Above ground pool cleaner

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imcj

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May 18, 2010
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I am considering an automatic pool cleaner, but I don't want to spend unnecessary money. I haven't tried the cleaner my pool is equipped with. You can see below that, although it is larger than any pool I've previously owned, in comparison to most of you it is not large. Many people I've talked to say don't waste your time on what the pool comes with. Is that correct? I trust the opinions of you here.

Am I better off to read up and just use what my pool comes with, or is it really better to have an automatic?

If an automatic is better, do you have a suggestion on a pool my size?

Thanks.
 
There is an article in pool school on cleaners. There are no simple black and white choices but the article will educate you on the types and allow you to make your own good decision.
 
If you wanna go the automatic route, most folks as well as myself recommend the Pool Rover Jr. by aquabot. The bestest cheapest solution if you catch it on sale. Try Ebay.
 
I have tried three:
1) Barracuda Zippy (pressure side cleaner) This did the best job of getting sand up off the floor. Clogged quickly if leaves were bad. Had problems with it getting stuck around the ladder. Easy to empty and clean. I had some issues with parts failing from time to time, but Zodiac replaced them under 2 year warranty. Now that warranty is up, I found the parts too expensive to buy

2) Polaris 65 (pressure side cleaner) This did the best job of getting leaves up, but not so good with sand on the bottom. Never got stuck anywhere. Easy to empty the bag. Also had a couple issues with it which were fixed under warranty.

BOTH of these cleaners caused damage to the liner. (small cuts at the seams) I am not sure exactly how, but there was no other explanation for the damage. The Polaris 65 net frame had a couple edges that wore sharp from dragging along the pool bottom. I don't know what part of the zippy cause issues.

3) Pool Rover - Just bought this recently. I bought the full sized "hybrid" not the junior because the price was close and the Jr isn's any smaller or lighter. It does a better job than both of the previous cleaners, and it is nice not to have to fool with hoses, but it requires a convenient power outlet and is a royal messy pain to remove and clean the bag, which must be done frequently. An extra bag is $79, and I can't bring myself to pay that. I may break out the sewing machine and try to make one myself.

My vote, spring for the Pool Rover.
 
I'll third the recommendation for a Pool Rover (or other similar AGP robot). Your Intex 2500 GPM pump is likely somewhere around a 1/4 to 1/3 hp motor and doesn't really have enough oomph for a suction side or pressure side automatic cleaner. I tried the yellow Intex "Auto Cleaner" last summer with my Intex pump and filter, and found it to be quite useless. When I did some searching on this forum, I found that there seem to be two distinct popular families of sub-$500 robotic AGP cleaners that have their own built-in motor/pump/filtering system independent from the main pool pump. One is the Robo-Kleen (http://www.smartpool.com/website/robokleen.html). The other is the Pool Rover (http://www.aquaproducts.com/aboveground.htm).

Do some searching around here and you'll see some reports of the pros and cons of each. If you are looking for deals online, note that Aqua Products seems to manufacture variations on their pool rover line that are sold under other brand names like the iRobot Verro 100 or the Dirt Devil Pool Boy.

I ended up getting the pool boy, which seems to be a pool rover jr with a different plastic casing design (and an Aqua Products model no/serial no label on the bottom of the machine). I've only used it a few times so far this year since opening, but it seems to pick up the sand and dirt that the Intex cleaner couldn't handle. I've removed the bag and sprayed it out with a hose after every use. That job doesn't seem to be too bad to me - easier than spraying out an intex cartridge filter. The amount of crud that it picks up astounds me - the inside of the bag looks like the kind of thing I'd expect to see in a vacuum cleaner infomercial.
 
My gosh, may I just say the people on this site are an absolute blessing from God. You are so helpful. I don't know exactly what my pool comes with. I'll check, but I know I hook something up to my pump. I'm sorry about my lack of knowledge, but a bigger pool is new to me and I'm a bit overwhelmed, but with your help I'm much better. I'd hate to think how lost I'd be with a built in! :eek: Thanks so much.
 
Ok..I'll put in my two pennies again. I have a 33 ft round agp. I bought the regular "yellow" RoboKleen last fall and I LOVE IT..it picks up everything from fine sand, to huge oak leaves and long pine needles. My best friend, who just put up a 27ft round AGP..bought the new version, RoboKleen PLUS or something like that...for those extra $50 you get long "cleaner" bristles on the front wheels..and that's it. SO not worth it in my opnion..other than thatg..we both love them..they are super easy to clean, and work great. I run my RoboKleen twice a day, and it keeps the bottom of my pool looking awesome.

Dan
 
Question...Does the pool rover rely on water flow through the filter for propulsion or does it have a filter bypass so propulsion is not lost as the filter gets dirty? I've tried just about every pool cleaner under $400 and haven't found one that (1) didn't require constant babysitting and (2) cleaned the pool many faster than I can do it with the $15 vac head. The most recent was the Hornet robot, which I think is very similar to the rover. It went half way across the not so dirty pool and stopped. When I pulled the filter out, it wasn't dirty but had restricted flow to the propulsion jets just enough to stop it from moving. I let it clean about 1/3 of the pool, but had to clean the filter 4 times. After the 4th time, I took it back. IMO, it needs either a filter bypass or a separate pump for propulsion. Does the rover have this or is there a cleaner out there that does? I like that it runs independently of the pool.

I have not tried the Hayward Aquabug either. People seem to like it. What are you opinions?
 
For many of the cleaners similar to the Aquabot style there is a "disposable" bag that is just this side of miraculous, and it is definitely reusable. Nasty Bag http://nastybag.com/ I treat them just like the costly permanent bags. They filter finer than the net, larger debris bags, and almost as fine as the cloth fine bag. The price is remarkable too. I've been using them since last year. I have a bunch for my Aquabot. I can do several bag changes a day, at times, due to our EXTREME environment. I use a few, store the dirty ones away from the dogs while they dry, then dump them, turn inside out and shake, then dip up and down in a bucket, then throw several in washer, cold/gentle, with a bit of vinegar. In conditions where you don't have micro dust clogging the filter you can just rinse them with a hose. I have some I purchased last year still holding up well.

The fabric that they are made from is very similar to white plant frost cloth or allergy pillow/mattress protectors. I've made Polaris bags using the frost cloth and fabric glue. Trouble with those is that they filter to well and clog pretty fast with our huge amounts of micro powder dust BUT the Nasty Bags are much much larger and don't clog as fast in my conditions.

Maker is quite responsive to email questions.

gg=alice
 

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i just got a aqua critter yellow one from dohenys site and i like it! the aqua critter cleans real good! i just start it when i know we are going to swim when we get home from work so we can pull it out and swim, it cleans pool in hour or less on high speed (i have a 2 speed pump) one thing i noticed is where the hose hooks in it it turns the turbine inside the unit and after awhile of cleaning it seems the hose starts to tangle itself and therefore aqua bug starts to float off bottom sideways a tad, seems it rights its self i think, because i have left it unattended for hours before and it was still upright cleaning whenever i peeked out at it......so i would guess this needs a swivel hose attachment where it goes into the aqua critter..... can anyone out there chime in on any mods for this unit ?
 
soon to be bbb? you need to do it now you wont regret it,so easy to do wish i would have took pics of that baquacil mustard water when i dumped a bunch of bleach in it, the color cloud was some of the coolest colors i have ever seen, it looked like a mini thunderstorm in my pool until it mixed then yellow mustard then to pea green soup, best thing i ever did besided marry my wife!
 
I kind of have switched over. I'm not using the Aquasmart anymore, but I do have some tablets I'd like to use up.

I'll check out the disposable filters. Might give the rover another shot. The Hornet was $400 at watsons. The Rover seems to be about $250 give or take on eBay. The filter that came with it was a fine mesh cloth, which I think is why it clogged so fast. We don't get any real fine dust here. We only need to vacuum once a week.
 
I'm new to pool ownership, but I'm going to throw my opinion into the ring. We have a 24' AGP and overthe winter our cover was destroyed. Our pool bottom was covered with dirt and leaves and I dreaded having to clean it. I bought a Pool Rover Jr. (no manual timer model) and I dropped it in to do its thing. It was frustrating at first as the bag would fill up within 15 minutes. I would have to take it out and clean it. This went on for 3 days, but again, our pool was covered. After the initial dirt/leaves were removed, our pool is sparkling. The Rover Jr. did an awesome job, and once I got the hang of changing the diaper it wasnt so bad. My wife and I absolutely love our Rover Jr. and felt it was the best investment we've made for our pool. Cleaning the diaper is a kind of a pain, but now I dont have to do it as often...maybe once a week, if that. The bag can also go in the washing machine (no detergent) and comes out perfectly. Hope this helps.
 
My 2 month old Poll Rover just broke. Seems to be the timer in the power supply. I called customer suport and they will friendly and helpful. I have to ship the PS to them at my expense, however, they said they can turn it around to me in 5-8 business days.
 
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