Portable pool vacuum cleaners: a must-have

Written on Jul 24, 2008 at 06:21 PM by Davy Feller

The first big investment that every pool cleaner should make is in a high-quality portable pool vacuum cleaner. They're mobile, electric/battery-powered and self-contained. Really, they work a lot like the vacuum cleaner you use on the carpet in your house. It sucks up the dirt, and when you're done vacuuming, you empty the bag (or filter as the case may be).

In this day and age, you've got to be motorized. Back in the stone ages (okay maybe not that far back) people were hooking up yards of plastic hoses and manually getting a suction going in order to vacuum their pool. All the nasty debris from the pool would flow right out of the hoses and onto their lawn. You wind up with a soggy lawn full of leaves and dead bugs. There's just no way that's going to fly with your clients.

Having your own high-tech equipment just plain makes you look more professional. Your clients have an expectation that you're going to come equipped with all the tools and machines you need – they shouldn't have to provide you with anything other than a nice check! Pulling that bad boy out of the back of your van is impressive.

Another reason that having a portable pool vacuum cleaner is important is that you won't be dirtying up your client's filtration system. We're here to clean pools, right? Not make them dirtier. Rather than gunking up their filter, you're hauling the gunk away with you. And that's what they're paying us for!

Plus, you're saving on wear and tear, too. Filtration systems don't last forever. You're also saving your customers money. If you're running their system every time you clean their pool, they'll need to replace the filter more frequently.

While we're on the subject of pool cleaning no-no's; let me briefly touch on the subject of those automatic robotic pool cleaners. These might be okay for personal use, but they're not appropriate in a professional setting. Basically, these are the little guys you stick in your pool and then just sit back and let them do their thing. Put yourself in your client's shoes. "This is what I'm paying this guy for?" Why hire someone to do something you could just as easily do yourself? Providing hands-on care is always the best route.

Last but certainly not least, a portable pool vacuum cleaner makes your job easier, too. There's no tangle of hoses to deal with, and no more hoping and praying that your clients will have the equipment you need in order to do your job. The best vacuum cleaners on the market operate as handhelds and can also be hooked up to telescoping poles for reaching the bottom of the pool.

Portable pool vacuum cleaners aren't cheap, so do your research. There's no excuse not to when a quick Google search is all it takes. Read reviews from your fellow pool cleaners so you can make the best use of your money.