Why Do We Need Robot Pool Cleaners and Why Are They So Popular?
Installation of a swimming pool made all my family members, friends, and myself incredibly happy. However, delight didn`t last long, since the basin turned dirty pretty fast. And after several days of swimming and fun, I had to roll up my sleeves and start cleaning.
Soon, I understood that manual pool cleaning took too much time and effort. Now, when I saw the pool, the feeling I had didn`t look like happiness and joy anymore. To stop this torture, I decided to try a robot pool cleaner.
What Is a Robot Pool Cleaner and How Does It Work?
A pool cleaner is quite convenient and indispensable equipment that helps eliminate large and fine debris, algae, sediment, and bacteria from the pool floor, walls, and even waterline. At the same time, the device spends a minimum of time and energy, while you don`t have to make any efforts at all. Actually, their main advantage is that these devices perform pool cleaning without any participation of a person.
Robotic pool cleaners are immersed in water. Reliable protection of all electric parts ensures the complete safety of the device. The cleaner works from the cable, which also limits the radius of action.
When immersed, the cleaner starts moving around the bottom, vacuuming debris, and scrubbing the sediment. After floor cleaning, the robot climbs the walls and scrubs them too.
Dirty water goes through the system of filters, which capture debris. Cleaned water returns to the pool.
Some most innovative models use smart navigation through sensors and scanning. It helps increase cleaning accuracy and obstacles avoidance. Besides, they support scheduling and even smartphone control.
For What Pools Are Robot Pool Cleaners Designed?
Robots feature complex construction, great weight, and high power. That`s why they cannot be used in all types of swimming pools.
Cleaners are designed for inground basins of all sizes and shapes. The material of the pool doesn`t matter either since vacuums clean concrete, fiberglass, vinyl, tiled, etc.
However, robotic cleaners don`t work in inflatable and frame above ground pools.
Why Do I Need a Robotic Pool Cleaner?
A pool cleaner is not a toy; it`s an urgent necessity.
Firstly, dirty water is a danger to your health. When water stays under the sun without any circulation for a long period, it becomes a culture medium for microorganisms and bacteria. Regular cleaning promotes the safety of your pool. However, as I said, manual cleaning takes too much time and effort. So, if your swimming pool is big like mine, you`ll hate it pretty soon.
Also, you need a robot vacuum if you have a large inground pool. The majority of other cleaners will not be able to cope with the quantity of work. Cheaper models will either perform insufficient cleaning or operation will last forever. Robotic cleaners save you from tedious weekly duty. Besides, they perform cleaning much faster.
And finally, competent maintenance of the basin significantly extends its service life. It also helps facilitate the operation of supporting pool equipment like booster pumps, filtration, and circulation systems.
As you can see, the popularity of these devices is entirely justified. They take all cleaning responsibilities, require minimum attention and energy consumption. Still, you get crystal clear water and surface.
When I chose my first robot cleaner, I faced some difficulties. The market offers a lot of models with various functions and prices. However, since even the simplest device costs pretty much, no one wants to buy a bot, which won`t suit.
Here, I listed several characteristics that robots provide and factors that should be minded while buying a robotic vacuum cleaner.
Pool Size
Even though all cleaners work in inground pools, each model has some restrictions connected with pool size. Mainly, this restriction depends on the cable length, but some robots vary in power and filter capacity too.
Usually, all robots are divided into two groups – vacs for pools up to 30 feet and vacs for pools up to 50 feet. Separate models are suitable for basins over 60 feet.
So, look at the cable length and the pool size information.
Floor, Walls, and Waterline Cleaning
All robot pool cleaners perform thorough floor vacuuming. All of them can also climb walls.
But if you want you cleaner to process as many pool elements as possible, you`d better look for the models, which can vacuum waterline and steps.
These surfaces are very slippery and inconvenient. Waterline and step cleaning require extra abilities and power from the robot. I recommend you check the climbing performance of the item in advance.
Navigation
Like the pressure side or suction cleaners, many robots use random cleaning. However, it would be a pity to spend over $500 and get a device with chaotic movement. And while owners of small inground pools can do without smart navigation, the owners of larger basins may be displeased with the quality and speed of cleaning.
If you really need smart navigation and are ready to spend extra money on it, please, do pay attention to information about sensors, scanning, or other navigating systems built into your device.
Filtration
Some robots use filter baskets; some are equipped with filter cartridges. Each system has its pros and cons. Baskets can contain more debris, but their fine filtration thoroughness limps. Cartridges perform excellent filtration of both fine and large pollutions, but they are not so capacious.
So, the choice here is up to you, though this feature is crucial in any case.
Remote Control and Scheduling
These characteristics don`t directly influence the quality of cleaning, but they`re important for control convenience.
Once again, if you`re ready to pay for them, you won`t regret it. The remote control allows you to run the cleaner from any place. With scheduling, you don`t have to monitor the purity of water and start the device manually. Just set some schedule plan like every day, every other day, or every third day vacuuming and let the robot work autonomously.
Weight
The majority of robot pool cleaners are pretty heavy. Manufacturers allow users to leave vacs in the pool, but during maintenance, emptying, or transportation, you will have to lift the cleaner. Besides, water inside the device makes it even heavier.
So, I recommend either choosing more lightweight models or buying robots with water release systems and caddies.
My experience as an owner of an inground pool showed me that manual cleaning of such basins is a hell. Robotic cleaners, though being pricy, pay off over the time. But, more importantly, they provide all the gain without pain.
