The Brand Story
Hammerhead: The Vacuum That Works Without the Pool's Plumbing
Every pool technician knows the routine. Uncoil the hose, prime it, hook the vacuum head to the skimmer, and hope the pool's pump and filter can handle whatever is lying on the floor. Leaves clog the basket, sand blows through the filter, and the whole route slows down. Hammerhead was built around a different idea: give the vacuum its own motor and its own debris bag, so it can clean a pool without depending on the pool's circulation system at all. The company has been making those vacuums in the United States since 1997.
Chapter 1 · 1997
A family company and a patented head
Hammerhead is made by Hammerhead Patented Performance, Inc., a family-owned business that has built its vacuums in the United States since 1997. The name on the company is not an accident. Hammerhead holds patents on its vacuum head design and on its Smart Switch speed control, and its most recent propeller, a redesigned two-blade unit, is patent pending. Over more than two decades the Hammerhead became a familiar sight on service trucks and at resort pools, and the company describes it as an industry standard.
The concept is straightforward. A sealed electric motor and propeller sit on the vacuum head and push water up through a large filter bag mounted above it. Debris stays in the bag, clean water returns to the pool, and the pool's own pump, skimmer and filter are never involved. Hammerhead offers debris bags in four grades, from coarse for leaves to ultra-fine for silt and sand.
Chapter 2 · Batteries on the hip
Cutting the cord, almost
Hammerhead's vacuums run from rechargeable batteries rather than from the pool's electrical system, and the company has kept refining that power system over the years, adding an LED battery meter and upgraded chargers. The Remora takes the idea furthest. Its LiFePO4 lithium battery pack is worn on a strap at the hip, over the shoulder or across the body, connected to the head by a 20-foot quick-plug cord. Hammerhead rates it for about 50 minutes underwater at full speed and 75 minutes at low speed, with a smartphone app that reports battery health. The Remora uses its own lighter 21-inch head, and the whole package weighs about 18 pounds, light enough to carry down steps and into tight corners.
The company even tells its own story on video. Its short film Shark Girl earned a Silver Award at the 41st Telly Awards in 2020.
The Lineup
What Hammerhead builds today
Hammerhead builds battery-powered portable pool vacuums for service professionals, resorts, condominiums and homeowners, along with replacement heads, bags, propellers and chargers. The Hammerhead equipment HVAC365 carries includes:
- Service vacuums: the Service model with a 21-inch head, built for pool routes, with a cart and a mount that rides on the service truck.
- Resort vacuums: the Resort model with a 21-inch head and charger, meant to stay on site at a hotel, club or community pool.
- Remora kit: the portable system with a wearable lithium battery for stairs, narrow passages, indoor pools and heavily landscaped yards.
- 30-inch vacuum head: a complete wide head for covering large, open pool floors in fewer passes.
More options are listed among our pool cleaners.
At a Glance
Hammerhead in brief
- Company
- Hammerhead Patented Performance, Inc.
- Made in the USA since
- 1997
- Ownership
- Family-owned
- Patents
- Vacuum head design, Smart Switch
- Product focus
- Battery-powered pool vacuums
Questions
Frequently asked questions about Hammerhead
Where are Hammerhead pool vacuums made?
Hammerhead vacuums are made in the United States by Hammerhead Patented Performance, Inc., a family-owned company that has built them since 1997.
Does a Hammerhead vacuum use the pool's pump and filter?
No. A Hammerhead has its own motor and propeller and collects debris in a bag above the head, so it cleans without using the pool's pump, skimmer or filter.
How long does the Hammerhead Remora run on a charge?
Hammerhead rates the Remora for about 50 minutes underwater at full speed and about 75 minutes at low speed.
What is the difference between the Hammerhead Service and Resort models?
The Service model is set up for pool routes and mounts to a service vehicle, while the Resort model is meant to stay on site at a property such as a hotel or community pool.
Can standard Hammerhead heads be used on the Remora?
No. The Remora uses its own lighter 21-inch head, so standard Hammerhead vacuum heads are not interchangeable with it.
