Hayward SharkVac Review: Attacks Dirt At Affordable Price

The Hayward SharkVac is an affordable robotic pool cleaner for inground pools. It has roller brushes and cartridge filters to bite and eat pool dirt. My Hayward SharkVac review answers questions about the different model numbers, shared features, assembly, maintenance, troubleshooting, performance and limited warranty.

Hayward SharkVac Model Numbers

There are four Hayward SharkVac models to choose. Let us sort out the model numbers and their main differences before going any further with our review.

RC9740CUB: the standard model cleans the floor and coves (wall bottoms) in a two-hour cleaning cycle. It has a 50-foot floating power cord and a one-year limited warranty.

RC9740WCCUB: this is the Hayward SharkVac XL model that can clean the floor, walls and waterline in a three-hour cleaning cycle. The XL also includes water level sensors that prevent it from climbing out of the water. It has a 60-foot power cable and is covered by a two-year limited warranty.

RC9742CUBY: this is the standard SharkVac model, but it includes a caddy cart for transporting and storing the automatic pool cleaner, its cable and power supply unit.

RC9742WCCUBY: the Hayward SharkVac XL with caddy cart included.

Hayward SharkVac XL RC9740WCCUB
Hayward SharkVac XL

Which features are shared by the SharkVac cleaners?

They are all robotic pool cleaners made for cleaning inground swimming pools. The following pool surfaces are supported: fiberglass, gunite, pebble, tile and vinyl. The maximum pool size is limited to 20 feet by 40 feet. They can all clean the pool floor, but only the SharkVac XL can clean the walls and waterline.

These robotic pool cleaners have top access filter cartridges that are easy to reach and clean. They have wheel brushes for scrubbing dirty pool surfaces.

The power supply unit is very basic and only has an on/off switch. The robotic pool cleaner does its 2-hour cleaning cycle (3-hour cycle for the XL) and then shuts down automatically.

Does the SharkVac have a no-tangle swivel cable?

The floating power cable does not have a swivel cable device. You have to untangle the coils in the cord by stretching it out in the sun in a straight line. This is also a good time to check the cord for any visible damage.

Do you need to assemble the Hayward SharkVac?

The robotic pool cleaner does not need any assembly. Remove the pool cleaner and its power supply from the shipping box. Put the power supply near a GFCI outlet, at least 12 feet away from the pool’s edge. Now you can do the connections: connect the floating power cable to the power supply and connect the power supply to the GFCI outlet. Insert the pool cleaner into the swimming pool and switch on the GFCI outlet and power supply. Remember: never turn on the power supply if the pool cleaner is out of the pool. This might damage the motor!

Do you have to assemble the caddy cart?

The caddy cart needs some assembly before use. Do not worry: you only have to add the handle and the tube. Very hard to screw up, screwing in a few screws.

How do you maintain the Hayward SharkVac?

You might have to open up the top and clean the filter cartridge after every cleaning cycle. Remove the filter container from the pool cleaner. Rinse the whole container and the filter screens with a garden hose. You do not have to remove the individual filter cartridges from the container to clean it, but you can remove it if you want to rinse it more thoroughly. Return everything to its proper place before storing the pool cleaner.

The only other regular maintenance job might be uncoiling the floating power cable. Oh, you might occasionally check the venturi impeller for debris or hair. Spray it clean with a garden hose.

The SharkVac has a top-access cartridge filter
Hayward SharkVac has top-access cartridge filter.

What are common troubles with the SharkVac?

First, keep the filters clean. It cleans poorly if the filters are clogged. Also, overloaded filters might spill debris back into the water when you remove the pool cleaner from the swimming pool. You should remove large pieces of debris from the pool before putting the robotic cleaner to work. This might prevent unnecessary clogging.

Next, debris might sometimes get stuck in the impeller or the brush rollers. Check these areas for debris if the pool cleaner seems to be working fine before coming to a standstill.

The floating power cord might get tangled up if the pool cleaner gets stuck temporarily on a main drain or other obstacle. Uncoil the cord by laying it flat in a straight line in the sun. The sun’s heat will soften and untangle the cord.

Another small problem to mention is that opening the lid cover to remove and clean the cartridge filter can sometimes be tricky. It seems like the button and release mechanism for the lid can be difficult to open. You might try tilting the pool robot backwards before pressing the button.

How well does it clean the pool?

It certainly attacks and removes the pool dirt with its brushes, vacuum power and filters. Its cartridge filters can remove particles down to 5 microns, which is pretty small. Even so, other robotic pool cleaners might filter down to even smaller 2-micron sized particles.

What is included with the Hayward SharkVac?

You get the robotic pool cleaner with its floating power cord and the power supply unit. The filter cartridges are also included. There will probably be a product manual in there somewhere. A caddy cart may or may not be included depending on which model number you choose.

What does the limited warranty cover?

The warranty is limited to covering parts and labor, the power train, the motor unit and the power supply. Filters are not covered by the warranty. The warranty registration card must be filled in and mailed within 10 days after purchasing the pool cleaner to secure the warranty. Do not forget to do this.

Conclusion

The best thing about the Hayward SharkVac might be its moderate price. It is a few dollars cheaper than its robotic rivals, such as the Dolphin Nautilus. However, the SharkVac does not have a swivel cable, while the Nautilus does have a swivel cable.

The SharkVac is a few hundred dollars cheaper than the Hayward Tigershark. This makes it an affordable Hayward robotic pool cleaner to buy if you are on a tight budget.

A few owners think that the pool cleaner is a little heavy to pull out of the pool. True, the pool cleaner itself weighs almost 22 pounds. Add wet filters to that figure, and it might be somewhat heavy to handle. Even so, I do not think that it is heavier than other robotic pool cleaners.

Deciding which model you need is simple: do you want it to clean the walls and do you want a caddy cart?

If you only want a pool robot to clean the floor and coves and do not want a caddy cart, then get the Hayward RC9740CUB SharkVac (buy on Amazon).

Purchase the Hayward RC9740WCCUB SharkVac XL if you want a robotic pool cleaner that can clean both the walls and waterline (purchase on Amazon).

Get the other model numbers with the ‘Y’ added at the end if you want both the pool robot and a caddy cart to move it in and out of storage.