After a long week of hard work, you’re finally chilling in your pool. But what you find is a pool full of dirt and debris.
Now, what do you do? Do you call a professional pool cleaner? Or do you see if there’s another cheap alternative?
It is most certainly the latter as you’re already going through our take on how to make a pool vacuum using a garden hose.
We admit it. The process seems a bit complicated at first. But don’t lose hope already. In this well-crafted piece, we’ll explain everything in the easiest way possible.
So, without further ado, let’s dive in (not literally)-
How Does a Garden Hose Pool Vacuum Work?
It might sound weird how a simple garden hose can vacuum out water from a pool. But once you know what’s going on behind the curtains, it’ll be as clear as water.
Now, we’ve all had a sip of water from a straw, right? But have you ever wondered how the water flows so smoothly?
In short, it’s because of the negative pressure. You see when you suck into the straw, you automatically generate a lower pressure than the surrounding environment.
Eventually, the water goes inside your mouth. And a garden hose pool vacuum works exactly the same way (at least, in theory).
When you connect an electric motor to a vacuum bag, the fan sucks in similar to how your mouth does to a straw. And for safety reasons, you add a long garden hose. That’s all there is about the basics.
However, you should keep in mind the smaller your intake valve is, the greater the suction power. We’ll get to that a bit later.
How to Make a Pool Vacuum Using a Garden Hose?
Now that you know the basic know-how, the rest of the process will be a lot easier for you. Even though the process might seem a bit complicated for many people.
But with our detailed step-by-step instructions, we believe anyone can do it. Let’s start with the materials-
Step 0: Get These Essentials First
Garden Hose
Remember to get a garden hose made out of soft rubber. The flexibility alone should make this worth it. As both ends will be open, you can use it for various purposes other than this.
Vacuum Bag
As the name suggests, the vacuum bag generates suction for getting the water out. Moreover, it makes sure that no debris slips into the pool while you’re cleaning.
Telescoping Pool Pole
Telescoping pool poles are used for capturing the floating debris by skimming through the water. The good thing is there are many different sizes available. Other than that, you can even add a brush for cleaning the pool walls.
So, figure out what size you need depending on the size of your pool.
Plastic Funnel
Remember when we told you a smaller intake means better suction power? Well, it also means you’ll spend more time suctioning. The DIY approach would be to cut down a 500-mL bottle at a 45-degree angle and connect it to your hose.
Step 1: Figure Out the Garden Hose Length
Figuring the right garden hose length is the first task of the process. In this case, it depends on the size of your pool. Let me simplify it-
Suppose you have a small pool you bought for your kids. Like all kiddie pools, it’ll have a shallow end. So, it goes without saying that you need a small-sized hose for that.
On the other hand, for the big dogs, you’ll need to increase the length of the hose. Otherwise, you won’t be able to reach the bottom.
Step 2: Connect the Hose to the Vacuum Bag
Once you figure out the hose length, you can start connecting the hose to the hose to the vacuum bag. But remember to keep one thing in check.
It’s about connecting the right hose end to the vacuum bag. Although there’s an easy way to know this. Check which one of the ends has an extra valve. If there’s an extra one, it’ll go with the vacuum bag.
Now, the question is, where would you get a vacuum bag from?
Well, the answer’s simple. Grab a vacuum bag from one of your household vacuum cleaners and that’s it. Trust me, those are more than enough to capture dirt and debris.
Step 3: Attach the Telescopic Handle to the Hose
Chances are your hose won’t have handle holes for attaching the telescopic handle. But don’t worry, there’s a simple solution to this problem.
The best and most cost-effective option would be to tie the border of the garden hose to the telescopic handle. And a simple rope is all you need.
However, make sure that the rope itself isn’t dirty. Putting a dirty rope in your pool will only increase your work.
Step 4: Land the Telescopic Handle in the Pool
Well, guess what? The construction is over and it’s time to make things neat.
After you’ve ensured the telescopic handle is all set, lower it into the pool. Next, take the hand right to the bottom of the pool so that it has a nice surface for suctioning.
Step 5: Start the Vacuuming
Start with the dirtiest parts of your pool. Most people think that cleaning a pool using this method takes only a few seconds. However, the dirty parts won’t let that happen.
Nonetheless, our suggestion would be to take it slow. We know it gets boring, but for the perfect cleaning, you need to give it the time it needs.
After a few rounds, you’ll notice that most of the dirt is gone. But that’s not the end of it.
Step 6: Take Out the Vacuum
It’s obvious that you have to take out the vacuum once you’re done. So, why did we mention it as another step?
Well, we have our reasons. The thing is we’ve seen too many incidents where people hastily take out the vacuum. The end result- they’ve got dirt stirred all over the pool.
So, take your time while doing it, there’s no rush. After you’re done with that, untie the knot and detach the garden hose. Finally, wash the vacuum bag and you’ll be done with the process.
Here is a video tutorial for you on how to vacuum clean a pool with only a garden hose
Before We Go
So, folks, that’s all we had on how to make a pool vacuum using a garden hose. For someone who’s on a tight budget, this method is a lifesaver.
Anyhow, before we go we have one last piece of advice for you. Before you start the vacuum, make sure it doesn’t have any air bubbles inside. In fact, the vacuum won’t even work unless you fix it.