Make Pool Cleaning a Breeze with Automatic Pool Cleaner
Having a dirty pool is very annoying. What makes it worse is if you don’t have the time to clean it.
Fortunately, an automatic pool cleaner is available to make pool maintenance an easier and faster task. This machine eliminates the need to spend all your Sunday afternoon scooping out dirt and scrubbing the walls and floor of the pool. Since they work independently, you don’t have to constantly monitor what the device is doing to give you time to do something else.
Of course, not all pool cleaners are created equal. Depending on what type of pool you have, it’s important to choose the model that can freely maneuver in all corners of the pool to track down dirt and debris.
Feature You Need to Look For
To get the most benefit from an automatic pool cleaner, here are the things you need to consider when shopping for this item:
Wall cleaning: Algae thrive in both the floor and the walls. You need a robot that can climb the wall to remove those nasty slimes and algae.
Warranty: Most robotic pool cleaners are made from durable materials, so you don’t have to worry about replacing their parts within the first year of use. However, having a 3-year warranty can give you peace of mind in case something terrible happens. With a longer warranty, you don’t need to be concerned about spending a lot on repairs and maintenance.
Energy-efficiency: The best robot cleaners are those that function well without consuming a lot of energy. Look for a brand with 12 or 24-volt DC motors. This motor uses 90% less power than AC motors, which gives you around $0.05 per hour cost for energy cost.
Low maintenance: Most of the modern automatic pool cleaners are plug-and-play. Even for a non-techie, using this device for the first time is not that difficult. To use it, simply drop it in the pool, turn it on and let it do its job. Once you’re done cleaning, take it out of the water, detach the filter and unload the debris. Make sure that the filter bag is clean and empty before latching it back to the main frame.
Types of Automatic Pool Cleaners
Aside from the features mentioned above, it’s also essential to use the correct type of pool cleaner for your DIY pool maintenance. Here is a quick run-down on the types of automatic pool cleaners and their pros and cons.
Suction Pool Cleaner
Suction pool cleaners need to connect to the pool’s suction line or to its skimmer. They use the filter’s pump suction to push the cleaner around the pool, removing dirt and debris in the process.
Pros
- Affordable
- Less maintenance
- Fewer moving parts
Cons
- Direct dirt and debris to pool filter;
- Consumes more electric power since it needs the pump to operate.
Best Suction Pool Cleaner
If you like a suction pool cleaner, check out Hayward Aquanaut 400. This unit is powerful and can work faster than other brands.
The Hayward AquaNaut 400 is equipped with a roller skirt to support the device as it cleans the wall. It allows you to program different steering sequences to navigate all corners of the pool. If your pool has a dedicated suction line, this is a great choice.
Pressure Pool Cleaner
A pressure pool cleaner uses the pool’s pressure side water flow to push the device around the pool. In some cases, the device needs additional power from a booster pump to run better. A pressure cleaner does not use the pool’s filter system. Instead, it has its own filter bag to contain dirt and debris. This mechanism relieves pressure and wear-and-tear on your filtration system.
Pros
- Affordable
- Easy maintenance
- Lower debris load directed to the pool filter
Cons
- May require a booster pump to work efficiently
- Needs the filter pump to work
Best Pressure Pool Cleaner
Polaris Vac-Sweep 360 works well even without the help of a booster pump, thus saving you more money compared to other brands. It also has a simple installation procedure which can be done in less than 20 minutes. Polaris can remove large leaves and debris. If your pool is surrounded by trees, this is a good pick.
Robotic Pool Cleaner
A robotic pool cleaner is the most sophisticated type of automatic pool cleaner. Although the upfront cost can be expensive, it’s more practical to use in the long run. Firstly, it doesn’t use any of your pool equipment’s power to run. It uses electricity to operate, which frees up pressure on the pool pump and filter.
Robotic pool cleaners use a straightforward plug-and-play to operate. Pre-operation steps will only take around three to four simple steps. Once it’s up and running, it can work on its own to give you time to relax or make dinner.
Best of all, a robotic pool cleaner is great in scrubbing and sucking dirt and debris across all areas, including the walls, stairs, and even the waterline. This capability eliminates the need to clean the walls with a brush. The dirt goes into the filter bag, which you can remove, empty, and clean afterward.
Best Robotic Pool Cleaner
Maytronic’s Dolphin Premier is hailed as the best robotic pool cleaner by many tech-review sites for obvious reasons. It’s loaded with smart features that can clean a pool up to 50 feet in less than 3 hours. This device has superior navigation and scanning technology to clean walls, floors, stairs, and waterlines.
The Dolphin Premier includes three filter options to effectively trap ultra-fine, medium, and large debris. It also has four cleaning modes that efficiently picks-up everything from leaves, sticks, sand, and all that stuff at the bottom. The dirt goes into the filter bag which you can remove and clean later on.
