If you have a very dirty pool, particularly when you open it in the spring, it is likely that the only way to clean it properly will be to vacuum the pool to waste. This means using the waste setting on a sand filter multiport valve in conjunction with your pool vacuum.
Vacuuming pool to waste will remove all dirt or dead algae from the bottom of the pool by sending it via the waste line either to your sewage system or into your yard, instead of going through the pool filter system. This prevents the filter from becoming clogged and fine particles from going back into the pool.
Why vacuum to waste?
If you try to vacuum a very dirty pool using the more usual Filter setting then it is likely that the pool filter will become clogged which then may start to allow dust particles and other debris to pass through which will then end up back in the pool.
The other reason you may need to vacuum to waste might be if you have had a heavy infestation of algae. Once you have treated it, dead algae particles will settle on the bottom of the pool. They are normally too small to be caught by the sand or other filter medium so if vacuumed on the filter setting they will probably just end up being redeposited back into the pool.
So in this situation vacuuming to waste is the best solution to remove the algae dust from the pool after it has been killed using shock treatment.
Step by step guide – How to vacuum pool to waste
Total Time: 1 hour
1. Top up the pool
When you vacuum a pool to waste the water does not return to the pool but instead is expelled either down a drain or into your yard. Because of this, the level of water in the pool will go down as you vacuum – at quite a fast rate too.
So to compensate for that it is a good idea to run a garden hose into the pool for a while before you start to vacuum to raise the level of the water. It is also prudent to leave the hose running while you vacuum too.
2. Run out the backwash hose
If your pool system does not expel the water down a drain then it will run out into your yard somewhere via the waste line. You can buy roll up backwash hoses quite cheaply on Amazon.I have actually adapted an old vacuum hose to use s a backwash hose to distribute the water around my garden (see photo above).
3. Connect the vacuum
Connect the pool vacuum hose to the vacuum head (already attached to a pole of course) and lower it into the pool. Expel the air from the vacuum hose and connect to the skimmer port after removing the skimmer basket.
See my post How to remove air from a pool vacuum hose to find out how to do this.
4. Set multiport valve to waste
With the pool pump off, move the multiport selector to the Waste position. If you have a valve that shuts off water to the waste pipe (I have one on my pool set-up) then make sure this is open.
Now switch the pool pump back on.
5. Begin vacuuming
Begin vacuuming the pool as normal however the water level will start to go down rapidly so you really need to work quickly when vacuuming to waste but not so quickly that you disturb the dirt too much.
6. Vacuum quickly
I would recommend not trying to get the bottom of the pool completely clean in this first clean.
If you spend too much time trying to remove all traces of dirt then the water level will drop below the level of the bottom of the skimmer and air will start to get into the system. You will then have to turn off the pool pump and let the water level go up again from the hose before you can start again.
7. Keep an eye on the water level
The above photo was taken halfway through vacuuming and you can hopefully see the brighter area above the water line. This is how much the water level had dropped, which must have been at least 2 inches, and in no more than 5 minutes.
8. Turn off the pool pump
Once you have cleaned all of the pool floor turn the pump off so you don’t lose any more water.
9. Top up water
Turn on your garden hose, or let it keep running if you have left it doing this while you vacuum to waste as I do. Let it run until it reaches its normal level.
I also have an automatic top-up facility that keeps the pool at the correct lever, and you may have too, but it is much quicker to supplement this with a garden hose.
10. Finished
So you just need to remove the vacuum head and vacuum hose from the pool, clear up and put the pump back on after putting the multiport valve back into the Filter position. Don’t forget to roll up your backwash hose too.
Go and make yourself a drink – you have earned it!
Pool Care Handbook and Video Course
When I bought my house with a swimming pool, I knew absolutely nothing about pool care. I just winged it for a while, making many mistakes along the way.
Fortunately, I was recommended Swim University’s Pool Care Handbook and Video Course. I bought it and it was an absolute game-changer.
It was the best money I spent that year. I learned everything from basic cleaning to advanced troubleshooting. Swim University offers a no-quibble refund policy too so what do you have to lose?
After Vacuuming pool to waste
I normally check the chemical levels at this stage and add anything necessary to bring the levels to the correct reading.
It is often not possible to remove all the dirt from the bottom since you need to vacuum so quickly. Also, it is inevitable that while vacuuming quickly to waste that some of the finer dirt particles will have been disturbed and will be floating around the water in suspension.
I therefore let the swimming pool settle down for 24 hours, allowing all the finer dirt to resettle on the bottom, and I then give the pool a thorough vacuum on the filter setting.
Vacuuming to waste video
What happens when you vacuum to waste?
When you select waste on the multiport valve, and run the pool pump, the water does not go through the pool filter, nor does it return to the pool via the pool return. Instead, it is sent straight out of the pool system, either down the drain into the sewage system or out into the yard somewhere via the waste line and a backwash hose, depending on your particular pool’s set up.
This way the dirt that is picked up by the vacuum does not get trapped in the filter, clogging the filter medium or even returning to the swimming pool, but is ejected from the system completely.
As the water does not go back into the swimming pool the water level will go down as you vacuum, actually at quite an alarming rate, particularly if you have a relatively small pool. It is then that you appreciate just how much water your pool pump actually moves. You will have to top the pool up afterward.
Do you backwash after you vacuum to waste?
Since the water containing the dirt does not pass through the filter if vacuuming a pool to waste there would normally be no need to backwash afterward.
If the pressure is high then you may wish to backwash to reduce it and improve suction.
How to vacuum to waste with a cartridge filter?
There is sometimes no waste setting on a cartridge filter, at least in a Hayward system, so you cannot filter to waste. However, it is possible to fit a Hayward 3 way valve to bypass the filter and if you do that you will then have the facility to vacuum to waste.
Some cartridge filters have a drain plug on the back of the filter housing which you can unscrew. When the pump is run and your vacuum then the water will come out of this hole. Once finished you put the plug back in.
My top 3 pool cleaning tools
These are the pool cleaning tools I have found the most useful since I have had my pool.
Step and corner vacuum brush
This is a really useful tool for getting into the areas that a standard vacuum head simply cannot reach. Aquatix Pro Pool Step & Corner Vacuum Brush
Leaf rake net
If, like me, you get plenty of leaves at the bottom of your pool then a good leaf rake/net is a must. The Stargoods Pool Skimmer Net gets under the leaves easily.
Robotic pool cleaner
These are quite expensive and it was a number of years before I bit the bullet and bought one. I have never regretted it. The Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus is the most recommended pool cleaning robot on all of the pool forums. It not only cleans the bottom of the pool but also the sides and the waterline.
FAQs
Does the water level drop when vacuuming pool to waste?
When you vacuum using the waste setting the pool water will be expelled, without returning to the pool, so the pool level will drop. You should top the pool up before you begin, leave a hose running and vacuum quickly.
Should you vacuum pool to waste after using flocculant?
Flocculant will normally leave debris on the bottom of your pool so vacuuming to waste will prevent this debris clogging the filter, as would happen if vacuuming on the filter setting.
What is the difference between backwash and waste?
Although both settings send water out of the pool, when you backwash the water flows backward through the filter first but on waste the water goes directly out of the pool.
Read: My pick of the best pool vacuum heads
I have had hot tubs for over 20 years and a pool for the last 10 years. I had to learn how to clean, maintain and fix them the hard way. Since then I have helped many friends and neighbors with their pools and now I want to share everything I have learned with you. About Me
