Robot pool cleaner?

[Greg 2]

I am still in the process of learning about pool maintenance, etc and in a week or so we should close on our new to us home with a 30' above ground pool.
While reading thru various posts I see reference made to robotic pool cleaners. After looking at them it appears to me that mainly all they do is remove built-up algae, maybe some scum around the rim and possibly some leaves.
THEN it occurs to me, if you maintain your pool chemistry correct, you should not have any algae problems, only minor scum and thus only maybe a leaf problem.
So, if the chemistry is correct, about all one would need for maintenance would be a leaf rake and an occasional scrub to remove some scum.
Is my thinking correct in that for a properly maintained pool a robotic pool cleaner is basically a waste of money?

 

[DebbieO]

You will always get dirt and various debris that find their way into your pool. Keeping it vac'd out and the chemistry balanced will prevent any algae.

 

[TomGallopavo]

I love my bot. Drop it in, turn it on, let it go. I vacuumed one time at the beginning of the year at opening. Now the bot goes just about every day. But I like my pool as close to perfect as it can be.

 

[markayash]

You will be surprised at the dirt and junk that gets in your pool.

 

[DebbieO]

I tried a Rover Jr. once but with the way my pool is dished the little dude just couldn't get out of the deep end. Now I use the Pool Blaster Max and love it. I don't mind vac'ing and it keeps the debris out of the filter.

 

[Greg 2]

I love my bot. Drop it in, turn it on, let it go. I vacuumed one time at the beginning of the year at opening. Now the bot goes just about every day. But I like my pool as close to perfect as it can be.

Just wondering, what make/model of bot do you have?

 

[TomGallopavo]

Just wondering, what make/model of bot do you have?

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[duraleigh]

You certainly don't need a robot but you CERTAINLY need to clean your pool. Start with a manual vac and good chemistry and it may be all you need.

Most tire of this chore and assign it to a machine.........enter the robot........it is the best machine you can buy for the job

 

[BowserB]

Robotic cleaner-yes, you want it. Leaves in our pool (Wax Myrtle primarily, but a few Holly, Purple Vitex and a neighbor's river birch) are pretty much 95% trapped in the skimmer socks (hair net from Amazon 200 for $14 or 1,000 for $50) before they can get sufficiently waterlogged to sink to the bottom. However, my Maytronics Dolphin M-500 robotic cleaner runs every other day and always gets stuff off the bottom and sides. Dust in the air, gnats, other small insects, stuff from flowers, grass clippings that I miss with the net, and generally all of what I once heard a vacuum cleaner salesman call "the filth of civilization", seems to gravitate to an open pool of water. The M400/500 is not Maytronics newest cleaner line, but it is the only one with a third counter-rotating brush in the center of the bottom. It also has rotating floats that help it run along the water line. Kind of expensive, as it is a brick & mortar store only model, although very competitively priced at Marina Pool & Spa, along with free shipping (and no sales tax if you're outside Colorado...shh.) Before this, I had a Pentair Kreepy Krauly pressure side cleaner and before that a Pentair Racer pressure side cleaner (the Racer kept ending up on its side on the sun shelf, so Pentair swapped it for the Kreepy Krauly that developed an affinity for the deep end of the pool only.) What a terrible waste of plastic, not to mention electricity to run a noisy booster pump. Hint: The M400 has all the functional advantages but without the M500's gee-wiz features for less money. I have the M500 and really think I wasted the extra cash.

A robotic does not use your pump or filter. It runs on a built-in low voltage motor connected to a transformer away from the pool. Maytronics is a major manufacturer making many models of Dolphin brand cleaners and many identical models with different names for different pool store chains. Try a YouTube search to see many cleaners and demos.

 

[rajung]

I got tired of the hose, vacuum set up, after about 2 times that was enough for me. Got tired of moving and storing that crazy hose, which looked like new and threw away, never looking back