Fall starts and your pool starts to look like a pond.
The quantity of debris in your pool can significantly rise this time of year. If you have trees in the backyard, the problem can be worse. Even if you don’t have trees, winds can bring leaves to your pool from the neighborhood.
Get yourself a nice pool vacuum if you don’t want to spend hours sweeping out leaves. If there are a lot of leaves in the pool, you will need to stop vacuuming periodically to empty the pump strainer basket, as it’ll fill up very quickly. To avoid this, you must first use a net to collect the bulk of the leaves before vacuuming.
Also, many innovative products are available in the market that, at the very least, make vacuuming leaves out of swimming pools easier.
I will go through such products in this article.
Different Ways to Get Rid of Leaves in Pool
Here are different ways you can use to clear leaves from the pool.
Skim Leaves Before Vacuuming
If your pool is covered in leaves, you should first use a net to skim them off the surface. As there will be far fewer leaves for the vacuum to take up, vacuuming will be much simpler and quicker.
It’s a great way to skim leaves off the surface of the net before vacuuming to prevent clogging. Your task will be much simpler, and your vacuum cleaner will last longer if you clean the leaves from the surface.
When leaves start falling quickly, routinely use a quality leaf skimmer net to remove any leaves from the pool’s surface before they sink to the pool bottom, which worsens the problem.
Spending a few minutes doing this will save you a lot of time in the long run.
If there are a lot of leaves in the pool, you should try to remove as many of them as you can using a net or pool leaf catcher before even thinking about vacuuming them up.
Use the catcher with a scoop or rake to move the front of the net beneath the leaves and collect them effectively. Without this, a net will probably only move the leaves around instead of actually collecting them.
You can vacuum your pool after removing as many leaves as possible using a leaf rake and allowing any fine particles to settle on the pool’s bottom.
Here is the detailed guide for vacuuming your pool.
Use Water Flow
A gentle flow of water on the surface guides floating leaves in front of the skimmer, allowing them to be trapped before sinking.
Target eyeball fittings towards the surface of the water to create a little amount of surface motion or ripple. This makes it easier to transfer leaves from the pool to the skimmer.
Best Pool Vacuum Head for Leaves
While many different types of pool vacuum heads are available on the market, not all are as efficient when cleaning leaves from a pool.
A regular brush head, for example, will sometimes only push the leaves about instead of picking them up. A better option is the Polaris Turbo Turtle Vacuum Head, which has unique brushes designed to pick up leaves and debris from your pool’s floor.
This vacuum head also has its own leaf bag, so you can vacuum leaves directly into it instead of stopping and emptying the strainer basket on your pool pump every few minutes.
The Hayward Leaf Canister, designed to attach to your existing pool vacuum head, is another alternative. This canister also collects leaves and debris as you vacuum.
Both of these options will make vacuuming leaves from a pool simpler and faster while also extending the life of your pool pump by preventing leaves and debris from clogging the strainer basket.
Use a Robotic Pool Cleaner
If you want to make your life easier, robotic pool cleaners are your best bet.
Most robotic pool cleaners also have leaf bags, saving you from clogged pool pumps or strainer baskets.
The best part is that they don’t need you for the most part, as they get on with cleaning the pool.
Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus is one of the most popular robotic pool cleaner models on the market. It’s simple to operate and comes with its leaf bag.
The Hayward AquaNaut 400 is a nice alternative if you’re on a limited budget. It does not have a leaf bag, it is highly good at collecting leaves and debris as it cleans your pool.
Buy a Floating Skimmer
A floating skimmer is a suitable alternative if you don’t want to use a robotic pool cleaner.
They work like small rafts and have a net that collects leaves and other waste from the surface of the water.
These are cheaper than automatic robots and do a good job of cleaning your pool.
The PoolSkim Classic is a popular and affordable floating skimmer that effectively gathers leaves and debris from a pool.
Another good option is the Skim-A-Round Pool Skimmer, which links to your existing pool vacuum hose. This means you could use it to skim leaves and debris off the water’s surface without having to stop and empty the strainer basket on your pool pump.
Use a Leaf Blower
If you have a lot of leaves in your pool, using a leaf blower to remove them might be a quick and efficient remedy.
Turn on the leaf blower and point it at the water’s surface; the leaves will be blown into a mound, which you can scoop out with a net.
Leaf blowers can get pretty noisy, so if you have nearby neighbors, you might have issues using this method.
They are also not the most environmentally friendly choice, so if you want to remove leaves from your pool in a green way, you should try one of the other alternatives on our list.
Leaf Gulper
The Leaf Gulper connects with your garden hose and sucks leaves and other waste out of your pool.
Simply set the Leaf Gulper over your pool’s leaf-filled area and turn on the garden hose, and the leaves will be sucked into the Gulper and then disposed of.
The Leaf Gulper is the solution when the leaves are so deep that they block the vacuum head.
For vacuuming, it takes advantage of the garden hose pressure; the higher the hose pressure, the better and faster it will vacuum.
Use a Leaf Rake
Using a leaf rake to clear leaves from a pool is very effective. You can go around the pool scooping up any leaves you come across.
Leaf rakes are inexpensive and can be a good option if you’re on a limited budget.
You don’t need to use any fancy equipment if you have some time in hand, as you can manually pick up those leaves with these rakes.
The Intex Leaf Rake is one of the market’s most popular and reasonably priced leaf rakes. It’s also simple to use and can be a good option on a limited budget.
Another good alternative is the Hayward Leaf Rake, which is more expensive than the Intex leaf rake. It is, however, built of higher-quality materials and is more durable.
Leaf Catchers
If many trees surround your pool, leaf catchers can be a very effective method to keep leaves out of the water. Leaf catchers are nets placed above the water’s surface and collect leaves as they fall in.
Leaf catchers are simple to use and can be put in the pool to collect fallen leaves. They are also pretty cheap.
Leaf catchers usually go over the top of a solid pool cover and are removed (along with all the leaves) once the leaves fall.
Leaf Catchers can also be used as a leaf net cover without a cover throughout the autumn season. Use the grommets in the corners to tighten the Leaf Catcher over the pool, preventing leaves from blowing off the cover.
The Intex Leaf Catcher is one of the most popular and cost-effective leaf catchers on the market.
Use a Pool Cover
Pool covers can be a good option to keep leaves out, especially in winter when you are not using your pool.
Pool covers fit properly on your pool and keep any unwanted things like leaves and rainwater outside.
These are one-time investments if you are buying a quality one and are easy to install.
The Blue Wave Maxi-Guard Winter Cover is a famous pool cover that is highly good at keeping leaves out of the pool.
Leaf Blocks
If your pool is surrounded by many trees, leaf blocks can effectively keep leaves out of the water.
Different kinds of boundaries like fences, bushes, and walls can help in saving your pool from leaves coming with air.
If the trees around your pool are shedding a lot of litter, nets and pool covers can help block these leaves.
Different Kinds of Problems Leaves Can Cause in Pool
A pool full of leaves is unsightly, but more than that, they can seriously affect your pool. Here are a few problems you can face due to leaves:
Unbalance the Pool Chemistry
Leaves are organic waste, and when there are a lot of leaves in the pool, the sanitizing chemical (chlorine) has to work extra hard, and in the process, your chlorine levels will get depleted very fast.
Other than that, leaves release tannins which are acidic, reducing the pH of water. Low pH is not good for pool water as it makes water unhealthy for swimmers and allows many bacteria to grow.
Chlorine also becomes less effective in low pH water.
Clog Pool Equipment
Another serious issue that may come up due to leaves is the clogging of pool equipment. Leaves can get into pool pumps or pipes and obstruct the path of water causing strain on equipment.
This may lead to extra wear and tear and loss of functioning or failure.
Stains in Pool
Plastered pools may get stained by tannins in the leaves after a leaf overload problem. Leaf stains are usually removed by balancing the water and shocking the pool.
Leaves can cause very dark stains in a plastered pool and may require acid cleaning for effective removal.
Keep Your Pool Clear of Leaves
In a few places with a lot of trees, leaves can pose a serious issue for pool owners.
If you are facing these problems, there are many methods to protect your pool from leaves. Use a combination of these, like installing a leaf net to stop getting leaves into the pool.
Then you can use equipment like a pool skimmer to remove any leaves that managed to get into your pool.
Before choosing the best technique to remove leaves from your pool, consider the number of leaves in your pool, and your budget.
FAQs
Here are a few frequently asked questions.
Can you vacuum up leaves in a pool?
Yes, you can vacuum leaves out of a pool. However, you will need to empty the leaf bag regularly, which can be time-consuming.
Can you use a garden hose to remove leaves from a pool?
Yes, you can remove leaves from a pool using a garden hose. However, this might take some time, and you must be careful not to break the pool liner.
What happens if leaves are left in the pool?
If leaves are left in a pool, they decay and discharge waste into the water.
An accumulation of leaves in your pool can throw the pool water chemistry out of balance and overtax sanitizing chemicals like chlorine. Typically, this signifies more acidity or a lower pH level, making the water unsafe to swim in.
How do I get leaves out of my pool without a vacuum?
There are several methods for removing leaves from your pool without a vacuum. Gather the debris pieces into a pile using a rake, then remove the pile by hand. Put it in a bag and throw it away. If the debris is floating and not at the pool’s bottom, you can use a leaf net to trap it on the water’s surface.
Can leaves damage the pool pump?
Falling leaves can cause many issues with your pool, including clogged drains, filtration lines, and pumps. A few leaves in your filter pipes might restrict water flow and reduce the efficiency of your pool equipment.
