I'm in the very beginning stages of an inground gunite pool build which hopefully the digging will begin in about six weeks. It will be a free form pool, approximately 18x36 plus two sort of sunshelves/tanning ledges (making some dimensions in the pool 21.5' wide and 41' long). It will be 3.5' to 7.5'.
The pool builder has specified a Polaris 3900 and booster pump in the contract. I asked about robotic cleaners to which he stated his experience is that they last much shorter than pressure side cleaners because of being constantly submerged, but we can swap it out if desired and I can pay the difference if there is one. If we swap it out for robotic, plumbing and the booster pump for the pressure cleaner would not be built into the pool so I would never be able to reasonably add the plumbing for a pressure side cleaner if I decide to do so in the future.
I don't have any experience with pool cleaners as this is my first inground pool. I want to get it right, but also want to conserve electricity as much as possible. It seems very wasteful and a hassle to run both the regular pool pump and booster pump simultaneously for a pressure side cleaner versus just plugging in a robotic cleaner and tossing it in. In addition, if a robotic cleaner works well, I would have no reason to go back to a pressure side cleaner. It also seems to me that it should be less expensive or at least an even swap if you remove plumbing, a booster pump, and a pressure side cleaner for a robotic cleaner.
I know that most robotic cleaner manufacturers say not to leave them in the pool indefinitely. I have small children and will remove either cleaner from the pool frequently so that it doesn't get damaged so no additional hassle removing a robotic cleaner.
I've done a fair bit of research here and elsewhere on robotic cleaners and it seems that the majority of people are happy with robotic cleaners.
If you were to start over, would you go with pressure side or robotic? If you went with robotic, would you have the pressure side plumbing installed in case you ever wanted to use one?
Thanks in advance.
The pool builder has specified a Polaris 3900 and booster pump in the contract. I asked about robotic cleaners to which he stated his experience is that they last much shorter than pressure side cleaners because of being constantly submerged, but we can swap it out if desired and I can pay the difference if there is one. If we swap it out for robotic, plumbing and the booster pump for the pressure cleaner would not be built into the pool so I would never be able to reasonably add the plumbing for a pressure side cleaner if I decide to do so in the future.
I don't have any experience with pool cleaners as this is my first inground pool. I want to get it right, but also want to conserve electricity as much as possible. It seems very wasteful and a hassle to run both the regular pool pump and booster pump simultaneously for a pressure side cleaner versus just plugging in a robotic cleaner and tossing it in. In addition, if a robotic cleaner works well, I would have no reason to go back to a pressure side cleaner. It also seems to me that it should be less expensive or at least an even swap if you remove plumbing, a booster pump, and a pressure side cleaner for a robotic cleaner.
I know that most robotic cleaner manufacturers say not to leave them in the pool indefinitely. I have small children and will remove either cleaner from the pool frequently so that it doesn't get damaged so no additional hassle removing a robotic cleaner.
I've done a fair bit of research here and elsewhere on robotic cleaners and it seems that the majority of people are happy with robotic cleaners.
If you were to start over, would you go with pressure side or robotic? If you went with robotic, would you have the pressure side plumbing installed in case you ever wanted to use one?
Thanks in advance.