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How to use a pool vacuum

Updated: 21 October 2026

The first pull brings up nothing when the head is still in the air, the bag is wrong, or the chamber dumps its load as you lift it. How to use a pool vacuum, for the hose jets and cordless sticks here, is a short sequence: dry charge, people out, head fully under, slow pass, lift so the dirt stays in. Which type you should have bought is the [pool vacuum comparison](/hub/pool-care/pool-vacuum). The Intex lift described below is from a different brand's manual. Listing lines are from 19 October 2026. This is not a lab test. If you buy through our links, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

The first pull brings up nothing when the head is still in the air, the bag is wrong, or the chamber dumps its load as you lift it.

Our top picks

VIVOHOME VIVOHOME handheld pool vacuum, yellow

Best overall

VIVOHOME VIVOHOME handheld pool vacuum, yellow
8.6/10about £79.99
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PoolyPoly PoolyPoly 1818 pool hoover, blue

Best value

PoolyPoly PoolyPoly 1818 pool hoover, blue
8.4/10about £59.99
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PoolyPoly PoolyPoly 1814 spa vacuum, blue

Alternative

PoolyPoly PoolyPoly 1814 spa vacuum, blue
8.4/10about £59.99
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On this page
  1. 1.Charge it dry, and keep swimmers out
  2. 2.Put the head fully under and fit the finer bag for sand
  3. 3.Move slowly, then lift so the dirt stays in
  4. 4.If it still will not suck

Charge it dry, and keep swimmers out

Charge before you walk to the pool, on a dry port. The blue VIVOHOME care line says to dry the charging port before charging. VIVOHOME and the PoolyPoly 1818 both state about 1.5 hours to charge. The 1814 states about 2 hours. A stated run after that is up to 60 minutes on the VIVOHOME, about 60 on the 1818, and about 90 on the 1814. Those are listing claims, not a clock this page has timed. Do not leave a switched-off cordless vacuum in the water. People are out before an electric cleaner runs. SPATA treats an electric cleaner as something you use when the pool is empty of swimmers. A hose jet has no battery. Keep feet off the head while the tap is open.

Put the head fully under and fit the finer bag for sand

A cordless head still in the air will not make suction you can use. The PoolyPoly 1814 does not start until a sensor sees at least 30 cm of water, and it stops when you lift it. The 1818 is different: the water outlet must stay submerged. On the VIVOHOME, fit the 300-mesh bag when the floor looks sandy and a 180-mesh bag for leaves. The 1818 uses the basket alone for large waste, or the basket plus a fine filter, at a stated 1.5 litres. UK reviews of the LATERN say fine grains can pass a nylon bag. One UK VIVOHOME review reports no suction on algae and an overheating shutdown, so brush loose growth before you vacuum it.
VIVOHOME VIVOHOME handheld pool vacuum, yellow

Testsieger

VIVOHOME VIVOHOME handheld pool vacuum, yellow
8.6/10about £79.99
View offer

Move slowly, then lift so the dirt stays in

A fast scrape stirs silt. Move the head slowly, overlapping the last strip. Weak tap pressure is not fixed by going faster. On a POOLPURE robot the UK complaint is speed that throws dirt up. Robot against pole is robotic pool cleaner vs handheld vacuum. Reviews of the 1814 and the 1818 describe debris falling back as the head comes out. Intex support, writing about its own cordless vacuums, says to lift with the front up so the dirt stays in the filter. Empty on the deck, and rinse the mesh away from the pool. A 1.5 litre 1818 chamber can fill with leaves long before 60 minutes.

If it still will not suck

On a garden-hose jet, seat the connector, open the tap, and keep the head under water. LATERN reviews repeat a hose that will not stay on. Solkraes says the Venturi effect needs a garden hose and does not need the pool pump. It still needs pressure the listing never states. On a cordless stick, check submersion, then the bag, then the charge. A 1814 silent on the step may be above its 30 cm line. A VIVOHOME that stops may be the overheating shutdown one UK review described: it comes out, dries, and cools. No suction on arrival, which at least one 1818 review reports, is a product fault. If the type itself is wrong, the pool vacuum buying guide is the next page.

Common questions

Do I switch it on before it is under water?
Get the head under first. The PoolyPoly 1814 starts itself once it is under at least 30 cm and stops when you lift it, so switching it on in the air is not the method. The 1818 needs the water outlet submerged while it runs. A hose jet needs the head under and the tap open.
How do I stop dirt falling back in?
Lift so the intake points up and the load stays in the chamber, then empty on the deck, not over the pool. Intex support describes that lift for its own cordless vacuums, and PoolyPoly 1814 and 1818 reviews describe the mess when debris falls back. Rinse the mesh away from the water you just cleaned.
Which bag is for sand?
On the VIVOHOME, the 300-mesh bag is the one described for fine dirt and algae. The 180-mesh bags are described for leaves, twigs, insects, stones and sand. On the PoolyPoly 1818, add the fine filter to the basket for small waste and use the basket alone for large waste. A nylon bag on the LATERN is where UK reviews say fine grains can pass through.
Can I vacuum algae with it?
Do not expect a clean result from suction alone. One UK VIVOHOME review reports no suction on algae and a shutdown from overheating. Brush loose growth first, then vacuum what you have knocked off, with the finer bag fitted. The Intex PDF says a handheld is not for heavy dirt at the start of the season. That caution fits a green floor here as well.
What if the garden-hose head has no suction?
Seat the connector, open the tap, and keep the head under water. LATERN reviews repeat a hose that comes off and suction that stays weak. The Solkraes listing relies on tap pressure through a Venturi jet and states no pool pump. If the tap itself is poor, the head will not improve it.

Related pages

Pool vacuum for an above-ground pool

Pool vacuum

Best cordless pool vacuum: sand, spa or flat floor

Pool vacuum buying guide: hose, stick or floor robot

Robotic pool cleaner vs a steered handheld pool vacuum

Sources

Public UK sources from the research digest, read with the amazon.co.uk rows on 19 October 2026. Listing prices, stars and review counts are from those rows, not from a later scrape.

  1. SPATA — Swimming pool cleaning and accessories (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  2. SPATA — Using the water safely (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  3. HSE HSG179 — Health and safety in swimming pools (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  4. HSE — Electricity frequently asked questions (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  5. IET Wiring Matters — Section 702, swimming pools and other basins (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  6. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 9 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  7. GOV.UK — General Product Safety Regulations 2005, Great Britain (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  8. GOV.UK — Recycling batteries and electrical waste (retrieved 19 October 2026)