Automatic pool cleaners are worth the money, because they are labor-saving devices designed to increase the cleanliness of your swimming pool, while reducing the manual labor required to remove the inevitable accumulation of leaves, dirt and debris.
If you are tired of cleaning your swimming pool by hand, then an automatic pool cleaner can save you time and labor, but not money. Most automatic pool cleaners cost many times more than manual pool vacuum cleaners. In particular, robotic pool cleaners are the most expensive, so be careful not to blow your budget out of the water. However, you need to move a handheld pool vacuum around the pool by yourself, similar to vacuuming the carpets of a house. If this seems like a boring chore for you, then buying an automatic pool cleaner is probably worth the money.
Automatic Pool Cleaners: Three Different Ones
Automatic pool cleaners are available in three basic flavors: suction, pressure and robotic.
A suction-side automatic pool cleaner is connected to the skimmer: because of that, it relies on the pool pump for suction power. The sticks and stones that it vacuums from the pool floor ends up in the pump strainer basket. Therefore, the strainer needs to be cleaned more often to keep the automatic pool vacuum cleaner performing at its best.
A pressure-side automatic pool cleaner usually have wheels and a filter bag, in which it captures debris and dirt. It uses the water pressure coming from either the pool pump or a booster pump to drive its wheels and blow dirt into its filter bag.
A robotic automatic pool cleaner does not rely on the pool pump or strainer basket for its operation. Instead, it has its own wheels, motors, pump, and filters. The pool robot’s floating power cord plugs into its own power supply, which is then plugged into a suitable power outlet near the pool.
What are the costs and benefits of automatic pool cleaners?
If you have neither the desire nor the time to clean your pool by hand, then you could pay a pool maintenance service to clean your residential swimming pool. Otherwise, there is no other option but to buy an automatic pool cleaner.
Switching from a manual to an automatic pool cleaner will save the most important commodity you have: time.
In addition, it will save you another essential asset that you have: your manual labor. Of course, there is a small amount of effort involved, seeing as the pool cleaner cannot climb into the swimming pool by itself. You will have to put the automatic pool cleaner into the pool and take it out again after each cleaning session. The filter bags, or cartridges, of pressure-side and robotic pool cleaners also need to be cleaned every day. Nevertheless, this takes only a few minutes, compared to possibly spending hours sweeping the pool with a manual pool vacuum cleaner.
In contrast with suction-side and robotic pool cleaners, most pressure-side pool cleaners require extra water pressure from a booster pump. If you do not have such a booster pump, then you will need to buy and install it before you can use a pressure pool cleaner.
The disadvantages of automatic pool cleaners can be summarized like this:
- They are more expensive when compared to manual pool cleaners.
- Automatic pool cleaners might miss a few dirty spots.
- They do not clean the pool steps or stairs.
There is no such thing as a perfect automatic pool cleaner that will clean every corner and crevice without ever getting stuck. Generally speaking, automatic pool cleaners are worth the money for most residential swimming pool owners.
Are robotic pool cleaners worth the price you have to pay?
We know that robotic pool cleaners can be pricey: as a result, you should probably look at a few different models before making a decision and paying the price. Pool cleaning robots does have the benefit of being very energy efficient when compared to suction or pressure pool cleaners. A robotic pool cleaner has its own motor, pump and filtration bags, therefore it does not need the pool filtration system.
For example, a suction-side pool automatic pool cleaner such as the Kreepy Krauly Kruiser gets vacuum power from the pool pump. Putting it differently, a pressure-side automatic pool cleaner, such as the Kreepy Krauly Legend, requires a booster pump for its operation. This adds up to a higher electricity bill. An automatic pool robot aims to reduce your overall electricity costs by using smaller DC motors and internal filter cartridges.
Overall, robotic pool cleaners are very easy to use. You do not have to struggle with suction hose sections, flow rates or dedicated pressure lines. However, you do need an outdoor power outlet near the swimming pool where you can plug in the power supply unit. Then you can just put the cleaning robot into the swimming pool and press the power button, or weekly schedule function, on the power supply unit. Moreover, you might be able to monitor and control the robotic pool cleaner remotely, if you bought a model that has Wi-Fi and smartphone capabilities. Regular maintenance is reduced to spending a few minutes to clean and rinse the pool robot’s filter bags after every cleaning cycle. Please remember to remove the robotic pool cleaner from the pool before you start splashing around.
Which automatic swimming pool cleaners are the best?
There are a few brand names and models that are routinely recommended as the best automatic pool cleaners for residential swimming pools. For instance, I usually suggest the Zodiac G3 as the best suction-side pool cleaner for inground pools. It is easy to assemble and install, and it does a good job, even though it might get stuck in a corner or have a hang-up with the pool ladder.
The most popular choice for a pressure-side automatic pool cleaner is the Polaris Vac-Sweep 280, even though it requires a booster pump for its successful operation in an inground swimming pool. To learn more about it, feel free to read my review of the Polaris Vac-Sweep pressure pool cleaners.
The online robotic pool cleaner market is dominated by the Dolphin pool cleaning robots. In light of that, it comes as no surprise that the Dolphin Nautilus robotic pool cleaners are routinely recommended as the best pool robots for inground swimming pools. Specifically, the Dolphin Nautilus CC and CC Plus models are the most affordable options to look at.
The more expensive Dolphin pool cleaning robots, such as the Dolphin Sigma and Nautilus CC Supreme, might be too costly for the majority of inground pool owners. Although, they do offer all the bells, whistles, and apps that a big-ticket pool robot should have on its list of features.
If you want to know which automatic pool cleaners are the recommended for residential above ground swimming pools, then please read my buying guide of the best pool cleaners for above ground pools.
Should you install an automatic in-floor pool cleaning system?
An automatic in-floor pool cleaning system is really only for pool owners that wants to use neither pool cleaning services nor automatic pool cleaners. In-floor pool cleaning systems are a combination of cleaning nozzles, a quick skimmer, and a debris drain. The key benefits of an in-floor pool cleaning system are the automatic removal of debris and the improved circulation of warm water, and chemicals. However, these systems cost a pretty penny to install. Furthermore, the electricity costs involved in providing suction and pressure for the various jets, skimmers and debris drains, will be a large drain on your household budget. For that reason, most residential pool owners prefer to use automatic pool cleaners.
As decided, automatic pool cleaners are worth the money and limited effort necessary to assemble, install, use and maintain them.
Photo by Jesse Gardner on Unsplash