Owning a pool is hard work and expensive. There are many ways to make the care and maintenance easier and more affordable and putting a pool cleaner, or vacuum, in your water is one great way to help with the housekeeping.
The challenge is in choosing which cleaner to buy, both in style and function. There are three main kinds that I have experience with, Suction, Pressure and Robotic. I can help you decide which one is best for your situation and I can give you my “Pros and Cons” with regard to each one based on my real-world, day-in, day-out dealings with those that I have come across.
1. Suction-side cleaners: these are run off of the circulation pump and the hose either plugs directly into the skimmer port or to a designated line plumbed into the pool wall. They are great for fine debris and light leaf loads. Moderate amounts of heavier debris might warrant an in-line leaf bag, usually sold separately. Sand and dirt are sucked into the filter and trapped there. It is like vacuuming your pool everyday for as long as you’re running your circulation system. If you have a pool with a lot of heavy debris, this type of cleaner is not for you.
2. Pressure-side cleaners; these are powered by a booster pump through a designated line plumed into the pool wall. They are ideal for pool with heavy debris but they are not great for finer stuff. If you use one of these you will still need to vacuum as needed. The debris is trapped in a bag which is attached to the outside of the cleaner.
3. Robotic cleaners: these cleaners are put into the pool to clean then removed when it is done. These are plugged into a power outlet and the cord runs to a box that controls on/off and a timer feature. Some models offer more features. The robot goes into the pool and runs around the floor for as long as the timer has instructed it. These cleaners work in a way similar to a pressure side cleaner in that the debris is forced into a bag which is built into the cleaner. One major difference is that the bag filters much finer than the pressure side bag. This feature allows for the cleaners ability to pick up fine debris as well as the heavier leaves.
Based on the information I just gave you, it would seem that the robotic cleaner would be the way to go. It works in any pool, you have the benefit of it being easy to take in and out of the pool, it runs on its own power and it picks up all types of debris. The drawback is 2 things. First, because it is designed to operate independently, you are required to turn it on every time you want it to work. Also, it’s not designed to stay in the pool so you need to set it up each time you want to use it. The bigger sticking point for many pool owners is the price. They cost about twice as much as the other cleaners.
The pressure side cleaner can seem like a more economical choice if you already have a port plumbed for it. Keep in mind, though, that it costs money to operate the booster pump and as the pump ages; it’s just one more thing to replace when it fails.
I would like to say that this blog really convinced me to do it! Thanks, very good post. Best pool cleaner
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