Pool cleaning robots

[Audis5b9]

Any recommendations for a pool cleaning robot?

The pools is about 10x3x1.5m (slightly odd shape)

We've got a lot of fine sand in the pool this year (supposedly from Saharan sand rain) which our main filter set up isnt filtering... looking for something we can chuck in, and let it do its thing. (Power nearby so corded is probably our preference)

[mikees]

Audis5b9 said:

Any recommendations for a pool cleaning robot?

The pools is about 10x3x1.5m (slightly odd shape)

We've got a lot of fine sand in the pool this year (supposedly from Saharan sand rain) which our main filter set up isnt filtering... looking for something we can chuck in, and let it do its thing. (Power nearby so corded is probably our preference)

Surely just over fill and then vacuum to the waste? No filtering.

[Audis5b9]

mikees said:

Surely just over fill and then vacuum to the waste? No filtering.

That seems logical. Sorry, should have added we are new to pool maintenance. The pool boy moved back to Spain last year, this year we are fending for ourselves!

[mikees]

Audis5b9 said:

mikees said:

Surely just over fill and then vacuum to the waste? No filtering.

That seems logical. Sorry, should have added we are new to pool maintenance. The pool boy moved back to Spain last year, this year we are fending for ourselves!

Let me know anymore queries. I’ve been fighting my pool ( money pit) for over a decade

[smifffymoto]

If you clean to waste you are forever adding chems to treat the fresh water you keep adding. Very costly and tricky.

We had a Racer 2 which was very good.

PH member Dr Interceptor has a pool supplies company.

[gregch]

I have a Dolphin SX20, and it's excellent. You just chuck him in the pool and he cleans the pool for you. All the crud is collected in a basket inside, when he's done you just take him out of the pool, hose off the basket, and you're done. It came with an (optional) extra-fine basket that's very effective at getting sand and silt out of the pool.



For years I was vacuuming the stuff (to waste, if it's fine stuff, as noted) with a manual vacuum hose, or at best trying to use a suction-side cleaner, like some clueless chump from ye olden days. Whole different world with a robot.

There seem to be dozens of different Dolphin robots with different names and colour schemes, but they all work basically the same. There are also similar brands (Zodiac, etc) which I guess work the same way. Some only clean the floor of the pool, some do the walls as well and some also scrub the waterline (SX20 is theoretically only supposed to do the floor & walls but for whatever reason he does also scrub the waterline).

There's now also the choice of cordless robots - there's Aiper and others on Amazon - love the idea of even greater convenience but reviews were a bit mixed. Also, just FYI there are some concerns about how long the Dolphin robots last, mine is OK but only his second season so jury's out. Given how much these things cost (the reason I put it off for so long), it wouldn't be great if they only lasted two or three years as has been some people's experience, apparently.

[dingg]

A mate's just bought an aiper scuba s1, rechargeable, swears by it.

I prefer to vacuum and brush now and again manually, gives me something to do...

[Steviesam]

I have an Aiper too. It doesnt do the walls, but it does do the floor very well indeed (10x5 pool). My walls hardly ever need brushing, its the floor that gets the debris so these are good.

Make sure you buy the latest model, i had 2 last year that got water in the motor within a week or 2. Good service in that they refunded with no quibble, but i told them I wouldnt buy another until they could tell me they had upgraded the parts. The one I have now is an Aiper Scuba SE and has been fine since the pool opened in April The ones that leaked were the Seagul SE

They are a 1/3 of the price of most of the others, and really are very good.

[Cheib]

We've got a Dolphin M400...bought the house in 2021 knew nothing about swimming pools. Ignored previous owners advice to get a pool robot and tried doing it myself for at least a month before realising it was a lot of work ! Pool is about 10m x 5m with a "Roman End" (had no idea what that was !), Robot deals with that funny shaped bit okay, does a great job overall.

Very impressed with it, does a really good job. Cleans the walls and the floor, it is amazing how much ste it gets out of the pool.

Three years in there have been no problems....I hope that isn't tempting fate. Not cheap but it has been worth the money.

Edited by Cheib on Sunday 14th July 22:51

[Caddyshack]

We have a tiger shark, it goes up the walls and the steps, the filters can be a bit pricey to replace and it’s important to swap the handle left to right regularly as the floats means that the wire doesn’t tangle, my neighbour failed to do that in his and it eventually damaged the cable.

[essayer]

As an alternative, what about a Hayward Aquanaut or similar with a fine filter fitted? Hydraulic, so no electricity required.

[Audis5b9]

essayer said:

As an alternative, what about a Hayward Aquanaut or similar with a fine filter fitted? Hydraulic, so no electricity required.

Will that climb the walls?

[Caddyshack]

Audis5b9 said:

essayer said:

As an alternative, what about a Hayward Aquanaut or similar with a fine filter fitted? Hydraulic, so no electricity required.

Will that climb the walls?

We have a barracuda, they work off the sand filter pressure. They do go up the sides but once the basket in the pump blocks you have to empty that. You also need good suction in the skimmer as that is where they normally connect.

[essayer]

Ours will go up vertically a short distance then fall back.

We used to have a powered one with a whippy spray tail that filtered via a bag, I’ll have to look up what it was.. it used to go up the walls then whip the tail out and spray water metres into the air. Always amusing

[Audis5b9]

A little update... borrowed a friends dolphin robot, didnt have any effect.

Decided that Floc was the way forward... brimmed the pool, 4 floc tablets in the skimmers, ran the filters to two hours, then turned off for 24 hours.

Checked this morning, and nothing has really settled to the floor to vac to waste... perhaps we should have used floc liquid??

Debating what the next move is.

[NDA]

It's definitely sand? You shouldn't need floc for sand - at least not in my experience. It should be a fine grit on the bottom - unless it's being disturbed.

Whereabouts are you in the UK? There might be a friendly PH'er local to you who could come and have a look.

[Hereward]

I think there is an algae that clumps together and looks identical to fine sand. I was fooled by this. Can you get your hand in there to confirm?

[dingg]

Don't you have a pool vacuum?

Dust will just lie on the bottom unless you either vacuum it to filter or waste or brush it to disturb it into the filter.

2 hrs ain't enough time for filtration, if you don't have a pool vacuum, get the system circulating and just keep brushing until its all in the filter then backwash and rinse.

Most pools are a piece of piss to look after tbh.

[Audis5b9]

It's a super fine sediment, yellow(ish) in colour... hence we assume fine sand.

The pH etc all seem ok, so I dont think its algae.

We have a vacuum, so will try vacuuming to waste a few times over the next few days.

Pool is in France...

[Audis5b9]