I've been a pool owner for about 2 years, so I'm kinda new to the "sport". However, I have been a chemical engineer with numerous related "unit operations" experiences from managing a polyethylene plant that operate at 20,000 psi to designing a wastewater treatment system that use crushed limestone and horse troughs to effectively neutralize an effluent stream. I think I have some practical and technical experience that relates to pool ownership.

So two weeks ago I bought a robotic pool cleaner, the AquaVac Tiger shark QC. The reasoning for my selection was: Internet searches, including poolforum.com, seemed to indicate the two preferred pool cleaning systems were either a pressure-side system such as the Polaris OR a robotic system. I didn't already have the booster pump or wiring that a pressure-side cleaner requires. I could have easily installed the pressure-side system myself but the cost for the robotic and pressure side systems would have been about the same and the robotic system would not put trash into the pool filter that would have required backwashing to remove. (I had been using a suction-side unit, a 10-year-old Kreepy Krauler that I inherited from my original pool user. When the suction plate and regulator for the Kreepy died and would have required $150 to replace compared to a new Kreepy for $250 (that my wife though was inadequate but I pretended was OK) a change was eminent.

Of the robotics, I chose the AquaVac Tiger shark QC because it used filter elements rather than filter bags. Internet searches indicate that cleaning the filter bags is a real drag and the filter elements are supposed to be an improvement. The QC also has a 60-minute cleaning cycle. Normally my pool stays very clean with little cleaning, so I hoped that the 60-minute cycle with the QC would be enough. I also believe that if the unit only has to operate for 60 minutes rather than 5 hours, the machine will experience less wear-and-tear and should need less maintenance.

So how has my decision to buy the AquaVac Tiger shark QC worked out? I have operated the unit twice. Some debris was left in the bottom of the pool after both cleanings. The pool cleaner, as least so far, has not offered to bring me adult beverages. The jury is still out. However, I did not make the decision without much thought. We will just have to see.