First Purchase Questions

[goldmaes]

Looking to purchase my 1st robotic pool cleaner and have so many questions. I would love people opinion of what I should look for and which models would be best. I really don't care much about bells and whistles but will spend up if it cleans the best.

1. First and foremost, my pool has an infinity edge on all 4 sides. Should I be concerned about the robot climbing out of the pool? Maybe a silly question but without coping to bump into I wasn't sure.

2. I see all these robots with wifi. I have spotty wifi around my pool, should I stay away from these models?

3. I am most concerned with silt buildup in the pool, are there models that are better then others?

4. I have a sun ledge, do I just need to brush those? I don't believe there is one that can clean is that shallow of water but if there is, please let me know.

Any other suggestions for a 1st time buyer would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

 

[mickey4paws]

Hi Eric, welcome to TFP! Robotic cleaners are great and I think you'll really like having one. There are so many models, it is hard to choose. If you have a local pool store that has demonstration models, it might be worthwhile to try one out that way. I tried one out on a weekend, a Dolphin, I'm sorry I can't remember the model. Although it cleaned well, I didn't like the wifi app. I found the app to be buggy and you do have to have good wifi, so I would agree with your number 2.

What kind of pool do you have, i.e. plaster, vinyl, etc, and how many gallons is it?

I had a Dolphin for about 15 years and it worked great. Then the motor went and motors are around $600, so definitely not worth fixing. I ended up getting a Polaris F9550 Sport and I really like it. It came with a caddy and has a remote (the remote doesn't do much but move the cleaner but still nice to have). It's got a very easy to use control panel and the debris basket is super easy to clean. They have more upgraded models, but they all had wifi and I didn't want any cleaners with apps.

A lot of people on the forum have the Dolphin cleaners. There are a lot of different models.

 

[goldmaes]

Hi Eric, welcome to TFP! Robotic cleaners are great and I think you'll really like having one. There are so many models, it is hard to choose. If you have a local pool store that has demonstration models, it might be worthwhile to try one out that way. I tried one out on a weekend, a Dolphin, I'm sorry I can't remember the model. Although it cleaned well, I didn't like the wifi app. I found the app to be buggy and you do have to have good wifi, so I would agree with your number 2.

What kind of pool do you have, i.e. plaster, vinyl, etc, and how many gallons is it?

I had a Dolphin for about 15 years and it worked great. Then the motor went and motors are around $600, so definitely not worth fixing. I ended up getting a Polaris F9550 Sport and I really like it. It came with a caddy and has a remote (the remote doesn't do much but move the cleaner but still nice to have). It's got a very easy to use control panel and the debris basket is super easy to clean. They have more upgraded models, but they all had wifi and I didn't want any cleaners with apps.

A lot of people on the forum have the Dolphin cleaners. There are a lot of different models.

Thanks so much for your reply. I have been looking at the Polaris F9550 as well. Do you happen to know about the infinity edge issue? I am afraid of having a $1000 model climb out of the pool and get destroyed. Maytronics says on their website that only some of their models work with infinity pools but they do not mention which ones don't. It has been very frustrating. I really appreciate your reply either way. Have a great day and be safe!

 

[mickey4paws]

Hi Eric,
I wish I had an answer for you. I think you should call Polaris tech support for that question. I tried looking in the manual for any mention of infinity edge and didn't find anything. You could also try Maytronics tech support, although when I called them to ask questions when I was looking for a new robot, it didn't seem like they knew too much and recommended I download the manuals for the models I was interested in. I think some of these robots would have to work with your kind of pool but you need a definitive answer.

Here's how to contact Polaris/Zodiac (this was from an email they sent me): If you have any trouble, feel free to reach out to us directly at (800) 822-7933 or [email protected]. Also, you probably know this, but if you need product resources (manuals, maintenance tips, etc.), you can visit the Polaris website here: Polaris 9550 Robotic Pool Cleaner | #1 Swimming Pool Cleaner Worldwide | Polaris Automatic Pool Cleaners

Then another time they sent me this:
Retail Locator: Find a Pool Pro | Fluidra USA
If we can help any further, please email us your phone number and cleaner model to [email protected] so we can connect you with a product specialist who can help.

If you have a Leslie's in your area, you could try calling them and see if they have a demo unit you could try to see if it would work. Their new model with bells and whistles has wifi/bluetooth so I'd stay away from that although I would think if they had a demo unit, it might be similar to the F9550 for seeing about the infinity edge.

Lastly, there is a pool store that sells to some people on TFP over the phone (for warranty purposes) and they're supposed to be quite knowledgeable about the Dolphin brand. It's called Marina Pool and Spa and they're in Oregon.

Good luck and enjoy your weekend!

 

[goldmaes]

Hi Eric,
I wish I had an answer for you. I think you should call Polaris tech support for that question. I tried looking in the manual for any mention of infinity edge and didn't find anything. You could also try Maytronics tech support, although when I called them to ask questions when I was looking for a new robot, it didn't seem like they knew too much and recommended I download the manuals for the models I was interested in. I think some of these robots would have to work with your kind of pool but you need a definitive answer.

Here's how to contact Polaris/Zodiac (this was from an email they sent me): If you have any trouble, feel free to reach out to us directly at (800) 822-7933 or [email protected]. Also, you probably know this, but if you need product resources (manuals, maintenance tips, etc.), you can visit the Polaris website here: Polaris 9550 Robotic Pool Cleaner | #1 Swimming Pool Cleaner Worldwide | Polaris Automatic Pool Cleaners

Then another time they sent me this:
Retail Locator: Find a Pool Pro | Fluidra USA
If we can help any further, please email us your phone number and cleaner model to [email protected] so we can connect you with a product specialist who can help.

If you have a Leslie's in your area, you could try calling them and see if they have a demo unit you could try to see if it would work. Their new model with bells and whistles has wifi/bluetooth so I'd stay away from that although I would think if they had a demo unit, it might be similar to the F9550 for seeing about the infinity edge.

Lastly, there is a pool store that sells to some people on TFP over the phone (for warranty purposes) and they're supposed to be quite knowledgeable about the Dolphin brand. It's called Marina Pool and Spa and they're in Oregon.

Good luck and enjoy your weekend!

Thanks so much for your help!