Pool Vacuum - Aquabot Junior v Manual Vacuuming

[Cylon]

This is my first pool and I purchased the Aquabot Junior cleaner. My pool isn't too big (12' x 18') and I feel that I can probably purchase a vacuum that attached to my pump and finish it alot quicker than my Aquabot does. Also, when the aquabot misses a spot I get so anal (OCD)

Anyone feel the same way? I havn't purchased a "manual" vacuum hose/head yet but I think I am going to give it a try.

Any recommendations on what to get for a vinyl pool that size?

 

[waterl0gged]

This is my first pool and I purchased the Aquabot Junior cleaner. My pool isn't too big (12' x 18') and I feel that I can probably purchase a vacuum that attached to my pump and finish it alot quicker than my Aquabot does. Also, when the aquabot misses a spot I get so anal (OCD)

Anyone feel the same way? I havn't purchased a "manual" vacuum hose/head yet but I think I am going to give it a try.

Any recommendations on what to get for a vinyl pool that size?

Cant you just run it a 2nd cycle if it missed anything ? Also I heard you can put it on an appliance timer, and when the timer switches back on the bot will start -up again with out having to manually press the button??? That would be great for a once a day cycle if it works.

I just ordered an Aquabot Jr and now hope I made the right choice ! I did a bunch of research and was looking for an economical bot for my 18 x 36 inground.
I am sick of manual vacuuming !!! I have lots of trees nearby and live at the top of a mountain where it seems it is ALWAYS windy , lol.

I should have traded you my manual vac set-up for your aquabot, lol.

How are you liking the AB Jr ?

Thanks,

 

[woodyp]

Having a manual vac around is a nice backup idea at the least.

 

[Cylon]

Cant you just run it a 2nd cycle if it missed anything ? Also I heard you can put it on an appliance timer, and when the timer switches back on the bot will start -up again with out having to manually press the button??? That would be great for a once a day cycle if it works.

I just ordered an Aquabot Jr and now hope I made the right choice ! I did a bunch of research and was looking for an economical bot for my 18 x 36 inground.
I am sick of manual vacuuming !!! I have lots of trees nearby and live at the top of a mountain where it seems it is ALWAYS windy , lol.

I should have traded you my manual vac set-up for your aquabot, lol.

How are you liking the AB Jr ?

Thanks,

Where my pool is, there are no trees (strategic planning) so there are just a few spots where there is dirt in a given week. The aquabot is cool, I toss it in and it does a good job going to places, but last time I let it run for the 2 hour cycle, it didnt get every spot and I feel if I had a manual vacuum I could have gotten those spots in 15minutes. My pool is not very large, 12 x 18, so I feel manual vacuuming just makes sense.

I might just throw in the aquabot once every other week and manual vacuum the visible dirt once/twice a week

I never owned a manual vacuum (1st pool). Are there any that you recommend or do they all pretty much do the same thing?

 

[waterl0gged]

Where my pool is, there are no trees (strategic planning) so there are just a few spots where there is dirt in a given week. The aquabot is cool, I toss it in and it does a good job going to places, but last time I let it run for the 2 hour cycle, it didnt get every spot and I feel if I had a manual vacuum I could have gotten those spots in 15minutes. My pool is not very large, 12 x 18, so I feel manual vacuuming just makes sense.

I might just throw in the aquabot once every other week and manual vacuum the visible dirt once/twice a week

I never owned a manual vacuum (1st pool). Are there any that you recommend or do they all pretty much do the same thing?

As for manual vacs ....... I like the ones that are roller style with built in brushes. If I use my all brush style it tends to stick to the bottom while vacuuming due to the suction power. The roller one just pushes around easily and sucks everything up with out making a mess. It does have some brushes on it as well, so if I need to scrub, I can do that on the fly. You can prob pick up everything you need at the local Walmart. The toughest part to find is the skimmer box to hose adapter .....you may be at the pool store anyway for that, so look at the vac heads while you are there too.

I am hoping the Aquabot Jr. does a good job for me . I have an 18' x 36' with an 8' deep end. All the walls are inclined except for about the top 3' which is vertical. I dont get much of any dirt or any algea (using liquid bleach in a automated "Liquidator", so my clorine levels are very consistent) . I get lots of leaves and blown around "stuff" that makes its way to the pool. I could vacuum every day if I wasn't lazy, lol . I am hoping to run the Aquabot Jr. every other day or daily if needed to help with the manual vacuuming chore.
I am hopeful it will work for the tree debris that usually falls to the bottom of the pool. It almost never stay on the sides.

Do you know if the Aquabot can be left in the pool most of the time (except when we are actively using the pool) ?
Also, wondering how it will work under a solar cover if anyone knows ?

Thanks,

 

[Cylon]

As for manual vacs ....... I like the ones that are roller style with built in brushes. If I use my all brush style it tends to stick to the bottom while vacuuming due to the suction power. The roller one just pushes around easily and sucks everything up with out making a mess. It does have some brushes on it as well, so if I need to scrub, I can do that on the fly. You can prob pick up everything you need at the local Walmart. The toughest part to find is the skimmer box to hose adapter .....you may be at the pool store anyway for that, so look at the vac heads while you are there too.

I am hoping the Aquabot Jr. does a good job for me . I have an 18' x 36' with an 8' deep end. All the walls are inclined except for about the top 3' which is vertical. I dont get much of any dirt or any algea (using liquid bleach in a automated "Liquidator", so my clorine levels are very consistent) . I get lots of leaves and blown around "stuff" that makes its way to the pool. I could vacuum every day if I wasn't lazy, lol . I am hoping to run the Aquabot Jr. every other day or daily if needed to help with the manual vacuuming chore.
I am hopeful it will work for the tree debris that usually falls to the bottom of the pool. It almost never stay on the sides.

Do you know if the Aquabot can be left in the pool most of the time (except when we are actively using the pool) ?
Also, wondering how it will work under a solar cover if anyone knows ?

Thanks,

IIRC, when reading the manual they say not to leave the Aquabot in the pool for long periods of time.

I don't think the aquabot will work with a cover because (I think) the wire will interfere with the cover itself. It goes forward and reverses alot, so I would recommend using it without a cover so it can roam freely and tangle free.

It will pick up debris from the bottom, but not the big items, I would use a rake to get the bigger stuff out before throwing in the aquabot.

 

[waterl0gged]

IIRC, when reading the manual they say not to leave the Aquabot in the pool for long periods of time.

I don't think the aquabot will work with a cover because (I think) the wire will interfere with the cover itself. It goes forward and reverses alot, so I would recommend using it without a cover so it can roam freely and tangle free.

It will pick up debris from the bottom, but not the big items, I would use a rake to get the bigger stuff out before throwing in the aquabot.

I dont get any large items or branches falling in the pool. Mostly leaves, the size of half a dollar bill at the largest, and not many at that size anyway. . Mostly its smaller stuff scattered around.
From the videos of the AB Jr I saw online, I think it should work for us. At least I hope so. Should have it by next week !

Thanks for the clarification on not leaving it in the pool .

 

[Cylon]

I dont get any large items or branches falling in the pool. Mostly leaves, the size of half a dollar bill at the largest, and not many at that size anyway. . Mostly its smaller stuff scattered around.
From the videos of the AB Jr I saw online, I think it should work for us. At least I hope so. Should have it by next week !

Thanks for the clarification on not leaving it in the pool .

Yeah you will have no issues with the aquabot, it can pick up that type of debris no problem. Just make sure you clean the bag after every use, one time I forgot too and when I submerged it alot of that debris came out..which is vacuumed again so not too bad.

I ordered a triangle vacuum head from amazon without rollers...I hope it doesn't suck on my liner too much.

Is there any danger if it sucks to the liner? Any precautions I should take?

 

[waterl0gged]

Yeah you will have no issues with the aquabot, it can pick up that type of debris no problem. Just make sure you clean the bag after every use, one time I forgot too and when I submerged it alot of that debris came out..which is vacuumed again so not too bad.

I ordered a triangle vacuum head from amazon without rollers...I hope it doesn't suck on my liner too much.

Is there any danger if it sucks to the liner? Any precautions I should take?

Just try to keep it moving.
With a 1hp pump you should be ok .

 

[mrich1974]

I just bought the AquaBot Jr this season and I love it. I haven't had to vacuum at all. I have a 30ft round AG and it works great. I did buy a spare filter and I clean mine after each use and put the dry one in and let the other dry after I clean it. I do not have trees or anything large in my pool so it works great.

 

[waterl0gged]

Just got my Aquabot Junior today. Unpacked everything and read through the instructions quickly. Strangely the instructions are very vague and cover more of the other Aquabot models than the Junior. It still made sense but some of the features that the other bots have, the JR just ...........doesn't. Possibly in a way that might be a good thing ...........less to go wrong and break ! It has a 2 year warranty according to the paperwork.
I placed it in the shallow end of the pool on a level surface vs an incline ...........apparently this is important for the programing. Uncoiled the floating cable and plugged it in. It went right to work and was quite amazing to watch (for someone who has never had a bot before!) . It had no problem with the floors, inclines, steps and most of the verts. It actually went around the pool wall with no problem. It didnt climb all the way to the surface .......... about 1.5' from the water surface . Not sure if its an adjustment needed or thats just how it is ??? I rarely get dirt or algae growth the walls so its fine with me. The way it runs is quite erratic .......... at least to me. I guess its smarter than me, because after a little while it was able to cover the entire pool with no trouble.
In the end, I was very impressed with it. It cleaned the entire pool of debris and scrubbed the vinyl liner . It almost got hung up on my "poolskim" one time but it was able to free itself. It is supposed to have a 2 hour run time, but after 2.5 hours the pool was completely clean and I shut it down. Not sure how long it will run on its own ..............maybe next time I will let it go.
Its a perfect addition to my pool "tool box" . I HATE manual vacuuming the pool, and this is like a godsend. The filter bag was a bit of a PIA to clean afterwards, but I just have to figure out the easiest way to do it. Not bad really.
5 stars in my book ! If anyone is looking for an entry level "bot" without breaking the bank, the Aquabot Jr. is the real deal. It works fantastic.
A few places have the AB JR , on sale for sub $500. (I got mine for $499. free ship).

Just be careful ...........there is an Aquabot Junior, which is a tracked bot just like the expensive Aquabots and for inground pools. This is the one I have now.
Then there is the Aquabot "Rover" Jr. which is a wheeled bot that is meant for above ground pools ...........I dont know about this one , but it looks nothing like the Aquabot Junior.
They are both about the same price.

Just thought I would give a quick review of my new Aquabot Junior for those who are on the fence of buying a "cheap" robot. I love it !
Between this AB JR , and the "poolskim" I installed this year, should go a long way to keeping my pool spotless with minimal effort on my end !

Cheers !