Robot/Vacuum Recommendations

[ol_whistle_britches]

Old pool, new homeowner. Didn’t pickup the old owner’s PB. Looking for recommendations on a cleaning device. Pool skimmers seem to be working OK, they collect fair amount of surface debris. PB used to come once a week to vacuum the bottom and do other weekly tasks. I do not have a pressure return or booster. I will have to do a plaster job in the next 2 years, as mine is popping off in areas. Caretaker system needs a rotor rebuild, but otherwise fine.

Remodeling right now, so I’m noticing sunken debris that needs vacuuming. Mostly leaf. Dust is not so bad. I have low vegetation around the pool, but it’s not too bad. Overhanging palms, but nothing no leafy trees.

What kinds of equipment are most effective these days? Should I look at a traditional suction based robot, or are the newer electric bots considered superior? I’m not too price sensitive, I figure it all pays off within a year vs the local pool boy. Specific brands/models appreciated.

 

[Mdragger88]

Maytronics Dolphins (s200 types- w/2 brushes, floors, walls,& waterline cleaning)
were the golden boys for a long time as it pertains to electric robots although the newer produced models seem to be having a 3-5 year lifespan vs the 5-8 of yesteryear.
Several here have moved on to the newer aqua products evo cleaners & been satisfied. They are still fairly new so the jury is out on average longevity but the build quality so far seems good.

Without a pressure or suction port & no boosters you’re limited to a suction side cleaner that doesn’t require a booster & it will also be occupying your skimmer so skimming will be non existent while the device is in use. The debris will also be being removed by your filter. Not a huge deal, it just means your filter will get dirty faster and need cleaning sooner than if you had a stand alone self contained robot that worked independently of your pump and filter.
A pressure side cleaner would occupy one of your returns.
Both pressure & suction cleaners require you to have the pump running (often at full speed) which can add up in electricity costs.

Personally I love my dolphin & and I am ok with the longevity considering the convenience & performance, although it would be nice if it were longer. I’m sure I would be equally satisfied with the evo line of bots. I run my bot everyday for 7 months out of the year so I feel I got my $ worth out of my first dolphin. It lasted 3.25 years or approximately 682 cleans in my case. I have saved him for parts and replaced him with a similar model that is interchangeable.

With your mention of the caretaker system, if you have pop ups, some bot models tend to have issues with them.
You can call Marina pool, spa & patio in Colorado on the phone and they can help you determine which model bot may work the best in your particular pool. They also tend to have the best prices and don’t automatically try to upsell the units with the most bells & whistles (which most people never really use).

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The suction side cleaner options would be something like:
hayward’s “the pool cleaner”,
Zodiac mx6
Polaris maxx
Zodiac g3 or similar style
There are plenty others those are just quite popular ones I can think of.
The pressure side cleaner options (not sure if you meant you really had no return):
Polaris 360
Some have successfully adapted other pressure cleaners like intex auto cleaners to work in their inground pool as well.

Hope this helps

 

[ol_whistle_britches]

AFAIK, my return runs through my floor sweeps, although I could be wrong since we haven’t moved in yet. Just saying it now sounds wrong, like there has to be a standard wall return. I thought a pressure side robot almost always required a separate booster pump. Had been led to believe that anyhow.

Is the general consensus that the electric robots outperform both pressure and suction side cleaners?

(Appreciate the models. Lots to research.)

 

[Mdragger88]

They (robots w/brushes) tend to better with the fine debris as well as the fact that they climb the walls so less manual brushing is required.
If $$ is no barrier and you’re ok with possibly needing to replace it in a few years a bot is the way to go. Especially since you have no dedicated ports & the other types will hinder your skimming or possibly your return action.
All cleaners will have some wearable parts to them that need replacing eventually.
I do recommend if going the robot route that you either use a cc that offers extended warranty protection beyond the manufacturer warranty or purchase an extended warranty if possible just because it’s an electronic device & its kinda the pits if it does go down. You’ll want to replace it quickly if it can’t be repaired.
I replaced mine in a few days lol and I had a backup intex cleaner but it doesn’t hold a candle to the bot.