To robot or not to robot?

[Poolecw]

....that is the question.

I'm a third year pool owner. Our installer included a Polaris TR28P pressure side cleaner with Polaris PB4-6 booster pump. It does a decent at picking up debris, but lately it seems to want to get stuck at the base of a wall or fly around in the middle of the water column.

I'm debating on changing over to a robot and had a few questions:

How much better are robotic cleaners than pressure side cleaners in regards to cleaning?

Do robotic cleaners simply vacuum up debris or do that also perform any scrubbing?

How many years do they typically last? I've read on here that motors tend to fail regularly and that they are costly to repair.


Thanks all!

 

[YippeeSkippy]

Robots brush, vacuum and help circulate water beautifully. So much better than a pressure side cleaner such as you have.

Does your cleaner climb the wall and brush the water line? Mine does.
Does your cleaner pick up sand, dust and debris? Mine does.
Can you schedule daily, EOD, or one time cleanings? Mine can.
Does your cleaner require a lot of electricity to power it via a stand along pump? Nope...mine doesn't!

Buy "in-store" from Marina Pool and Spa and Patio in Colorado via a phone call and you'll get full warranty, tax and shipping free. Just give Margaret a call and she can help you find one that meets your needs.

Maddie

 

[coachhim]

Seems like they are good for what they do, but they only last about 5 years. So I'm not sure if they are worth it. I'm wanting to get a robot but I can't get any solid reviews. I called Margaret and she pretty much told me they are all rebranded .

So I'm indifferent about it

 

[Rocket J Squirrel]

Robots brush, vacuum and help circulate water beautifully. So much better than a pressure side cleaner such as you have.

Does your cleaner climb the wall and brush the water line? Mine does.
Does your cleaner pick up sand, dust and debris? Mine does.
Can you schedule daily, EOD, or one time cleanings? Mine can.
Does your cleaner require a lot of electricity to power it via a stand along pump? Nope...mine doesn't!

My pressure side Polaris Quattro is robot-like and does all of the above (with automation) except save electricity. Also costs as much as a robot. So the choice is whether you want the electrical cord or stay with the booster pump.

 

[Mike Hawk]

Seems like they are good for what they do, but they only last about 5 years. So I'm not sure if they are worth it. I'm wanting to get a robot but I can't get any solid reviews. I called Margaret and she pretty much told me they are all rebranded .

So I'm indifferent about it

Five years of not having to deal with an in line leaf canister, bulky hoses, running your pump, making sure the entire vacuum cleaner and lines are primed first, still not knowing if the side suction will even get to your entire pool in any sort of time period, yeah, I'll take the robot hands down any day of the week.

My "Cadillac" $325 side suction 2x Pool Cleaner I bought in 2015 only lasted 5 seasons. Didn't want to have to deal with buying a gear repair kit, rubber tracks, and replacement flappers. I got a $770 Explorer E30 in 2021 and have not looked back, and I HATE spending money. I'd buy another E30 today if my current one broke after just 1 season. It's THAT big of a game changer. It's so totally worth the $$$. I wish I could go in a time machine and tell my 2015 self to just get the robot and be done with it The amount of grit it picks up is nucking futs, grit that would have just gone straight thru my leaf canister and into my sand filter.

 

[coachhim]

Five years of not having to deal with an in line leaf canister, bulky hoses, running your pump, making sure the entire vacuum cleaner and lines are primed first, still not knowing if the side suction will even get to your entire pool in any sort of time period, yeah, I'll take the robot hands down any day of the week.

My "Cadillac" $325 side suction 2x Pool Cleaner I bought in 2015 only lasted 5 seasons. Didn't want to have to deal with buying a gear repair kit, rubber tracks, and replacement flappers. I got a $770 Explorer E30 in 2021 and have not looked back, and I HATE spending money. I'd buy another E30 today if my current one broke after just 1 season. It's THAT big of a game changer. It's so totally worth the $$$. I wish I could go in a time machine and tell my 2015 self to just get the robot and be done with it The amount of grit it picks up is nucking futs, grit that would have just gone straight thru my leaf canister and into my sand filter.

This is what I needed to hear!
You dont understand how I have hated doing this for all these years.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

You have to deal with hoses or cords no matter what cleaner you get. Human nature being what it is, a person will very diligently take their robot in and out of the pool for every cleaning cycle, hose off the filter basket, roll up the cords, etc, etc. Then that will get old and the robot will start to be left in the pool longer and longer and longer. That is the point at which cords start to become permanently tangled and pool water starts to destroy everything. Tracks do wear out and need to be replaced BEFORE they fail. The wheel hubs and bushings on my robot needed changing after 5 seasons because the hub went from a round hole to a slightly oval shape and that was causing the track to dislodge from the wheel teeth. The rubber treads have “depth” marking on them. Once they a worn to below the marking, they should be replaced. Mine lasted 3 seasons.

Treads - $100
Cord - $99/$199 (higher value for swivel)
Wheels - $50
Hub bushing - $20
Rear brush - $50
Active brush (front) - $100
Rubber seal flaps (bottom) - $20
Misc Plastic Parts (rare to break) - $20-$80
Power supply - $300
Motor assembly - $450

Just go into the purchase with eyes wide open. These robots are efficient cleaners for the power they expend and how coarse or fine a particle size they can pickup. But they are not indestructible and they do need maintenance and care. If you do nothing for them, they could last 5-7 years. If you try to do some basic annual maintenance and you keep them out of the water when not needed, they can last longer.

 

[Oly]

Take it out each time or leave it in, your choice, but water intrusion is a bot killer, good discipline pays every time. I like the idea of opening up the motor compartment, drying, installing new dry packs and lubing the boxes o-rings after each season.
The pool surface matters to your tread and brush life. A pebble finish is 60 grit, plaster maybe 150, fiberglass is ... well glass so plan accordingly.
A bot is currently the only cleaner that removes debris from your pool after each run, provided you pull it out and clean it, and no hoses or cords to obstruct the beautifully clean pool.

 

[Mike Hawk]

Every pool owner should should put away $x every paycheck. Crud ain't cheap.

In my 8 years of pool ownership off the top of my head:
1) Replastered pool
2) Piered pool
3) Replastered pool again, this time with new tile and coping.
4) Bought a vacuum suction cleaner
5) Bought 2x leaf skimmer nets
6) Bought a leaf canister
7) Had to buy a new skimmer pole
8) Bought a new SWG cell
9) Bought 2x pool motors, skimmer basket, impellers, etc.
10) Bought a robot
11) Bought various relays, timer parts, etc.
12) $$$ in salt, borate, acid, chlorine, test chemicals, CYA, calcium, etc.
13) $$$ in top off water
14) $$$ in seasonal water toys, water chairs, floaties, etc

I'd guess I'm easily north of $50k into this mess.

They weren't lying when they said pools are money pits. However at the end of the day seeing my 2 kids go happy bonkers playing in the pool does make it worth it all the times I grit my teeth when I have to open up my wallet, perform maintenance, or break out my tools for troubleshooting/repairs.

 

[john_muth]

Our installer included a Polaris TR28P pressure side cleaner with Polaris PB4-6 booster pump. It does a decent at picking up debris, but lately it seems to want to get stuck at the base of a wall or fly around in the middle of the water column.

One of the wheels is probably loose. I've got an earlier gen Polaris pressure side and I had this problem. My solution was taking it apart and tightening up the loose wheel. I found the PDF instructions for a 'Tune Up Kit' for my model. It was useful getting things aligned right (mainly gear engagement %).

 

[amymeme]

I'm getting really close to treating myself to a robot cleaner. Will this help circulate water from top of pool to bottom? Long ago we had a bottom drain in our inground pool but that was taken out 2 liner replacements ago to function as a mud sucker. Since then, circulation to the bottom deep end has been sketchy. I've compensated by leaving my vacuum pole tethered to the diving board overnight twice a week but that is let's than ideal.

Another question is how heavy are these things? I'm 71 year old short woman with lumbar stenosis. Lifting has to be restrained.

Finally - I want something relatively simple, no remote, no scheduling, I will be using and putting away after use. A stand won't work here - lumpy, hilly ground 50 ft between pool and shed. Recommendations on brand and model for these parameters?

 

[JoyfulNoise]

I'm getting really close to treating myself to a robot cleaner. Will this help circulate water from top of pool to bottom? Long ago we had a bottom drain in our inground pool but that was taken out 2 liner replacements ago to function as a mud sucker. Since then, circulation to the bottom deep end has been sketchy. I've compensated by leaving my vacuum pole tethered to the diving board overnight twice a week but that is let's than ideal.

Another question is how heavy are these things? I'm 71 year old short woman with lumbar stenosis. Lifting has to be restrained.

Finally - I want something relatively simple, no remote, no scheduling, I will be using and putting away after use. A stand won't work here - lumpy, hilly ground 50 ft between pool and shed. Recommendations on brand and model for these parameters?

Are you prepared to pay nearly $1,000 for a robot that may only last 5 years before needing to be totally replaced ... I'm a broken record on this issue but be careful with robots, they are not "the best thing since sliced bread" that everyone claims they are. My signature has a link to my post about robots. You can read the last 3 or 4 pages to see what lengths I went to in order to try to repair it. It's dead and I went back to using a suction cleaner. $1,100 for 5 seasons of use ... not the best investment in my opinion.

 

[amymeme]

I will have two read this but... One of the issues for me is vacuuming kills my shoulder.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

I will have two read this but... One of the issues for me is vacuuming kills my shoulder.

I rarely use a manual vacuum head ... by suction cleaner, I mean a suction driven cleaner robot. It does all the work and all I have to do is empty a leaf trap every so often. Just as much lifting and cleaning as when I had a Dolphin robot.

 

[Oly]

I am a big fan of the robot. It seems the components can be improved, perhaps one day it will happen, until then this is my solution to the drudgery and massive time required to clean my pool to this level.
Is it the least expensive option, probably not but it checks all the boxes I need and so far so good on cost per run as I sit right now.

Now to your situation I think you will have problems getting the unit into and especially out of the water for cleaning.
I would suggest you not leave it in your pool, despite what the manufacturer states in their literature.
Can you pay, trade or convince someone to move and clean the robot for you each time you want to run it?
Do you hire someone to help with your housework? Perhaps you can find a way around your physical limitations.

 

[amymeme]

I live in the boonies, do all my own housework, pool chores, gardening. Husband's does the rest of the yard work but his shoulder is worse than mine plus some other issues.
I'm look into the suction side cleaners, that perhaps will be better for circulation than robot. I'm have to note the weight there as well. I may just have to do the vacuuming by hand, slowly and in increments.

 

[Oly]

OK if you live in the outback then you are used to innovative solutions right?
Build an A-frame lifting device on rubber wheels that utilizes a hand wench to raise and lower the bot from the water.
All you have to do is clean the filters and cover it up.

 

[amymeme]

How much does a bot weigh after cleaning when you pull it out?

 

[JoyfulNoise]

The “dry” weight specification of an s200 robot (mid line, most popular) is about 24lbs. When you first pull it out of the water it can be substantially heavier than that until all the water drains out of it (about 1-1/2 gallons of water or roughly another 10lbs). I liken it to pulling a young child (3-4 years old) out of the water when it’s full of water and then carrying around a 2 year old when it’s dry.

 

[amymeme]

Well poop! That's a no go. Very awkward pulling stuff out of pool let alone 35 pounds...even with my little red wagon to haul it around!

Guess I'll continue to vacuum manually, just do it in stages when my shoulder complains. I actually find vacuuming early in the morning or at dusk to be relaxing (when the sun's on the pool the reflections make it hard to see the bottom.) And, I was forced to buy a new vacuum head - took the old one (ummm...probably 30 plus years old ) and not only were the brushes deteriorated but there were rusty wires sticking out where there used to be brushes. I replaced with the same Hayward super vac head. Figured with that kind of life span, worth the extra bucks over generic.

Thanks, all. You've saved me $1000. Hmmmm...wonder how much it would cost to have renovation pavers put on too of the concrete and old, brittle, cracking plastic bullnose coping...

Just got kicks, here's the new pool liner mostly cleaned up with sparkly water.