Has anyone used ANY type of pool cleaner with an automatic cover in place?

I am thinking about getting a pool cleaning robot. One of the main reasons I would be getting an automatic pool cleaner is that despite having a cover, tons of leaves manage to get into the pool each winter via a small gap between the cover and the deck.

In addition, retracting the cover during the winter is a pain because there are many more leaves ON the cover. They are usually wet from rain and my shop vac can't suck them up well. It is easier to wait until spring when everything is dry then retract the cover vacuuming off the leaves as I go.

I'd like to have an automatic pool cleaner that can suck up the leaves in the pool without me having to retract the cover.

Does anyone know if it is safe to use a pool cleaning robot that supposedly climbs walls with a pool cover?


Thanks!

Steve

No, I don't. With robotics, you normally turn off the wall-climbing function if you use it with a cover on it. 95% of spring cleanup is off the bottom anyway--once the winter cover is off you can do a full wall clean.

Plus, most robotics shouldn't be put in cold water, some limit the minimum temperature to about 70 degrees! If the water is 45-50 degrees, you probably shouldn't be using the cleaner.

Both your points are very helpful. Thanks!

My pleasure!

I've run cleaners under my safety cover with no problems.

The dolphin cleaner does not work in cold water, but my old aquabot turbo did, and so does my aquabot viva. I set the viva to only clean the bottom, not climb the walls.

By cold I mean water that is in the 40's.