Top Five Automatic Pool Cleaners of 2014 and Debris Comparison
One of the questions I get asked all the time is what cleaner picks up debris the best. Leaves, dirt and other stuff that will fall into your pool can make your pool look uninviting. An automatic cleaner is a great way to keep your pool looking great each week. Here are the top five of 2014 in order of how much debris they can collect.
Number One: Polaris 280, 360, 380, 480 & 3900:
The Polaris by Zodiac is still the best when it comes to debris. It can pick up stuff on the pool bottom that other cleaners just can't. The debris bag is also a super fine mesh and will trap dirt also. Most of the Polaris models require a separate booster pump except for the Polaris 360 pictured here. That one runs off of your existing return jets - but they must be 1.5" threaded and you need at least a 1 hp pump for it to be effective.
If you are interested in getting a Polaris cleaner
I have several videos on my YouTube Channel detailing the 280 and 360 models which I think are the two best Polaris models. Again, the 360 runs off of your return jets without a booster pump.
The opening on the bottom of the Polaris is large enough to suck up a full size rat. How do I know this? Well, I've pulled enough dead rats out of the Polaris debris bag to verify this for you. It will also pick up large leaves, rocks and just about anything that falls into your pool.
Polaris 360 Video: http://youtu.be/__RPLvisssM
Polaris 280 Video: http://youtu.be/RRz-pX7Ew9g
Number Two: The Solar Breeze
This is one of my new favorite cleaners. It can be used as a stand alone cleaner and will leave the surface of your pool spotless each week. Especially in the Summer when it is running all day and into the night. It is a robotic solar powered cleaner so there are no hoses or cords. It does such a great job on the surface that you will only need to vacuum the pool every two weeks or longer. It can also be used in conjunction with a suction cleaner. In that case you will just need some extra hose weights to sink the suction cleaner hose below the water line to give the Solar Breeze access to the entire pool.
That is how I have my pool at home set up, Solar breeze on top and a suction side cleaner for the bottom. Here is one in a pool with bamboo trees all along the far side. The Solar Breeze collects so much debris each week that the debris tray is actually jammed in the cleaner. This pool also has a cleaner going on the bottom so the pool stays clean all week long. A very innovative cleaner that really works and one that I would recommend if your pool has a lot of surface debris. The debris tray holds about two skimmer baskets worth of debris. A good buy.
Solar Breeze Video: http://youtu.be/jzWfClbOnIc
Number Three: "ThePoolCleaner by Poolvergnuegen
This was a close call and I would almost call it a tie with Number Four which is the New Kreepy Krauly by Pentair. This little cleaner is great in a pool with lots of debris like Oak nuts and leaves. It will have trouble with Maple tree bark and Eucalyptus Tree bark, but most cleaners will also get jammed up by that type of tree debris. Other than those two trees it will pick up just about any debris that will fit in it's mouth. It has a unique turbine that allows it to pick up debris that would jam other cleaners. It is amazing how much debris this thing can handle. It sometimes picks up so much debris that the hose itself gets clogged up.
Here it is in a pool surrounded by Oak trees. Just about every week the pool is pretty much spotless - at least on the bottom. occasionally it will suck up so many oak nuts that it gets jammed up. It just doesn't know when to stop ;). I also should mention that this cleaner does not require a lot of part changes over the years. The only thing you need to change every year or two are the rubber tires. Other than that the parts in this thing last a long time. I have at least 15 accounts with various versions of this cleaner installed and they do a great job in all those pools without exception.
To see the Poolvergnuegen Playlist: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsvsTjbpoT-f4qYUPi5C0So5_n75a9GDw
Number Four: The New Kreepy Krauly by Pentair
I have three of these now on my route as they are fairly new to the market. I have a Blog article detailing this cleaner for you so I will briefly cover some of the finer points. This cleaner is a beast with debris. It will pick up so much debris that it will burst your leaf canister insert if you are not careful. You can see how compacted the debris is in the photo. It just keeps going until there is nothing left to suck up.
This pool has a lot of regular size trees and some other trees with particle like tree leaves. The Kreepy has no problem with either and also works great in a pools with oak trees and larger leaf debris.
The price right now for the New Kreepy Krauly is what I would consider low. For what you are getting it is a real bargain. The updated design allows the Kreepy to clean the entire pool without getting hung up in certain areas like the older model (now the Kreepy Krauly Classic) used to. To see the full article:
http://poolmandave.blogspot.com/2013/12/review-of-new-kreepy-krauly-by-pentair.html
Here is a video on this cleaner: http://youtu.be/NOvs5v668Dk
Number Five: Zodiac G2 or G3
This is still one of my favorite cleaners on the market, the G2 in particular. I know there is a bad rap on the fact that the diaphragm tends to wear out and it is an expensive part. But now there are several generic replacements available - some under $10.00 in price. Surprisingly these generic diaphragms work very well. With that said this cleaner when given the right amount of suction can keep your pool spotless each week. what I like about the Zodiac cleaners is that they are fast. They can move around an entire pool several times within one hour.
This G2 cleaner is in a pool with a large Avocado tree right over it. Thankfully it has an automatic cover, but for the days it is open the pool is a mess. The G2 keeps it spotless nevertheless and as you can see the large Avocado leave\s, stems and even small avocados are no match for the G2. It also will pick up so much debris that the canister insert can crack. Just a great cleaner and still one of my favorites.
To see all the cleaner by Zodiac:
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLC5F2DFD2FA934FE8
I hope you found this helpful as you choose an automatic cleaner for your pool. If you have a specific question regarding debris and what cleaner I recommend you can contact me here or on my Website:
http://www.swimmingpoollearning.com/
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| Polaris 360 shown |
The Polaris by Zodiac is still the best when it comes to debris. It can pick up stuff on the pool bottom that other cleaners just can't. The debris bag is also a super fine mesh and will trap dirt also. Most of the Polaris models require a separate booster pump except for the Polaris 360 pictured here. That one runs off of your existing return jets - but they must be 1.5" threaded and you need at least a 1 hp pump for it to be effective.
If you are interested in getting a Polaris cleaner
I have several videos on my YouTube Channel detailing the 280 and 360 models which I think are the two best Polaris models. Again, the 360 runs off of your return jets without a booster pump.
The opening on the bottom of the Polaris is large enough to suck up a full size rat. How do I know this? Well, I've pulled enough dead rats out of the Polaris debris bag to verify this for you. It will also pick up large leaves, rocks and just about anything that falls into your pool.
Polaris 360 Video: http://youtu.be/__RPLvisssM
Polaris 280 Video: http://youtu.be/RRz-pX7Ew9g
Number Two: The Solar Breeze
This is one of my new favorite cleaners. It can be used as a stand alone cleaner and will leave the surface of your pool spotless each week. Especially in the Summer when it is running all day and into the night. It is a robotic solar powered cleaner so there are no hoses or cords. It does such a great job on the surface that you will only need to vacuum the pool every two weeks or longer. It can also be used in conjunction with a suction cleaner. In that case you will just need some extra hose weights to sink the suction cleaner hose below the water line to give the Solar Breeze access to the entire pool.
That is how I have my pool at home set up, Solar breeze on top and a suction side cleaner for the bottom. Here is one in a pool with bamboo trees all along the far side. The Solar Breeze collects so much debris each week that the debris tray is actually jammed in the cleaner. This pool also has a cleaner going on the bottom so the pool stays clean all week long. A very innovative cleaner that really works and one that I would recommend if your pool has a lot of surface debris. The debris tray holds about two skimmer baskets worth of debris. A good buy.
Solar Breeze Video: http://youtu.be/jzWfClbOnIc
This was a close call and I would almost call it a tie with Number Four which is the New Kreepy Krauly by Pentair. This little cleaner is great in a pool with lots of debris like Oak nuts and leaves. It will have trouble with Maple tree bark and Eucalyptus Tree bark, but most cleaners will also get jammed up by that type of tree debris. Other than those two trees it will pick up just about any debris that will fit in it's mouth. It has a unique turbine that allows it to pick up debris that would jam other cleaners. It is amazing how much debris this thing can handle. It sometimes picks up so much debris that the hose itself gets clogged up. To see the Poolvergnuegen Playlist: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsvsTjbpoT-f4qYUPi5C0So5_n75a9GDw
Number Four: The New Kreepy Krauly by Pentair
I have three of these now on my route as they are fairly new to the market. I have a Blog article detailing this cleaner for you so I will briefly cover some of the finer points. This cleaner is a beast with debris. It will pick up so much debris that it will burst your leaf canister insert if you are not careful. You can see how compacted the debris is in the photo. It just keeps going until there is nothing left to suck up.
This pool has a lot of regular size trees and some other trees with particle like tree leaves. The Kreepy has no problem with either and also works great in a pools with oak trees and larger leaf debris.
http://poolmandave.blogspot.com/2013/12/review-of-new-kreepy-krauly-by-pentair.html
Here is a video on this cleaner: http://youtu.be/NOvs5v668Dk
Number Five: Zodiac G2 or G3
This is still one of my favorite cleaners on the market, the G2 in particular. I know there is a bad rap on the fact that the diaphragm tends to wear out and it is an expensive part. But now there are several generic replacements available - some under $10.00 in price. Surprisingly these generic diaphragms work very well. With that said this cleaner when given the right amount of suction can keep your pool spotless each week. what I like about the Zodiac cleaners is that they are fast. They can move around an entire pool several times within one hour.
To see all the cleaner by Zodiac:
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLC5F2DFD2FA934FE8
I hope you found this helpful as you choose an automatic cleaner for your pool. If you have a specific question regarding debris and what cleaner I recommend you can contact me here or on my Website:
http://www.swimmingpoollearning.com/
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