How To Get The Most Out Of Automatic Pool Cleaners

How do you get the most out of an automatic pool cleaner? I guess that it starts with choosing the right pool cleaner in the first place, making sure that it is suited to your pool and enabling you to get many years of use out of it.

This in turn will depend on the sort of pool you have, the specific location of the pool, how much automation you want and whether or not you have any existing infrastructure in place.

Automatic pressure-side cleaners

The way these work is by water pressure being delivered by a pump, whether it be the main circulation pump or a specialized booster pump. As the debris that gets sucked up does not enter your pool filter, it is great for pool locations that need a lot of regular cleaning which would mean a lot of regular cleaning of the filter also.

Such locations may include heavily treed areas or wind prone areas with high amounts of airborne debris.

Automatic suction-side cleaners

This particular type of automatic pool cleaner relies on suction to move it across the pool floor as opposed to requiring a dedicated pool pump.

It will also clean the sides of the pool in addition to the bottom. While this does reduce maintenance, the fact that water is sucked in and filtered as opposed to individual dirt particles means that more water will have to be used to maintain the cleanliness of the pool.

Robotic automatic pool cleaners

Robotic cleaners are powered by a motor inside the unit itself which must be plugged in, so only consider this type if you have an outdoor electricity socket or want to put up with a long cord running into the house.

These are generally the most effective pool cleaners because they are thorough and can clean right up to the tile line. On the other hand, they can be expensive ranging between $1,000 and $2,000.

Manufacturers also recommend removing the unit after each clean before swimming, so keep this in mind if you don’t want to be bothered with (or are unable to) remove it from the water regularly.