Welcome back to another instalment of Nicole’s Advice! Today we’re going to be determining whether a Robotic Pool Cleaner is right for your pool. If it’s any indication, we have many customers so fond of their robotic cleaners and how well they clean, that they name them as though they were a pet , so I think that gives you an idea of just how happy most customers are with their robotic cleaners!

If you are thinking about whether a robotic cleaner is the best type of pool cleaner for you, there are some things to consider first.

The first is the cost – as robotic cleaners are more expensive than suction cleaners in general. There are cleaners that range from $800 to$1,000 and then proceed to go up from there. To end up with a great cleaner,  you will likely spend around $1300 to $2,000.

So assuming the cost is suitable for you, what else is there to weigh up before investing in a robotic cleaner for the pool?

Robots are electric cleaners that do a more thorough clean of the pool as compared to suction cleaners, but they do not sit in the pool all the time. Most cleaners are put in once or twice a week and are removed  once they have finished.

Debris Collection
One important factor to consider is the collection device they use for debris. Some examples are shown below.

Robots that use a Mesh Canister
Some  like the Zodiac and Evolux range use a large 5L canister which is very easy to clean out and being large is ideal for people with lots of leaves. Several of the K-Bot range such as the Kreepy Krauly SX1 use a 3L Canister. We have more makes and models in store that use a canister – feel free to come in and talk to our team about what you require.

Robots that use a Bag Filter
For some customers it is more important to capture finer debris and so a system that has a bag or very fine filtering system will be preferred. Some cleaners that use a bag for collection include the Robotek,Revolution 2 and the Revolution 3.

Robots that use a Fine Filtering Basket
A filtering system more like a small cartridge filter with pleats such as the Trident Hydro and Trident Ultra or Pentair Prowler and others can give even further cleaning protection to collect finer particles.

Another important feature for some customers is whether the unit has a swivel cable, particularly for smaller spaces like lap pools.

Some advantages of Robotic Cleaners include:

1. They do not rely on your pump and filter system, as they are independent of your pool equipment. This means that the power of your pump and the age of the filter  does not impact the cleaning of your pool. It also means some people who have suction issues (e.g. minor leak in pipes) that cannot use a suction cleaner well, can have a clean pool using this system.
2. Saves you in energy costs. Because you don’t need to run your equipment for additional time to have the suction cleaner clean the pool, you don’t need to run your equipment for as many hours and in most cases leads to large savings.
3. If you have a variable speed pool pump, you can run it on the settings that save you the most power as you don’t need the higher flow rate to run a suction cleaner, this alone can save you hundreds a year which helps pay for the robot cleaner purchase.
4. These cleaners are not left in the pool, this is good for the longevity of the parts of the cleaners, as suction cleaners are left in the pool all the time normally and chemicals will wear out the parts quickly.
5. Most robot cleaners (some do only clean the floor) will clean the walls and clean the walls better than suction cleaners can, keeping algae from growing.
6. They are much better at collecting large debris than suction cleaners, so they are perfect for leafy areas.

Once you have made the decision that a robot cleaner is the right option for you, you’ll then begin the selection process. Please feel welcome to come in-store at 211 Stirling Hwy Claremont, as we have many on display and can help with showing you the various options. We will ask you questions that will help us recommend the best cleaner for your pool within your desired budget.