How do I kill the algae that’s on my Dolphin S50?

[aces79]

Last summer I left my Dolphin S50 in the pool while I did SLAM and the chlorine made the cord nasty so I’m assuming too much chlorine can be bad for it.

I’m currently doing SLAM on the pool to kill the algae, but what dilution of bleach and water should I soak my Dolphin in to kill the algae on it without harming the brush or tracks?

 

[Texas Splash]

I'm surprised the previous SLAM level did anything to the cord. I don't recall anyone having that problem before. What do you think @Donldson? Perhaps to be safe, I suppose start low with a 4-to-1 ration of water to bleach and see how that works for you. You can always go 50-50 if needed.

 

[Donldson]

The active chlorine level of a SLAM is lower than that allowed in tap water, it's not something that would cause damage to anything intended for use in a chlorinated pool.

A 4:1 dilution of 10% bleach is 25,000 ppm FC. That's a bit high for comfort. If you're intent on keeping the cord out during a SLAM I'd just use pool water in a bucket. Honestly though I really think something else was at fault in fouling the power cord jacket.

 

[aces79]

IDK the cord was perfect until we left it in the pool during SLAM. At that point it got nasty, slimy and slick and has never felt the same again.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

The Dolphin cords are known to have their rubber cladding breakdown with exposure to sunlight, water and chlorine. It’s basically a rubberized cladding similar to the rubberizing material used on cheap wrenches and pliers. It’s not very tough stuff. I agree that the SLAM had little to do with it.

Your robot tracks will be fine. Honestly , unless you can see algae growth on your robot, simply using it in the pool regularly will be enough to kill any algae growth. If you have to clean it, then just use standard household cleaning bleach like the kind you find in Clorox spray. That’s usually around 1% or so. Spray it on, let it sit for a few minutes then hose it off.

 

[JamesW]

If you don't want to use chlorine, maybe get some of that cheap N-alkyl algaecide and mix some in a bucket with water to soak the robot in.

Then, soak in plain water and rinse well.

 

[Edsmith99]

The Dolphin cords are known to have their rubber cladding breakdown with exposure to sunlight, water and chlorine. It’s basically a rubberized cladding similar to the rubberizing material used on cheap wrenches and pliers. It’s not very tough stuff. I agree that the SLAM had little to do with it.

Your robot tracks will be fine. Honestly , unless you can see algae growth on your robot, simply using it in the pool regularly will be enough to kill any algae growth. If you have to clean it, then just use standard household cleaning bleach like the kind you find in Clorox spray. That’s usually around 1% or so. Spray it on, let it sit for a few minutes then hose it off.

It sounds to me as if the entire unit should be rinsed with fresh water after each use and stored in a place that is not subjected to direct sunlight. It may say that in the instructions, but hey, who reads instructions? Lol