Any hot tub owner knows that the more use we get out of our spas, the more cleaning we have to do! The most obvious way to remove dirt from these things may be to splash out on a top-end pool vacuum, but to save a little cash, you may wonder, how do you make a homemade pool vacuum?
In our ten years as the go-to hot tub guide online, we’ve learned a thing or two about the most cost-effective and efficient ways to DIY our way into proper pool maintenance, so strap yourselves in and get ready to learn how to make the best hot tub vacuum with your own supplies.
Our experts will cover a few different options and take you through all the steps needed to get the job done.
Ready to get to work?
Let’s jump right in!
How to Make a Handheld Pool Vacuum
Learning how to put together a new pool vacuum with your own two hands could save you if your current model kicks the bucket, and if put together correctly, a handy DIY project like this can easily last a year or two, saving you a fair bit of cash on a new vac! Here are our top 3 methods.
Homemade pool vacuum with a garden hose
For this DIY pool vacuum, you’ll need a regular garden hose, a vacuum bag, a telescoping pole and a plastic funnel to act as the intake.
Start by cutting your hose to a length appropriate for the size of your pool, ensuring enough length to reach the entire base of your spa, though not so much that it coils around, reducing its suction!
Secure one end of the hose to your vacuum bag, determined by the end connected to a valve that fits into the bag’s bypass, then fit the other end to your plastic funnel. The larger the surface area of the funnel, the more dirt you can suck up. Just make sure that the neck fits tight into your hose.
Now attach the telescoping pole to the funnel end of your hose using rope or zip ties. Submerge the funnel into your spa and watch as the change in pressure between the bottom of your pool and outside where the bag sits causes the dirt and water to be sucked out from your hot tub!
Diy leaf vacuum for pool
Another excellent method for sucking up leaves and larger debris revolves around using plastic tubing (at least 1-inch diameter), a hot glue gun, a funnel and an old pair of pantyhose!
Use a hot glue gun to connect the funnel to the opening of your plastic tubing, making sure to coat both the inner and outer sides to produce an air-tight seal. Now stretch the pantyhose over the funnel and secure them in place with a rubber band wrapped around the pipe.
With this done, all you need is to pop the funnel against the suction filter inside your inflatable swimming pool, and the pump’s power will create a seal. Now you can manipulate the hose’s opening to suck up any dirt and leaves to be caught by the pantyhose at the filter!
Homemade shop vac?
Sometimes, we get asked the question, can you use a shop vac to clean a hot tub? And as soon as people know that you can, they instantly want to try fashioning a homemade shop vac for themselves, even though you’ll need to determine whether your pump is suitable for wet use; if it’s not, buy a cheap pond water pump!
You’ll need a PVC pipe for a vacuum pole, a small pump, a length of tubing and a few adapters to make this handheld pool vacuum:
- PVC pipe caps
- PVC male adapter
- ¾ inch female PVC to ¾ inch female hose adapter
Cut the pipe to length and use a T-shaped pipe cap to connect two smaller pipes to the bottom. It’s a good idea to glue these in place! Cut a slit into the foot of the T; this will be used to collect the dirt from your spa.
Connect a PVC male adapter to the top of the pole and fit your PVC to hose adapter in. Now you can hook up your tubing to the vacuum cleaner and your pump to the outlet at the opposing end.
With this, just submerge the T-shaped end into your spa and switch on the pump; now, you’ve got a DIY pool vacuum that’s particularly useful for cleaning a smaller pool.
Do DIY Pool Vacuums Work?
People will usually ask us, do I need a vacuum for my hot tub and does a DIY version work? Absolutely! As long as you’ve sealed your materials up tight and installed everything correctly, any of these DIY pool vacuums will be up to the task. A commercially manufactured pool vacuum may still produce the best results, but the creations we’ve covered here can often work just as well.
Using a Homemade Vacuum
Using a homemade pool vacuum is much the same as using a purchased one. Those without a pump use suction created by the pressure difference between the submerged vac hose and the ground outside to pull up any dirty bits of debris, and those with a pump are self-explanatory!
To learn how to get the best results using everything from a handheld pool vacuum to a manually operated pool cleaner, try checking out our complete pool vacuum guide!
Key Takeaways
- DIY pool vacuums are cheaper than commercially manufactured models.
- They can be used to replace broken vacuums in a pinch!
- Using only a hot glue gun, tubing and a few other materials, homemade vacuums are super easy to make.
- These tools can be just as effective when put together properly as a regular pool or spa vacuum!
Last Word
There we have it! We hope you’re confident that crafting your own pool vacuum can be easily done with just a few supplies and a little determination.
Provided that you’ve taken the time to ensure everything is sealed up and connected, any of these homemade vacuums will clean up your pool water in no time. They may well save you some money replacing a broken vacuum in the future!
Follow each tip carefully and we reckon you’ll be amazed by the results; good luck!
