Always Outside and others, I have a water garden that is similar in size to yours. It is about 1000gal. I think it is 10x5 and about 2ft at its deepest (it slopes and the 2ft depth isn't all that large). It sits below some trees and shrubs, which sheds twice a year. Last year the pond was pretty messy and I didn't feel like messing with cleaning it (I usually drain it and get in personally and use a wet vac to clean it). I hired a reputable cleaning company that did a decent job. I was embarased, though because the people who cleaned it said it was one of the dirties they have seen. They gave the the biological media that was supposed to clean it up, but I really didn't notice a difference. I would really like to find some type of vacuum system to clean the bottom of my pond from all of the leaves that have accumulated. The past winter has been especially bad and I am not looking forward to this spring cleaning. The bottom of the pond has stones. I was interested that you used a shop vac. The shop vac that I have would vacuum the bottom, but it would collect water in the resivoire. After 5-10 gallons I would have to empty it. This would not only be a hassle, but would really drain the pond. Does this sound like what you do when you use a shop vac? Is there a special vac you use or a set up you can recommend? Can I get a really clean pond bottom by just using bacteria? After I get this clean I will put a net over the water garden. But I would really like to get it cleaned up with as little hassle as possible. Thanks to you all for your help.

https://www.centralvacuumstores.com/cvs/hideahose_faq.php This is a link regarding some frequently asked questions about Hide-a-hose. There are some really great things about the HAH system. One of them is the fact that I no longer have a vacuum hose lying on my floor because I don't feel like putting it away. There are a few things that you should be aware of about hide-a-hose. I have a big dog and my hose sock smells like my dog. I usually just leave it outside in the sun for about 30 minutes every few months and that helps with the smell. The other thing is that despite the answer to the last frequently asked question, a turbocat powerhead will not clean the carpet like an electric powerhead will. If you only have a little carpet this is not an issue, however if you have a lot of carpet this is something to consider. I hate to tell you this, but your installer either doesn't know this, or he isn't being truthful. The HAH hose is smaller in diameter than a regular central vac hose. The HAH hose is 1 1/4" inside diameter hose and most systems use inside 1 3/8" diameter hoses these days. This is about a 12% decrease in area. The smaller hose diameter does decrease the suction in addition to the length decrease the suction. If you get a HAH you will want a system with a lot of suction like the Vacuflo max air, Imperium CV15000-400, or Vacumaid S3600. I find that for people with a lot of hard floors will do really well with a HAH and love it.

Thank you for your quick response! I don't think we have an extra line in our pool. When it was put in back in 1973, there were two lines (plus the main drain). When we reopened the pool recently, the old pipes going into the shallow end were corroded and we had to close that line off. (We didn't want the pool guys to destroy our concrete apron while excavating). So we just have the one in the deep end. When my husband "manually" vacuums, we run the filter and he sticks the hose right into the skimmer. We were thinking of something that would operate without the filter. If we get a vacuum with a dirt bag attached, would we still need a dedicated line? Sorry if I'm asking stupid questions! I'm still learning how to maintain our pool (recently reopened) and am still getting familiar with pool jargon. Thanks! Mary

We have an MD central vac system in our home. Love it. Previous owners didn’t hook anything up to the piping that was installed when the house was built, so we bit the bullet and bought two hoses (we have a two story) and one power head. We also bought a fabric “sleeve” for each hose, and have had zero issues with any wall dings. Hose is not light but it is lighter than hauling a vacuum cleaner around. I’m in my mid 70’s and have zero issues moving the hose around or taking the power head up and down the stairs.