You have four choices for vacuuming a pool: manual, suction-side, pressure-side, or robotic. This guide explains each, when to use which, and the single most important decision — whether to vacuum to filter or to waste.
Manual vacuum (the baseline skill)
Every pool owner should know how to manual-vacuum. Required gear: vacuum head, hose, and telescoping pole.
- Attach the head to the pole and hose.
- Prime the hose: submerge it, hold one end against a return jet until all air is out.
- Connect the primed end to the skimmer (with vacuum plate) or dedicated vacuum port.
- Vacuum in slow, overlapping strokes — like mowing a lawn.
Vacuum to filter vs. vacuum to waste
| Situation | Setting |
|---|---|
| Normal dirt and leaves | Filter |
| Dead algae after SLAM | Waste |
| Very fine particulate (dust storm, pollen) | Waste |
| Heavy debris load | Waste |
Vacuuming fine particulate to filter clogs the filter in minutes and pushes the debris back into the pool. Waste bypasses the filter entirely — you lose water, but the debris is gone.
Suction-side cleaners (Polaris-style)
Low-cost, plug-and-play. Uses suction from the skimmer to drive the cleaner. Cons: slow, adds load to your main pump, and struggles with fine debris.
Pressure-side cleaners
Uses a booster pump to drive water through the cleaner. Has its own debris bag. Better for large debris than suction-side. Cons: requires dedicated booster pump line, more expensive install.
Robotic cleaners
Fully independent — plugs into an outlet, runs its own motor and filter bag, climbs walls, and returns to a dock. Best cleaning performance on the market, lowest ongoing energy cost per hour of cleaning.
Our recommendation for most Florida homeowners: robotic cleaner running 3–4 hours a day. Lets you skip manual vacuuming entirely.