Robotic Cleaner that gets the FINE debris ?

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C

cody21

LifeTime Supporter
Jun 27, 2012
324
Lafayette, Ca / USA
Pool Size
32000
Surface
Fiberglass
Chlorine
Liquid Chlorine
OK, I'm a bit fed up with my issue of really fine dirt debris in our pool. I've tried the suction Hose attachment method connecting to my skimmer to the filter -- the process is tedious at best and very time consuming, often only capturing 75% of the debris (it mostly just seems to stir things up). Priming the hose is always a difficult task. Probably just me, but I find this a PITA to deal with. So I'm ready to spend some money for something that reliably sucks up that fine debris. Am I being realistic about this? I'm prepared to spend < $1,000 on a robotic. But seems to be like 3 or so choices.

I would really appreciate any recommendations on your own experiences and what you bought. Are you 100% pleased with your purchase? How is it holding up (maintenance)? Do they REALLY clean perfectly the floor & walls? (Fiberglass here). Dolphin? Nautilus? I'm prepared to maintain the device as parts DO wear out. But I'm in analysis paralysis mode.

Any advice? Much appreciated.
 
The Dolphin line of top load cartridge filter robots have two sets of filter screens that come with them - one is really made of a material similar to a cartridge filter which will get almost the finest debris. I seldom use it as the other screen while a little more coarse gets everything that bothers me in the pool.

dolphin-fine-mesh-filter-cartridge_2.jpg

If you do end up with a Dolphin, these folks have been great to deal with regarding parts - Home | Marina Pool Spa & Patio
 
While the high end cleaners get fine debris, you may want to spend some time trying to figure out what it is and why you have the debris to start with. Your filter should get it out of the water unless it is falling in the pool while the pump is off. The fine stuff settles slowly so it usually gets caught by the filter.
 
First off, I dont think any of the robots at any price, will "perfectly clean the floor and the walls" every time.

Once the pool is clean the robot will keep it that way if you use it often enough. I have a dolphin Nautilus and I am 100% happy with the performance it provides.
I would buy another in a hearbeat.

If the pool is extremely dirty, like after a huge rain, or tons of leaves dropping as they do during the fall, then it takes a couple or 3 rounds for it to get ALL of the dirt, but it gets it.
 
My old Hayward Tigershark does a pretty good job at fine dirt. In the spring when I open, it takes about 3 cycles of the robot to get the whole bottom nearly spotless after I open. I removed larger stuff such as leaves, bugs with a leaf rake before doing that. Regular summer maintenance I run the robot about twice a week, gets most of the fine dirt that collects in the liner seams, but that's never that much.

Lots of good reviews on the Dolphin Nautilus. If it were me (and maybe it will be soon) I'd look at units with top loading filters for convenience. Don't like flipping over my robot every time to unload and load the filter.
 
Thanks guys ... really appreciate your thoughts on this. To answer 1 of the questions, the 'debris' we are getting is general "dust" that blows into the pool from wind & storms. I regularly skim the leaves and such, but the smaller dirt/dust just builds up. Brushing it just seems to move it around and never seems to get removed bu the filtration system. even in the winter (now), I run our filter about 5 hours per day ... more like 8+ during the summer hot months. But we still get the dirt that accumulates. thanks.
 
That "fine" debris often turns out to be dead algae and you will NEVER vacuum it out with ANY cleaner if that's what it is.....it just reappears.

What you are describing is more often than not a chemistry issue. At what level do you keep you chlorine? How about CYA?
 
tim5055 said:
The Dolphin line of top load cartridge filter robots have two sets of filter screens that come with them - one is really made of a material similar to a cartridge filter which will get almost the finest debris. I seldom use it as the other screen while a little more coarse gets everything that bothers me in the pool.

View attachment 44251

If you do end up with a Dolphin, these folks have been great to deal with regarding parts - Home | Marina Pool Spa & Patio
Click to expand...

This.... The fine filter works wonders.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
That filter works fine, I have it, too.

Do not discount what I said about water chemistry, however. I think that's where your problem is and not with filtration.

Filters cannot be used to get rid of algae.
 

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OK, I hear you guys .. but honestly, this is not algae ... it is very fine dirt debris. I run my brush over the floor of the pool & I see a "cloud" of the stuff .. There are clearly accumulations of pocket of dirt along the edges of the walls where my Polaris 280 doesn't/can't get to .. We leave the pool uncovered at this time of year - and for that matter, the solar cover we have doesn't completely cover the pool (there are gaps along the sides & a 'cut out' where the steps are.) (re: the Polaris: This cold weather causes the hose to be much stiffer, so less flexible hence doesn't access every knook and cranny.) I monitor my CYA & CL levels constantly. Currently CL=6.5 and CYA=35 .... Water temp is about 58 ... (SF East Bay area). I ran a OCLT about a month ago & I am NOT losing chlorine overnight.

So back to my point, I'm tired of just pushing this stuff around with a brush & it not getting totally filtered out. The Polaris just doesn't do it for me. So I was really hoping that going to the next level of a Robotic cleaner that I can insert/run every 2 weeks or so would provide that extra cleansing power & get this finer debris out.

Thanks !
 
Dirt is gritty and you can get it between your thumb and forefinger......dead algae is slimy and you cannot capture it.....dead algae "poofs" into a cloud when you brush it......dirt settles quickly back to the floor.

Sorry to be hardheaded.......I see it over and over on this forum.
 
Building on duraleigh's advice.... I have stuff like this, too, but only after a hard wind. If you can't tie its appearance to some sort of exceptional physical phenomenon, you are most likely dealing with a low level algae bloom. And, as he notes, the thumb and forefinger test will be conclusive....
 
Which model Polaris do you have? I'm in analysis Paralyses over what to buy ... The Tiger Shark, The Dolphin, or now this Polaris. I don't want to spend more than $1k ... and they each seem to have their particular issues based on the reviews I'm reading in Amazon. Thanks ...

(and guys - this is DIRT, not algae ... confirmed).
 
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