What pool cleaner is right for me?

[FlaPoolGuy]

Hi y'all, I'm getting tired of manually vacuuming my pool. I have a dedicated "vacuum line" for plugging in my manual vacuum hose. My pool specs are in my signature line. The pool itself is inside a screened enclosure, so I don't have too much large debris in the pool. Its mostly dirt/ small particles and the occasional small leaf. I read the intro in pool school but it doesn't really talk about makes or models, so I'm in the dark. Any thoughts you all have I wouod be most appreciative to hear. Thanks again in advance!

And happy holidays!

 

[mknauss]

The Maytronics/Dolphin line of robots are well regarded here. Give Marina Pool Spa in Denver a call to discuss what model would best apply to your needs, desires, and budget.

 

[Jimrahbe]

Fpg,

I don't have a screen-room, but I don't get a lot of debris most of the year... I too recommend the Dolphin and Margaret at Marina Pool and Spa.

I suggest the S200.. should be $699 and free two day shipping..

If you are not familiar with robots, they are powered by low voltage DC so you do not have to run your pool pump to make them work. They clean the bottom of the pool, the walls and scrub the tile line.

I have been using robots for about 10 years and love them.. There are fancier models, with all kinds of extras like remotes, but simple works better for me and my budget.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[Mayorb]

The robots are very popular, certainly.
But if you want something a lot less bulky take a look at the the Hayward Navigator or Pentair Rebel.
These are suction side cleaners which will plug right into your existing suction line. They also cost less.
I have several on my weekly service pools which have gone 5+ years still running fine.

 

[FlaPoolGuy]

Thank you so much for your help and guidance! I've narrowed it down to the S200 or the S300, but I'm not sure if I want to pay extra for the Bluetooth (2019 model) or WiFi (2020 model) connectivity. However, the s300 comes with a "caddy".

I'm a bit mystified about the "caddy". why would I want/need this? From what I can tell, the robot lives in the water, not on a caddy. When would I use the caddy, especially since the robot literally will be in the pool 24/7? I guess I'm just confused. To me, the caddy seems like more "stuff" without a clear purpose. It looks like it will just take up more space. When do people use the caddy?

Do I have to take the robot out of the pool when it's raining to protect the control unit/power cord? Is the control unit not waterproof? I feel like I'm missing or not understanding something important about the robot which makes the caddy useful or important.

The way I see it, if I was going to store the robot, I would do so in the box in which it came from the factory.

Thanks again in advance!

 

[carnivalday]

I got a Dolphin Echo with my pool build. I got a little box to keep it in; it is only in the water when its doing its thing. It has a 2 hour run time. Once its done, I take it out, clean it out, and store it back in the box.

 

[Jimrahbe]

FPG,

Everybody and every pool is different of course, but I like the idea of not using my robot unless the pool needs it. It tickles me how many people spend weeks trying to decide what waterline tile goes with the color of the plaster and what plaster goes with what color decking.. Then they dump in an ugly cleaner and let it stay in the pool 24/7.

I personally like the idea that I don't see my robot in my pool, unless the pool needs to be cleaned. Most of the year, I only put the robot in about every thee days.

That said, you can leave the robot in 24/7, if that is what you want to do, but you will have to take it out to clean the filters. This could be every few days, if you have a lot of debris, or up to two weeks if you don't get much "nature" falling in your pool. The timer on most robots only covers a week, so at the least you will have to reset it on a weekly basis.

The power supply is water resistant, but not water proof, meaning you can't throw it in the pool, and I would not recommend that it be left uncovered in a tropical downpour. My power supply stays outside 24/7, but it is mounted off the ground and under the eve of a roof, so it does not get soaking wet.. I have another one that is mounted on a fence, but inside a simple "box" that protects it from the rain and sun.

I have a Dolphin Premier, that came with a Caddy and a remote. I found that I never used either the remote or the caddy and that is why I replaced it with an S200. The Premier is about five years old and is now working in a rent house pool.

The caddy would be a great thing to have if I needed to move the robot inside a shed or my garage when not in use. It allows the power supply, the cable and the robot to all be moved together. Think of it as a simple two wheel dolly.

In my mind robots are for people that enjoy pool maintenance. If routine pool maintenance is more of a chore for you, then a water powered cleaner is probably a better option.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[FlaPoolGuy]

I ordered the pentair warrior se for $699. At marina pool, they quoted me that, and the s200 was $719. I did not think the color change was worth an extra $20.

I'll have to see if it fits under the pool sink in the cabinet when not in use, or else I may have to get creative about a storage solution. Thanks again!