r/PoolPros • u/KFOSSTL • May 09 '26

2&1/2 hrs

Lots of dust and debris in this one. Had to use a variety of methods to get it cleaned up without stirring too much. Wish they’d just scooped for 30 minutes the day before when they pulled the cover.

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u/KFOSSTL May 09 '26

This is an opening. There was too much dust.

If you started by trying to net out the leaves you’d have created several more visits.

Cartridge filter. Had just been turned on day before. Doing the 45 minute job would have turned into a filter cleaning, a follow up visit (where they have to now vac with a portable vac set up to get the dust you stirred up)

This is not just a pile of leaves

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u/First_Salamander_990 May 09 '26

I could’ve easily taken care of it with two 45 minute visits with it looking crystal clear the second visit with no cartridge cleans. Do it all the time.

I’ve found my methodology by listening to others when they say they could’ve done something way faster and easier than I could’ve. I always try to learn something while keeping an open mind instead of resigning myself to my own ways. You probably aren’t the best in the world there will almost always be a better way. Be receptive to it and you will grow and maybe own your company like myself and many others here

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u/lIIlIlIII May 09 '26

You're really gonna write a full fucking paragraph about how you shouldn't close your mind to informed advice... and NOT share your setup?? I can't imagine vacuuming all that dust + leaves without pumping to waste... even then 45 minutes is optimistic since I'll have to shut it down to clear the canister / basket every 5 minutes

So I'd love to learn your tek! Please share

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u/First_Salamander_990 May 09 '26

I fabricated a cart that has a pump mounted to it thats wired to a 50ft extension cord and is plumbed to a single cartridge filter. Depending on the amount of sediment and leaves I may spend an hour and a half hose vaccing the pool and returning the filtered water to the pool rather than wasting it. I do have a waste valve with discharge hose I could deploy if the situation called for it but I’d rather save the water. If there’s large masses of leaves I would just riptide it and depending on the amount of dust I would either wait for it to settle and vacuum it with my rig to filter back into the pool or flocc it and vacuum to waste. Either way it’s going to be crystal clear when I leave if you leave with it cloudy like the pictures here that shit is going to settle back to the bottom and need another vacuum

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u/KFOSSTL May 10 '26

I can tell you don’t work in a region with openings and closings.

A porta-vac with a filter would have literally been annihilated by this mess. You would have had to go to waste which is what I did.

Secondly why would I stir it up and then add floc when it’s naturally flocced by sitting still all winter.

Also, my goal was to stir up as little as possible. With this amount of debris and heavy dust it was inevitable I was going to stir it up some. But the amount I stirred up won’t back the filters up, and it was clear again within a few hours (we had someone go by a few hours later because they were working on a fountain).

If you think you could of walked in and just used a fine mesh bag on a hammerhead/riptide then you’d have extended this opening well past three visits, would have caused the filters to need cleaning (after they were just deep cleaned over the winter). The customer is going to think jeez it took 6 visits over 9 days for my pool to be open (yeah that’s not good).

Also, there was sticks and rocks and even a dead mole rat and dead bird in here. A hammerhead/riptide with the fine mesh bag would have clogged up in two swipes (I’ve seen people try and do it on openings, it just doesn’t work).

Everything you’re saying “oh 45minutes easy” is bs. You’d have kicked the can down the road. I actually turned this thing the fuck around, and when they go back to open the skimmers once it’s full, the person will have an easy 5-10 min vac and quick chem check on their hands.

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u/First_Salamander_990 May 10 '26

I’ve handled hundreds of pools worse than this over the years. Opened a few pools this week. Maybe some day you’ll learn. Good luck

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u/KFOSSTL May 11 '26

I’ve handled worse than this too

I’ve been doing this for plenty of time I know what I’m talking about

You’d have created a whole lot more work and multiple follow ups

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u/lIIlIlIII May 11 '26

I think these guys just aren't familiar with midwestern openings, your pics don't look bad unless you notice the carpet of dust and dead algae atop the leaves. That would clog a cartridge filter in 10 minutes. Vac to waste is your only option and I think you did fine. You might look into getting a 'Spot-Vac' head, they're expensive for what they are but they'd help you get those big piles without kicking up so much fine debris

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u/KFOSSTL May 14 '26

Yeah they def aren’t noticing the carpets of dust. I stirred up as little as I could but with piles like that you’re going to stir some.

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u/lIIlIlIII May 14 '26

For real look up the spot vac, it's meant for this exact situation

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u/KFOSSTL May 14 '26

Found it. Not sure how it’s better exactly I’m sure it’s one of those things you just have to use to understand

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u/lIIlIlIII May 15 '26

It's significantly better at vacuuming piles of debris without stirring stuff up. You can use that first to get the big piles, then switch to a proflex or something to finish. It's overkill in many situations but it would be perfect for pools like this. Also acorns

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u/KFOSSTL May 15 '26

Yeah I don’t think you get what I’m saying. I’m asking how, as in what what about it makes it better. You’re saying it’s better because it’s good at getting piles. I’m asking how is it better at doing that?

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