Portable Service Vacuum Setups

I'm thinking of building a portable service vacuum. I would use it to vacuum pools that have some pretty heavy waste that still remains after using a leaf net. Sadly it seems that the foreclosure rate is skyrocketing, so I am seeing a niche business of cleaning some pretty nasty and neglected pools.

Anyway, back on topic. I want to build a stand alone pump and vacuum setup so that I do not take a chance on clogging the intake lines on the main pool pump. I am thinking of using an old pool pump mounted to a child's wagon of some sort that I can roll around and keep in my van. I need to incorporate some type of inline leaf and stick catcher so that I don't plug this pump and then I can just use a backwash hose for the waste outlet.

Any ideas, thoughts, or photos of your own setup? Thanks!

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Replies

  • Harmsco manufacture a portable filter with cart. I sell the BF105 to most commercial customers.

    You have to purchase the system wired from a dealer like Recreonics or I go to the Home depot and buy the chord and waterproof switch and GFI and put it together. You are going to have a problem making a system portable.They get heavy. I thing you could make your own using a welding cart.

  • Bud,

     

    I assume that by now you've devised some sort of portable vac system for those long-neglected pools . If not, check out the "Power-Vac" system at www.toolsforpools.com It's a battery-operated system w/built-in bagging system. Very Powerful; very portable.

     

    Regards,

    Tal Millican, Owner/Operator

    Pwlshrk Pool Svc

    Multi-TorK PooL TooLs

    Tampa FL

    5-min.Multi-Tork Video: www.multi-tork.com

    Pool Service Products
    Pool Service Products, based In Orlando, Florida, is a wholesale distributor serving the swimming pool professional. We specialize in tools, hard to…
  • Luke, please provide me your contact details and I will get a representative to contact you.
  • I just pour in a little water in the pump strainer basket to start. The pump and filter sit right at the pool edge when in use and the waterline is less than one foot below the pump. No problems priming or pumping.


  • Don Parish said:
    Bud,

    Did you have any difficulty priming the unit since you used an ABG pump? What will you change if you build another one?

    I was thinking the same thing.. i could have sworn that pump was for AG pools and not self priming.
  • Bud,

    Did you have any difficulty priming the unit since you used an ABG pump? What will you change if you build another one?
  • wow, that thing is serious looking.
  • would a leafmaster setup with a fine mesh bag, lined w/ pantyhose not offer the same debris pickup ?

    -Jeremy
    Florida Leisure Pool & Spa
    www.FLLeisure.com
    Florida Leisure Pool, Spa, Hot Tub Repair, Pumps, Filters, Heaters, Salt Chlorinators, Automation
    We repair pools, spas and hot tubs, pumps, motors, heaters, filters, automation equipment in Gainesville and North Central FL
  • For large leaves and debris try a bag filter with a 800 micron filter bag.
    We have had a lot of success selling MultiCyclones mounted on a pump and plumbed to a cartridge filter.

    The MultiCyclone extends the life of the filter cartridge.
  • Well folks I have used my new vacuum for several days now on various pool conditions and here is the good, bad, and the ugly.....

    This vacuum really will suck a cat off a curtain and is very well suited to cleaning heavy debris out of green neglected pools. I use a large inline debris strainer basket and it has plenty of suction to do the job. Today I vacuumed a pool with a heavy layer of dead algae and calcium hypochlorite on the bottom. The water was clear, but it looked like it snowed in the pool. I have the vacuum setup so that the return fitting just blows out over the pool surface. I like this as I can keep a close eye on the water coming out and back into the pool. The drawback is this ripples the surface and makes it kind of hard to see below the water. I was worried that my 125 sq.ft cartridge filter was too big. As it turns out I would not go any smaller for sure. I ended up removing and cleaning the cartridge twice while cleaning this pool. This takes about 5 minutes with a water hose. The best part is no water loss and I could take my time and vacuum slowly without stirring up bottom muck and not worry about the pool water level. The water returning to the pool was clean and clear and I was very pleased with the result.

    Now the bad...I would not use this unit on normal clean pools with a few leaves on the bottom. It's too slow and bulky to set up for that work and the standard hose, skimmer, pool pump setup is more than adequate and hard to beat. I built this unit to use in heavy debris situations, and it works perfectly for that.

    Now the ugly...The dang thing weighs a ton after using it all day. After lifting it in and out of my van four or five times, I am sore and tired and ready to crawl into my hot tub. LOL

    So there it is in all it's glory! I am pleased to finally have a tool that works for what I designed it for and now I'm on the prowl for green pools and the nice payback that I get with each job.
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