Consider a hot day when you’re enjoying yourself in your pool and suddenly discover a gritty sand buildup at the bottom of the pool! Aside from things such as mustard algae, nothing wrecks the swimming pool experience as much sand in your pool and incredibly gritty sand.
You can even find sand falling from pool covers, pool toys and more sand falling from swimmers’ feet. Removing sand out of your pool without the proper know-how can be tricky. In our guide, you can learn how to get sand out of pool without vacuum.
By the end, you’ll learn why you have sand at bottom of pool and how to remove sand from pool bottom quickly to keep your pool clean from small piles of sand. (Learn How Much Liquid Chlorine To Add To Pool)
Why Is There Sand in My Pool?
Determine the underlying cause of the issue before attempting to remove the sand. There are several ways for sand to get into your pool, like:
Wind-Dropped Sand In Your Pool
The most likely cause of the small number of sand particles in swimming pools is the wind blowing it. Even if your pool isn’t surrounded by sand, it is still possible because the wind can pick up sand particles and carry them over long distances. In a nutshell, it’s nearly impossible to keep a pool sand free, although you can get rid of sand regularly.
However, there may be other reasons if there is a sizable buildup of sand at the bottom of your pool.
Yellow Algae
Your pool’s water may be infected with yellow pool (or mustard) algae rather than sand. The yellowish-brown color of this substance makes it somewhat resemble sand, but there are ways to tell them apart.
If the substance creates a dense cloud in the water, it is algae. Scoop it up in your swimming pool, and watch how it responds. Outside the sea and beach, sand typically disintegrates, forms a thick cloud, and doesn’t stick together in small clumps like mustard algae.
There is a possibility that yellow algae will grow in your pool, although yellow pool algae typically only grow in warm water environments rather than freshwater climates. Check how to clean your pool using an algaecide as part of your pool maintenance to combat this.
Your Pool Filter Isn’t Working Properly
You need sand filters to get sand and other small material out of your crystal-clear water.
But before you clean, check to see whether your pool filter has any damaged parts or if you’ve been finding sand in your pool. Sand filters are used in a few pools. A sand filter uses a tank full of sand to ensure the water quality in your pool.
Large pieces of trash and other debris get stuck inside the sand as water passes through it. Afterward, a hose at the base of the filter can return clear water to your swimming pool.
The sand filters may occasionally break down. If your pool is covered in sand and bits of waste or dirt, and you use a sand filter, the bad news is your sand filter is the first place to look. (Read Will Pool Salt Melt Ice)
Lateral Assembly
Small pieces of tubing called laterals are positioned at the bottom of your sand filter to trap stray sand and keep water to drain back into the pool.
However, if a broken standpipe appears, all that sand stuck in your filter will seize the opportunity and penetrate your swimming pool bottom through a broken lateral or multiport valve.
Broken or Corrupt Standpipe
The standpipe joins the laterals at the bottom and the valve at the top of your sand filter by snaking vertically through the middle of the device. This could also crack; if it does, the bottom of your pool will be covered in fine sand.
All the sand is concentrated in one spot on the bottom of your pool near the return jets if the sand in your pool is from your sand filter. Look below for some suggestions on how to remove sand in the pool.
How To Clean Sand From Bottom Of Pool
1. Brush Up the Sand and Debris
Especially if there is a lot of debris, the first and easiest method is to use a pool brush to brush the sand and other sunken debris into an accessible area. Scoop the sand out of the pool after using your pool brush to collect it in one area.
Find out how frequently you should clean your pool to avoid significant sand accumulation. Instead of battling with a pool brush, think about investing in an automatic pool cleaning to do the brush work for you.
2. Vacuum Sand With a Pool Vacuum Head
Use a pool vacuum and treat your pool to a deep clean than any brush can do to get sand from your pool water. A surefire way to get rid of sand from your pool is to use swimming pool vacuums that are attached to the pump and pool filters filtration system.
These then create suction from the vacuum plate for removing sand from your pool into the pool sand filter. Remember that you need to set the multiport valve on your filter on the waste setting. Vacuuming on the filter setting will cause all the sand and dirt to get stuck in your vacuum.
Do this, and you’ll need to act fast and switch over, or you could damage the filter. One thing to remember, as you siphon out sand and dirty water, you’ll need your garden hose to refill your pool water with fresh water.
Clean, Replace Or Fix Your Pools Filter
When all other potential problems have been ruled out, it’s time to look at routine filter maintenance. Your filter may not be working properly because some components need to be repaired or replaced.
Pool owners with little experience with pool filter repair should contact a specialist for help with the filter and get rid of sand.
Although this is unlikely to happen if your pools filter is spanking new because sand media only needs to be changed every five years. It could only require a thorough backwash to remove any particles.
Buy A Pool Cover
A swimming pool cover is a great solution because it can keep the heat in and lessen the amount of dirt that gets into the pool while it’s not in use. A protective cover rules out alternative causes like the wind blowing sand into your pool.
Sand-Removing Pool Vacuums
Not all pool vacs and cleaners remove sand. If you’re having difficulties removing fine particles or sand from your pool, use a manual pool vacuum. (Read Sand For Pool Base Guide)
What pool vacuums remove sand?
Here are some pool vacuums for cleaning sand:
1. Pump-powered pool vacuums
These vacuums attach to your filter box. These are better than automatic pool cleaners for removing sand.
- Concrete pools need a weighted flex vacuum head.
- Triangle vacuum head for fiberglass and vinyl pools.
2. Pool Jet Water Vacuum
No filter or pump is needed for these garden-hose-powered items.
- Above-ground pool spa vacuum jet cleaner.
- Above-ground and inflatable pool vacuum cleaner.
3. Battery Pool Vacuum
The above-ground pools without a filter or pump are perfect for this rechargeable pool vacuum. Great if you don’t want to connect the vacuum.
- Rechargeable battery-powered inground and above-ground pool cleaner.
