An Automatic pool cleaner is a must for any pool owner. Whether you are a do-it-yourselfer or have your pool professionally cleaned this piece of equipment is worth the investment. There are basically three categories, suction side cleaners, pressure side cleaners, and robot cleaners.

Suction Side cleaners

A pool’s suction is created by the filter pump sucking water from the pool toward the filtration equipment. This is referred to as the “suction side” rather than the “return side.” Pool cleaners such as the Sta-Rite Great White, Kreepy Krauly, the Polaris 150 and many others attach to the suction ports in the pool. Some pools have a wall mount fitting or a port that a fitting can be attached to while at other pools one of the skimmers may have to be used to attach the cleaner hose. Dirt and debris is sucked out of the pool while the pool cleaner cruises around the floor and climbs the walls of the pool. The debris is taken to the filter pump basket, a separate leaf catcher, or in-line leaf catcher while smaller debris is sent through the filtration system. The pump baskets and any leaf catchers will have to be emptied often because if they get clogged the cleaner will slow down and stop picking up debris.

A suction side cleaner is sometimes a more cost effective option than a pressure side cleaner however if the ability is there to go with a pressure side that would be the better option. If the pool only has one skimmer it might not be a good idea to use the only skimmer for the pool cleaner hose. A robot may be a better choice. The cost of a suction side cleaner is reasonable because there is no need for a booster pump which would double the price for the whole set up.

Pressure Side Cleaners

For a pressure side cleaner the water that is returning to the pool from the filtration system is used to power the cleaner. These are called the “return” lines. These units have a few advantages over the suction side cleaners. The pressure side cleaners use clean water fresh from the pools filter which helps circulate the clean water around the pool. Also these cleaners have a self contained leaf bag rather than filling the main pump basket with debris. The bag can easily be pulled off, the leaves dumped out, reattach, and that’s it. These units move all around, climb walls and back-up when they get stuck. They also have a little tail that whips around and helps clean the walls as well as keep particles in motion to move toward the pool skimmers.

Some of these units are “low pressure” cleaners such as Polaris 360, Jandy Ray Vac, and Letro Legend II. They attach to return ports that are just powered by the main pool pump. Others such as Polaris 180, 280 and 380 require a booster pump to provide enough pressure to the cleaner.
Robot Cleaners

The robot cleaners such as Aquabot, Dolphin, and AquaVac are plugged into a wall outlet when needed, rather than being any part of a pool’s circulation system. These cleaners are more expensive than suction or pressure side but the motor and filtering system is self-contained and does not put any wear on your pool’s equipment.