Top 10 Automatic Pool Cleaners of 2013: Number Nine

Zodiac Wahoo

Here is another cleaner you may not have seen anywhere before. It is made by Zodiac and is primarily marketed for the owners of  above ground pools.  Many pool guys will use it in a regular inground pool and I an guilty of that. If you do decide to use it in a regular inground pool be aware of some limitations. The back spur weight is just hard plastic so if it gets hung up in the step area it can rub and wear right through in a matter of weeks. That part is like $50 or 1/3 the price of the cleaner. So be careful. Usually a free form pool will have steps at an angle and this will be bad for the Wahoo. A square pool with steps all the way across is fine in most cases. If you have an above ground pool then go for this cleaner. It is priced around $150 and the parts are surprisingly very long lasting. The footpad, bottom disk and diaphragm will last you a good two to three years. There is no generic footpad for this cleaner and that part is about $60 so after three years you might just want to buy a whole new Wahoo and keep the old one for spare parts. It only comes with 30 ft of hoses (10 hoses) but it comes with the parts needed for a skimmer hook up. It doesn't come with any weights which you will only need if you put it in an inground pool and it gets hung up on your pool light fixture. That is not common but can happen as the bottom disk is flat and if your pool light sticks out it can get caught. Adding one or two hose weights to the front will cure this. A good choice here.