automatic pool cleaners are stand-alone units which operate separately from the main pool filter system so do not require hoses.

They're powered by interior electric motors which are powered via an outdoor outlet. They have a transformer and power lead which transforms the electricity to a lower voltage after being plugged in.

Robotic above ground pool vacuums pump grime directly into the interior filters and come ready programmed. The on board computer chip diagnoses any problems and "learns" the form of the swimming pool. Several have a remote control that enables you to move the vacuum round your pool so you could clean any spots it might have missed.

Robotic pool vacuums are excellent at getting rid of tiny debris and deposits. It can also scrub the tile line in addition to the walls.

As a result of the powerful pump inside that vacuums up the dirt they are also a great method to increase the water circulation in the pool.

All this functionality comes at a cost however, and robotic pool cleaners are amongst the most expensive on the market, with costs ranging from $400 to $2000 and more.

Above ground pool vacuums not only help keep your swimming pool looking beautiful, they also save you time and effort allowing you many extra hours to enjoy relaxing instead of cleaning.