How To Keep Pool Vacuum From Getting Stuck on Ladder

Vacuuming your pool is a great way to remove debris, dirt, and algae. Automatic pool cleaner vacuum helps you approach pool cleaning hands-off.

While pool vacuums are great, some circumstances can make it stall, hang up, or out, such as getting stuck on the ladder. So, how do you keep the pool vacuum from getting stuck on the ladder?

This article explains common problems that may cause your pool vacuum to get stuck on the ladder and different ways to prevent its occurrence while cleaning the pool.

4 Ways To Keep Pool Vacuum From Getting Stuck on Ladder

A good quality automated pool vacuum should give you the luxury of cleaning the pool without monitoring it every second. So, if the vacuum often gets stuck on the ladder, it makes sense to wonder why and how to navigate around it.

If removing the pool ladder is not an option, there are other tricks you can use to keep your pool vacuum cleaning the pool without getting stuck on the ladder, as elaborated below:

Method #1: Install a Twister

A Twister is a device that changes the pool vacuum’s thrust angle, which causes the cleaner to change its direction constantly.

So, even if the cleaner gets stuck on the ladder, if you have a Twister installed, it will help untangle itself. It is powered by the constant flow of water through the pool cleaner hose, making it easy to install.

Here’s how to install a Twister on the vacuum to keep it from getting stuck on the ladder:

• Start by switching off the pool pump and vacuum cleaner.
• Next, submerge the Twister in the pool to bleed the air bubbles completely.
• Connect a second hose to the other end of the Twister, and then install the angled end to the end of the hose.
• Bleed the air bubbles from the hose, and connect the angled end to the vacuum cleaner.
• Switch on the pool pump and start cleaning the pool.

Method #2: Adjust the Return Jet Bearing

Another trick you can use to prevent the pool vacuum from getting stuck to the ladder is to adjust the return jet bearing.

The return jet is what circulates the water through the pool. Plus, the return jet passes the water through the filtration system, which helps to keep the water clean.

But if the return jet nozzles are angled such that it pushes the water to the ladder, there is a high chance your vacuum cleaner will get stuck on it.

Here’s how to adjust the return jet bearing to keep the vacuum from getting stuck on the ladder:

• Power down the pool pump.
• Locate the pool jets in various locations on the sides of the pool.
• Grasp the jets’ tips and adjust them so that all the jets point slightly downwards and in the same direction, depending on the shape of the pool.
• The direction should be away from the skimmers to create one flow or circular motion in the pool so that the water that isn’t usually getting pulled into the skimmers is circulated properly and drawn into the filtration system.

Method #3: Use a Shorter Hose

You can also use the length of the vacuum cleaner’s hose and its weight to your advantage to keep it from getting stuck to the ladder.

Depending on the shape of your pool, you can measure the hose so that it doesn’t get much access to the ladder. And adding weight to the hose helps balance the cleaner on the floor.

So, you get better suction to clean the pool floor dirt without getting it stuck to the ladder. The only challenge with a shorter hose is that you may have to clean the area around your pool’s ladder by hand.

Here’s how to use a shorter hose to keep the vacuum from getting stuck on the ladder:

• First, turn off the pool pump.
• Next, unplug the hose from the pump, and pull out the vacuum cleaner.
• Finally, tie a rope on the pool pump and extend it into the pool.
• Enter the pool with the rope and stretch it to the farthest corner of the pool, reaching the bottom of the pool but not letting it get to the ladder, and then place a mark of the ideal length of the rope.
• Use the rope to measure the hose and cut it.
• Reattach the hose to the pool pump and return the vacuum cleaner to the pool.
• Turn the pump on and start cleaning.

Method #4: Install Barriers

Installing a barrier at the foot of the ladder is another effective solution you can use whenever you want to clean the pool.

This barrier prevents the vacuum cleaner from tangling around the ladder. With the barrier in place, if the vacuum cleaner gets to the ladder, it deflects it away.

Here’s how using barriers will keep the vacuum from getting stuck on the ladder:

• Get a ladder barrier kit from your local store.
• Step down the pool, and place the barrier at the foot of the ladder.
• Alternatively, you can fill plastic bottles with sand and place them as a barrier around the ladder.
• When the pool vacuum cleaner gets to the barrier, rather than tangling with the ladder, it gets deflected.

Conclusion

Cleaning your pool with a vacuum cleaner should be stress-free. But, if the cleaner gets stuck on the ladder, it is frustrating and doesn’t clean your pool. So, take advantage of the tips in this article to ensure the cleaner doesn’t get stuck on the ladder.

Also, ensure the right pressure is set at your pool pump and in the cleaner. The condition of the cleaner is also essential, as having debris clogging its steering mechanism may deter its cleaning process or even get it stuck on the ladder.

If the cleaner is faulty, ensure you contact the manufacturer of the vacuum cleaner or take it to a technician for servicing.