Will that Aquabot Robotic Swimming Pool Cleaner Work for You?
Here’s a look at some things you should know before you make up your mind…
The Basics
You probably already know these, but here’s a recap of what the swimming pool store already told you:
* It’s independent of your pool pump and filter
* Runs on it’s own low-voltage (24 v) electrical system
* No installation, plug-it in and drop it in the pool
* The cord (60′) is long enough to cover most residential pools
* Captures fine dirt, debris in the included 3 micron filter bag
* Models like the Aquabot Turbo come with a timer for auto-shot off (1 to 7 hours).
D Swain covers the basics in his product review.
What you need to know
Largely, the Aquabot Turbo does work as advertised – it scrubs and vacuums the floor and walls of your pool, climbs walls and cleans the waterline and there’s no installation to speak of, unlike pool cleaners that work off separate booster pumps. But there are a few things you need to know:
* It’s Bigger than a Bread Box: The thing weighs 17 lbs or thereabouts. When you lift it out of the pool, you can tell. It’s fairly bulky as well, and 61′ of cord takes some considerable space. You see, the robotic pool cleaners are designed to be dropped into the water when you need them, not left in your pool (unlike say, the Polaris cleaners). When you’re trudging back to your garage cradling your wet, dripping Aquabot (with 61′ of cord draped around your neck), you’ll know this is more than a nit. Of course, you could blow another $80 or so on an Aquabot pool caddy (a sort of compact stroller for your Aquabot), or like me, you can simply store in a large box poolside.
* The dirty spot is over there! The Aquabot will make it’s own way around your pool. Watching it is fascinating, especially when it decides that the particularly clean spot it just went over needs to be scrubbed again, and again. Overall, it does a decent job of piloting around your pool, given no significant obstacles (more on that below), but it certainly isn’t meant for spot cleaning or brushing. You may find, depending on your pool shape and size, that there are spots it does not like to visit. Keep your manual vacuum handy for that quick spot cleaning just before your guests arrive for that pool party.
* Of ladders, returns, main drains and steps: In general, the Aquabot does a good job of not spending terminally long times on obstacles such as ladders and returns. Typically when it encounters an obstacle that it cannot climb over, it backs away after a couple of minutes. However, such obstacles can affect the Aquabot’s overall trajectory, causing it to spend much more time in some parts of your pool than others.
Your pool’s main drain will most likely need a snap-on cover or bumper so that the Aquabot does not get stuck on it. Plan on spending another $50 to $75. Solutions designed for other pool cleaners, such as the Polaris Uni-Drain cover work well with the Aquabot as well.
The steps, well, plan to brush them off by hand, sometimes the Aquabot will wander there, but unless your steps are very broad, rarely will it be able to effectively reach the crevices on your pool steps.
* Eek, that Bag! You know that 3 micron bag that captures really fine particles? Needs to be cleaned, by you – it can be quite disgusting, but you can drop it into your washer (don’t use soap!). Keeping another bag handy can be really useful, but will set you back another $60. A great option is to use some of the inexpensive, disposable filter bags from the folks at Nasty Bag.
* Will It Eat It’s Own Cord?There have been rare reports of some Aquabots that eat their own power cords – those cords can be expensive to replace. A few precautions may help – switching the Aquabot’s handle around every couple of uses, not feeding excessive cord into the pool when it’s not required and routing the power cord over the pool decking rather than the water.
The Bottom Line
The Aquabot Turbo does work well, but be aware that you do have to store and transport it, clean that nasty filter bag, and may need some more accessories such as a main drain bumper. Every swimming pool is unique, and it may be a good idea to check if the Aquabot will work well for you. You may be able to convince your local pool supply store to let you have the demo model for a test drive in your swimming pool.
Where to Buy
The best deals can be had from an Authorized Aquabot dealer on the Internet – you can contact Aqua Products to get a list of authorized dealers (or check if that dealer with the low price is an authorized dealer). Typically you can find savings of $200-$300 off your local pool supply store prices.
