If you sometimes like to net out leaves that fall into your pool between weekly services, then you’ve possibly experienced the frustration of scooping at the same leaf over and over without success. But have no fear, our Netting 101 tips will help to make it quick and painless. Add these few simple tricks and techniques to your repertoire and you’ll be a leaf netting master in no time.
Using the Right Equipment
There are two main kinds of nets, normal mesh nets and silt nets. A mesh net is perfectly fine for netting out leaves, but it will let fine particles like dirt right through it. A silt net is perfect is perfect for picking up smaller debris, as long as there isn’t too much of it. If there’s a lot of small particles like dust from shedding brick or stone, the job usually requires a hose vacuum instead. Some nets are small and flimsy, which can also make things difficult. If you’re looking for a bigger net or a silt net, it could be a good idea to ask your pool guy to buy one for you at their distributor rather than going to a retail pool supply store.
Netting Around the Edge
Leaves and other debris love to stick to the tile around the edge of the pool, making it more difficult to quickly scoop them out. The best way to do so is to run the net along the tile, but there’s a trick to it. If you keep the net perpendicular to edge most of the leaves will still stick to the tile and not make it into the net, but if you angle the net so the side of the net touching the tile is further forward, it will create a wave that pulls most of the leaves off the tile and into the net. Also, it helps to go in one direction for 5-10 feet and then go back the way you came with the net instead of just continuing in one direction around the whole pool. You’ll always miss some stuff on the first pass and the current you make in the water will help carry those things into the net when you go back the other direction.
Netting on the Surface
The easiest way to net leaves on the surface in the middle of the pool is bring the net down on top of them and then pull the net back towards you, skimming along the surface.
Netting on the Bottom
Netting leaves of the bottom is often the most tricky to do efficiently. If you brush the net along the bottom in one motion, it will often skip right over many of the leaves. If you instead you push the net forward in short bumping motions along the ground, it will suspend the leaves in front of the net so they can be easily scooped up. Be careful doing this too slowly or for an extended period though because the bumping motion can also cause leaves already caught in the net to float out.
See What You’re Netting
If you have a dark bottom pool, it can be especially hard to see leaves on the bottom clearly. Even if you have a lighter color pool it can also be hard to see if there is a lot of current in the water from the system running or from a waterfall splashing in from the spa. It can make it much easier to see if you turn the system off and wait for a minute, but if you’re still having trouble seeing it can help to make a diluted mixture of 1 part soap and 3 parts water and spray a small amount in the pool. Be careful though, a very small amount is all you need and doing more than that can cause a foam catastrophe. The soap breaks the surface tension in the water, causing the surface to become completely flat. The best type of soap for this purpose is tile soap since it meant for use around pools, but dish soap can also work.