An automatic pool cleaner is a must for anyone looking to move away from manual cleaning but with so many brands and types available it is difficult to know which to buy. There are many things to consider when choosing a pool cleaner for your in ground or above ground pool but hopefully the following points will help you narrow your search.
Style
The first thing that many consumers will look at when choosing a pool cleaner is the style. These automatic devices come in four distinct categories; there are the suction side cleaners that rely on a hose and the pool’s filtration system, the pressure side cleaners that dislodge dirt using turbulence, the robotic cleaners with their microchips and motors and the solar powered ones that skim the surface. One may be more appealing on first impressions but there are other considerations that can change these perceptions.
Pool Size
The size of your pool can make a big difference to the style of pool cleaner that you end up buying. Suction models require hoses of limited lengths as well as the electricity and functions of the pool’s pump and filtration system, meaning that a large pool can take a long time and become costly in terms of the energy used. Robotic cleaners with their determined paths and powerful brushes make lighter work of the job and don’t require the pool’s system.
Debris
The size of the pool is one thing but there is also the issue of the amount of debris that needs to be removed and its form. Solar powered cleaners are endorsed for the way they can remove anything, from leaves to oil, from the surface but they don’t touch the dirt on the sides or the bottom. Large quantities and leaves can be problematic for the smaller, simpler automatic suction cleaners but they are said to be the best for pools with finer particles and sand.
Maintenance
Automatic pool cleaners are supposed to make the job of cleaning the pool much easier but there are sometimes hidden problems in the set up and the maintenance of both the cleaner and the pool - especially when some devices are using booster pumps, such as the automatic pressure cleaners. Solar devices are simple, battery operated skimmers but does the brand you are considering have any hidden needs and flaws?
Cost
The cost of a device should be the last consideration but it is still quite important because of the vast difference in price between the most simplistic suction models and the more high-tech robotic pool cleaners. The bargain prices may be tempting but if the following criteria highlight a need for something more substantial than you will have to pay a bit more.
What Type of Automatic Pool Cleaner Should I get?
Buying an automatic pool cleaner is not a simple case of buying the most attractive or cheapest model available and just letting it do its job; you really have to match a product to your personal needs as a pool owner and only by appreciating the size of the pool, the debris present and the potential costs and efforts required can you determine which type of pool cleaner is best for you. Once you decide on either a suction cleaner, pressure cleaner, robotic cleaner or solar power cleaner, you can then examine the options and user reviews to find a cost-effective and efficient model that really suits your pool.
My wife and I have been having a hard time keeping our pool clean lately. We want to find a pool vacuum that can do most of the hard work for us. I didn’t realize that solar cleaners could remove anything from the surface of your pool. We have a lot of trees in our yard, and the leaves sit at the top of our pool, so that might be a good choice for us.