10/09/2020
Robotic Pool Cleaners
While you can manually vacuum your pool, it sure is nice to have a robotic cleaner running around cleaning your pool floor for you.
So which types of robotic pool cleaners are out there?
There are 3 types of robotic pool cleaners - pressure side, suction side and electric.
1. Pressure side cleaners
The pressure side of your circulation system is the piping that returns water from your pump back to the pool. The return "jets" in the wall of your pool are part of this system.
A pressure side robotic cleaner is just a unit that works off of the return water from a pump.
Cleaners like the Polaris 280, 3900 and 380 have their own dedicated cleaning line along with their own booster pump. The performance of this type is much higher than that of the Polaris 360 which does not have its own booster pump, but works off the main circulation pump.
With a pressure side cleaner, you can set up a schedule for how long you want it to run. This can be done with an electric timer that controls your booster pump, or, if you have it, an automation system.
In the case of a Polaris 360, an automatic valve can be installed that will open and close the line at the times that you choose.
2. Suction side cleaners
The suction side of your circulation system is the piping that delivers water from your pool to the pump. Your skimmer(s) and drain are the main part of this system.
While suction side cleaners can be hooked up to your skimmer, the unfortunate side effect of this is that your skimmer can no long skim the surface properly like it is supposed to.
The better alternative to hooking up a cleaner to your skimmer is hooking it up to its own dedicated line. This will come in the form of what looks like a pool return or jet but it is sucking water toward the pump and not returning water to the pool.
Aside from installing an automatic valve on a dedicated cleaning line, there is no system in place for setting a suction side cleaner to run on a schedule.
3. Electric
Sometimes neither a pressure side nor a suction cleaner is a good option for you. This is usually because your pool was not built with a dedicated cleaning line.
In this case, an electric cleaner is perfect for you. You just plug it into a power outlet, and off it goes!
Many also come with a timer so you can set a schedule for how long you want it to run.
So which type of robotic pool cleaner is right for your pool?
We are personally a big fan of pressure side cleaners, particularly the Polaris 3900. Of course, your pool will need to have its own dedicated pressure side cleaning line for this.
If that is not an option for you, you can check to see if you have a dedicated suction line and then go with a suction side cleaner.
If you don't have any kind of dedicated cleaning lines, an electric cleaner is a convenient option for you.
So stop manually vacuuming your pool so often and invest in a robotic pool cleaner that works on autopilot keeping your pool clean for you!
