When you have a pool, you have something to clean all your life. A robotic pool cleaner makes pool ownership less of a worry since you have a tool to help you clean the pool in less time and hassle.
Advantages of using robotic pool cleaners over other types
Robotic Pool Cleaners (RPC or pool bots) offer the most convenient way of maintaining your pool’s cleanliness. It has various features that make it an intelligent version of all the pool cleaning tools combined.
Because it’s automatic, it can work on its own without the need for your constant assistance. Using a bot is like having a reliable side-kick that does the cleaning while you’re busy doing something else. To understand why an RPC is better than other pool cleaners, let’s distinguish it from the other two.
Pressure pool cleaner
True to its name, a pressure side pool cleaner uses the pool’s main pump to generate pressure that the device needs to move around the pool.
As the water jet gushes through the pressure pool cleaner, it powers the device’s hydraulics system, which allows the machine to move its wheels. As it progresses, it loosens up and sucks the contaminants.
This cleaner relies heavily on high-pressure water flow to operate. If your pump isn’t powerful enough, you may need to buy a booster pump to create stronger pressure.
Pros:
- Assuming that you have an excellent pump system, a pressure cleaner works better and faster than a suction-side pool cleaner. It comes with a “tail” that wags behind the device to keep the water moving and prevent the debris from settling down on the floor. This process ensures better cleaning, which makes the water clearer after cleaning.
- The water jets blast the floor and walls to loosen up debris and force them to go to the drain where they can be sucked up.
- It can pick up both small and large debris.
- Most models have their own filter bag, which means they don’t need your pool’s filter system to operate while they work. This makes your pool filter last longer since it has to deal with less amount of debris.
- Easy maintenance. Replacement parts are easy to find.
- Made from durable materials, which means it can last for a long time.
Cons:
- Needs your pool pump to be on as it works — a spike in your electric bill.
- You might need to invest in a booster pump since many pool pumps cannot generate enough pressure required by the device to work efficiently. The price range for booster pumps is $300-$1,300, plus you will need to do some re-plumbing to install it.
Suction-side pool cleaner
This type of pool cleaner is well-suited for small to medium-sized pools. A suction-side cleaner is connected to the suction-side part of the pool’s filter.
When you use the device, it vacuums the dirt and directs it into the skimmer and through the pool filter. The suction-side cleaner needs the pool’s pump and filter system to run.
This device doesn’t clean as well as the other two types of pool cleaners. If you’re on a budget and just need a basic cleaner, a suction-side pool cleaner is a good fit.
Pros:
- Least expensive among the three.
- Less moving parts for easy maintenance.
Cons:
- Low vacuum power means it is not the most efficient in sucking dirt out of the pool. It doesn’t have a scrubber to detach dirt and algae from pool surfaces. These limitations can cost you more cleaning time and effort in the long run.
- It can clog up quickly, which can lead to malfunction, especially if it sucks particles larger than 2 inches. If your pool is surrounded by trees, a suction-side is not a good option.
- This cleaner needs the pool’s pump and filter system to be on while it works. It increases stress on the pool pump, and the energy bill will go up.
- You will use more water for backwashing the filter, so expect a higher water bill as well.
- Can handle big debris.
- Footpads need constant changing, which means recurring costs.
Robotic pool cleaners
A robotic pool cleaner is absolutely better than the first two in many ways. Firstly, this type is designed to work in all kinds of pools. It is loaded with a variety of features to perform better and make cleaning easier.
Unlike the first two types, RPC is powered by electricity, not water pressure. Although it costs you more for the upfront fee when you buy the product, it doesn’t cost much to run.
The price range of a premier robotic pool cleaner is over $1,000. The tag price corresponds to the type and number of features the item has, user-friendliness, durability, and so much more. The rule of thumb in pricing is that the higher the price is, the better the quality becomes.
Of course, that’s not always the case, so you need to be familiar with what robotic pool cleaners are worth your money. Based on the reviews, the Dolphin robot is the finest vacuum for pools according to cleanup expert.
Pros:
- Eco-friendly
A robotic pool cleaner is friendlier to the environment than other cleaners. This machine doesn’t produce water, air, or even noise pollution. It doesn’t emit gas or any harmful elements that can mix into the water and jeopardize your health and the pool’s condition. - Energy-efficient
With RPC, you don’t need to turn on the pool’s pump and filter system since the machine already has them. Most bots are energy efficient and consume around 60-70 watts per hour which is a very minimal amount of energy, even lesser than what a lightbulb consumes. As a result, it cleans all parts of your pool without causing your bill to skyrocket. - Money-saver
Paying an upfront fee of $1,000 for a quality robotic pool cleaner is not cheap. However, considering that you can use the machine for more than 8 years, you can get your money’s worth in the long run. - Helps maintain chemical balance
A clean pool makes the chemicals more effective. Chlorine is the most common pool water disinfectant being used worldwide. The safe chlorine level recommended for any pool is between 1.0 and 3.0 parts per million (ppm). However, the chlorine will not take its full effect if the water is polluted. Since a robotic pool cleaner removes algae, bacteria, and debris, it helps make chlorine and other chemicals achieve their full potency.Water-saver: Saving water is synonymous with saving money, and you get both when you invest in RPC. All pools have a filtration system that traps dirt and debris during the ordinary day and general cleaning. This debris gets sucked through the tubes and ends up in the filter, where they stay until you do backwashing.
Backwashing consumes a lot of water to get rid of the trapped dirt. You will use more water when the filtration system gets clogged up. You don’t need to worry about clogging the pool filter with a robotic pool cleaner. Backwashing will be easier too and will require a lot less water. - Low maintenance
As long as you use the machine properly, it doesn’t get damaged easily. After using the device, all you have to do is detach the filter and clean it under running water to remove the debris. Then attach the filter back to the device and store it properly. For minor troubleshooting steps, you can refer to the product manual that came with it or to the manufacturer’s website.
Since it’s using its own filter system, it saves you from doing the backwashing after cleaning your pool. This process also means that the pool’s filter will not be overworked, and therefore, can last longer. - Smart cleaning modes
Robotic pool cleaners have become popular because of their astonishing abilities. They can climb and scrub walls and stairs and navigate the floor to suck out all pollutants. Their long and tangle-proof power cord makes it possible for them to clean hard-to-reach spots and corners.
An RPC can pick up all kinds of dirt, even big objects like leaves or twigs. In some models, the machine automatically adjusts its cleaning mode depending on the water’s pollution level. It can change automatically from mild to deep-cleaning when it detects a high concentration of contaminants. If you like the idea of pool automation, you can’t go wrong with a robotic pool cleaner. - User-friendly
A bot cleaner is a machine that will not intimidate you because it’s so easy to use. There is no need for complicated installation steps after taking it out of the box. Just follow the instructions from the product manual, and it’s good to go.
It’s not difficult to use either. All you need is to plug it in, drop it in the water, and turn it on. It has a straightforward interface to help you choose the correct commands that you like. With its tangle-proof power cord, you don’t have to worry about having it caught up on its own wire.
To simplify the use of a robot, you can download an app that is compatible with the machine. Once the app is downloaded, you can use it to “talk” to the device and issue basic commands like start, stop, or pause. You also use it to track the cleaning progress of the robot. As long as your mobile phone is connected to Wi-Fi, programming the bot is just a few clicks away.
