Does a good robot cleaner do away with the need to manually vacuum the pool?

[Iam1964]

The title says it all.

I currently have a Pentair Racer and it does a pretty good job but I have been thinking about replacing it with a robot cleaner.

My current cleaning schedule is to run the Racer 3 times per week for 1.5 hrs each time and I have also been manually vacuuming it once per month. My pool is pretty low use as there is just myself and my wife that use it.....oh....and the dog ?. I also leave the cleaner in the pool all the time but I am sure as the water warms up it will become an obstacle that I want to get rid off.

My ideal scenario would be just to throw the robot in once per week and hope that would be enough.

Anyway, do you think my expectations are realistic?

 

[mknauss]

I think your expectations are realistic. Realize a robot will not do steps, ledges, sun shelves, etc. You have to brush them.
Our robot is run when needed and stays in the pool most of swim season except to take it out and clean the filters.
I have not vacuumed our pool since getting the robot.

 

[Iam1964]

Thanks Marty, do you leave it plugged in all the time And if you do does the power cable not become a hazard?

 

[Shirker]

I have a new pool and a new robot. I got the vacuum out once after having the pool for about a week just to spot clean one small area. I thought it would be faster than letting the robot get to it. That was the last time I vacuumed manually. Took way more time to get the hoses out, connect, and disconnect everything. I should have just let the robot do its thing. In my humble opinion, the vacuum is worthless. I do still brush though. Pollen collects around the water line and I get a little debris on the steps. But the robot does the rest.

 

[mknauss]

When there is no rain expected (most of the time here), I leave the power supply next to my pool equipment and the robot plugged in. It is in the shade which you want it to be. Just my wife and I so the power cable is off the deep end of the pool so not a hinderance to us. I pull the robot to a spot in the deep end to 'store' it.

 

[Oly]

Your ideal scenario is my experience. I run the bot once a week on average. If the wind blows hard it will run more often.
When I vacuumed by hand it looked so nice but it took so much time. Sometimes the wind would pick up the next day and all my hard work was for not.
Now it is not an issue. Drop it in, push a button take it out 2 hours later and beautiful. Much better filtration than a suction side cleaner too.
Get one you will not regret it.

 

[Jimrahbe]

1964,

I hope that date is not what I think it is...

I have been using robots for about 15 years.. I have never vacuumed a pool expect on one rent house where I even added a separate vacuum port. Took about an hour to convince me it was a giant waste of my time. I just brush off the steps and ledges and let the robot do its thing.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[Katodude]

What’s a vacuum?

 

[geko29]

What’s a vacuum?

Exactly. I have a fairly basic oval AG pool, but haven't even owned a vacuum in 7 years. If I had an IG pool with steps that the robot couldn't get to, I'd probably just occasionally brush those so the sediment would wind up somewhere the robot can clean.

 

[GDN]

My pool is 5 years old. PB never delivered or mentioned a vacuum, and I've never bought one. I do have and use a Racer, it runs daily, year round. The Racer isn't perfect, but for the situation we have I'm not going to really knock it.

We have a Live Oak that literally reaches out over about half of the pool. This pool requires good daily cleaning 6 to 7 months out of the year. Acorns start dropping late August for a couple of months. Leaves start dropping late February and the mess continues for about 3 more months. Just the last week the pool is remaining clean and looking good 24 by 7.

Bottom line is I have never and don't vacuum - the Racer takes care of most of it (it has a scrubber brush (rubber I think) so it keeps things stirred up) and I brush the sides once in a while as needed. From what most say a robot might do this better, but I don't have any complaints with the racer. For the job it has to do it does it pretty well and I never vacuum.

 

[Bri1gut]

I bought a Dolphin Proteus DX4 about a year and a half ago and don't vacuum at all. The robot comes with fine and ultra-fine filter media. I use the fine, which is a mesh/screen type filter. The controller for this robot has a setting which will run the robot for seven days at the same time - the time that you initially started it. Our house backs up to a golf course and we have oak trees on each end of the pool so we get lots of grass, leaves, acorns, dirt, etc. in the pool. After several days of running, when I clean out the robot basket, I am amazed at how much that it's collected, especially dirt. Makes me think that I was swimming in a pond, rather a pool.
The robot controller also has bluetooth, which allows some control of setting time/day runs, higher suction and manual direction control through an app on my phone. I have a hose reel mounted on the house and set the controller on the shelf about the reel. It's under the eve of the house, so semi-protected from the weather.
Add me to the list of those who own a robot and don't ever vacuum.