LOOKING FOR A ROBOT CLEANER NEED ADVICE!

[coachhim]

So there are so many cleaners out there. I have pieced this barracuda together for years. So I need another suction side vacuum. Doesnt necessarily have to be a suction side. I just want a good vacuum that will clean the walls and debris/dirt. What recommendations do you have? Thanks in advance!

 

[Texas Splash]

Have you considered a robot? Break away from the dependence of water/suction-powered cleaners and let a programmable robot do the work for you. Dolphin models have been quite popular, but there are others as well.

 

[coachhim]

Have you considered a robot? Break away from the dependence of water/suction-powered cleaners and let a programmable robot do the work for you. Dolphin models have been quite popular, but there are others as well.

I am definitely considering it. This old G3 has worked for me for years, I am just tired of fooling with it and cutting off the skimmer when I use it.

I have been looking at this Dolphin Nautilus CC. What do you know about this?

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[coachhim]

What I am looking for is something that will clean the waterline along with 2 brushes. I have steps and I have a ladder. If you look at my pool in my picture its is a "Lazy L"

Thanks!!

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Robots are good but expensive. I went from a suction cleaner to a robot but I’m back to a suction again. Robots are designed to fail after 5 years and the they become very costly to repair, so costly that it makes more sense to buy a new one. If you’re ok with dropping that kind of money every 5-7 years on a new robot, then no big deal. But you can buy and repair suction cleaners for a lot less money than robots.

Why not just buy yourself a new Barracuda? If it’s working for you, then why switch?

Robots will clean your water line and should work on a Lazy L but they will get hung up on ladders, main drains and rarely, if ever, climb stairs or benches. They cost less to run (200W of electrical power with a standard 2 hour clean cycle) but also cost waaaay more to fix. And warranties are, at best, 2 years.

 

[coachhim]

Robots are good but expensive. I went from a suction cleaner to a robot but I’m back to a suction again. Robots are designed to fail after 5 years and the they become very costly to repair, so costly that it makes more sense to buy a new one. If you’re ok with dropping that kind of money every 5-7 years on a new robot, then no big deal. But you can buy and repair suction cleaners for a lot less money than robots.

Why not just buy yourself a new Barracuda? If it’s working for you, then why switch?

Robots will clean your water line and should work on a Lazy L but they will get hung up on ladders, main drains and rarely, if ever, climb stairs or benches. They cost less to run (200W of electrical power with a standard 2 hour clean cycle) but also cost waaaay more to fix. And warranties are, at best, 2 years.

The only reason why i want to get away from it, is because the barracuda takes about 2 days to get the entire pool, doesnt get the water line, and it takes away from me using my skimmer. Amazon offers 3 year extended warranty past the manufacturers so that may be the only reason why it could be worth while.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

The only reason why i want to get away from it, is because the barracuda takes about 2 days to get the entire pool, doesnt get the water line, and it takes away from me using my skimmer. Amazon offers 3 year extended warranty past the manufacturers so that may be the only reason why it could be worth while.

That’s all fine. But I would carefully read the details on that kind of warranty as it is highly unusual. Most in-store, brick & mortar purchases of robots don’t go beyond the 2 year manufacturers limit. Anything Amazon would offer would have to be purchased through one of their 3rd party warranty providers and there could be serious limitation on what they will cover and/or they may prorate the value of the robot if they choose to reimburse you and not to pay for it to be fixed. Just as a reference point, my robot lasted 5 years before it’s motor failure. So even with an extended warranty of 5 years, it would not have been covered. Motor failures are the most common “old age” robot problems and current market prices for motor assemblies are at $450. That’s about 2/3rds the cost of new robot.

 

[coachhim]

So really the robot isn't worth it?

 

[JoyfulNoise]

So really the robot isn't worth it?

Depends … a standard model robot, no frills, is about $700. If it lasts 5 years then that’s about $140 per year. Is that worth it to you?

 

[HyzerFlip519]

So really the robot isn't worth it?

My Dolphin robot is going on 8 years+ without having to spend a single dime on replacement parts and still working great. Suction side vacuums never worked well for me, I don't see myself ever going back. Hopefully we get a lidar-equivalent pool robot in the future where it's able to map out the pool floor and work efficiently.

 

[damdan]

The only reason why i want to get away from it, is because the barracuda takes about 2 days to get the entire pool, doesnt get the water line, and it takes away from me using my skimmer. Amazon offers 3 year extended warranty past the manufacturers so that may be the only reason why it could be worth while.

most extended warranties take the place of the manufacturer's warranty. not necessarily adding to it.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

So really the robot isn't worth it?

Based on the information you supplied in your signature (thank you for doing that), I can certainly see why a suction cleaner would be a difficult option for you. You have a single speed pool pump, a single skimmer and, I'm assuming, no automation. Sadly, this is how lots of pool builders design pools without considering cleaning as a necessary function and so they leave off very cheap-to-implement, but very important, elements in the pool design. By contrast, my pool has a variable speed pump, a dedicated suction line that is controlled by a 3-way diverter valve at the suction manifold AND I have an automation system. While the suction valve is not automated, it wouldn't be too hard for me to throw an actuator on the valve and completely automate it. By having a variable speed pump and an automation system that allows me to add schedules and pump speed, I can easily run a suction cleaner at high speed for short period of time where it will perform very adequately as a cleaner and having a dedicated suction port means I do not have too sacrifice the use of my skimmer. In the end, my suction cleaner performs about the same as my robot did.

So, in your case, a robot might be a good cleaning option as it will allow you to decouple the cleaning from the energy-hog single speed pump. It will also give you use of your skimmer while a robot is cleaning. So that alone may be a big benefit to you that outweighs the additional upfront costs of switching to a robot.

The longevity of these robots is very variable and is subject to how they are handled and used. If a robot is left in the pool all the time and only rarely taken out to clean the filter baskets, it is subject to greater wear and tear because water destroys everything (especially chlorinated water). If one is diligent and takes the robot out of the pool when not in use, rinses it down well, allows it to dry and stores it out of the sun, then I believe they will last a lot longer than 5 years. As the old saying goes, your mileage may vary.

There's no harm in trying a robot out, all you have to lose is feeling the pain of laying out $700+ all at once. Then you can use it and see how long it lasts. Once it gives up the ghost, only then will you know if it's been worth it to you.

 

[coachhim]

Based on the information you supplied in your signature (thank you for doing that), I can certainly see why a suction cleaner would be a difficult option for you. You have a single speed pool pump, a single skimmer and, I'm assuming, no automation. Sadly, this is how lots of pool builders design pools without considering cleaning as a necessary function and so they leave off very cheap-to-implement, but very important, elements in the pool design. By contrast, my pool has a variable speed pump, a dedicated suction line that is controlled by a 3-way diverter valve at the suction manifold AND I have an automation system. While the suction valve is not automated, it wouldn't be too hard for me to throw an actuator on the valve and completely automate it. By having a variable speed pump and an automation system that allows me to add schedules and pump speed, I can easily run a suction cleaner at high speed for short period of time where it will perform very adequately as a cleaner and having a dedicated suction port means I do not have too sacrifice the use of my skimmer. In the end, my suction cleaner performs about the same as my robot did.

So, in your case, a robot might be a good cleaning option as it will allow you to decouple the cleaning from the energy-hog single speed pump. It will also give you use of your skimmer while a robot is cleaning. So that alone may be a big benefit to you that outweighs the additional upfront costs of switching to a robot.

The longevity of these robots is very variable and is subject to how they are handled and used. If a robot is left in the pool all the time and only rarely taken out to clean the filter baskets, it is subject to greater wear and tear because water destroys everything (especially chlorinated water). If one is diligent and takes the robot out of the pool when not in use, rinses it down well, allows it to dry and stores it out of the sun, then I believe they will last a lot longer than 5 years. As the old saying goes, your mileage may vary.

There's no harm in trying a robot out, all you have to lose is feeling the pain of laying out $700+ all at once. Then you can use it and see how long it lasts. Once it gives up the ghost, only then will you know if it's been worth it to you.

Yea my pool was built in 1969.

 

[coachhim]

Based on the information you supplied in your signature (thank you for doing that), I can certainly see why a suction cleaner would be a difficult option for you. You have a single speed pool pump, a single skimmer and, I'm assuming, no automation. Sadly, this is how lots of pool builders design pools without considering cleaning as a necessary function and so they leave off very cheap-to-implement, but very important, elements in the pool design. By contrast, my pool has a variable speed pump, a dedicated suction line that is controlled by a 3-way diverter valve at the suction manifold AND I have an automation system. While the suction valve is not automated, it wouldn't be too hard for me to throw an actuator on the valve and completely automate it. By having a variable speed pump and an automation system that allows me to add schedules and pump speed, I can easily run a suction cleaner at high speed for short period of time where it will perform very adequately as a cleaner and having a dedicated suction port means I do not have too sacrifice the use of my skimmer. In the end, my suction cleaner performs about the same as my robot did.

So, in your case, a robot might be a good cleaning option as it will allow you to decouple the cleaning from the energy-hog single speed pump. It will also give you use of your skimmer while a robot is cleaning. So that alone may be a big benefit to you that outweighs the additional upfront costs of switching to a robot.

The longevity of these robots is very variable and is subject to how they are handled and used. If a robot is left in the pool all the time and only rarely taken out to clean the filter baskets, it is subject to greater wear and tear because water destroys everything (especially chlorinated water). If one is diligent and takes the robot out of the pool when not in use, rinses it down well, allows it to dry and stores it out of the sun, then I believe they will last a lot longer than 5 years. As the old saying goes, your mileage may vary.

There's no harm in trying a robot out, all you have to lose is feeling the pain of laying out $700+ all at once. Then you can use it and see how long it lasts. Once it gives up the ghost, only then will you know if it's been worth it to you.

Also how much do you save with the variable speed pump?

 

[coachhim]

most extended warranties take the place of the manufacturer's warranty. not necessarily adding to it.

This is from Amazon website

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Also how much do you save with the variable speed pump?

Can’t really say for sure as it would be specific to your plumbing. But generally speaking, when I’m just skimming my pool on low speed (1500RPM), the pump is only drawing a little more than 300W of power. A full speed 1HP pump is easily drawing several kilowatts of electrical power. So the savings can be substantial depending on how you run it. Even a 2-speed pump would be better in your case. Unfortunately pump manufacturers are no longer making single or 2-speed pump motors so you will eventually be forced to buy a variable speed.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

View attachment 408995

This is from Amazon website

Be very careful. Dolphin voids their warranty on most robot models if they are sold on the internet (they want you buying from brick and mortar stores). I believe there are only one or two models that are approved for sale over the internet. You might want to check with Dolphin on that.

 

[jrguzmanr]

My first robot was a Zodiac MX-8, bought it for less than $400 (2011) and last year I could tell it needed a tuneup. I figured instead of tuning it up, I would use that money towards a prowler 930w, thinking it would be better, and its' not. I actually have to brush the two deep end corners as the robot doesn't have sufficient suction for that. That was no issues with the zodiac. When this robot dies I'm going back to a the mx-8.

 

[VetteBlue]

Also how much do you save with the variable speed pump?

My electric bill dropped by $80 per month when I switched to a VSP. And my electric utility rebated more than half of the cost at the time. See if your utility company has rebates for replacement of old equipment with a new energy efficient pump.

 

[Paulbhyo]

1hp =746W. 1000w =1kW.

Swimming pool Steve has some really great you tube videos showing different plumbing arrangements, Pumping schedules and comparisons for fixed speed pumps and variable speed pumps. Moving the same amount of water with a fixed speed pump vs a variable speed pump over a 7 year period could save a couple thousand dollars in electrical cost. .. but I don't know how many people actually want to setup thier pool pump to turn over the water 3 times a day(that's what he recommends and what he demonstrates in his video comparisons),. So the savings might not be as much if you intend on running the pump less time.

As JoyfulNoise indicated, the Department if Energy changed the minimum pump efficiency requirements last year and all new pumps manufactured are more than likely Variable speed. Unless the pool store or dealer your working with has leftovers,. They will more than likely have VS pumps.