Hope I just didn't make a 200.00 mistake! Pool Rover Jr

[lulupalooza]

Hi all!

I hope some one can help me!! I just got a pool rover jr, which I bought of ebay, used of course- Probably against my better judgment. I just put it in the pool and it just sits there! I set the timer thing to 30 seconds and push the red button. It starts to go and I mean for like 2-3 seconds and just stops and sits there. I can see water flowing up to the surface of the pool. HELP! I really wanted to get the pool cleaned out and covered today!!

I pray I didn't just buy a hunk of junk!

 

[lulupalooza]

Well, after some tinkering. I think it's working. I think the problem is the mesh bag. It's definately isn't designed to pick up loblolly pine needles! It's designed for smaller particles and small leaves. Clogs up real easy. Looks like I am going to have to manually vaccum the pool, before covering it. Acckk!

 

[geekgranny]

Well, after some tinkering. I think it's working. I think the problem is the mesh bag. It's definately isn't designed to pick up loblolly pine needles! It's designed for smaller particles and small leaves. Clogs up real easy. Looks like I am going to have to manually vaccum the pool, before covering it. Acckk!

Bummer and I'm glad you found the issue.

Is your bag the one with the flannel like inside? My Vero 300 (like Aquabot Turbo T-Jet) came with that bag and the regular mesh bag. I have so much silt that the fine bag gets saturated really fast (like after a few minutes), slows down, and can't make it up the steep slope from the deep end. With the regular mesh bag it will take in a lot of stuff before it starts slowing down but it doesn't, of course, take care of the silt.

I have to wash the fine bag every time I use it or else it stays clogged. Rinse most of stuff off out side, turn inside-out, wash cold very gentle, medium spin. I, also, add some white vinegar some times in the wash water.

I think your Rover takes the standard Aquabot bags. I purchased some throw away bags from NastyBag that let a more water through than the flannel bag but still catch a good amount of fine stuff. Although they are disposable, I wash and reuse them.

http://www.nastybag.com/

gg=alice

 

[lulupalooza]

Thanks for the link Alice!

Yes, it was one of flannel lined looking ones. I thought it seemed kinda thick for a bag. I ended up washing that thing a gazillion times! It didn't pick up large stuff. Tough my pool wasn't green, it wasn't sparkling. It was picking up algae gunk off the bottom. I had mainly those blasted pine needles. At least I won't end up with the neighbors oak leaves! Its the kind with tiny leaves/acorns. Its fully loaded and ready to drop,LOL I got just about all the pine needles out and got it covered. WHEW!

I will try one of the mesh bags- kinda like the one that comes with the polaris is what I am looking for.

 

[geekgranny]

Thanks for the link Alice!

Yes, it was one of flannel lined looking ones. I thought it seemed kinda thick for a bag. I ended up washing that thing a gazillion times! It didn't pick up large stuff. Tough my pool wasn't green, it wasn't sparkling. It was picking up algae gunk off the bottom. I had mainly those blasted pine needles. At least I won't end up with the neighbors oak leaves! Its the kind with tiny leaves/acorns. Its fully loaded and ready to drop,LOL I got just about all the pine needles out and got it covered. WHEW!

I will try one of the mesh bags- kinda like the one that comes with the polaris is what I am looking for.

Howdy Laura

A friend of mine has virtually nothing but ancient Junipers all around her pool and property. The small back yard is totally decking and pool with a solid fence that traps everything in there so the wind can't even help clear some out. The decking is always cluttered with the Juniper litter and it gets hung in everything but also passes through the pump basket eventually clogging up the impeller on her pump, and other things. It is a real challenge and they are both disabled seniors so they can't really keep up with it. Unless people deal with that it's hard to believe the mess and upkeep needed.

It's good that you now have time to research bags. I think the Pool Rover Jr is the little brother of the Aquabot Turbo T-Jet (or Vero 300 like mine). I think the PRjr only comes with the fine bag but the Aquabot, normal mesh bag could work with it, unless there is a difference in size of bags. The major issue, as I can see it is the cost of the replacement bags, which are really expensive, especially if you want to test a bag before committing. The NastyBag lets a bit more water through (a little coarser filtering) but not nearly as much as the regular mesh bag does.The NastyBag does pick up fine sand/silt but doesn't clog quite as fast as the flannel bag. The regular Aquabot mesh bag is close to the Polaris regular bag in terms of mesh size. I'll check them out today and take a picture. The less resistance the pump has pushing water through the bag the better it will pick up. At least, that's the case with the PRjr's big brothers.

Over the winter, you might want to ask friends, with pools, what cleaners they have to see if you could borrow an Aquabot mesh bag to test.

I don't see the Pool Rover Jr. on the list on the NastyBag site but you can ask them if their bags will fit; the contact link is at the bottom of page listing Robots that bags will fit.

It might be a good idea, too, to contact Aquabot about the interchangeability of bags for different models.

gg=alice

 

[dmanb2b]

I have a slightly smaller pool, but the pool rover jr works great for me. I manually vacumed once all season. The jr picks up large and small leaves (I have roughly 10 80+ft trees near the pool and use the rover daily), sand and even some CYA I accidentally spilled. Something doesn't sound right, it should be able to vacum an avg AGP very well.

 

[geekgranny]

I have a slightly smaller pool, but the pool rover jr works great for me. I manually vacumed once all season. The jr picks up large and small leaves (I have roughly 10 80+ft trees near the pool and use the rover daily), sand and even some CYA I accidentally spilled. Something doesn't sound right, it should be able to vacum an avg AGP very well.

That's good to hear. It may be the bag that that might be clogged beyond functional use. At first when my fine bag filled with silt I thought something was wrong with the 'bot.

My Vero 300 is nearing its third year of hard use. I haven't had to replace anything yet but I think the wheels need a little roughing up for better grip going up sides and steep incline from deep end.

Laura, another thing to look at.... My 'bot has two clear tubes, on outside, that go from one area to close to bottom edge area. On the Vero 300 the tubes are not glued but just kept in place by friction. Mine kept coming out so I roughed up the edges of the tube so they stayed in better. Might want to check those.

Also there are two tubes inside, on each side of the pump, going to the top. They are held in place a bit tighter but still not glued. This summer I noticed one of the tubes coming out of the pump was coming loose. It took a little work but I was able to get it wedged back into the pump without disassembling the 'bot. Helps to have smaller hands and some surgical clamps.

All of the above issues will certainly affect 'bots ability to function at its best.

gg=alice