Instapark Betta review

[blazer58]

I would get the Asurion warranty
If / when you need a repair they are more likely to give you a full refund and then you can rebuy the newest model out
Going this route will cost you around $50 for cost of warranty
Getting it thru them you will be sending the unit in for repairs

 

[djpool21]

I would get the Asurion warranty
If / when you need a repair they are more likely to give you a full refund and then you can rebuy the newest model out
Going this route will cost you around $50 for cost of warranty
Getting it thru them you will be sending the unit in for repairs

Sounds good. Does the Asurion warranty require you to return the defective Betta? If not then the defective Betta could also be used for spare parts.

 

[djpool21]

I found this in the Asurion Terms and Conditions regarding return of defective products:
"To receive Your Replacement Product, gift card or check, You may be required to send Your claimed Product to Us using a pre-paid shipping label"

 

[Katodude]

Any comments on which warranty to choose, Asurion or buy direct from Instapark with their extended warranty?

I would also choose the Asurion warranty, but that is not what I did. It’s about 50/50 on whether or not they make you send it back. On some smaller items, I had to send it back. I bought it for some luggage and they did not request it back.

I have no actual experience with the Betta and the Asurion warranty but it just seems better that after 2 years or 2.5 years when it breaks that you just get a new one for about $50.

 

[blazer58]

I filed a claim with Asuiron on my Betta2
They refunded and I did not have to send it back
I then bought the SE with another warranty

 

[djpool21]

Just so I’m clear, with the Asuiron warranty for the first year would I still make a warranty claim with Instapark not Asuiron? Or do all warranty claims go through Asuiron even for the first year?

 

[Katodude]

Correct, first year is the manufacturer warranty

 

[djpool21]

Thanks all for the info. After researching robots for 2 years I finally I ordered a SE and Asuiron extended warranty today!

 

[Bam Bam]

If you purchase with an amazon prime credit card there is an extended warranty benefit of 1 year if the manufacturer’s warranty is 3 years or less..

Extended Warranty Protection
Extends the time period of the manufacturer's U.S. warranty by an additional year, on eligible warranties of 3 years or less.

 

[djpool21]

I've enjoyed our new Betta SE a few days now and really like how well it it keeps the surface free of tiny bugs, gnats, spiders, etc. I haven't tested it with leaves yet. And it runs all night long and doesn't get stuck at my skimmers. It's amazing and we can't imagine not having it now.

I've had a lot of trial and error with the legs to make the Betta avoid getting stuck on our Ledge Loungers. I finally found a winning combination of extending only the front legs and repositioning the loungers a little. It wastes time at one lounger but it does work itself free.

My Betta's path is very predictable. I usually know the path it will take, where it will have difficulty, how it will free itself, and the path it takes after that. I'm not seeing much if any random behavior. It's almost as if it has learned the paths that mostly works and now stays with it. The downside is I don't think it travels everywhere on the pool surface. Most of the time it travels end to end without stopping. Only a few times I've seen stop midway, backup, and travel a slightly different path.

What are your thoughts on the path and random behavior of your Betta? I'm trying to determine if this is normal operation or is an issue with my robot.

 

[i86time]

My Betta SE is starting to fail after only 35 days of use. It now enters low power mode about 1 hr after sunset and doesn't start normal operation until about 2 hrs after sunrise. I just submitted my warranty request. I'm thinking it's the battery, but maybe it could be the panel or charging system. It did work very well up until this point.

 

[DaveTheAccountant]

It’s really sad that there is so much electronic waste and logistical pollution from a product designed to keep something clean.

 

[djpool21]

I've enjoyed our new Betta SE a few days now and really like how well it it keeps the surface free of tiny bugs, gnats, spiders, etc. I haven't tested it with leaves yet. And it runs all night long and doesn't get stuck at my skimmers. It's amazing and we can't imagine not having it now.

I've had a lot of trial and error with the legs to make the Betta avoid getting stuck on our Ledge Loungers. I finally found a winning combination of extending only the front legs and repositioning the loungers a little. It wastes time at one lounger but it does work itself free.

My Betta's path is very predictable. I usually know the path it will take, where it will have difficulty, how it will free itself, and the path it takes after that. I'm not seeing much if any random behavior. It's almost as if it has learned the paths that mostly works and now stays with it. The downside is I don't think it travels everywhere on the pool surface. Most of the time it travels end to end without stopping. Only a few times I've seen stop midway, backup, and travel a slightly different path.

What are your thoughts on the path and random behavior of your Betta? I'm trying to determine if this is normal operation or is an issue with my robot.

Our Betta SE started having more strange behavior such as going around in circles or not going forward until multiple power cycles. During heavy rain it would spin. Bettabot promptly replaced it no questions asked. New unit is operating very well but it's only been 3 days.

 

[JupiterFL]

My SE does the spin thing in heavy rain. I think it messes with the sensors.

My SE was in the shade most of the day Saturday b/c we were swimming and then it rained in the afternoon so it didn’t have much of a chance to charge. The next morning was the first time I’ve seen it in low power mode (EDIT: and the basket was very full, probably draining the battery quicker). I’ve been using it since early July. I took it out the next night in case it didn’t have a chance to fully charge. There was a lot more dirt and debris floating in the water the next day with out Betta running all night.

 

[Holydoc]

This is a wonderful little robot. My SE runs 24/7 and keeps the surface nearly spotless. Living in Florida we have all the different bug seasons (beetle, cicada, wasp, spider, etc..). Since I have purchased this little guy, I have hardly ever seen a bug floating on the surface. Before, we would get in the pool and start urging the critters towards the skimmer. Now, I have the skimmer nearly turned off and the surface of the pool is sparkling and critter free. I am loving it!

The big test is going to be when the oak trees start dropping, what I call, their squigglies. I use to have to clean the skimmer at least twice a day during those few weeks. I am hoping that now I just have to dump the little robot basket.

 

[Newdude]

The big test is going to be when the oak trees start dropping, what I call, their squigglies

I called them tree snots. Both skimmers were jam packed twice a day. They might be too much for the robot at times, if they even sink in the first place.

Running low RPM 24/7 at those times ensured the bulk of them found the skimmers without 12 hours off to get waterlogged and sink.

 

[Holydoc]

I called them tree snots. Both skimmers were jam packed twice a day. They might be too much for the robot at times, if they even sink in the first place.

Running low RPM 24/7 at those times ensured the bulk of them found the skimmers without 12 hours off to get waterlogged and sink.

Through the summer, I have run my pumps at low RPMs, Skimmer nearly turned off, and pumps only ran for 12 hours with the last hour ran at a faster RPM to clean out any air bubbles. I have had the SWCG set generally at 70% to maintain a perfect FC level.

My hope is that this lower run time and skimmer settings will reduce the chance of any clogging or pump starvation. Of course this depends on the SE to work its little heart out. We shall see if this is an effective strategy rather than dumping skimmer twice a day to prevent pump starvation.

 

[i86time]

Well, after a few days and some contact with customer service, I am assuming this is "normal" operation for the unit (my conclusion, not CS). In the days up to when I first noticed my unit went into low power mode, it was moderately overcast and solar irradiance was down about 25-50% (based on my home PV production). I didn't think anything of it as when TS Hilary passed through So CA last month, it was down by about 50-75% for a day and a half and I noticed no issue with the Betta.

My unit had been working normally (lasting through the night) the past couple days and then there was another moderately overcast day and again the unit went into low power mode shortly after sunset that day and only returned to normal mode about 2 hrs after sunrise the next morning. This leads me to believe that the unit's PV production wasn't meeting demand.

However, I did have some questions that CS did not answer. I was told to take it out of the pool, leave it on and let it charge for a few hours and that a fully charged unit will last 24-36 hrs. I did so and noticed the propellers and paddle wheel continued to turn. I asked the CS how this would help it charge any quicker than leaving it in the pool, since it continues to run, it must be using energy. I didn't get an answer to that.

I also asked how I would know when the unit was fully charged and the CS told me the LED would be flashing green. I told him the unit does that anytime it is on and not in low power mode, and it can't be 100% charged at all times. I didn't get a response to that.

So, I am still wondering if the battery is prematurely aging and not holding charge long enough, if the solar charging system is not working optimally (since I have no way of determining if the battery is ever being fully charged) or this is just the way this unit works in overcast/low solar conditions. If the latter, it's going to suck this fall when my neighbor's ash begins it "shed my leaves directly into your pool" season.

 

[grunky_peep]

Well, after a few days and some contact with customer service, I am assuming this is "normal" operation for the unit (my conclusion, not CS). In the days up to when I first noticed my unit went into low power mode, it was moderately overcast and solar irradiance was down about 25-50% (based on my home PV production). I didn't think anything of it as when TS Hilary passed through So CA last month, it was down by about 50-75% for a day and a half and I noticed no issue with the Betta.

My unit had been working normally (lasting through the night) the past couple days and then there was another moderately overcast day and again the unit went into low power mode shortly after sunset that day and only returned to normal mode about 2 hrs after sunrise the next morning. This leads me to believe that the unit's PV production wasn't meeting demand.

However, I did have some questions that CS did not answer. I was told to take it out of the pool, leave it on and let it charge for a few hours and that a fully charged unit will last 24-36 hrs. I did so and noticed the propellers and paddle wheel continued to turn. I asked the CS how this would help it charge any quicker than leaving it in the pool, since it continues to run, it must be using energy. I didn't get an answer to that.

I also asked how I would know when the unit was fully charged and the CS told me the LED would be flashing green. I told him the unit does that anytime it is on and not in low power mode, and it can't be 100% charged at all times. I didn't get a response to that.

So, I am still wondering if the battery is prematurely aging and not holding charge long enough, if the solar charging system is not working optimally (since I have no way of determining if the battery is ever being fully charged) or this is just the way this unit works in overcast/low solar conditions. If the latter, it's going to suck this fall when my neighbor's ash begins it "shed my leaves directly into your pool" season.

Just FYI, the unit absolutely charges when the switch is set to off. So if you take it out of the pool and turn it off, it will still charge. Having you take it out while it's still on is an odd suggestion, but maybe that's so you put it down in a single sunny spot instead of having it travel to a shaded portion of the pool.

 

[djpool21]

I've returned my second Betta SE. After 1 week the second SE again started having navigation issues. It would frequently run into a wall and just stay there for 5 minutes with the propellers running then eventually back out. My first SE also started having problems after about 1 week.
I think the Betta SE has potential and it did a great job of skimming when everything worked as it should. I hope Bettabot/Instapark continues to improve the Betta and I'll give it another try.