Swimming Pool Cleaners

Choosing an automatic swimming pool cleaner that is right for your needs can be a perplexing task. Especially if you have purchased a cleaner before only to find it does not do the job satisfactory.  Perhaps it does not even work properly.  Then there is the hassle of having to return the pool cleaner with the end result leaving you once again without a cleaner for your swimming pool.  The purpose of this article is to provide you with enough information on automatic pool cleaners to make an informed decision on which type of pool vacuum is best for you and your swimming pool.  We'll begin by covering the various types of automatic pool cleaners and the merits/shortcomings of each.

An automatic pool cleaner that's pressure side oriented is driven by water pressure from the pool pump itself which actually drives the pool cleaner around the pool collecting trash into the collection bag.  This type of cleaner or pool vacuum can be ran by the main pump, or from an individual pump dedicated just for this purpose.  Positive attributes on a pressure side automatic pool cleaner would be that it affords one more time in between pool cleanings.  This is due to the fact that the pressure side cleaner doesn't allow trash to be pulled into your pump basket or pool filter.  Obviously, the automatic pool cleaner that operates on water pressure would be the route to go if your pool is surrounded or has trees nearby.

Suction-Side pool cleaners operate on exactly that, suction.  The suction motion is actually what pulls the cleaner around the pool bottom as it vacuums.  Due to this type of unit pulling in water as it vacuums, it carries water through the filtration system cutting down on the time it takes to execute water turnover. This type of automatic pool cleaner works as a moving filter.

This type of cleaner is driven by electricity that runs the motors inside the unit.  You will need a long electrical cord that plugs into an outdoor GFCI outlet and into the unit itself.  A small transformer which plugs into the outlet converts the electricity to a low voltage as necessary for the operation of the automatic pool cleaner. 

The Robotic pool cleaners vacuum debris into the self contained filter via a separate pump located inside the cleaner.  Typically there is a computer chip located on board the robot enabling diagnostic measures to discern any technical issues with the cleaner.  This chip is also responsible for aiding the memory of the cleaner with such things as "shape of the pool".  A remote control comes with some units allowing the robotic pool cleaner to be manually directed to areas for cleaning that may have been missed.