Swimming Pool Tips and Reviews: All About Robotic Pool Cleaners: Benefits, Features and Choosing the Right Model for your Pool

In This Podcast I go over the Benefits and Features of a Robotic Pool cleaner. Having Tested and filmed over 25 different Robotic Cleaners puts me in a unique position to talk about what to look for in a Robotic Cleaner, regardless of brand. There have been many improvements to the Robotic cleaners over the past few years and these are now the best cleaner type on the market today.

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The first thing to look for in a cleaner is the Warranty period. If they offer a 2 or 3 year limited warranty then you should feel confident that the product is well made and will be long lasting. The warranty period basically is the manufacturers window of the time a cleaner will need parts or repairs. So if you use it once or twice a week it should be good for 2-3 years without needing any parts or service. That is one of the major improvements over the years, Robotic cleaner have become very reliable.

Cord or cable tangling used to be a big issue with robotic cleaners. It is very annoying to have to untangle the cord every hour and the engineers of these cleaners have heard your cries. Now most if not all models come with cord swivel. This will eliminate one of the drawbacks of these cleaners – the cord or cable getting tangled as the cleaner moves through the pool. A must have feature for sure.

Robotic Cleaners can generally pick up larger debris than many Suction Side Cleaners. Their debris chambers are large in capacity so they are great for pools with a lot of dirt and debris. The Aquabot cleaners and the Water Tech cleaners will filter down to an industry leading 2 microns. This is better than your D.E. Pool filter. The Hayward and Dolphin cleaners use a paper filter in the debris chamber and can filter down to about 10 microns. The Polaris and some Aquabot Models use a fine filter chamber which can filter down to 60 to 100 microns. Depending on your needs you can choose a cleaner that can pick up fine dust or one that is made primarily for large leaf debris.

Another great benefit is that running a robotic cleaner in your pool cost less than $1.00 a day as it coverts the 120 volts power down to 12 volts, so they are the most affordable cleaner to operate. Since they also pump anywhere from 60 to 80 gallons of water per minute, you can run your filter less as the robotic cleaner circulates your pool water. For a larger pool this is a great bonus.

Of course with any product there are some drawbacks also. The first one is that robotic cleaners can be heavy to remove from the pool for some people. I like to pull it up and lean it on the pool coping and let it drain out before lifting. The dry weight of the cleaners have gotten lighter also over the years - most now weigh under 20 lbs. If you can't lift very heavy weight, look for a model in the 10-12 lbs weight category. The larger ones can be as heavy as 20 lbs.

The price point reflects the features of thecleaner. The lower the price the less features the cleaner will have. Those in the $400 price range cannot climb the walls to the water line. They may also lack scrubbing brushes, remotes and other features. Mid-Range cleaner in the $500-$800 range will come fully loaded with features. Wall climbing and water line scrubbing, a more programmable controller, larger debris chambers and more. The high range cleaners will feature even larger debris chambers, quicker running times, better pool coverage, remote controls, and in some cases WiFi or Bluetooth connectivity that allows you to use your smart Phone to program and control the cleaner. It is all a matter of budget and need. If you don't need wall climbing and tile scrubbing go with a low priced or lower end Mid-Range cleaner. If you like the wall scrubbing feature then go with the higher end cleaner. The more you pay the better the warranty in most cases.

One distinct advantage is that robotic cleaners are self contained units. They operate separate from your pool's filtration system. So that means your pool filter stays cleaner and all the dirt and debris is trapped inside the robotic cleaner. Also if you have old or undersized pool equipment a robotic cleaner would be a way to keep the pool clean in a more effective manner then a poorly running suction side cleaner.

Manufacturers would also like you to purchase their cleaners at a retail pool store. So some offer a 2 year bumper to bumper warranty if you purchase it at a brick and mortar store verses online. Many offer a three year limited warranty - year one is full coverage and year two and three is just part.

I think a Robotic Pool Cleaner offers the best of both worlds. They are easy to use and clean your pool extremely effectively from the floors to the walls and the waterline.

Thursday, March 29, 2018

All About Robotic Pool Cleaners: Benefits, Features and Choosing the Right Model for your Pool

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