Are Robotic Pool Cleaners Worth It?
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I think we can all agree that cleaning and vacuuming your swimming pool is probably not your favorite household chore and you have probably considered buying a fancy robotic pool vacuum to do the pool cleaning for you...but is it a good investment? Are robotic pool cleaners worth it? The answer is that for most pool owners a robotic cleaner is a smart investment that reduces the amount of time you need to spend manually cleaning your pool while also being more electrically efficient than any other form of traditional pool vacuum systems. Yes, robotic pool vacuums are definitely worth it!
When shopping for a robotic pool cleaner you should be aware that you will likely be overwhelmed with models, brands, options, features...just remember to choose a vacuum that has the features that you are looking for, such as the ability to climb and clean the walls all the way up to the waterline of the pool. It would also be a very good idea to choose a brand of pool cleaner that is well known within the pool and spa industry. A swimming pool is a very hard environment for electronics and you definitely want a pool robot with an established history of quality and longevity. I would not endorse to buy an off-brand pool cleaner. Hayward, Pentair and Jandy (Fluidra) are the big names in the pool equipment industry so check these for sure. Also be sure to look into Mayrtonics pool cleaners as many pool and spa industry professionals endorse their line of pool cleaners: Maytronics.com
Why robotic vacuums are better than other pool vacuums - There are a few reasons why a robotic pool vacuum is superior to traditional suction or pressure based filtration systems but the primary reason is that the power needed to drive and propel the robotic vacuum is far less than what you need to run a suction based cleaner at high RPM on your pump, or a smaller booster pump that needs to run in order to drive a pressure style cleaner. A pool pump, even a smaller one, uses a huge amount of power so right away you are at a disadvantage if your pool vac needs a pool pump to operate. Even when you use your existing pool pump to power a suction based cleaner, you are still taking all of the debris which are you cleaning and you deposit it directly into your pool filter. This means you will have to perform a filter cleaning maintenance to your filter much sooner and more often when you use pressure based or suction based pool cleaners. Robotic pool vacuums operate entirely independently from your pool filtration and circulation system and the instead rely on internal filter cartridges which you must empty periodically.
Is there any disadvantage to a robotic pool cleaner? - Possibly the weight of the cleaner could be an issue for you. Many people complain that they are heavy and hard to remove from the pool. For this the best thing to do is not attempt to yank your cleaner out of the pool. It is full of water. Instead lift it out slowly in stages over about 20 or 30 seconds as this allows the water trapped inside the unit to drain out and this will make lifting the (empty) vacuum much easier. Another disadvantage of a robotic pool vacuum is that they are intended for maintenance cleaning in your pool. They are not intended to clean up your pool in the spring, or after a hurricane, so you need to be aware of the limitations of the product design. Manually vacuum heavy debris from the pool before putting in your robotic pool cleaner. Other than these potential limitations, a robotic pool vacuum is time saving, energy saving and all around a convenient pool upgrade to have.
When you factor in the additional cost of running a booster pump or your filtration pump at higher speeds, the robotic pool cleaner price becomes less of a concern. Yes a pool robot is probably going to cost you more than a suction or pressure based cleaner, but that is simply because a pool robot is an all-in-one package where the other cleaners still needs pumps, a filter and plumbing in order to clean your pool.
With the cost of electricity constantly on the rise it makes more sense than ever to invest in a robotic vacuum to help make your pool efficient and to reduce on the time you spend manually cleaning your pool.
Here is a funny article about what it is like to own a robotic pool cleaner
Here are some popular pool cleaner reviews
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Swimming Pool Steve is an award winning, second generation swimming pool and spa specialist from Ontario Canada. With over 10,000,000 views on the Swimming Pool Steve YouTube Channel, winner of the 2018 Pool & Spa Industry Leadership award and author of hundreds of pool and spa articles both online and in print Steve is committed to helping pool and spa owners as well as pool and spa industry workers learn more about the technical side of building, renovating, repairing and maintaining all types of swimming pools and spas. Follow Swimming Pool Steve on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
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