Setting your pool pump correctly is important for effective pool vacuuming. Whether you're using a manual pool vacuum, a pool vacuum robot, or an advanced robot pool cleaner, the pump's purpose can have a huge impact.

A robot pool cleaner is a device that allows you to avoid manually vacuuming your pool. Owners enjoy the time-saver and efficacy made possible by leaving the job to the cleaner. But if you’re vacuuming your pool manually or running your pool filtration system, determining what settings to use on your pool pump is essential to avoiding cloudy water and clogged filters.

What pool pump setting do you use when vacuuming?

Routine Cleaning — Filter Mode

If your pool is fairly clean and you’re vacuuming light debris, the filter setting is the way to go. This circulates water through the filter and sends it back to the pool. It serves well as routine maintenance when using a manual pool cleaner (either a vacuum cleaner for pools) or a robotic pool cleaner.

Waste Mode for Heavy Debris and Algae

If your pool has a lot of dirt, leaves, or algae, put the pump in waste mode. This bypasses the filter altogether, spewing dirty water out of the pool. This can be particularly useful when using a pool vacuum for algae following a shock treatment.

To pre-clean, use the recirculating mode.

You might temporarily use recirculate mode to circulate chemicals you’ve just added or for a deep clean of your pool with a swimming pool robot cleaner, as this will help distribute the chemicals without passing water through the filter.

Should You Run the Pump When Using a Robot Pool Cleaner?

That’s the benefit of using a robot pool cleaner: It operates independently of your pool pump. Self-contained models, such as the Beatbot AquaSense 2 Pro or the Beatbot iSkim Ultra, contain their  internal filtration system. They are also ideal for energy savings as you can keep the main pool pump off while the robot pool takes care of cleaning responsibilities.

Pre-vacuum skimming and Brushing.

To remove large debris, always skim the surface of the water with a skimmer before vacuuming. Use a brush to sweep the walls and steps to remove all dirt. This will allow you to utilize both your manual vacuums and the pool cleaning robots more efficiently.

How Do You Vacuum a Pool With a Manual Vacuum?

If you do not use a robot pool cleaner, you can set up a manual vacuum cleaner using the following steps:

Connect the vacuum head to a telescoping pole.

This will connect the vacuum hose to the skimmer suction port.

Prime the hose to remove air.

Adjust the pump to filter or waste depending on the fortitude of the debris.

Slowly vacuum the pool floor.

This is the Waste mode with a pool vacuum configuration for algae.

You’ll vacuum the dead algae after shocking your pool to kill it. In this case, the waste setting would be preferable to avoid clogging the filter.

If algae problems are too severe, you could also learn how to acid wash a pool. Acid washing is a more extreme cleaning procedure that lifts algae stains and calcium deposits by removing a thin layer of plaster.

Do Pool Robots Pick Up Algae?

Depending on the particular Maytronics pool cleaner models you are using, some robot pool cleaners may also work to remove light algae, particularly if you agitate the walls first by brushing. If you have a heavy algae problem, you need to manually vacuum the waste after shocking the pool.

What Is a Pool Booster Pump?

If you have a pressure-side cleaner, you also need to know what a pool booster pump is. That additional pump pumps high pressure to power the cleaner. But unlike a robotic pool cleaner like a Beatbot AquaSense 2, you won’t need to get one for this one, as it can run independently.

When the Water Comes Out: How to Drain an Inground Pool Without a Pump

In rare situations, you may want to drain your pool entirely. You can siphon with a garden hose to drain an inground pool without a pump, but that takes a while. It is much faster and safer to use submersible pumps.

Conclusion

Knowing which pool pump setting to use when vacuuming manually or with a high-tech robot pool cleaner. Aside from humans, you can also employ a robot pool cleaner to take charge of all the cleaning process. With models like the Beatbot iSkim Ultra, Beatbot AquaSense 3 Pro, and Beatbot AquaSense 2, it’ll be hassle-free since all these cleaners work under the surface of the pool and not with the pump system.