Should I run the skimmer or vacuum to remove small debris?

[John Miller]

When there’s fine debris like dirt or tiny leaves in my pool, should I rely on the surface skimmer or run the vacuum? Not sure which is more effective for the small stuff that doesn’t float long.

 

[Ryan Brooks]

The skimmer works best for anything still floating on the surface, but once the debris sinks, your vacuum is the way to go. For fine dirt or sand on the bottom, I’d recommend using a manual vacuum or robotic cleaner with a fine filter. If it’s really small stuff, sometimes adjusting your pool’s suction to pull more through the skimmer helps catch it before it sinks.

 

[James Carter]

I’ve run into the same issue a few times, especially after windy days. If it’s tiny debris that sinks pretty quickly, the vacuum tends to do a better job catching it before it settles into hard to reach spots. I usually let the skimmer run too, since it’ll catch whatever’s still floating, but the vacuum handles the bulk of the fine stuff.

Sometimes I’ll brush everything toward the main drain first just to make cleanup easier. depends a bit on your pool setup, but combining both usually gets the best results for me.

 

[William Walker]

I just let my pool decide. If it’s too small to scoop, I tell myself it’s “decorative dust. But if the debris is still floating after a few hours, I’ll consider it a personal challenge and start the vacuum. Anyone else ever feel like their pool’s just giving you a gentle reminder of the work you signed up for?

 

[David Wilson]

Something that helped me a ton with this was messing around with the return jets. I angled them down and slightly toward the deep end, and that kinda pushed more of the fine stuff toward the main drain on its own, made vacuuming easier later on.

Also tried switching my filter setting to “filter” instead of “vac to waste” when it’s just light dirt, that way I don’t waste water for no reason. But yeah, skimmer’s fine for the floaty stuff… just doesn’t do much once the junk hits the floor. If it looks like coffee grounds on the bottom, I go straight to vacuum.

 

[Harper Clark]

I keep both ready skimmer for my ‘lazy days’ and vacuum for when I feel like getting a mini workout in. Keeps the pool and me in shape.

 

[Ella Robinson]

I've had that dilemma too! For the tiny stuff that sinks, I’ve found that adjusting the suction on the pool vacuum really helps pull out the fine dirt and sand. I also let the skimmer do its thing for whatever’s floating. It’s kind of a tag-team effort, but it works well for me. My pool definitely has its own personality though sometimes it feels like it’s just giving me a little nudge to remind me what I signed up for!

 

[Olivia Reed]

For tiny debris, it really depends on whether it’s still floating or has sunk. The skimmer is great for anything sitting on the surface, but once leaves, dirt, or sand start sinking, the vacuum becomes way more effective. I usually brush the pool lightly toward the main drain first, then run the vacuum over the areas with settled particles. Letting the skimmer run at the same time doesn’t hurt, it’ll catch anything still drifting, but for fine stuff on the floor, the vacuum is your main tool. Adjusting the suction and making sure the water flow pushes debris toward the drain can save a lot of time too.