Fun, safe times in beautiful clear is the ultimate aim of pool cleaning. Image: Waterco
Matching a customer with the right pool cleaner By Veda Dante
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echnology continues to automate and simplify every aspect of modern life, from making coffee and playing music to cooking meals and cleaning our homes. While some chores can’t be eliminated (well not yet anyway) there are ways to make them quicker and easier. No one wants to look at, let alone swim in, a dirty pool. Fortunately, technology is helping shorten maintenance time so pool owners can take advantage of a refreshing dip any time they feel like it. Wading through the choice of different automatic pool cleaners can be daunting, but knowing what to look for can help you find the right system that makes light work of keeping your pool sparkling clean and ready to dive into. Clark Rubber national pool category manager Paul Rice says there is no “one size fits all” approach to matching a customer with a pool cleaner. “It’s important that pool owners are given a solution that best fits their particular needs and budget,” he says. “However, many pool owners make a choice based on their experience with their last pool cleaner. So, when we talk to customers it’s 34 SPLASH! October/November 2021
important that we’re asking them what they liked and disliked about their last automatic cleaner and use their feedback to guide them towards a selection of model choices.” The three main categories of automatic pool cleaners consist of electric robotic pool cleaners, pump-driven suction cleaners and pump-driven pressure-side cleaners. Then there are in-floor cleaners, though these need to be installed during the pool construction phase. “The size, shape, design and surface of the pool will determine what type of cleaner is most suitable, and so too will the size and type of debris that is typically a problem for the pool owner,” says Rice. With the increasing use of efficient variable speed pumps with low-speed operation, pool builders and pool owners are choosing robotic pool cleaners because they do not rely on the pump to drive it. Instead, they run independently of the pool’s filtration system. “This may be important where a pool owner wants to get the running cost benefits of a variable speed pump running at low speed,” he says. Grant Craig, general manager of Autopool Equipment — the exclusive distributor of
the iconic Kreepy Krauly — has a simple sixpoint checklist when determining pool cleaner requirements. 1. Shape and size of pool. 2. Type of pool construction – i.e., fibreglass, concrete, vinyl, above or below ground. 3. Type of dirt and debris that enters the pool and needs removing – i.e., size and type of leaves, sand, soil and pet hair. 4. D oes dirt or debris float or does it typically settle on the pool floor? 5. L evel of automation — i.e., does the pool owner want to be hands-on or not at all? 6. Budget. “If you’re a new pool owner, it pays to do your research and talk to industry experts before committing to a model that may not suit your needs,” says Craig.
Advance of the robots
Robotic pool cleaners are known to use the least amount of energy of any cleaner type. They reduce backwash, which saves water and improve water circulation, resulting in healthier and clearer pool water. “There are models to suit every pool and every budget,” says Paul London, director of Sydney’s Best Pool Shop.