Pool cleaners, evidently enough are the products that are designed to collect debris and sediment from the pool. Pool cleaners are usually either manual or automatic. Manual pool cleaners are the ones that require humans to operate. On the other hand, automatic pool cleaners are designed in such a manner that they employ the least human intervention.
DIFFERENT TYPES OF POOL CLEANERS
Pool cleaners are available in different types, each type following a unique mechanism. Getting to know how each type is different from the other helps in making the right decision for your pool. Having said that, pool cleaners are mainly categorised into 4 types –
- MANUAL POOL CLEANERS: As evident as it can get, these cleaners require the user to get done with the cleaning. It generally looks like a vacuum and the user will have to move this cleaner over the entire pool to collect the debris. Consider buying this if you are low on your budget and have an above-ground pool or a smaller in-ground pool. Also, this will only remove the dirt and debris like leaves, hair, etc. Scrubbing cannot be obtained using this cleaner.
- PRESSURE SIDE POOL CLEANER: This pool cleaner attaches to the filter of the pool and makes use of a pump to create high-pressurized water. This pressure causes the cleaner to move and suck the debris from every inch of the pool. This type of cleaner is best suitable for large debris and not a great option to go for in case you’re looking for fine dirt particles to be targeted. On the downside, this cleaner will consume a lot of power as it requires a pump to operate.
- SUCTION POOL CLEANERS: As the name suggests, these cleaners use suction from your skimmer to move around your pool thereby cleaning the pool in the best way possible. The pool’s pump powers the cleaner. These cleaners are cheap and also low on maintenance. They handle fine and light debris effectively and might result in clogging issues for large debris.
- ROBOTIC POOL CLEANERS: These cleaners do not rely on the pool’s filter / pump and require a different source to operate. They mainly make use of sensors to target the various areas of your pool. Though on the pricier side, the number of features they are equipped with are totally worth it.
HOW DOES A POOL CLEANER WORK?
The working of an automated pool cleaner entirely depends on the mechanism it’d follow. If it’s the case of a robotic pool cleaner, then a separate power source is required to get started with the cleaning. In case of a pressure-side pool cleaner, high-pressurized water is obtained using a pump; this water drives the cleaner to suck the debris. On the other hand, suction pool cleaners are designed in such a way that they make use of suction to move around cleaning your pool.
DIFFERENT POOL CLEANER COMPANIES
Well, not one, not two but tens of companies out there that design pool cleaners. However, there are surely some that have carved a niche for themselves. They are Dolphin, Polaris, Aquabot, Zodiac, Intex, Hayward, etc.
THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND BEFORE BUYING A POOL CLEANER
Pool cleaners are surely not a low investment to go about picking any one randomly. It is better to keep a few things in mind before shelling out money on your cleaner –
- BUDGET: Setting a budget well in advance is probably the first thing to be taken into consideration. Make sure you go for products well under your budget. Setting the bar enables you to not spend more than what’s required.
- FILTRATION SYSTEM: The main aim of buying a pool cleaner is to obtain a sparkling clean pool. Hence compromising on the filtration capabilities doesn’t make any sense at all. It is therefore advised to know about how good the cleaner is in terms of filtration.
- POOL SURFACE: Not all pool cleaners are suitable for all pool surfaces. Therefore choosing the one that best suits your pool is critical
- POOL TYPE AND SIZE: Depending on whether the pool is In-ground or above-ground, choose the cleaner. Also, understanding the pool size is essential because some cleaners are designed exclusively for smaller pools while some are designed for larger pools.
TOP 10 POOL CLEANERS IN 2021
Higher the number of options to choose from, greater is the confusion. With thousands of pool cleaners available in the market, what to choose is the toughest decision to make. Well, the fact that the type of pool has a lot to do with the cleaner. Hence understanding your pool and what cleaner will suit the requirements is the key here. Even after researching quite a lot about the same, the confusion as to which pool cleaner to go ahead with still remains. Well, you no longer have to deal with all this. Below is the list of top 10 pool cleaners that cater to different pool requirements. Read about them in detail and see which among these best suits your pool.
POLARIS VAC-SWEEP 360 PRESSURE SIDE POOL CLEANER
If you’ve been struggling with those leaves that cover the whole of your pool, then there cannot be a better way to deal with this than by using Polaris Vac-Sweep 360 pressure side pool cleaner. No wonder, Polaris pool cleaners are recognized all across the globe and have been delivering outstanding performance for the past 40 years now.
Talking about Polaris Vac-Sweep 360 pressure side pool cleaner, this is an excellent in-ground pool cleaner that sweeps, scrubs, and vacuums the bottom as well as the walls of your pool in no time. This cleaner has a large opening that makes it easy to trap big debris such as leaves, acorns, pebbles, etc. Also, a unique single chamber filter bag collects the debris before further filtration thereby increasing the life of the cleaner. This pool cleaner boasts of being powered by three powerful jets that assure the user of advanced cleaning. Dealing with the corners is not at all an issue for this cleaner as it has an in-line back up valve.
DOLPHIN NAUTILUS CC AUTOMATIC POOL CLEANER
If you’ve been looking for an ideal pool cleaner that’d work great for both, above ground and in-ground pools then Dolphin Nautilus CC is the one to go for. This cleaner works just fine for pools up to 33 feet. The best part of Dolphin in addition to providing exceptional cleaning performance is that it is highly energy efficient.
Dolphin Nautilus CC is extremely easy to operate. It gets into action with the push of a button. This robotic pool cleaner has superior scrubbing and filtering capabilities. It can climb the walls without any hesitation and is capable of cleaning the floor and walls with ease. It is extremely convenient to store when not in use as well as transport from one place to another.
With this pool cleaner, stay assured that your pool will be cleaned in a maximum of 2 hours. Its filtration system is such that it is capable of dealing with both fine dirt as well as large debris in the best way possible.
DOLPHIN ESCAPE ROBOTIC (ABOVE GROUND POOL CLEANER)
If looking for a robotic pool cleaner that’d suit your small above ground pool in the best possible way, then the Dolphin Escape robotic above ground pool cleaner is definitely worth considering. This Dolphin targets the floors only. It is light in weight which makes it easy to handle and is also ergonomically designed.
This pool cleaner is backed by powerful DC motor that ensures a convincing cleaning experience by balancing power and efficiency in just the right manner.
With a large top-load filter, it is possible to remove the finest as well as the largest debris off your pool without much efforts being put. The scrubbing performance is backed by the “HyperBrush” technology that excels in getting rid of all those stubborn marks in your pool. Gunite, plaster, vinyl – no matter what type it is, this cleaner will take care of it. Dolphin Escape has a cable of length 40 feet.
INTEX AUTO POOL CLEANER
Not all pool cleaners are designed to be used for all kinds of pools. Some work only for vinyl lined pools while some work for all. This is why choosing the cleaner as per the type of the pool is critical. As evident as it can get, this pool cleaner is designed exclusively for Intex pools.
This pool cleaner is a vacuum based cleaner sucks all the debris of your pool with utmost precision. The principle that this cleaner employs is that of an induction principle. The pool cleaner has 2 jets on either side which control its movement which cause induction thereby allowing the opening at the bottom to suck material.
The cleaner comes with a 24 feet long cable which is divided into multiple sections. These sections can be added or removed as per the requirement, thus making it convenient to adjust the length of the cable. Talking about the cleaning, the soft brushes and super fine mesh filter do this job without anything to complain about. Everything right from dirt, debris, leaves, insects, hair, etc. is captured effectively.
DOLPHIN NAUTILUS CC PLUS AUTOMATIC ROBOTIC CLEANER
Dolphin needs no special mention in the field of pool cleaners. Another great product that makes Dolphin even more reliable as a brand is the Dolphin Nautilus CC plus automatic robotic cleaner. This battery powered in-ground pool cleaner is suitable for pool up to 50 feet. With dual scrubbing mechanism and excellent filtering capabilities, getting a sparkling clean pool is no longer a dream.
Since this is a robotic pool cleaner, you no longer have to deal with the pumps. Get started with the touch of a button. This cleaner promises the user with an effortless cleaning, tangle-free cable, the ability to schedule the robot to clean as per the requirement and a lot more features.
THE HAYWARD POOLVAC XL
The pool type has a lot to do with the pool cleaner. A pool cleaner that works great in case of a concrete pool might not yield the same results for a vinyl pool. This is why choosing a cleaner as per the pool type is a key parameter to keep a check on. If you’ve been struggling all this while to find the right pool cleaner for your vinyl pool, then the wait is now over. Hayward PoolVac Ultra / XL to your rescue it is. This is probably one of the best cleaners designed exclusively for vinyl lined pools. It works for both in-ground as well as above ground pools. This is basically a suction based pool cleaner.
This pool cleaner is intelligently designed to cover each and every inch of your pool. It boasts of an adaptive steering assembly that ensures that the hose doesn’t get tangled. It does its job quietly – just the thing that most of the pool owners want in their pool cleaners. This cleaner has unique vacuum wings designed in such a manner that all the pollen, sand, twigs, leaves, pebbles, etc. are effectively trapped.
No matter what the shape of the pool is, this cleaner doesn’t face any difficulty. Also, the cleaner’s turbine design allows for clear passage of dirt and debris thereby avoiding clogging issues.
DOLPHIN PREMIER ROBOTIC POOL CLEANER
Dolphin Premier is one such robotic pool cleaners that is loaded with features, you surely wouldn’t want to miss out on. This is an in-ground pool cleaner that is suitable for pools up to 50 feet. The best part of this pool cleaner is that it has multiple filter options – bottom-load fine cartridge filters, ultra-fine cartridge filters, and also an oversized fine filter bag. A filtration system, which just cannot be described in words.
Two brushes that deliver excellent scrubbing performance and two powerful motors to drive the robot – can it get any better? Not just this, this robotic pool cleaner boasts of several other features as well like weekly scheduling, anti-tangling swivel cable, excellent navigation system to name a few.
POLARIS F9550
Polaris F9550 sport robotic pool cleaner is yet another in-ground pool cleaner that is known to provide sparkling clean pool. Not one, not two but this pool cleaner is a package of so many features that you’d surely not want to miss out on this pool cleaner. This pool cleaner has the ability to clean large pools, as large as up to 50 feet.
Firstly, the brand ‘Polaris’ itself speaks volume about the performance that this cleaner will deliver. Talking about its cleaning ability, it has a top-loading large capacity easy to clean filter canister that traps and collects all the dirt, leaves, insects, etc. Also, this pool cleaner is equipped with ‘vortex vacuum technology’ that enables it to clean without losing suction. It has two rubber bladed brush rollers that help in achieving great scrubbing performance.
Talking about additional features that this pool cleaner has to offer, the “easy lift system” feature is the one that surely makes this cleaner stand out from the rest. This feature makes the retrieving process exceptionally easy. All that you have to do is press and hold the “lift system” button. This will make the cleaner turn counter-clockwise. Once you find the robot facing the wall from where you want to retrieve it, release the button. The robot will now climb the wall and wait at the waterline until you remove it. Other features that are worth a mention are – this cleaner comes with a caddy, it supports remote control feature, it boasts of an excellent navigation system to name a few.
DOLPHIN E10 (Best Above ground pool cleaner)
This automatic pool cleaner from Dolphin is yet another pool cleaner designed exclusively for above ground pools. It is light in weight thus making storage and transportation not at all a concern to deal with. This cleaner eliminates the need of dealing with the mess when it comes to starting the cleaner. Just plug in and see your robot swirling in action!
Dolphin E10 is equipped with a large top-load filter that deals with both, the finest dirt as well as the largest debris in a manner that you get a sparkling clean pool in a matter of minutes. This cleaner’s scrubbing quality is surely worth a mention because it has an active brush that seamlessly gets done with the cleaning. It works best for pool cleaners of size up to 30 feet and has a cable that is 40 feet long. Additionally, this cleaner is known to clean walls only.
ZODIAC BARACUDA G3
Gum leaves are the toughest to deal with. But the right equipment makes the process super-easy to proceed with. Zodiac Baracuda G3 W03000 Advanced Suction Side Automatic Pool Cleaner is just the cleaner you probably wouldn’t have let go had this been available back then. This is an in-ground pool cleaner that targets the floor, walls and steps of your pool. The tight corners are no longer a problematic issue to deal with as long as you rely on Zodiac Baracuda G3 automatic pool cleaner. All the medium and large debris is effectively captured by this cleaner. This is done with the help of a powerful suction cleaner.
This cleaner comes a mechanism (FlowKeeper Valve) that aids in regulating the flow of water. This ensures that the cleaning performance delivered is top-notch even with lower horsepower pumps. Another feature that is surely going to catch your attention is the scuff resistant hose. Therefore, with this cleaner you can stay assured of eliminating scuffs.
This easy to install pool cleaner is quiet, strong, powerful and extremely efficient. The patented quick release cassette calls for lower maintenance. This cleaner has a 36 inch cleaning path and is suitable for all types of pools like Vinyl, plaster, concrete, tile, etc.
POOL CLEANER ACCESSORIES
When looking for pool cleaner accessories, you’ll mainly find the following
- Caddy
- Charger
- Remote
- Cable, etc.
SOME POOL MAINTENANCE TIPS
No doubt, the idea of having a pool is glamorous but all of this is lost if the pool isn’t maintained properly. Regular maintenance in terms of brushing away the debris, making use of chemicals, maintaining the pH, etc. is to be done. Here’s a list of tips that one can surely keep in mind and follow as and when required to improve how the pool looks and feels.
- The filter of the pool is to be paid close attention to. Best method to follow would be to clean the filter basket at least once a week as a lot of leaves, debris, hair, etc. would get accumulated in a weeks’ time. It is also advised to clean the pipes utilized by your filter system at least once a month.
- As known to many, pools require chemicals. But what is to be noted is that the right chemicals have to be present in the right quantity so that there’s no irritation whatsoever in the skin and eyes. Get an expert to test the pool water and then choose the chemicals accordingly. No doubt, these chemicals are expensive and not everyone would be comfortable to shell out hefty amounts. Look for alternatives in that case. For example, baking soda can be used as an alternative to maintain the pool alkalinity.
- Keep a check on the level of the water. Expert advice is maintaining a level that is halfway up the opening of your skimmer. So, if the water level is too low, fill the pool using a hose and if it is overfilled then drain out the excess. Having adjusted the level of water, the concentration of chemicals required will also have to be looked at for obvious reasons. Simply put, make sure that the chemicals are rightly balanced.
- Pressure wash the deck for a better shine and free of rust or weather stains that occur with time.
- Prepare your pool for every season. Summers usually see the highest usage of pools. After such usage, ensure that everything is in place for the coming seasons. Also, winterizing the pool shouldn’t be neglected.
- It is always better to have a professional check the entire condition of the pool – be it the floor, the filters, the pumps, the water or anything for that matter at least once a year. This ultimately helps in a better pool experience and also avoiding repairs in future.
CONCLUSION
Having a pool is something that you might have dreamt of at least once. But, many don’t really go for having one for themselves. The reasons are many – how to go about the maintenance, what type of pool to go for, do pool cleaners really work and so on.
Maintaining a pool isn’t that tough a job to really compromise on the idea of having a glamorous pool by your side. Understanding the type of your pool and then choosing the cleaner accordingly will help you get through the maintenance aspect quite easily. Out of the many options available when it comes to choosing the right cleaner for your pool, there are certain parameters that you can consider before purchasing one. Depending on the features that each pool cleaner has to offer, one can make the right choice.
All it takes is to prioritise the features. For example, is excellent cleaning the only objective or you want features like Bluetooth connectivity, caddy, weekly scheduling, etc. as well. The purpose of all the features offered needs to be well understood to make the decision of buying a good pool cleaner.
With that being said, don’t hesitate in having a pool for the sole reason that the pool cleaners these days are smart enough to deal with the maintenance aspect like never before.
FAQs
- How often should pool cleaners be used?
Well, there’s no requirement of using the pool cleaners on a daily basis unless the pool is being used to swim daily. If the pool is not being used to this extent, then using a cleaner once in a week or once every 10 days should be good enough.
- Can a pool pump be run for 24 hours continuously?
Though there’s no harm as such when pumps are run throughout the day. But, this will ultimately increase the maintenance cost of the pool which is why running the pump for 12 hours or less depending on the size of the pool and the efficiency of the pump should be good to go.
- Out of all the pool cleaners, which type yields the best results?
All the pool cleaners are designed to work in their unique way. Having said so, robotic pool cleaners are found to be the most efficient and packed with features by most of the users. They are designed in a manner that the finest as well as the largest debris is very well targeted and the end result is a sparkling clean pool. Though these cleaners are on the pricier side, the features offered are worth every penny.
- Why does my robotic pool cleaner stop working?
The main reason why this could happen is the clogged filter. When the filters are full with debris or there is a foreign object that poses as an obstacle, then the cleaner faces problems while cleaning. To get rid of this problem, clean the filter and place the robot back into the pool.
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