Leaves on bottom of pool

[Pool_Mike]

Ok,,, this has been a headache have been getting allot of leaves on the bottom of the pool. I been using the skimmer to vacumme it all up, untill I clogged up the valve where all the leaves go to. Now my junk Polaris 150 will not pickup the leaves on the bottom. What other tools equipment is better to use to get that kind of stuff from the bottom? ... and I mean allot of leaves :eek: Thanks!!

[ivyleager]

I still rely on my handy dandy leaf net. A terrific upper body toner!

CaryB

[waste]

Mike, a 'leaf rake' will help. They are deep nets, ~18' x ~8" x ~18" deep net to hold lots of leaves before needing to be emptied, that clip onto your skimmer pole just like the regular (flat) skimmer net.
There's a bit of a learning curve for using them heres a few poential problems:
Though the leaves themselves don't weigh too much, the water trapped with them does, so if you try to pick the full net up out of the water in the middle of the pool, the pole could bend or break - pull the net back to the wall and lift it straight up out.
The leaves will try to escape if you don't keep the net moving to trap them in the bottom (a quick upward jerk will also seal the net)
The 'slip stream' of the net passing across the bottom will stir up adjacent leaves - you can either wait for them to settle out (by going to another area of the pool for a few minutes) or you can 'herd' the leaves to the shallow end for easier removal or you can start by pushing the rake out, when you get to ~max reach, quickly flip the net 180 deg and pull it back into the stirred up leaves - whem you get to the wall, flip it again and push into the entrained leaves...
If you have to walk to the edge of the yard or fence to dump the leaves, you can make it a little easier by stepping on the bag first (to squeze the water out making the net lighter) then grab the pole just behind the net with one hand - when you get to the dumping area, use the other hand to hold the bottom of the net up so all the leaves fall out.
Hope this helps - it's not a 'miracle' answer but is easier than vacing them (though you do have to do a lot of laps around the pool) if you decide to get one and are having any trouble with it, let me know and I'll help as best I can :)

[Pool_Mike]

Hummmmmmmmmm....

Is this what your talking about? http://www.backyardcitypools.com/images/BWP/NA306-Leaf-Rake.jpg


If so, I have this. I tried. Its a pain in the &^% to use. lol


I can keep using the manual vac, but probably going to have to start putting on my solar cover to prevent leafs coming down below...

[larry b]

i too had alot of leaves used the vac but clogged up, bought the leaf bagger 26.00$$$ the one u hook up your hose too. its blue and round with a leaf bag on top cleaned all the leaves off the bottom of my pool , best thing since the toaster!!!!! jusst make sure all the parts are there when u but it , also very very easy to use. 28ft av ground

[waste]

Mike, you have an amazing gift, I thought of something and described it and you were able to post a pic (I don't know what you do for a living, but you could make a bundle as an internet psychic :D). Yeah, that's what I was talking about, except it doesn't have the 'squeegee flap' on the rim.
Have you tried the 'techniques' I posted when using it?
What is it that makes it such a PITA? - I may be able to help.
Also Larry's choice is my #2 for leaf removal.

Hope you can rid yourself of those persnickity leaves!!
[edit]BTW, getting the leaves off of the solar cover can be even worse :eek:

[Pool_Mike]

how does the leaf bagger work w/ the water hose?? How is it hooked up and what makes the leaves go into the leaf bagger?


Where can I get one at or what does it look like???

Thanks again!!

[waste]

Mike, not sure where to get one (Walmart, Home Depot ?). It's ~18" round with 4 wheels, a pole connection and a female hose connection. It works like the polaris, ie venturi action from the hose, pulls leaves etc into the big mesh bag. In fact it's basicly a garden hose driven polaris that you have to direct around the pool with the pole. Perhaps Larry can clarify for me.

[larry b]

yes i have it here in my hand, its13 inches wide, 6-7 inches. high, leaf net goes around the top white ring, it goes on your pole , the end of your hose just goes onto the fiting on the base of the bagger, water jets up the bagger netting and the leaves follow its just that simple , bought it at the pool store.

[ivyleager]

Here's a link to the leaf bagger:
http://www.wards.com/product-2/64538.htm

I've yet to see one in any pool store in my area (NC).

CaryB

[Pool_Mike]

sounds simple. gotta head to my pool store tomorrow to get more salt. so I will ask about this. Thanks all!!

[Mom2Czars]

Mike, a 'leaf rake' will help. ...
The 'slip stream' of the net passing across the bottom will stir up adjacent leaves - you can either wait for them to settle out (by going to another area of the pool for a few minutes) or you can 'herd' the leaves to the shallow end for easier removal or you can start by pushing the rake out, when you get to ~max reach, quickly flip the net 180 deg and pull it back into the stirred up leaves - whem you get to the wall, flip it again and push into the entrained leaves...


This technique works great. I've had way too much opportunity to perfect it though.:( I'll be shopping for one of those leaf bagger dealies this year.

[CarlD]

It's a simple gadget--they make pool vacuums that work the same way, like the Black Magic. The garden hose creates a pressure spray that blows debris into the collection bag. It's very powerful but fine stuff passes through the bag. But for bigger stuff, it just sucks it up! The leaf-baggers work exactly the same way.

This is all a Black Magic vacuum is. There are other brands, too. The bag clips on the top. I think Biogard makes one, too.
http://www.poolcenter.com/images/poolmaster_28008_sm.jpg

Here's what a typical leaf-bagger looks like:

http://www.poolcenter.com/leaf_bagger.jpg

Pretty similar in concept, but geared for leaves.

Hope this helps.

[keastman]

My experiece with leaf rakes is that the type and brand make a big difference in how they work. Some are great and the leaves easily move into the bag, others are like a trying to open a lock with a tooth pick. I have an Aquajet pool cleaner, but find it's easier to take 5 minutes to use the leaf rake first before running it. Also have used the leaf bagger or leaf vac that you guys mentioned and find my leaf rake a lot easier to use and faster, not to mention having to deal with the garden hose. I got my rake at HD, it has a soft white mesh bag on it and the rim has a plastic edge on it that is curved to cause the leaves to lift off the bottom.

[Pool_Mike]

so when you hook up the waterhose, where does the other side of the waterhouse go to? The return or just to the water faucet??

[keastman]

Garden hose hooks up to your water faucet, I suppose you could get some adaptors to hook it your return but I think you'd have better pressure from the house water pressure assuming it is at a reasonable level. This of course does add water to the pool every time you use it.

[Pool_Mike]

Man, had allot of wind and blew crap load of leaves into our pool skimmper basket was full and also leaves that sank clogged around my 2 main drains, which allowed no suction to our pool and motor was running like crap. I would not think that it would be so bad.

I have yet to purchase that leaf catcher, but I am seriously thinking about pulling out my solar cover and drop it in our new pool and hope that would keep majority of the leaves sink below. arrggghh!! :eek:

[CarlD]

Pool_Mike: A leaf bagger is FAR cheaper than a solar cover. If you are getting lots of leaves, I'm guessing you are in a climate where you have to close your pool for the winter. If you use your solar cover in cold to freezing temps, you'll ruin it. It gets stiff and inflexible and, with ice, the bubbles burst.

There are leaf nets that you can get instead that aren't expensive and will catch the vast majority of leaves.

[mhnewcomb]

When and if you use a leaf bagger, take care that you don't drag it across the bottom of a vinyl-lined pool--my husband did, and we ended up with two large tears.

[Pool_Mike]

When and if you use a leaf bagger, take care that you don't drag it across the bottom of a vinyl-lined pool--my husband did, and we ended up with two large tears.

Hey all, well I got myself the leaf catcher, just like this one
http://www.poolcenter.com/leaf_bagger.jpg and it is working out really well. As for that tip, thank you. I actually see it being better used if you get the "LC" (leaf catcher) to got right over the spot w/ the leafs that are on the bottom. I don't see it being easier that use the little rollers on the bottom of the LC to help it much. Kind of like using it as a stomper/picker-upper ;)

Thanks my leafs horror catching days are over.


Hey anyone want to buy a brand new solar cover??? (not used)