Roll call: What cleaner do you use? Are you happy with it?

[ivyleager]

My pool set up does not have a booster pump or main drain where I can adjust pressure. My pressure is what it is. And to this point, I've preferred pressure side cleaners.

I started with the Polaris 165, which worked well for 6 months, it ended up being used as target practice after spending big bucks replacing about everything.

Next I purchased the Pool Buster, which got sent back to New Jersey twice. Now realize I had a bad adapter, loose connection. It worked great, but now can't charge because of bad adapter. I need to call them for replacement.

I bought a Polaris 360 last year after seeing the 380 in action in my relatives pool. Mine worked great for about 8 months. Again, too many variables with loose connector fittings, and believe it or not, water temperature. I currently doesn't back up, or more exactly, backs up s-l-o-w-l-y and only about 5 feet, then continues in the same direction. It got stuck in a corner and burned a mark into my vinyl liner. I now have to babysit it.

So, I'm done with Polaris cleaners, and pressure side cleaners in general. I'm looking into automated cleaners as I type. Aquabot Bravo looks good. I've heard Dophins had trouble years back. Not sure about now.

That's my nightmare.

 

[LameBolus]

1) What pool cleaner do you own?
2) Do you recommend it to others?
3) What does it do really well? (e.g. picks up dust, acorns, climbs walls, steps, etc.)
4) What does it do NOT so well? (ditto)

1: Aquabot Turbo C - Had it about 1 month
2: Right now, I wouldn't recommend to someone with my type of pool - in ground greecian. It may work better on other types of pools but does not clean the majority of my pool.
3: What is cleans, It really cleans well, filters great. The portion of the pool it goes over is very clean. Picks up large (leaves and the occasional crab) and very small items (stuff I don't even know what it was). Filter bag is relatively easy to clean. Only takes 5 min to drag out of garage and set up. Very unusual customer service. You call the 800 number and a live, english speaking human is on the other end!!!!! No wait, No Automated Phone PBX, just a person, how nice.
4: The unit eats the cord when it gets to the top. Took a couple of calls to Aquabot and a zip tie to fix the problem. 2nd, Does not seem to clean all parts of the pool. Seems like the unit ends up in the same part of the pool regardless of where I start it out. So I get a very clean pool in a 5 foot path while the rest of the pool remains dirty. I have yet to call Aquabot to discuss this situation so this may be user error but I really think the unit should account for this. I have spent more time watching the thing then I care to think about. I bought this very expensive unit to drop it in and forget it. Now I found myself watching this cleaner for hours hoping it won't eat the cord or it will get to all parts of my pool. I am thinking that just using the hose, vac and brush may take less time at this point. 3rd, Does not climb my steps. Goes up the first step and then gets stuck. It just keeps chugging on the first step for about 5 min and then finally reverses. Not sure if this will damage the unit or not. Another reason to call them.

 

[pappy]

I have the Tigershark QC....I love it! It climbs the walls very well, though I have some bowing in the walls and it falls off at the top, but it just climbs right back and it is all good. It cleans very well, and I am extrememly happy with it. Had it just for this season so far. I love watching it in the pool...don't know why. Between it and the new Pentair DE filter (replacing the old one cartridge cartridge filter that was original 1973 equipment from the old owners), my pool looks incredible!

 

[crabboy]

Tangent Alert! Does your Polaris have the "black box" backup valve? Ours had that when we bought the house and I also thought that it went into backup mode too often. That valve died and I replaced it with the newer "white acorn" backup valve. It now waits much longer before going into backup mode. 8)

White acorn type.

 

[HarryH3]

I think it would be better if the backout valve did not activate as often, It spends too much time floating around than cleaning.

Tangent Alert! Does your Polaris have the "black box" backup valve? Ours had that when we bought the house and I also thought that it went into backup mode too often. That valve died and I replaced it with the newer "white acorn" backup valve. It now waits much longer before going into backup mode. 8)

Neither of my older models had a "black box" backup valve. Nor does my 380 which was purchased ~ 2 years ago have the black box. Is that something new?

I think it was something old. I've only seen it on my 280. :?: It went to backup mode more often than the replacement acorn does.

 

[speyedr]

TigerShark QC, new this season with brand new pool. We LOVE it so far. Cleaning after each use is easy, self contained filters you just take out and hose off (no backwash). Cleans just about every square inch of the pool except the 13' x 13' sun shelf (the first step), but we just brush that into the pool while it is running and the whole thing is clean. Climbs the walls extremely well.

<edit>Note that while these are pricey at first glance you can find them for a good price on the InterWeb (got ours on e-bay) for a little more than the pressure side cleaners, same price if you need to add the booster pump.<edit>

Rob

 

[jinnbake]

I have a nitro wall climber. It works pretty well and for the money I guess it actually works great. We don't have a booster pump or a dedicated suction line. I have had a 4 wheel cleaner which was just ok. I didn't like having to fill the vac hose everytime I wanted to use it. Other than that I had to manually vacuum the pool. After a month with the Nitro I would recommend it!

 

[99ways2die]

For your sheere entertainment only:


1) What pool cleaner do you own?
Blue Diamond (non-RC)

2) Do you recommend it to others?
Surely! I just spent over $1K on it-what better way to reaffirm my ego that I made the right choice!
Serious note: if you live in NJ (like I do) you can't go wrong with local service and support.
Watertech is only a 15 min. drive from my house! (albeit UPS did a number on shipping; instead of a 10 mile hike from the distro hub they sent this thing almost to philly and back....go figure)

3) What does it do really well? (e.g. picks up dust, acorns, climbs walls, steps, etc.)
It comes out of its shipping package fairly easy. The caddy cart is easy to put together, although teh bolts and nuts for the handle may prove a bit of a PITA to put in quickly. It's faily light, even if one has to carry it from the garage to the watering hole. Seems to be put together well. Once under water and started it moves fairly quickly (as compared to manual vaccuming) and operates silently. Picked up whatever was on the bottom, although I didn't have much (just a bit of dirt).

4) What does it do NOT so well? (ditto)
Considering the fact that the UPS guy just dropped it off 30 minutes ago, and that I ran it for a total of 5 minutes I'd have to say that I will revisit this post by the end of the season.

-99

 

[TRW]

PoolShark from Pentair, I am very pleased w/ it so far.

 

[Lake Lurker]

"The Pool Cleaner" 4wheel drive suction model. It cleans everything but the steps. I have recomended it to several people and will again. It replaced a barracuda that was a POS.

2 thumbs up to "The Pool Cleaner"

 

[Buggsw]

"The Pool Cleaner" 4wheel drive suction model. It cleans everything but the steps. I have recomended it to several people and will again. It replaced a barracuda that was a POS.

2 thumbs up to "The Pool Cleaner"

First I heard of The Pool Cleaner. Wow, it's made in the U.S.A., too. I tried to view the video on their website, but apparently their page is not working correctly.

I have owned a Hayward Navigator - suction side one that did a so, so job. Got caught on the drain and the toe stubbers, a lot. Even some of the smallest rocks would stop it from working. Not thrilled with it because I had to babysit it all the time.

2 years ago, I bought a Blue Diamond with remote. Remote is a waste of the extra money. Love the performance, except the power supply quit a couple of weeks ago. It has a long warranty - 4 years, I think. I'm going to contact them and see just how good they are with their warranty promises.

You know, all of these things cost way more than they really should. Like most pool stuff, IMO. It's a shame you can't give a few a spin and road test them to see which works best for your pool before you commit to purchase.

 

[h2ctpdjl]

AquaBot Turbo 2 (aka robby) here and I love it. It does an excellent job of cleaning my pool.There doesn't appear to be much of anything it won't clean up! It climbs the walls with ease ( If it falls down off the walls, its time to clean out the bag, folks). I run it a couple of times a week for 2hrs. "Robby" TRIED to eat the cord on one occassion, but luckily, the rubber "track" broke instead. I called and ordered a replacement on the phone and they quoted a higher price than I found on their website but they matched it. It was easy to install and has been running well ever since. As a solution to the cord eating, I run the cord up the front of my slide and down the stairs and plug it in. This keeps all the excess cord up out of the way. I allow just enough cord to float that "robby" needs to cover the length of my pool. I have no regrets and when he bites the dust, will not hesitate to purchase another one.

 

[99ways2die]

Quick update on my newly purchased Blue Diamond (for those who care enough):

It's been abotu 3 weeks of rainy, useless weather, but I now managed to have the BD run twice.
It has not eaten its cord. It goes over the main drain like it wasn't even there. It looks like it banging the ladder when in close proximity (maybe they're in love..?) but it doesn't get stuck and their sessions usually don't last long. It navigates safely around the "Poolskim" which is somewhat close tot he wall.....I know b/c Poolskim is still there, fully functional.
Best of all the pool is clean when "stoopid" (you can thank my wife for that name) is done with it.

The only "problem" I noticed: 2 spots @ the deep end where the angles of the wall are steep have a couple of small dirt spots right in the very corner. I guess once it switches from floor to wall the gap may be a bit too big for effective suction of the Crud along the edge. I'd imagine many robots may behave the same way...as aside from brushes and perhaps the running pattern I don't think BD is much different from anything else.
For what it's worth...
-99

 

[aaronp]

We have an in-floor system (Paramount PCC-2000). It works great.

Make that two votes for the Paramount in-floor system!!

I run the pump at night, and the pool cleans itself while we sleep.

 

[Gooserider]

1) What pool cleaner do you own?

Polaris 380 w/ booster pump...

2) Do you recommend it to others?

Somewhat, but not with great enthusiasm - it works, but I have some issues with it.

3) What does it do really well? (e.g. picks up dust, acorns, climbs walls, steps, etc.)

Picks up just about everything, climbs walls well, steps kind of...

4) What does it do NOT so well? (ditto)

Bag is nusiance to empty, and velcro fastener wears out / gets dirt in it, if you don't scrub out the velcro really well the bag comes open in use and the crud just gets cycled through. I also had sand bag fill up once, causing unit to fall over and do "donuts" until it wore a hole in the BRAND NEW bag...
Bags and other parts are EXPENSIVE, though haven't tried e-bay (may do that now...)
The black tail scrubber sponges don't last well in my somewhat rough plaster pool surface
Tends to get stuck on wedding cake steps at shallow end of pool - have tried playing w/ jet angle and haven't had a lot of luck getting it to not do that.
Sometimes surfaces and sprays randomly as it turns to dive back down...
Booster pump runs up electric bill.
Have had hoses come apart / disconnect several times. I have found that using a nylon zip-tie around the hose barb, below the shoulder, works better than the factory nut setup.
Doesn't seem to get the shallow end where the hose is at full extension very well.

However, it still beats the heck out of manual vacuuming - I agree with the Polaris line they used to use about how pools should always be immacculately vacuumed, but never by people...

Gooserider

 

[jkalan]

I own a Polaris 280 w/ booster and highly recommend it. We have red oak, hackberry and pecan trees overhanging the pool and "Nessie" does a fine job of picking up everything (leaves, acorns, pecans, more leaves) during her 2 hour daily cycle. 3 years, and only the pressure relief spring has needed replacement.

Sometimes she hangs around in the deep end a bit much, and she tends to streak the windows with pool water, but that's well worth the cost as long as she cleans up the pool. Swimouts are out of the question, but they are so easy to brush, so no big deal.

Two tricks:
- Use two bags to alternate days. Empty each bag only after it has dried out.
- Don't be afraid to get radical with the direction adjustments. With my "L" shaped pool, I now have Nessy making right turns to get up into the shallow end.

Several coworkers also have 280's and swear by them.

 

[jerrypar72]

I had the PCC 2000 inground cleaning system installed with my new pool over 10 years ago, and it continues to clean my pool as perfectly as it did the day we first filled the pool. I spent approximately $2,000 for the system, and I consider it the best 2 grand I have ever spent in my life. With the PCC 2000 system, I don't spend more than 10 minutes per week on pool maintenance, simply emptying the skimmer and filter basket as necessary. The PCC 2000 has made my pool "self cleaning". The Frog chlorinator still works very well, and my pool is always sparkling clean. Even after a bad Arizona dust storm, the cleaning system works thru the night, and the next morning my pool is virtually debris free.

I have had experiences with several of the other inground cleaning systems, and none of them have cleaned nearly as efficiently as the PCC 2000. I highly recommend the PCC 2000 for anyone installing a new swimming pool.

 

[AV8TOR]

I have a Letro Legend pool cleaner that came with the house and pool. I would definitely buy another if I needed one. This thing just works and works. Picks up everything until the bag is full then starts missing some things. It even picks up small pebbles and acorns that make it to the bottom.

 

[stev32k]

I have a polaris 280 and it really does a good job. It will pick up rocks, acorns, nuts & bolts, and just about anything else that gets in the pool. It climbs the walls and steps and it never gets hung up anywhere. It used to get stuck behind a ladder in the deep end, but I put up a length of PVC pipe to block the space between the ladder and wall and haven't had any more problems.

This is the second polaris I've had. The first was a 180 that came with the house and pool. It was a pretty good cleaner and was over 15 years old when I finally replaced it with the 280. The 280 is much better and will clean the pool much quicker. The 180 used to get hung up in corners and would set there until the back-up valve pulled it away. The 280 does not have that problem.

The one problem I've had with both units is the pressure relief valve. I've gone though about 8 or them all total and finally took it out and screwed a PVC plug into the hole. The valves would pass so much water that the cleaner was starved for water and would not work properly. I spent a lot of time on the phone with polaris customer service and they finally suggested I just remove the valve and replace it with a plug - since then I've no more problems.

 

[Water_man]

I've had the Dolphin Diagnostic Advantage for 3 years and it does a great job. To the best of my knowledge they were the first robotic cleaner mannuf. It comes with three year warranty. It climbs walls and it has a sophisticated "brains". If the pool has an unusual shape or obstacles I would use the model with the remote. A model with remote and caddy is also available.
inyopools.com carries the three models at the best prices around. Without remote, Model 9301ADV goes for $750. With remote , Model 9301RC goes for $1000 and with remote and caddy, Model NE260 goes for $1100.

There's only one problem, though, and I understand that all robotic clears have it. The DC power cord (50- 65 feet long, depending on the model) twists and coils around itself, and from time to time you have to untwist it.
There's a solution that costs about $350 plus shipping. You ship (or let your on line retailer ship it) the unit to the service center and they will replace the original DC power cord with a patented "swivel" cord that minimizes twisting.

More info about the robot is available at maytronicsus.com but for some reason they don’t show all these models. They also don't mention the swivel cord in their web site. Call them and ask for a service center near you for the cord replacing job.

I didn't buy Aquabot, that looks alike, because I had heard that its chains break more frequently, the warranty period is shorter, and it looks like an imitation.

Recently the Dolphin “ate” my thermometer twine and it got stuck in the drive chain’s pulley. I called them up and got advice how to release it. The fact that the motor didn’t burn up shows that the robot has a well designed control system. I recommend not to hang thermometers near the walls because the robot may rip them out.