Telescoping poles, as they are called, come in a variety of lengths and quality. The best ones are made from fiberglass, but most are aluminum. They usually extend and then twist lock in place. Most telescoping poles have two (2) holes at the end that are designed to accept a wide range of accessories that we will discuss below.
The easiest way to make a dirty pool look good is a good vacuuming. All pools need to be vacuumed on a regular basis. The vacuum head attaches to the pole, and then a vacuum hose is attached to the vacuum head. The pole and vacuum head are then lowered into the pool. There are two different types of vacuum heads. One has wheels and is weighted for concrete pools (left). The other is designed for vinyl lined pools, and has brushes instead of wheels (right).
In order to vacuum debris from the pool walls and floor, you will need a vacuum hose. The vacuum hose connects to the vacuum head and telescoping pole. Then, lowered into the pool. You then need to fill the vacuum hose with water, and then plug the end into the skimmer suction hole or a dedicated vacuum line. The water and debris are pulled into the filter pump basket via the swimming pool vacuum hose. After you vacuum, you will need to clean the basket and backwash the filter.
The leaf trap is a canister that is placed at the end of the vacuum hose just before the pool skimmer. Inside the canister is a large basket that will trap the leaves and debris before the “pool trash” gets to the pump. Great for leaves, acorns, pebbles and palm tree debris.
The most popular pieces of equipment around the pool are the skim net (left) and leaf rake (right). The skim net is a flat mesh net that attaches to the telescope pole. It should be used on a daily basis to remove debris floating on the pool surface before it can sink to the floor. The leaf rake is also a mesh net, but is much deeper. Great for scooping debris from the pool floor for a quick cleaning before guests arrive for instance.
One of the most overlooked maintenance steps of pool care is brushing. Swimming pools should be brushed at least once per week. Brushing removes algae and other films and dirt on pool walls and pool floors that can’t be removed by vacuuming. A weekly brushing will avoid “slimy” walls and slick film that is common with pools and spas. There are several types of pool brushes. Stainless steel is perfect for plaster or concrete pools. Stainless brushes should not be used on vinyl pools. Plastic bristle brushes can be used on any type of pools, and are ideal for above ground and vinyl pools. There are also brushes designed for getting into pool corners and steps. Don’t forget to brush your pool weekly!!
One of the best inventions for swimming pool cleaning since the telescopic pole is the Leaf Bagger. Sometimes called the Leaf Master, The Leaf Bagger is a jet style vacuum that uses water pressure from your garden hose to create a Venturi affect. The high pressure water pushes the debris into a large bag. The leaf bagger is ideal for a quick spot clean or cleaning a pool floor full of leaves. Available with a leaf bag, or a very fine mesh bag.
The Stain Master is a siphon driven device that can siphon Muriatic Acid from a bottle on the pool deck to a stain on the pool surface. Sometimes called the Acid Wand. For small localized stains, rust stains, leaf stains, acorn stains. Pool Acid Wands allows you to remove stains from your pool without going through the hassle of draining all of the water out. Read directions, and follow all safety guidelines.
Another method for removing localized stains on concrete pools is the pumice stone. Pumice is a light porous glassy lava stone that can be rubbed over a pool stain to remove it. You can get a pumice stone that can attach to your telescope pole or a pumice stone that has a handle you can swim with. Works great on cement stains, berry stains and paint.
A clean tile band is a very important part of the way your pool looks. As part of your weekly maintenance schedule, scrub the tile band with tile cleaner and a non abrasive brush. Tile brushes come in a variety of and shapes, or just use a plastic bristle brush.