Why You Can Trust CNET DIY Pool Hack: Using My 3D Printer for a Cleaner Swim
From plastic string to a clean pool in about an hour.
- Covered the mobile and smart home tech space for the past five years for multiple large publications.
Pool skimmer nets are a common tool for maintaining a pool, but a 3D printer can make it so much better.
In case you haven't noticed, it's summertime and very hot. Thankfully, I can set up a swimming pool in my yard for times just like this. But in my attempt to stay cool, I'm reminded of the downside of owning a pool: cleaning it. However, thanks to my 3D printer, my pool is cleaner than ever.
Living near a gravel road in rural Kansas makes keeping my pool clean a chore. Between the trees in the area, all the bugs and the gravel road in front of my house, the pool gets dirty. This year is different, and it's all because of a clever design and a 3D printer.
Working smarter, not harder
Using a 3D printer, PETG filament, a pool skimmer net and some PVC, my pool is cleaner than ever.
3D printers are nothing new, and I've been using these handy devices for about three years now. I'm still amazed by the creativity of some designers out there and what they come up with. While browsing for something new to print, I found a pool skimmer hack designed by Jamie Claye on Printables.
This design uses the pool skimmer net that most pool owners already have and a couple of 3D-printed items. In case you want a wider option like I have, I'm using the Intex Leaf Rake. So, I fired up one of the best 3D printers on the market, my Bambu Labs A1 Mini, and loaded up some PETG filament. I chose to use this type of plastic due to its ability to withstand high temps and direct sunlight, as well as its greater resistance to UV rays.
I also printed off a model by AlexMu on Printables that fit onto the nozzle attachment from my pool filter for the Bestway Power Steel 18 by 48 foot round above-ground pool set I bought to start the summer. This 3D design directs the filtered water coming into the pool in a circular flow, which will help the skimmer I'm building work better.
After downloading the files, I prepped the design using the Bambu Studios slicing software and started printing. While that was going, I looked for a couple of pieces of 1-inch PVC in my barn and got out my Velcro cable ties. The PVC will be used to attach my pool net to one 3D-printed piece and the other to the pool frame.
Time to build
My 3D printer made keeping my pool clean so much easier.
With everything printed and extra parts found, it was time to put it together. I decided to use some screws to attach the PVC to the 3D-printed parts along with the net handle for a more secure connection. After predrilling some holes and putting in the screws, all that was left for the skimmer was to use the Velcro cable ties to attach the whole thing to the pool frame.
Finally, I switched off the pool pump, removed the filter outlet that came with the filter, and then threaded it into the 90-degree outlet I had printed. Now, for the moment of truth: it was time to turn the pump back on, and fortunately, it worked.
Water flowed and began swirling around the pool, and little bits of debris and bugs on the water's surface started going into the net. Now, at the end of each day, I simply remove the Velcro and use a garden hose to rinse out the net and then reattach it for the next day.
Along with using my 3D printer to help keep my pool clean, I've also enlisted a robot to help out. Like how I'm using robot lawn mowers to help me save time taking care of my yard, the Beatbot Aquasense Pro has been scrubbing the bottom and sides and skimming the top water, greatly reducing the time I need to keep the pool sparkling clean.
The Beatbot Aquasense Pro is unique in that it can clean a pool's floor, walls and the top water all on its own.