Dolphin water line cleaning damaging plaster steps?!

[snuggles]

Hello! I am new to pools and have a relatively-newly 30k in ground plastered pool (2023).

I purchased a dolphin cc plus for the waterline scrubbing. Yesterday, I noticed it was vertically scrubbing my steps, which I had never observed—it was sticking partway out of the water and kind of moving along the nose…. Of course as I was looking at it, I noticed that step did not look straight like it had been before, and when I ran my hand along the nose it was worn smooth.

So, yeah, is this a thing? I am sort of at a loss what to do. I reached out to maytronics and haven’t heard back. Wondering if there is a way to turn off waterline scrubbing for now on this thing.

Curious if this is a common experience and what solution—if any—people have arrived at.

 

[ajw22]

You have any earlier pictures to prove the steps were not always that way and you just noticed it?

 

[snuggles]

Lol, I'm looking!

So let's assume that I cannot come up with proof, and they won't do anything for me. I guess I have a couple questions

1) is there a common/best practice way to block these things from climbing steps? I was thinking pvc pipes filled with something laid across the bottom step or something. Hard to picture how to hold it in place, but likely buckets/weights on each end. A huge PITA.
2) should I sell this robot (it's in great shape!) and get a non-waterline robot? It's unclear to me if a non-waterline cleaning robot would avoid this issue, but I suspect so. Assuming it -won't- I assume my best bet is to use one of those suction-side cleaners that are basically mobile vacuums. I'd then need to brush quite regularly, but at least I'd avoid this disaster getting worse...

I guess I just wonder if this is really a weird issue or if it's "known" that you shouldn't use these with plaster steps?

Thanks. I am searching desperately for that "pre damage" photo.

 

[ajw22]

I doubt the cleaner is doing any damage to your plaster steps.

If it were you would find the cleaner full of plaster bits.