Is an automatic cleaner really worth it?

[kelemvor]

I don't mind vacuuming my pool. In fact, sometimes it's a pleasant break from everything else. I also use an automatic cleaner.

That said, even with a cleaner (I don't have a robotic) I still have to vacuum manually sometimes. The cleaner running or not is the difference between a 5-10 minute session and a much much longer one. I leave my cleaner in the pool almost all the time. The kids know how to change the valve to turn off the suction port. They also know how to remove the thing from the pool if they want to swim.

When my cleaner recently gave up the ghost, I didn't even consider not replacing it.

[Watermom]

I think there is a place for both -- manual and an auto vac. I agree that even if you have an auto cleaner, you'll still have to do some manual vacuuming as well.

Honestly, I can do a better job and a faster job vacuuming manually than my pool cleaner can do. Like kelemvor, I don't mind vacuuming sometimes. I just get in the pool and do it so I'm still getting to enjoy being in the water. It is much harder to vacuum it if I am outside the pool. The pool walls are 54 inches high so that makes it harder for me than if it were an inground pool.

But, I still do use my Pool Cleaner a lot as well. It is nice to be able to throw it in and know that the pool will be clean and ready when I get in the pool. I actually just bought a new one recently. The Pool Cleaner by Poolvergneugen.

[Big Splash]

FWIW... I think you're (the OP) looking at it all wrong. An auto cleaner isn't a time saver to me. It's a time multiplier because it let's me do other things (mow the lawn, eat dinner, take a nap, whatever...) while the pool is being cleaned. So for that reason, it's well worth it.

[Zac851]

Old thread but I've got a Blue Diamond Robotic cleaner and I love it. After the opening of the pool at the beginning of summer, I usually don't have to manually vacuum my pool again and It's nice to be able to just throw the robotic vacuum in the pool in the morning before work or at night before bed so that when I get home or the next day the pool is nice and clean.

BUT in my opinion-I'm not sure how beneficial it would be for someone who doesn't have to vacuum very much to begin with. My pool is surrounded by trees so my pool requires some sort of maintenance 7 days a week. I spend 10-15 minutes daily and use a net and skim the top to remove the leaves and pine straw as well as empty the skimmer daily, sometimes twice in one day in the morning and afternoon 7 days a week and I have to vacuum every other day so it's nice to have the vacuuming done by the robot.

In my parents case, their pool has no trees around it and they only have to vacuum once a week. They spend 20 minutes one time a week manually vacuuming and don't have to do much of anything in-between like I do so they don't feel a robotic vacuum is worth it and I'd agree..

[JimK]

Old thread but I've got a Blue Diamond Robotic cleaner and I love it. After the opening of the pool at the beginning of summer, I usually don't have to manually vacuum my pool again and It's nice to be able to just throw the robotic vacuum in the pool in the morning before work or at night before bed so that when I get home or the next day the pool is nice and clean.

BUT in my opinion-I'm not sure how beneficial it would be for someone who doesn't have to vacuum very much to begin with. My pool is surrounded by trees so my pool requires some sort of maintenance 7 days a week. I spend 10-15 minutes daily and use a net and skim the top to remove the leaves and pine straw as well as empty the skimmer daily, sometimes twice in one day in the morning and afternoon 7 days a week and I have to vacuum every other day so it's nice to have the vacuuming done by the robot.

In my parents case, their pool has no trees around it and they only have to vacuum once a week. They spend 20 minutes one time a week manually vacuuming and don't have to do much of anything in-between like I do so they don't feel a robotic vacuum is worth it and I'd agree..

Good point.

Our pool is surrounded by trees, so an auto cleaner is a good thing for us.

[tnalaskan]

We have a Dolphin robotic cleaner. Have used it for 2 summers now. Husband and I both absolutely LOVE it. It saves a lot of time for us. Have not had any problems with it. To us, it is worth every penny we paid for it. If it went out tomorrow, we would buy another one.

[Shifty]

After going back and forth about an automatic pool cleaner, I recently purchased the 4 wheel "The Pool Cleaner." I haven't had a chance to use it yet as I am still trying to complete a swap of my pump. I switched from an electricity sucking one speed pump to a Hayward Ecostar VS. If one of the moderators can kindly direct me to an existing thread about wiring a Hayward Ecostar VS pump it would be much appreciated. I have the plumbing completed, but the electricity is not working to the pump.