Pool vacuum questions from a newbie

[PoolDoc]

Using a water powered vacuum is, as you've noted, difficult on a tiny pool. We've had pretty good reports on Pool Blaster brand of rechargeable portable pool vacuum. The Catfish may be the model you want. Please note that you WILL need to buy the fine filter bag, in order to collect the sand.
Battery Operated Vacuum:

Water Tech Pool Blaster Max
Water Tech CATFISHPPV Pool Blaster, Catfish
Pool Blaster PBW022MF Micro Filter Bag

If you are interested in the battery vac -- and we've had pretty good reports on this brand -- call Water Tech *FIRST* and make sure that the fine bag will pick up debris like yours. It's possible that it may just go through the bag, so ask first.
Water Tech (PowerBlaster Max page)
10 Alvin Ct. Suite 111
East Brunswick, NJ 08816 USA
Tel: (800) 298-8800
e-mail: CustomerService@WaterTechCorp.com

But, you may want to look at another option. In days gone bay, locker rooms used to have bleach bath foot trays, to prevent athletes' foot. You could do the same thing put a large water filled covered tray next to your pool, so that everyone entering the pool could step in it FIRST, before stepping into the pool. You'd want to add 1/4 cup of bleach daily or 1/8 cup of polyquat every few days, to keep the water in the tray sanitary.

These are heavy duty trays; if you're not sure, you may want to see if you can find something local, cheaper. But, be careful -- cheap plastic breaks, and can shatter, and in general, consumer grade plastic trays don't hold up to rough use.(Kids stepping into a tray is ROUGH use!) The tray and lid below are polycarbonate, which is strong; consumer plastic trays are not. So, if it works for you, replace the cheap tray with these, or something equivalent. Also, you may need to lay a little rubber bath mat in the bottom of the tray, if it turns out to be slippery.

I tried to find the trays in black, which would be UV resistant, but couldn't. It's unlikely that ANY tray like this you can find, unless it's something like a black polyethylene concrete mixing tray, will be UV resistant. So you'll need to paint it. White paint will both protect the plastic AND keep the water in the tray from getting too hot to use, which could happen with black.

You may be able to find the tray at a restaurant supply outlet locally. The paint is probably available at Lowes -- and you might find a concrete mixing tray, that would work, if painted white. The polyquat is hard to find -- both big box stores, and pool stores, tend to sell 'goop' algaecides you don't want. Do NOT use a 'foamy' algaecide in the tray -- linear quats can be quite irritating, if you get the dose a bit high.

Rubbermaid Commercial Products 3308 8.5 gal Food/Tote Box
Rubbermaid Commercial Products FG3302 Clear Lid for 3308 Food/Tote Boxes

Krylon K02518000 Fusion For Plastic Aerosol Spray Paint, 12-Ounce, Flat White
Kem-Tek 311-6 Pool and Spa 60-Percent Concentrated Algaecide, 1 Qt