Yikes! Small pile of gravel in pool

While cleaning the pool last night I noticed a small pile of gravel (about silver dollar sized) between the ladder and the wall. I tried to get the pool vac to pick it up, then the venturi vac - no go, this is one spot where we had a few small indentations in the sand so it just lays there. I do not want to push it around with the pool brush for fear it will damage the liner. Any suggestions, other than diving in and picking it out with my fingers? We have some gravel nearby and I know the boys (teens) have not been showering off feet EVERY time before they jump in - imagine that....

I can foresee this happening again....

Why don't you have the boys dive in and get it? Maybe they will be more aware of wiping their feet before jumping in. Sometimes they need something physical to get it in thier memory!

What about using the hose without the vac on to get it, use it like a shopvac.

I'd be really carefull if you try the vac hose without anything on it. I only have a .75 hp 2 speed above ground pump and on high there is no way I could pull the vac plate off of the skimmer without turning the pump off. If the end of the hose got a hold of you or the liner I would be afraid you might get hurt or damage the pool. Let the boys clean it up.

jennifer

If you don't make the boys get it, why not try a Venturi vac system? I got one at Lowe's last year for about $20.

Tried the venturi vac, as I said, no go. One has snorkeling equip, I'll make him go back in there and clean it up. Thought I might have missed something simple - other than that. It's like taking out the garbage, they make most of it, but its like pulling teeth to get it taken out! Thanks all

Doh! Somehow I totally missed that you tried that.

Don't know what a venturi vac is, and maybe I'm missing something, but how about a plain old vacuum brush? Hose hooks to the skimmer. I likewise wouldn't go against a liner with the end of a hose.
Al

I took the vacuum head off my suction vac and used waterproof tape to tape my light extension pole (goes to leaf skimmer) to hose and I use the hose at an angle to go around the edges and pick up sand that seems to lie where my cove starts. My yard around the pools is sand right now and my three boys get a lot of it in the pool. The Vacuum brush does not seem to want to pick it up against the wall but just the hose does great. Attaching it to the aluminum pipe makes it easy to go around the pool and pick up all the sand.
Aranon

The vac brush would not pick it up either - I'm guessing its something to do with the edges of the brush preventing enough concentrated suction to lift the grains (biguns) - Anyways, we had the snorkler use his equipment and pick it out.....

Venturi vac (attachment to extension pole and garden hose, water forces the waste up into filter "sock")

NWMNMOM-
I don't know if i am allowed to post a new thread directly asking you a question so, I am doing here, hoping you will see it.

So the big question is...... Did you ever use the indoor/outdoor carpeting anywhere?

Thanks
~Hoffmans

No, at this point we have not, except a small bit around the ladder. I WISH we had it all the way around and would like to do that - we could have avoided the gravel in the pool issue!!!!!

NWMNMOM

Hello again,
Ok I am under the impression you were thinking about putting the indoor/outdoor carpeting on the ground outside your pool like landscaping fabric. Is that right? Would you tack it down? Would you worry about bug communities, towns and cities taking up residence under there? Crunch crunch.

Ok, take a looksie look at this picture I copied from the doughboy website gallery. I know the carpeting is on the deck and not on the ground but what do you think about it???? THIS IS NOT MY POOL

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i2..._Rizkallah.jpg

Thanks
~Hoffmans

Actually, I like the "clean" look that has...the I/O carpeting I was looking at was a multi-toned brown and beige that I thought would offset the pool wall nicely or a dark dark hunter green that would go well with the house/deck trim and lawn furniture. Either way, I guess it would in fact have to be on some kind of base for stability, although they tell me it will not rot and as this type is used at marinas and in boats. I have some that we put right on the ground in front of our 5th wheel RV and it does pretty well, and has held up for about 5 years without rot. If we were to build a base around it, we could as well build a deck....my DH says he is on pool strike, no more work on it... maybe next year!