Fall leaves are beautiful — until they fall in your pool. Then, they’re a nuisance that needs to be removed if you want to extend your swimming season.

To keep leaves under control, empty the skimmer and pump baskets, check the filter to ensure it doesn’t get clogged, keep sanitizer levels up, and backwash more frequently, suggests Pentair Aquatic Systems, which offers these tips for fall pool maintenance:

  • When leaves do collect in your pool, direct them to the skimmer by pointing your pools’ wall jets in the same direction to move water around the perimeter.
  • If leaves settle at the bottom of your pool, remove them quickly or they may stain the pool, especially concrete.
  • Remove leaves from pool covers to keep the leaves from falling into the water.
  • Use a small leaf skimmer with a relatively shallow net attached to a telepole to quickly capture leaves and debris floating on your pool’s surface.
  • A leaf rake with a large mesh pocket can collect leaves on the pool’s surface and floor. When using a leaf rake, work around the sides first, then clean from the middle of the pool.
  • Leaf traps that resemble a small canister vacuum cleaner remove leaves from the pool’s surface before they reach the skimmer, pump, or filter. Leaf traps are powered by suction side pool cleaners or vacuum heads.
  • Leaf eaters that combine top skimmers or bottom cleaners with a large collector bag and brushes are particularly good for pulling in leaves from the surface or bottom of the pool and containing them for removal.

Source: Pentair Aquatic Systems