Robotic Pool Cleaner Choice Tips, Part 1

At Dolphin Pools & Spas, we’re here to help with all areas of our custom pools. We’ll work with you every step, from pool design to construction, and we’re also always on hand to offer our expertise when it comes to basic maintenance for your new swimming pool. One of the primary maintenance areas when it comes to pools is cleaning, which not only keeps things looking nice, but keeps the pool healthy for swimmers and helps extend its lifespan. And in today’s modern times, more and more homeowners are looking to advanced technology for their pool cleaning in the form of robotic pool cleaners. These make it far easier to clean the pool without a ton of manual labor on your part, plus can do so more effectively than you might be able to. All this said, it’s important to choose the right robotic cleaner if you’re going down this road. Particularly if you’ve never had one before, it might be tough to differentiate between models and purposes. In this two-part blog series, we’ll go over a number of different factors you should consider when purchasing a robotic pool cleaner.

Surface

The first consideration to make here is what kind of surface your pool is made of. While most of the robotic cleaner models out there today can handle multiple surfaces easily, the important factor here is the brush the cleaner uses – soft, high-grip PVA brushes are preferred for slick materials like tile or fiberglass, while universal rubber PVC brushes are generally the best option for other surfaces that aren’t as slippery.

Size

Size of the pool is important as it relates to the cable length of your cleaner. Different robotic cleaners have different lengths of cable, and you don’t want to buy one and then realize later that yours isn’t long enough. A basic rule of thumb here: Your cleaner should have a long enough cable to reach the furthest point of the pool away from the power supply. Your power supply needs to be at least a dozen feet from the pool itself for safety purposes, so factor this in as well. Also factor in depth of the pool, and remember that it’s better to have a little extra cable than to not have enough.

Cleaning Desires

Another important factor is what you’re looking to have cleaned. There are some robotic cleaner models only meant to clean floors, or some mean to clean those plus the cove and lower wall. Some more modern options even help with scrubbing areas. Of course, know that more versatile models will come at a higher cost – because of this, make sure you know the reasons you need the cleaner for and buy one that fits those needs.

Suction Power

Suction power is generally measured in gallons per minute, or GPM. The benchmark here is about 70 GPM – too much lower than this might not get the job done, while too much higher could be very costly. For more on choosing the right robotic pool cleaner, or to learn about any of our swimming pool services, speak to the pros at Dolphin Pools & Spas today.