Robot.. WHAT DO YOU USE FOR YOUR AG POOL

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April

April

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LifeTime Supporter
Apr 20, 2014
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KY
Trying to decide on a robot. Looking at robots for IG pools that would work in an AG. I need to make sure that they won't hurt the liner.

Please share your experience ...
-Brand
-Likes
-Dislikes
-Have you used an IG robot with a AG pool?

I appreciate any advice.

Thanks April
 
I have a Pool Rover Jr that I like just fine. If you have fine debris like dead algae it will "dust up" and not catch as much in the debris bag, but it is great for leaves, acorns, and small twigs.

Any robot rated for use with a vinyl liner would probably be fine.
 
Thanks so much for your reply Zea3. I don't have a lot of leaves or twigs just a lot of fine dirt/pollen. My pool is only about 20 ft from a main road so I get a lot of road dust. Also the bottom of my pool floor isn't smooth. Do you think the Pool Rover would work good for me?
 
I have the pool rover jr and we like it thus far. While backfilling around the pool my 11 yr put a whole scoop of sifted soil into the pool on accident and the rover got it all. My only dislike with it is that the cord seems to get tangled up.

Other than that we really like it.
 
A bumpy floor shouldn't be a problem. It has its own pump that propels the cleaner and collects the debris so the only part the touches the floor are the wheels, and it has nice large wheels.
 
I have a Swimjet, which is made by Aquabot. It does as it should and does it well. I have owned it for about six months. My only dislikes are the bag is on the bottom so it has to be flipped over to remove the bag. I have to be very careful to not dump debris back in the pool when the bag is full. There is a pin that has to be moved from one wheel to the other because they did not make the cord swivel. If I do not move this pin, it will cause premature failure of the cord. I would have spent a few more than the $350 price for them to add the swivel. When I have to run it several days in a row, it gets hard to remember if I switched it. Also although it is not critical, I would spend a more and get one that does the walls. This one does not.
 
Hey there,

I know you said you wanted an IG robot, but I have the Hayward Aquabug specifically for Above ground pool. I've been quite happy with it.

Amazon.com : Hayward 900 Wanda the Whale Above-Ground Automatic Pool Cleaner : Swimming Pool Maintenance Kits : Patio, Lawn Garden

Here is a video of it in action (PS this is not my pool or my video)

Wanda the Whale by Hayward - YouTube

Here is the installation video.

1999 - Instructional - Hayward AquaBug / AquaCritter - Installation Video - YouTube

Now this works plenty fine for my needs, mostly fine dirt and thin leaves. (I don't have a lot of mature trees around me). No problem with the wrinkle I have on my liner.

Few things about it:

- the tube plugs directly into the skimmer, and it uses the pumps strength to move around. It also uses the pumps basket and your filter to catch things. So you have to make sure your pump is strong enough to move it along (your 1HP pump should be). You can buy an optional basket to catch leaves that goes in the tubing just before the skimmer.
- Also I have to use my 3 way valve to close any suction from the floor drain, so 100% of the pump's sucking power is going through the skimmer. Without doing that, the aquabug does not move at all.
- I also need to remove the return jet eye (don't know what's it called) so that the jet is not as strong, because if I don't do that, the jet is too strong and pushes the hose that's floating on the surface and makes the bug tip over and not reach the left side of my pool. But when I remove the return jet eye, I have no problems with it.
- It does not climb walls. (I just brush the walls manually)
- mine goes over floor drain and wrinkle with no problem.
- I usually leave it in for a few hours. It does a good job.
- it's much cheaper than IG robots.

Hope this helps
 
You all are GREAT! Thanks so much for all the wonderful info.

Looks like a lot of ppl love the Pool Rover/Aquabot robots. But the same complaints for the cord getting twisted badly and the problem getting to the filter bag. Zea3, f3justusc, brianc636, and linda1 would you purchase the Rover again because of these issues or is it a deal breaker?

Fklash thank you for the information. I think the aquabug/wanda the whale are good cleaners but the way my husband had to build the partial deck around the pool it is extremely difficult to hook up the hoses. You have to get off the deck crawl under the privacy fence to get to the pump and skimmer then crawl back on the deck to prime the hose etc... You get the picture. It's almost impossible for me to hook it up by myself. My husband works very long hours and wants nothing to do with the pool except take a swim. Lol. I haven't taught my 4 legged (dog) child how to help his momma yet. :pale: haha So any cleaners that has to have hoses hooked up are out for me. Thank you so much for the info I really appreciate it.:D
 
I would definitely purchase it again because even with the minor annoyances, it paid for itself the first time I did not have to drag out the suction hose or deal with air in the line.
 

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I have an Aqua Critter similar Wanda that fklash has. I love it and it works great. But like you said, you don't have easy access to the hoses. But I'm curious. Do you have a skimmer and where is it located? Mine uses a skimmer plate that hooks to the hose and goes right in the skimmer.
 
I'm not sure if I would buy that model again. About two weeks ago, the cord twisted so tight that the end of the cord broke off. My thread about it is below.
Whoops!!
My husband was able to fix it but I'm sure it will do it again now that it has a weak spot. I can't complain though, this is the 6th summer using it.

I just started researching other cleaners trying to find a different cord system. I would like to stay with aquabot. By the way, it doesn't bother me a bit that the rover needs to be turned upside down to put in or remove bag.
 
I have the Baracuda Ranger Vacuum. I like it because it does a great job at climbing walls. My only complaint is it tends to get stuck on my ladder and it seems to go in the same direction sometimes and misses the center. Other than that I've been very pleased with it. It does a good job when the pool isn't too dirty. When there is a lot that I need to vacuum I use my hand held vac. I will say I've found to keep the hose from tangling I pull all the sections apart before storing in my deck box.
 
I don't have too much trouble with the cord tangling. I do try to straighten it out each time I use it. Since you have a deck you may not have a problem hauling it out of the pool. I use a bungy cord with a hook on the end to fish it out. It can get heavy when full of debris and water.
 
I bought the aquabot pura 4xi this year no cord tangling issues and it picks up very fine particles. Very easy to operate for my 24ft agp. Think it was between $400-$500.

Got it on Amazon

Also no need to turn upside down to empty the bags....Just remove top and hose off the bags...and good to go next time...it does say u need to move the pins but works fine whether I do or don't

Sent from my HTC6525LVW using Tapatalk
 
aboykin2269 said:
I have an Aqua Critter similar Wanda that fklash has. I love it and it works great. But like you said, you don't have easy access to the hoses. But I'm curious. Do you have a skimmer and where is it located? Mine uses a skimmer plate that hooks to the hose and goes right in the skimmer.
Click to expand...
I think it's a combination of things, steps, rail, and fence, that make it difficult to hook up the hoses. I snapped some pics to give you an idea.
32d7d0b476f7ffdb5cc947083b818bed.jpg

aa65ab4477add08a8375054e24187ed9.jpg

MRBDDB said:
I have the Baracuda Ranger Vacuum. I like it because it does a great job at climbing walls. My only complaint is it tends to get stuck on my ladder and it seems to go in the same direction sometimes and misses the center. Other than that I've been very pleased with it. It does a good job when the pool isn't too dirty. When there is a lot that I need to vacuum I use my hand held vac. I will say I've found to keep the hose from tangling I pull all the sections apart before storing in my deck box.
Click to expand...


Sent from my VS986 using Tapatalk
 
Nice pics,

I can totally see myself trying to put my Aquabug into that Skimmer. I'd be sitting with my right leg in the water, my butt on the pool edge, my left hand holding on to the deck ramp while I lean forward trying to get the hose into skimmer. I can also see myself falling into the pool fully clothed.
Wish I could let you borrow my Aquabug to test it out, but KY ain't that close.

Best of luck with your endeavor
 
While they are not robots, I have both an Aquabot and a Zodiac Whaoo.

They both work, but I prefer the Whaoo, as it climbs the walls. I don't think it is necessarily supposed to, but with the new 1HP pump, the new filter, and the hard plumbing, it vacuums EVERYTHING. The Aquabug just does the bottom.

They are both suction driven cleaners, so you are using your skimmer basket and filter to trap any debris they pick up. Half the time I use my vac head on a pole. End to end it is faster. Granted, it takes me about 15 minutes to set up the vas and then walk away, but they have to run for a while to get the entire pool. There is a lot of overlap in the pattern they take.

-dave
 

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