How to Get Sand Out of Your Pool [Easy 4-Step Guide]
Imagine it’s a hot day, you’re having the time of your life in your pool, then notice there’s a gritty sand build-up tagging at your feet at the bottom of your pool!
Horrific, right?
Well, we’re here to show you how you can deal with this problem yourself. To get sand out of your pool, you’ll only need a pool brush to bring the sand to one area and a working vacuum for sucking the sand out.
But, how will you know that you’ve taken the right steps to removing sand from your pool?
Read on and find out!
How to Get Sand Out of Pool
Before you start cleaning out all that sand from your pool, you will first have to get a couple of things.
They include:
- Pool brush
- Vacuum hose
- Vacuum head
- Vacuum plate
Once you have these at your side, you can then move forward with the actual cleaning using the following steps:
1. Prepare Your Vacuum
In most cases, a vacuum is your main arsenal when it comes to removing sand from your pool.
After assembling the vacuum, firmly lock the vacuum plate onto the skimmer and dial the filter to “Waste”. Doing so prevents the sand and pool water from overwhelming your filter. However, you will lose a lot more water as the water sucked up isn’t channeled back to the pool.
If you leave the setting at “Filter”, then your filter system will likely get damaged once you turn the vacuum on as there’ll be an overflow of sand stuck in the vacuum.
2. Overfill Your Pool
Overfilling your pool before you get started is a good idea since the vacuum will suck out large volumes of water once turned on.
Also, depending on the amount of sand build-up that’s at the bottom of your pool, you may need to top up the pool’s water once you’re done cleaning. You may consider using a garden hose if necessary.
3. Collect the Sand in One Place
Before you officially start the vacuuming process, it’s best to first sweep up all the sand to one spot using a pool brush. This is because once you turn the vacuum on, you’ll need to act fast to get it right.
However, do NOT sweep too fast, or else you might throw all that sand all over the place.
Ensure that you brush along the sidewalls of the pool to dislodge any sand that might have stuck onto the side surfaces.
Another area you should look out for when brushing the sand is the pool corners as they are a favorite chilling spot for sand and debris.
You really have to take your time here. The longer you sweep and more sand you collect in one area means the lesser time and effort you’ll have to spend when vacuuming.
For a bigger pool, you may need to bring together several lumps of sand to get the best result.
4. Vacuum Away!
After successfully collecting the sand in one area, it’s now time to turn your vacuum on and suck all that grit away. You need to move as fast you can to get all that sand sitting in one place.
Still, don’t move too fast that you end up kicking the sand around – you will have to repeat the previous step before you continue vacuuming.
Move the vacuum head gently and slowly over the sand spots, ensuring that you have sucked up everything before moving on to the next area.
Ensure that you don’t rush so that you prevent yourself from accidentally tripping, falling, or hurting in one way or the other while at the pool.
How Does Sand End up in Your Pool?
Okay, so, you’ve now figured out how you can clean sand from your pool. But, how did it even find its way into your pool water in the first place?
Well, sand may end up in your pool due to one of the following possible causes:
1. Carried in by the Wind
Sand ends up in your pool after being dropped into the water by wind currents most of the time.
As you know, some winds are strong enough to pick up sand and dust particles and carry them over long distances. Such can be responsible for letting down some of the sand into your pool if they pass over your pool area.
Note that this can still happen even if you don’t have sand anywhere near your pool. However, if the amount of sand in the pool is huge, then you should start suspecting other culprits.
2. Deposited by Swimmers
This is another common way through which sand ends up in most pools.
The last time I checked, sand particles still love tagging onto people’s feet and clothes when they’re wet. When these sand-hugged people jump into the pool, the water will rinse off most of that sand from their bodies onto the pool’s floor.
Otherwise, this sand can clog your washing machine, and that is no Bueno!
3. You Have a Malfunctioning Sand Filter
When your sand filter is not working correctly, it might start spurting back sand into your pool. You may want to check your sand filter for any damages and get it fixed ASAP.
You can do this alone or contact a professional if you suspect the damage is beyond your knowledge.
4. It May Not Be Sand
Sometimes what you assume is sand may actually be mustard algae, also known as the yellow pool algae.
You can tell it’s this if it forms a thick yellow cloud when you try sweeping it to one place.
If this is the case, then you’ll need to carry out a deep cleaning of your pool, equipment, suits, toys, and anything else that goes into the pool!
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is sand constantly filling up in my pool?
Sand may constantly fill up your pool if you have a sand filter malfunction. It could be either cracked, have a broken multiport valve, or faulty laterals.
This is mainly the case if you notice tons of sand rapidly settling at your pool’s depths.
How do I get sand out of my pool without a vacuum?
You can get sand out of your pool without a vacuum by using a pool brush and dustpan.
You’ll have to gently and slowly brush sand particles to one place without stirring them. Afterward, you’ll need to sweep them onto the dustpan and empty it in a trash can outside.
This method is effort-demanding and you’ll spend a lot more time hacking it.
How can you vacuum sand out of a pool filter?
The best way to remove sand from your pool filter is by switching your vacuum settings to “Waste”. This ensures that there’s no more sand getting through your filter and also pumps water through to rinse it as well.
