The Importance of Using a Pool Filter Vacuum Plate & How to Choose One
When it comes to giving your pool a thorough cleaning, you shouldn’t skip an important step – manual vacuuming. Sure, you can get an automatic pool cleaner but it will only do half the job. As it scrubs and cleans the pool, an automatic cleaner can toss some of the debris back into the water. So, in order to prevent the build-up of mould, algae and other disgusting things, it’s important to manually vacuum the pool from time to time.
And vacuuming a pool can be even easier than vacuuming a house provided that you have all the right equipment. The basic pool vacuuming equipment consists of a vacuum head, a telescopic pole to which the vac head is attached, a long vacuum hose that can reach every area of the pool, a scrub brush to attach to the pole and a pool filter vacuum plate.
Many people think it’s not that necessary to use a vacuum plate when you can simply attach the hose directly to the skimmer. However, unless you use a special vacuum plate, you’re risking damaging valuable pool parts, such as the skimmer and even the filter. Without a plate, you will need to remove the skimmer basket and attach the hose directly to the inlet. And since the basket is out of the way, unstrained water will be vacuumed into the skimmer inlet which can cause it to clog and even damage the filter if large debris reaches it.
However, a pool filter vacuum plate can fit on top of the skimmer basket and has a fitting that allows the vacuum hose to be plugged in. This way, the hose can receive suction from the inlet without the need to remove the skimmer basket. As a result, any large debris will get caught into the basket which reduces the risk of clogging and making expensive service calls.
When choosing a pool filter vacuum plate, it’s important to make sure it corresponds with the skimmer basket’s dimensions. For instance, if the basket has a 200mm diameter, you’re going to need a vacuum plate that has a 220mm diameter. To make it easier to find the right plate, many stores selling pool parts clearly state what type of skimmer basket their products are suited for. What’s more, there are two types of plates available – standard plates and skimtrol/vactrol plates. Standard plates are suited for hoses that come with a bypass valve. If the hose you own doesn’t have one, you can purchase a skimtrol or vactrol plate which has a bypass valve built into it.
