How to Attach a Vacuum to an Inground Pool

Vacuum your pool regularly to help keep water clean and clear.

Inground pools, open to the air as they are, continually get dirty during the swimming season. If you don't want to swim in dirty, cloudy water, you'll have to vacuum them once or twice a week. Vacuuming the pool is easy, requiring only that you attach a vacuum hose and head assembly, using a skim vac, to your filtration system and run it along the sides and bottom of the pool to vacuum up loose debris.

Things You'll Need

• Pool vacuum brush head
• Pool vacuum hose
• Pool vacuum skim vac

Instructions

1. Pull the top from the pool skimmer closest to the filter pump (if there is more than one) and open the slide valve at the bottom all the way, if it isn't already in that position.

2. Pull the top from the pool skimmer farthest from the filter pump and close the slide valve at the bottom all the way, if it isn't already closed all the way.

3. Attach one end of the vacuum hose to the vacuum brush head and the other end to the skim vac. If your vacuum hose has a swivel cuff on one end, make sure that end is the one attached to the brush head.

4. Place the vacuum brush head in the water, allowing the hose to float on the surface while it fills with water.

5. Place the skim vac suction plate over the top of the skimmer basket. Wiggle it to make sure it doesn't move and has a good vacuum seal. Your vacuum is now attached and ready to use on the pool.

Tips & Warnings

• You may have to turn the filter pump off when opening and closing the slide valves. The pump can exert considerable suction force on the valves and make them difficult to open and close.

• Place the vacuum head in the water before placing the skim vac on the filter return. If you don't, the filter will suck air into the system through the brush head instead of water, which could cause the pump to burn out.

References

• Status Clean: Pool Cleaning