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If you’ve already made the move from manually scrubbing and vacuuming your pool to using a suction or pressure side pool cleaner, that’s great. These automatic cleaners save time and generally clean better.
But you could save even more time and money and get a cleaner pool by upgrading to a robotic pool cleaner.
Unlike a suction or pressure side pool cleaner, a robotic cleaner is self-contained hence doesn’t need to be connected to your pool’s suction or pressure line. You don’t even need to run your pool pump to use it.
A robotic pool cleaner is fitted with brushes and a suction system to scrub dirt and debris off your pool floor and collect it in an integrated filter bag or cartridge.
The only major downside with getting a robot vacuum for pool cleaning is the extra cost. Robotic cleaners are more expensive than suction/pressure side cleaners (though there are many affordable ones today that clean well).
Here’s what makes the extra money spent on a robotic pool cleaner worth it.
1. Uses less energy
The main limitation with suction and pressure side cleaners is that they only work when the pool pup is running. This is because they use the pressure of water going out of the pool (suction side) or coming in (pressure side) to move around the pool and clean it.
That means you have to use your pool pump more than usual.
A robotic pool cleaner isn’t dependent on the pool pump. Instead, the robot is connected directly to a power outlet. Electricity runs a motor which then propels the cleaner around the pool and powers the suction system.
Compared to a suction or pressure side pool cleaner a robotic pool cleaner is very cheap to run. Modern ones such as those from Maytronics use super-efficient DC motors that use as little as 5cents of energy per hour.
Even if you run it every day for 2 hours you’d still use less than $5 worth of electricity in a month.
2. Cleans better
Robotic pool cleaners are equipped with all sorts of features to provide the most thorough cleaning possible.
They’ll have scrubbing brushes to get stuck debris and algae off the floor and walls. Some use two fast-spinning brushes for better scrubbing.
They also have a powerful suction system to filter out everything from leaves and twigs to tiny algae and dust particles.
But there is one feature that gives robotic cleaners a huge edge over suction and pressure side cleaners: smart pool mapping and navigation.
Many modern pool cleaners can automatically scan the pool to learn its shape and size. This allows it to plan the most optimal cleaning path that will cover every inch of the pool in the least time possible.
Not only does this feature allow them to clean the pool better, it also saves energy since the cleaners do not keep coming back over areas they have already cleaned.
Another reason robotic cleaners clean better is that they can easily go up the sides to scrub the walls and the waterline.
3. Self-contained suction and filtration
Robotic pool cleaners do not rely on the pool’s pump or filtration system to clean the pool. They have their own filters that can capture even the tiny bits of debris floating in the pool.
The dirt is deposited in a filter bag or cartridge that can be easily emptied after cleaning.
4. Reduces chemical use
A robotic pool cleaner mixes water much better and more efficiently than a pressure or suction side cleaner. This means that any chemicals you put in are spread more evenly throughout the pool.
This keeps your pool cleaner (no untreated spots for algae to thrive) and reduces the amount of chemicals you need to use.
5. Additional features
Some robotic cleaners come with a remote control for manual navigation. You can direct it exactly where you want it to clean.
Some robotic pool cleaners also come with a caddy for easy transportation and storage.
Another common feature is scheduling. Essentially you can set the robotic cleaner to clean your pool on specific days at specific times even when you are not home.
