The simplest way to keep leaves out of a pool is a cover, used every time the pool is not in use. For the leaves that get in anyway, skim them off the surface daily before they sink, and use a leaf canister or a leaf vacuum for the ones that reach the bottom. A robotic cleaner does the floor job unattended.
Leaves are not just untidy. Once a leaf sinks it starts breaking down, and that puts tannins into the water, stains the floor, feeds algae and clogs the filter. Getting them out early is far less work than dealing with what they turn into.
Stop them getting in
Use the cover, every time. A cover on overnight and whenever nobody is swimming is the single biggest reduction in leaf load, and it also slows evaporation and holds daytime heat. The reason people stop using covers is that they are awkward, so make it easy: store it somewhere it can be grabbed in one movement and pulled on by one person. A 10ft round PE pool blanket weighs 0.63kg, per its listing. The pool covers range has sizes from 2.44m up.
Trim what is overhead. One overhanging branch drops more leaves than the rest of the yard combined. Cutting it back is a one-off job that reduces the daily one all season.
Think about where the pool sits. If it is a portable pool and it is going back up next summer, moving it a few metres away from a tree line is free.
Windbreaks work in reverse too. A fence or a hedge on the windward side stops leaves blowing in from next door, but a solid barrier on the leeward side traps them against the pool. A permeable screen is better than a solid one.
Get them off the surface, daily
A floating leaf is easy to remove. A sunk leaf is not. The window is usually a day or two.
A flat skimmer net on a telescopic pole is the basic tool and takes two minutes. Do it in the morning before the wind picks up and pushes everything to one corner, or use the corner to your advantage and skim there.
If the pool has a built-in skimmer box, empty the basket before it fills. A full skimmer basket does nothing, and the pump is then pulling against a blocked inlet, which is hard on it.
Get them off the floor
Once leaves sink you need suction.
A leaf canister fits in line between the pool's suction line and a vacuum head, and catches leaves in a clear basket before they reach the pump and filter. This is the right answer if you have a lot of leaves, because without it you are pulling every leaf into the pump strainer and emptying it constantly. An Aqua Buddy leaf canister suction catcher is listed for in-ground swimming pools and connects to the pool pump hosing.
A leaf eater or leaf vacuum is a dedicated head that runs off a garden hose rather than the pool's own suction. It uses water pressure to lift debris into a leaf bag. The advantage is that the pool filter never sees the leaves at all, and it works on pools with no plumbed suction line, including portable pools. A swimming pool vacuum leaf eater suits that situation: the listing says no pump or pool filter is needed, and that a pole is required and not supplied.
A manual vacuum kit covers fine silt as well as leaves and is worth having regardless. The pool cleaners and vacuums range includes manual kits and cordless units.
A robotic cleaner runs on its own and does the floor while you do something else. For a pool under trees this is the difference between a job you do and a job that gets done. A cordless robotic pool cleaner needs no hoses and no connection to the filter system, which makes it practical on an above ground pool. The listing says it suits flat-bottomed pools, round up to 4.88m, runs for 30 minutes per charge and is not compatible with steel wall pools.
Which tool for which situation
| Situation | What to use |
|---|---|
| A few leaves, caught the same day | Skimmer net |
| Heavy leaf fall, plumbed suction line | Leaf canister in line with a vacuum head |
| Portable or above ground pool, no suction line | Leaf eater running off the garden hose |
| Fine silt and general floor cleaning | Manual vacuum kit |
| Under trees, want it done without you | Cordless robotic cleaner |
| Pool not in use | The cover, every time |
Most pools under trees end up with two of these: the cover plus one floor tool.
Protect the filter while you are at it
Leaves reaching the pump are the reason filter cartridges clog early.
- Empty the pump strainer basket regularly, not just when flow drops. By the time flow drops the pump has already been working hard.
- Rinse the cartridge when the flow slows. Most cartridges rinse with a hose and go back in.
- Never run the pump with a blocked strainer. It runs dry, and running dry is what kills pumps.
- Run the filter longer in leaf season, not shorter. More debris means more turnover needed.
Cartridge filter pumps from 330 to 800 GPH are in the pool pumps and filters range, and the guide to sizing a pump for your pool explains how to choose one.
The tannin stain problem
If leaves have already sat on the floor for a while, you may have brown staining that does not vacuum off. That is tannin leaching out of the leaf litter into the surface below it.
The practical order is: get every leaf out first, run the filter continuously for a day or two, then deal with what remains. Cleaning the stain while leaves are still in the pool is wasted effort, because more tannin arrives the next day.
This is the strongest argument for the daily skim. Two minutes a day prevents a job that takes an afternoon.
A routine that works
- Daily: skim the surface, empty the skimmer basket, cover the pool when nobody is in it.
- Weekly: vacuum or run the robot, rinse the filter cartridge, check the pump strainer.
- Seasonally: trim overhanging branches, check the cover for tears, replace the cartridge.
None of it takes long. All of it is far less work than a green pool in January.
Frequently asked questions
What is the simplest way to keep leaves out of a pool?
A cover, used every time the pool is not in use. For the leaves that get in anyway, skim the surface daily before they sink.
How often should I skim a pool?
Daily, in the morning before the wind picks up. A floating leaf is easy to remove and a sunk one is not.
What do I use for leaves that have already sunk?
A leaf canister in line with a vacuum head if the pool has a plumbed suction line, a leaf eater on a garden hose if it does not, or a cordless robotic cleaner that works unattended.
Why do leaves stain a pool floor?
Sunk leaves break down and release tannins, which can stain the surface below them and feed algae. Get every leaf out first, then remove the stain.
Can a robotic pool cleaner be used on any pool?
No. The Bestway robotic cleaner is listed for flat-bottomed above ground pools, round up to 4.88m, and is not compatible with steel wall pools.
Covers, cleaners, pumps and filters are in the Bestway range alongside the above ground pools. Delivered Australia-wide in 3 to 5 business days. Orders with a total value of $100 or more qualify for free shipping. 30-day returns on eligible items apply (see our return policy).