Leave Robot Cleaner in Pool or Not?
- Thread starter simo711
- Start date
It would be nice but Maytronics is very tight lipped about their proprietary tech. Last time they licensed production another manufacturer, Hayward bought out the company and started making the Tigershark with Maytronics' designs. Maytronics recently won a class action suit over it but it still doesn't change the fact that a lot of Tigershark and Dolphin Diagnostic parts are more or less interchangeable (except the Dolphin parts are better made).
My boss has been in the industry since 2000 and he remembers when Maytronics first came out with weekly timers. It was on a unit called the Dolphin Interactive and the weekly timer was literally the only difference between the Interactive and a standard Diagnostic unit, otherwise they were identical units. But the Interactive cost like $300 more. When Maytronics pitched it to dealers they all said "Why on earth would anyone want to leave the robot in the pool for that long?" Needless to say we don't see many Interactives around anymore and I still have very well maintained 15 year old Diagnostics kicking around with 2000+ logged run hours.
Just to be clear - the above is far from a good practice, my "fleet" has grown to 13 robots this year & they are all shelved in my warehouse for a winters nap.
I put my Triton Plus in the pool 1 day of the week for cleaning, more often if we have Santa Anna winds. Otherwise, it lives in my garage next to my compressor (they are buddies). Other than my Mill and Lathe this is the most expensive tool I own and treat it as such.
As far as the remote goes, I use the remote to drive the Robot up onto my stairs so I can lift it out of the water more easily. I am over 70 with a bad back so this really helps. Also, I think that lifting anything up by it's power cord is not such a good idea.
As far as the remote goes, I use the remote to drive the Robot up onto my stairs so I can lift it out of the water more easily. I am over 70 with a bad back so this really helps. Also, I think that lifting anything up by it's power cord is not such a good idea.
A late bump in the hopes of reigniting the discussion...
Before we bought our Dolphin DX3 several years ago, I contacted Maytronics corporate and spoke with someone in the product management chain. He informed me that provided we kept our water healthy, there should be no issue leaving the unit in the pool. Ours lasted 2 1/2 years and ran for over 5400 hours over that period (2 cycles/day, occasionally 3).
I think a reasonable counterargument in support of leaving a bot in the water is the degradation of gaskets and seals resulting from endless wet-dry cycling as well as the greater temperature swings they are exposed to if left outside and out of the pool (the latter is a non-issue if you keep your bot in the garage).
It's worth noting our second bot (P825) didn't fare so well under the same conditions. While I have read plenty of anecdotes about owners experiencing many years of trouble-free use, as our prime driver is to reduce the use of our central pump as much as possible and as we're saving approx. $115/month with our current regiment, I have no issues with the accelerated wear & tear we likely induce by keeping the bot in the water 24/7 provided it earns its keep over its life).
Before we bought our Dolphin DX3 several years ago, I contacted Maytronics corporate and spoke with someone in the product management chain. He informed me that provided we kept our water healthy, there should be no issue leaving the unit in the pool. Ours lasted 2 1/2 years and ran for over 5400 hours over that period (2 cycles/day, occasionally 3).
I think a reasonable counterargument in support of leaving a bot in the water is the degradation of gaskets and seals resulting from endless wet-dry cycling as well as the greater temperature swings they are exposed to if left outside and out of the pool (the latter is a non-issue if you keep your bot in the garage).
It's worth noting our second bot (P825) didn't fare so well under the same conditions. While I have read plenty of anecdotes about owners experiencing many years of trouble-free use, as our prime driver is to reduce the use of our central pump as much as possible and as we're saving approx. $115/month with our current regiment, I have no issues with the accelerated wear & tear we likely induce by keeping the bot in the water 24/7 provided it earns its keep over its life).
Killer95Stang
Well-known member
I tend to leave my robot in the water for a few days at a time... mainly because I turn it on when I leave for work and then I'm working long hours for the next few days. I did notice that the cord on my Discovery (S200) is a little gummy feeling. This is only the part that is in the water, like the first 35 ft or so, the rest of the cord feels like it did when i bought it.
Other than the gummy cord, a few faded spots and countless scratches from the pebble finish, the Robot just keeps on going.
Other than the gummy cord, a few faded spots and countless scratches from the pebble finish, the Robot just keeps on going.
Same. Except the work long hours part. :-D
We have folks here who work on broken robots and they say that the ones that stay in the water seem to do worse over time than the ones that are removed. I leave mine in the pool despite that helpful advice.
- May 23, 2015
- 24,590
- Pool Size
- 16000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
I think water chemistry is the key. TFP pools are a lot cleaner and properly balanced compared to most “managed” pools and so robots in TFP pools suffer a lot less exposure to high chlorine levels, wide pH swings, etc.
wayner
LifeTime Supporter
- May 31, 2012
- 855
- Pool Size
- 100000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Jandy Aquapure 1400
cjbyrd
0
- Mar 24, 2016
- 37
- Pool Size
- 12500
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Jandy Aquapure 1400
I had pool built last year, it was completed 3-20-2019 and a Polaris 7240 sport was included. I kept it in the water most of the time and it just died on me yesterday. Not sure if that is just a crappy model or if the salt water got to it or what and of course its one month out of warranty now. So I will probably only keep my next one in the water while its cleaning and then remove it.
Katodude
Silver Supporter
- Aug 22, 2017
- 2,674
- Pool Size
- 15000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
I usually only need to run the robot about twice a week, so my robot lives in a dedicated resin mini shed (4x4) just out of sight by the filter. I rarely leave it in the pool when not in use for a few reasons...
1. With kids and their friends swimming (which is almost daily in the summer), a robot laying in the pool can become an expensive pool toy.
2. A deactivated cleaner laying in the pool with a cable snaking out of the water and onto the deck, and swimmers dodging same, is not necessarily the aesthetic we were going for when built the pool.
3.It just seems to me that submerged under several feet of chlorinated water may not be the best long term storage solution for something mechanical / electrical.
Of coure that's all personal preference and based on the fact that, as of now, putting in and removing the robot takes me minimal time and effort. If and when that changes, i'm sure my attitude towards all of the above will also. ?
1. With kids and their friends swimming (which is almost daily in the summer), a robot laying in the pool can become an expensive pool toy.
2. A deactivated cleaner laying in the pool with a cable snaking out of the water and onto the deck, and swimmers dodging same, is not necessarily the aesthetic we were going for when built the pool.
3.It just seems to me that submerged under several feet of chlorinated water may not be the best long term storage solution for something mechanical / electrical.
Of coure that's all personal preference and based on the fact that, as of now, putting in and removing the robot takes me minimal time and effort. If and when that changes, i'm sure my attitude towards all of the above will also. ?
- Jan 4, 2016
- 5,297
- Pool Size
- 44000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
Going on three years with one in the water full time. Decided being out in the sun was probably worse for it. It doesn't show any harm so far. It's a Maytronics robot.
- Jul 16, 2019
- 688
- Pool Size
- 20000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Turbo Cell (T-CELL-5)
Good bump, as I was just wondering this. Ours has been in since last Thursday when we opened. Our pool is not swim ready yet (freeeezing here) so we've left Fred in and he runs once a day. We still have a lot of dirt as our grass hasn't grown in completely.
I take mine out after each use. Otherwise I would just be leaving the organic matter it picks up in the water using up chlorine.
I was originally getting a pressure side cleaner with booster pump for my new pool built. PB said he was just going to upgrade me to a robot. With limited space in my backyard this does mean less clutter on the equipment pad as no more booster will be installed but I did plan to get one anyways down the line so I would have a choice but now it will purely be robot.
I really would be leaning to leaving it in the water.
I hope I'm coming out better getting the upgrade to a robot then the usual booster pump and suction/pressure side vac.
I really would be leaning to leaving it in the water.
I hope I'm coming out better getting the upgrade to a robot then the usual booster pump and suction/pressure side vac.
BowserB
Silver Supporter
- Jul 29, 2018
- 781
- Pool Size
- 15000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
My Maytronics M500 cost me $1,100+. The water in my pool is OK (you can see my pool logs). I shoot for FC of around 6ppm and 3600ppm salt. The manual is silent on salt but does specify chlorine not higher than 4ppm. So 3600ppm salt, 6ppm chlorine, and a pH of 7.6 (pure water is 7.0) I think qualifies as a hostile environment for plastics, silicon seals, various metals and whatever that soft rubber cover on the cable is. Accordingly, I run the robot on a 3.5 hour cycle about once a week. At the end I clean out the bins, rinse the whole thing down inside and out and including the cable with fresh soft water, and store it on its caddy on my covered back patio. After a couple hours when it is dry, I put a vinyl patio chair cover over it to protect from late afternoon sun and from the eyes of curious hillbillies who might peek over the side fence (corner lot with a fair number of people walking by.)
My approach may be a waste of time and effort, but it is how I treat hardware, and I think it's probably why stuff I own becomes obsolete before it wears out (except my Craftsman (r) tools, some of which date back to 1962 when I bought my first socket set, and which will never be obsolete.) Like my 2000 Subaru with 227,000 miles and everything, even the electric windows and seats, still works, and it always passes state inspection.
My approach may be a waste of time and effort, but it is how I treat hardware, and I think it's probably why stuff I own becomes obsolete before it wears out (except my Craftsman (r) tools, some of which date back to 1962 when I bought my first socket set, and which will never be obsolete.) Like my 2000 Subaru with 227,000 miles and everything, even the electric windows and seats, still works, and it always passes state inspection.