singerteacher said:
I just bought a Blue Pearl, and I'm wondering if it's safe for all the parts to leave it in the pool overnight? I'd like to start it running before going to bed, and then pull it out in the morning.
Also, I'm wondering if it's safe to have it clean the pool while the pool is being shocked.
Thanks!
My really old Aquabot stays in the pool most of the time. I'm currently running mine at night, 2 four hour cycles, and frequently during the day for a few hours. I have a lot of blown in dust and I'm doing a scale and copper stain treatment so the long run times help to keep the releasing scale from clouding the pool and give me a little more run time between backwashes; that is using very fine filtering bags, aftermarket Nasty Bags, with main pump running very low flow, 20 gpm, 23/7. With the aggressive, although slow treatment, my big 80 sq ft Quad DE filter needs to be backwashed daily so there is a lot of stuff that is filtering out via the filter and the Aquabot. The Aquabot does a great job of scrubbing the releasing scale off the walls and floor too. I don't run it during the day when the dogs are using the pool but pull it to the very side of deep end and bring the cord out of the water and curled up on deck. This bot gets more run time in a month than most will see in a whole pool season. I like to use non silicone 303 Space protectant on the cord several times a year. I use that stuff a lot and have extended the life or brought back to usable condition many rubber/plastic/vinyl, etc., things. The cord rarely gets tangled or twisted.
My power box does not have a timer so I use an outdoors timer box plugged into a GFI protected receptacle to control it. My plaster pool is not the smoothest especially with calcium scale. The Aquabot has about, average,... oh gosh you figure it out. It has been in pretty constant, daily use since Jan 2010, for many many hours a day. It's had a few weeks rest when I was trying out different bags for the Polaris and playing with the suction Tracker 4X. The tracks, drive belts, and rubber brushes were new in January and I just replaced the drive belts and tracks; brushes still in good shape.
If you do put it on the timer you have to be sure to leave it near the pool, with bag installed, if you are going to pull it out of the pool and leave it out. I've forgotten to put mine back in the pool a couple of times, using the timer but, luckily it "found" the pool. I have to change out the bags once or twice on a normal day so in the mornings I'll pull it out, immediately switch the handle position, and put in a fresh bag. If I run it during the day I switch the time on and then use only a stop stop tab on the mechanical dial timer. In the evenings, when I'm doing outside chores, and pool testing/chems, etc. I'll pull it out again for bag change, and handle reposition, and then put the cord into the pool. The dogs are put up by then. At 2100 it starts its first cycle.
I really have no desire to carry it much further from the pool to protect it from sitting out of the water in full sun. I think that would be more damaging to it than staying in the pool most of the time.
I haven't shocked the pool in a long time and it was before I traded my Verro 300 for the ancient Aquabot. The Verro was not powerful enough to get up my steep slope from deep end and it didn't climb the walls very much. Aquabot would climb out of the pool if not for the coping edge. I've seen comments by forum members to not use during acid treatments but I'm not sure about high chlorine. I would think that high levels of chlorine for lengthy times and often would shorten the life of rubber parts and plastic but how often do we TFP members have to shock our pools?
I have a bunch of filter bags including two leaf net bags, two fine cloth lined bags, and now 14 or so Nasty Bags (just ordered and received a 10 pack this week - about $35 for 10). The Nasty Bag are called disposable but I rinse them out and wash on cold gentle with a little vinegar. I have a few that I've been using since Jan of this year. Two things are hard on the bags. The first is the dogs using them for tug toys - scratch those off for further use. The other, and I'm not sure why ..... I loaned Aquabot to a friend for several weeks when she was having DE filter issues that resulted in damage to her Polaris. The 'bot was in the pool full time set on timer for 6 hours a night. The bags were not changed out often and became quickly filled with DE that her filter was throwing back into the pool, loads of it. As a result the elastic became very stretched out so I threw them away. At a cost of $3.50 a bag it doesn't hurt to have an occasional Nasty bag eaten by the dogs or damaged by improper maintanence.
The Nasty Bags, which btw filter as fine as the expensive cloth fine bags, I've been using for 8 months still have strong elastic but they don't get used daily as I have enough to spread out the use, so each bag gets several hours use a week. I've been down to 5 fine bags for a couple of months until this past couple of weeks when I got a cloth bag in an Aquabot renew kit, and got in my order of 10 Nasty Bags a few days ago so those older ones have seen many hours use a week until this week. I have two bottom plate/bag holders. I let the bag dry on one bottom plate/bag holder, put the fresh plate/bag on 'bot and then store the used bag with the other dirty bags until I have enough to justify a wash load. I do empty them by turning inside out (they are easier to clean when they are dry) and rinse the bags by dipping in buckets of water before putting them in the washer. I'm on an ancient septic system so we avoid putting too much stuff down the drain. I also put them in the dryer on no heat before storing if I'm in a hurry but the Nasty Bags dry quickly. Most of my debris is powder fine dust, mud, and fine scale that is releasing from pool walls due to my slow treatment for scale and copper stains. I've already gone through 10 bags in the past three days after I upped the dosage of scale/stain Jack's Magenta a few days ago.
BTW.... the renew kit I ordered is aftermarket kit sold by Aquaquality Pools and those were what was on my 'bot when I got it. Quality for sure. For about $115, free shipping, the kit contained two drive belts and a couple of spools, two treads, two rubber brushes AND a fine cloth bag AND clear instruction for taking the 'bot apart to install the parts. That is a deal that is hard to beat. The price on their website is higher than the eBay price. The inventor and patent holder for the Nasty Bags is also Aquaquality Pools. That's who I traded with for the old Aquabot. It's long since seen its pretty days but it sure is a work horse. I need to locate the eBay link and make a review post about Aquaquality and Nasty Bags. Aquaquality is located in New York state and specializes in Aquabot and Blue Pearl/Diamond parts and repairs. They occasionally have used 'bots for sale too.
gg=alice
