I have the Dolphin w/caddy. It works great climbs walls and uses regular 110v power. I also have polaris inground floor cleaners that im trying to repair.
Roll call: What cleaner do you use? Are you happy with it?
- Thread starter singerteacher
- Start date
- Nov 30, 2008
- 338
I have no dedicated pressure line and must make do with suction side products.
I use a zodiac (Barracuda) G4 combined with a Polaris LCS to give me my skimming function back.
Im very happy with this combo and havent replaced a part yet in 24 months and I run it 10 hours a day every day. Im in a highly vegative area and am realtively close to the ocean and wind is normal so I have a higher debris intrusion rate than many.
Its likely within a year Ill need to replace the G4 diaphragm, and the LCS lid is cracked, but because I fat handed it, not because of any mfgr defects.
The LCS is getting a bit discolored but is skimming like a champ. The LCS also keeps my pump basket really clean as it acts like a leaf/debris strainer on both the vac side, and skimmer side, so my backwashing interval is great.
I can make the whole thing work quite well on only 350 watts of pump power and set the system to run at 550 watts with the solar tap open and the system comes alive at that speed. This gives me about 5 hours of really thorough cleaning and 5 hours of "lazy cleaning each day.
In times of heavy winds and debris inflow (Santa Ana winds in So Cal) I augment this with a poolskim and or pooldevil pro. when I "kit up" like this I can keep the whole thing really clean in the worst conditions.
I dont leave the return side products in all the time mainly due to them reducing the solar heatings effectiveness,and overall directional flow as well as swimmer intrusion.
Here's a few quick vids before and after the Jandy Epump install.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLdwxCZDvzI
After epump 334 watt performance
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYN92oAcPgc
Davegvg
20K Gallon Gunnite pool/900 Gallon in ground Jacuzzi
2HP Whisperflow Jacuzzi boost pump, Pentair Master temp 400
Pentair Quad DE 60/Jandy RS-8 Aqualink/Jandy 2HP Epump (formerly 1HP whisperflow)
12 - 4x10 Solar Panels/Goldline Chlorinator/Barracuda G4/Polaris LCS Leaf Canister skimmer
Pool Devil Pro/Poolskim
I use a zodiac (Barracuda) G4 combined with a Polaris LCS to give me my skimming function back.
Im very happy with this combo and havent replaced a part yet in 24 months and I run it 10 hours a day every day. Im in a highly vegative area and am realtively close to the ocean and wind is normal so I have a higher debris intrusion rate than many.
Its likely within a year Ill need to replace the G4 diaphragm, and the LCS lid is cracked, but because I fat handed it, not because of any mfgr defects.
The LCS is getting a bit discolored but is skimming like a champ. The LCS also keeps my pump basket really clean as it acts like a leaf/debris strainer on both the vac side, and skimmer side, so my backwashing interval is great.
I can make the whole thing work quite well on only 350 watts of pump power and set the system to run at 550 watts with the solar tap open and the system comes alive at that speed. This gives me about 5 hours of really thorough cleaning and 5 hours of "lazy cleaning each day.
In times of heavy winds and debris inflow (Santa Ana winds in So Cal) I augment this with a poolskim and or pooldevil pro. when I "kit up" like this I can keep the whole thing really clean in the worst conditions.
I dont leave the return side products in all the time mainly due to them reducing the solar heatings effectiveness,and overall directional flow as well as swimmer intrusion.
Here's a few quick vids before and after the Jandy Epump install.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLdwxCZDvzI
After epump 334 watt performance
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYN92oAcPgc
Davegvg
20K Gallon Gunnite pool/900 Gallon in ground Jacuzzi
2HP Whisperflow Jacuzzi boost pump, Pentair Master temp 400
Pentair Quad DE 60/Jandy RS-8 Aqualink/Jandy 2HP Epump (formerly 1HP whisperflow)
12 - 4x10 Solar Panels/Goldline Chlorinator/Barracuda G4/Polaris LCS Leaf Canister skimmer
Pool Devil Pro/Poolskim
Davegvg -- Thanks for the video exhibitions; these are much more informative than manufacturer promotional clips.
Ever notice that in the demonstration videos on sales sites the cleaner is always buzzing around a perfectly clean pool with all of the locomotion of Speedy Gonzales... cleaning up imaginary faerie dust? ¡qué ridÃculo!
Ever notice that in the demonstration videos on sales sites the cleaner is always buzzing around a perfectly clean pool with all of the locomotion of Speedy Gonzales... cleaning up imaginary faerie dust? ¡qué ridÃculo!
- Nov 30, 2008
- 338
polyvue said:
I know, its ridiculous isnt it?
They probably shoot that BS with a 3HP pump and all other outlets blocked off.
Dave
joeg2246
0
I just purchased a Pentair Great White and from what I see it is very useful. My pool is 32x18, but, I have a 7 foot beach area that the cleaner is not responsible for. I brush whatever debris there might be to the larger area for the cleaner to grab it.
Joe
Joe
Yes, I'd think that'd be required for a residential pool. I stayed at a resort hotel south of Orlando this past week and their solution to cleaning the zero depth beach front was a dozen floor bubblers distributed across the "beach" and a equal number of over-water jets (from dolphins, of course) that sprayed down. Have no idea how many horse power were used to achieve this effect, but the equipment area contained 3 massive sand filters whose circumference appeared to be as wide as a Volkswagen Beetle.joeg2246 said:
I have The Pool Cleaner 4x which I let run routinely, and a Aquabot Turbo T2 which never ceases to amaze me. It is just great and cleans in about two hours.
I have the I-robot Verro 500 and I am quite happy with it. It is made in Israel and the design is very similar to the Blue Pearl/Diamond. The machine appears to be very robust. I use it about once every 2 weeks and it cleans quite well. I have not had any problems after using it for one full swim season. In Canada it is available from Costco for $999 which is much cheaper than the other more well known brands.
For quick clean up, I use the Poolbuster Max, which is very handy when it works. I must say the design is very bad which I have done quite a bit of modification to compensate for it. My handheld Black and Decker vacuum is much more well made and costs much less except it can't go under water. The Poolbuster Max has become indispensable and there is no other similar machine out there.
For quick clean up, I use the Poolbuster Max, which is very handy when it works. I must say the design is very bad which I have done quite a bit of modification to compensate for it. My handheld Black and Decker vacuum is much more well made and costs much less except it can't go under water. The Poolbuster Max has become indispensable and there is no other similar machine out there.
Hello this is a fantastic site! I hope this helps somebody...
1) What pool cleaner do you own?
We built our pool in 1997 and installed a Paramount PCC-2000 with two six port modules, three ports on one feed the six on the second so I suppose that's nine zones. There is a collection bag for the main drain. All driven by a 1.5hp Challenger pump.
I have on order a second cleaner, a Polaris 9300.
2) Do you recommend it to others?
Yes and no. For the first seven or eight years I thought it was the best thing ever. It may still be, I don't know. The builder showed us how to set it up, program it, etc. and we were fine. It ran 10 hours per day, the energy costs were not an issue.
From reading other posts it sounds like our run times are high. Maybe we have too many trees. I do know that the sequencer units (called water valves) at 10 hrs/day last 3.5 - 4 years which has always been just beyond the warranty. I've told Paramount to let me know if they are going out of business so I can stock up on parts
The sequencers used to be $275 but now I see them for $199 so that's gotten better.
The pop-up heads wear out. After all they are moving parts. They have a lifetime warranty but sometimes the service guy tries to clean them first before replacing. When they are worn (about 4-5 years) a cleaning helps them work for about a week afterwards then you have to get him back out to actually replace them. A couple of time he hasn't brought enough extras with him and replaced just the really bad ones and cleaned the marginal ones. All these incur labor service charges which I don't care for since I'm heavy into DIY.
So right now we are at a point where there are about 5 bad heads, we need a new water valve, and the cleaner pump bearing has developed a leak. I feel like it will be cheaper to get the robot with it's lower operating costs every other day or every third day vs running the cleaner with it's 1.5hp motor 10 hrs/day. Any less and the in-floor cleaner gets too far behind and takes forever to get that last patch.
Ultimately I will probably get it back working again to help with circulation for an algae bloom, pool heat, etc.
3) What does it do really well? (e.g. picks up dust, acorns, climbs walls, steps, etc.)
Unobtrusive. Can swim while operating. Allows for minimal effort on daily maintenance. Distributes heat and chemicals very well. It cleans steps and spa!
4) What does it do NOT so well? (ditto)
For us, it must have a long run time to get all the debris in the pool. Requires a lot of electricity.
Kevin
Note - I have no experience with any other cleaner so this is pretty one-sided.
1) What pool cleaner do you own?
We built our pool in 1997 and installed a Paramount PCC-2000 with two six port modules, three ports on one feed the six on the second so I suppose that's nine zones. There is a collection bag for the main drain. All driven by a 1.5hp Challenger pump.
I have on order a second cleaner, a Polaris 9300.
2) Do you recommend it to others?
Yes and no. For the first seven or eight years I thought it was the best thing ever. It may still be, I don't know. The builder showed us how to set it up, program it, etc. and we were fine. It ran 10 hours per day, the energy costs were not an issue.
From reading other posts it sounds like our run times are high. Maybe we have too many trees. I do know that the sequencer units (called water valves) at 10 hrs/day last 3.5 - 4 years which has always been just beyond the warranty. I've told Paramount to let me know if they are going out of business so I can stock up on parts
The sequencers used to be $275 but now I see them for $199 so that's gotten better.The pop-up heads wear out. After all they are moving parts. They have a lifetime warranty but sometimes the service guy tries to clean them first before replacing. When they are worn (about 4-5 years) a cleaning helps them work for about a week afterwards then you have to get him back out to actually replace them. A couple of time he hasn't brought enough extras with him and replaced just the really bad ones and cleaned the marginal ones. All these incur labor service charges which I don't care for since I'm heavy into DIY.
So right now we are at a point where there are about 5 bad heads, we need a new water valve, and the cleaner pump bearing has developed a leak. I feel like it will be cheaper to get the robot with it's lower operating costs every other day or every third day vs running the cleaner with it's 1.5hp motor 10 hrs/day. Any less and the in-floor cleaner gets too far behind and takes forever to get that last patch.
Ultimately I will probably get it back working again to help with circulation for an algae bloom, pool heat, etc.
3) What does it do really well? (e.g. picks up dust, acorns, climbs walls, steps, etc.)
Unobtrusive. Can swim while operating. Allows for minimal effort on daily maintenance. Distributes heat and chemicals very well. It cleans steps and spa!
4) What does it do NOT so well? (ditto)
For us, it must have a long run time to get all the debris in the pool. Requires a lot of electricity.
Kevin
Note - I have no experience with any other cleaner so this is pretty one-sided.
DLO
0
Dolphin Pro. Love it. I have recommended it to others, my neighbor just purchased one after asking my opinion on mine. What it does well is, about everything. Once it learned my pool (in sig), It takes about 1hr 45 min to clean everything from the 10ft deep end to the waterline. I did switch to the disposable filters (which can be reused countless times if you are careful with them) The reason i switched, was because i noticed the robot struggling to get to the waterline with the heavier,supplied filter, especially once it gets weighed down with debris.
Leaves, walnut broken walnut shells, pebbles etc are no problem. The filter always comes out dirty, even if the pool appears clean.
The Dolphin is expensive. It cost me around $1200.00 a few years ago.....but worth it in my opinion.
Leaves, walnut broken walnut shells, pebbles etc are no problem. The filter always comes out dirty, even if the pool appears clean.
The Dolphin is expensive. It cost me around $1200.00 a few years ago.....but worth it in my opinion.
Suction side Hayward Aquabug here. The little "Bugger" is going on 14 years old now & still works great. He's pretty faded from the shocks I've put him through over the years, & has helped on some nasty cleanups. I've had to disassemble a couple of times & clear out the stuck pine needles, & replaced his lower wings, but otherwise has held up very good. I've never tried anything else.
Dave
Dave
Hayward Vac Ultra that came with the place...total POS and I am waiting to beat it up with a baseball bat when I get a new cleaner. It's just a daily occurence that I have to pull it out of the pool to unjam it or push it out of the corner steps where it sat for 8 hours overnight.
Leaning towards the 4 wheel Poolcleaner.
Leaning towards the 4 wheel Poolcleaner.
simicrintz said:
well it is probably not required but there are consistently 1 or 2 dog toys sitting at the bottom of the pool that often hang up my ultra...I figured 4 wheels helps my chances and only costs a little more. It also doesn't indicate on the site what a "larger" pool is...my pool is huge compared to the average around town but not anywhere near as big as some of the ones I see on this site... it seems like the turning distances would work fine in my pool. ?
My pool is about the same size as yours (almost 25,000 gallons) and I have the 2 wheeled unit. Works perfect!
Pool is 18 x 36; deep end 8; 4' radius corners, end steps. We originally had the pool plumbed for a pressure side cleaner, but never received this from our contractor (horror story).
1) What pool cleaner do you own?
Dolphin Explorer
2) Do you recommend it to others?
ABSOLUTELY!
3) What does it do really well?
EVERYTHING, scrubs the bottom, walls, steps and waterline. Picks up everything from fine debris to leaves & rocks. No problem with corners.
4) What does it do NOT so well?
If your pool is not balanced, or under 65 degrees it may be really slow or not clean the waterline. If you have a large amount debris (large or fine), the weight of the debris in the filter bag will not allow the machine to scrub the walls or waterline.
Experience: I love this product. It comes with a 5 year warranty. We had to replace our liner this year and partially fill the pool from our well. Our well water has fine silt, so you can imagine a pool with muddy water. Using the Sand filter, Dolphin Explorer and two extra fine filter bags the pool was clear in under a week. I cleaned the bags only 9 times. The first 6 they were actually very heavy with silt. Now with the water clear, it's fun to watch it scrub the waterline. The raccoons like to drop small rocks in the pool, and the Dolphin has no problem removing these. I love the convenience of just plugging it in, putting it in the water, hitting the button and letting it go. It will clean the pool up to three times per week. Did not get the unit with the remote.
The only cons: When pulling the unit out of the water it may be heavy for some.
Cost was $699 end of season sale. Cloth Filter bags were $70 on Ebay but should last 5+ yrs.
1) What pool cleaner do you own?
Dolphin Explorer
2) Do you recommend it to others?
ABSOLUTELY!
3) What does it do really well?
EVERYTHING, scrubs the bottom, walls, steps and waterline. Picks up everything from fine debris to leaves & rocks. No problem with corners.
4) What does it do NOT so well?
If your pool is not balanced, or under 65 degrees it may be really slow or not clean the waterline. If you have a large amount debris (large or fine), the weight of the debris in the filter bag will not allow the machine to scrub the walls or waterline.
Experience: I love this product. It comes with a 5 year warranty. We had to replace our liner this year and partially fill the pool from our well. Our well water has fine silt, so you can imagine a pool with muddy water. Using the Sand filter, Dolphin Explorer and two extra fine filter bags the pool was clear in under a week. I cleaned the bags only 9 times. The first 6 they were actually very heavy with silt. Now with the water clear, it's fun to watch it scrub the waterline. The raccoons like to drop small rocks in the pool, and the Dolphin has no problem removing these. I love the convenience of just plugging it in, putting it in the water, hitting the button and letting it go. It will clean the pool up to three times per week. Did not get the unit with the remote.
The only cons: When pulling the unit out of the water it may be heavy for some.
Cost was $699 end of season sale. Cloth Filter bags were $70 on Ebay but should last 5+ yrs.
1) What pool cleaner do you own?
Kreepy krauly Legend new model
2) Do you recommend it to others?
DEFINITIVELY YES! very good performances for a good price
3) What does it do really well?
Scrubs the bottom, picks up everything from fine debris to leaves & rocks. No problem with corners.
Goes smoothly everywhere including the safety ledge my pool has.
4) What does it do NOT so well?
It does not climb the walls and steps but this most probably depends by my pump that does not provide full power (actually 90% of the recommended but I have no intention to change my pump while it is working very well), anyway I don't really feel that needs.
Kreepy krauly Legend new model
2) Do you recommend it to others?
DEFINITIVELY YES! very good performances for a good price
3) What does it do really well?
Scrubs the bottom, picks up everything from fine debris to leaves & rocks. No problem with corners.
Goes smoothly everywhere including the safety ledge my pool has.
4) What does it do NOT so well?
It does not climb the walls and steps but this most probably depends by my pump that does not provide full power (actually 90% of the recommended but I have no intention to change my pump while it is working very well), anyway I don't really feel that needs.
1) What pool cleaner do you own?
Hayward Aqua Critter
2) Do you recommend it to others?
Yes, works great for my small pool!
3) What does it do really well?
Picks up leaves, bugs, sand, pebbles! I don't have trees, so not sure how it would work on twigs & acorns? I LOVE IT!!!!
4) What does it do NOT so well?
It does not climb walls. But, so far that hasn't been an issue for me. I have NO complaints about it!
Hayward Aqua Critter
2) Do you recommend it to others?
Yes, works great for my small pool!
3) What does it do really well?
Picks up leaves, bugs, sand, pebbles! I don't have trees, so not sure how it would work on twigs & acorns? I LOVE IT!!!!
4) What does it do NOT so well?
It does not climb walls. But, so far that hasn't been an issue for me. I have NO complaints about it!
1) What pool cleaner do you own?
Aquabot Pool Rover Jr. - C
2) Do you recommend it to others?
Yes, it works well for my 16 x 38 fiberglass pool
3) What does it do really well?
Gets the bottom reallly clean, no matter what is there
4) What does it do NOT so well?
It does not climb the walls very well.
Aquabot Pool Rover Jr. - C
2) Do you recommend it to others?
Yes, it works well for my 16 x 38 fiberglass pool
3) What does it do really well?
Gets the bottom reallly clean, no matter what is there
4) What does it do NOT so well?
It does not climb the walls very well.