Three Kinds Of Automatic Above Ground Pool Vacuums Explained
Many would claim that above ground pool vacuums are a necessity rather than a luxury and I'm prone to concur, particularly if you have a large swimming pool.
The chief job in maintaining your pool is manually cleaning the dirt and debris off the bottom. Because it's too heavy to float in the pool it doesn't get drawn into the filter through the skimmer and falls to the floor. Consequently, you either need to remove it manually or with a specially designed pool vacuum.
Nowadays, there are lots of assorted devices to make it easier to do this however the easiest to use, by far, are the automatic swimming pool cleaners which are available in both in-ground and above ground designs. Without one, you'll be in the swimming pool, cleaning the bottom every few days or more regularly if weather conditions drive vegetation and grime into the pool water.
Categories of In-Ground and Automatic Above Ground Pool Vacuums And Cleaners
Suction-Side Vacuums
Suction-side cleaners are powered by the suction produced by your swimming pool pump. This enables them to move around the pool floor where they suck up the debris. The water is sucked through your filtration system so extra water is moved through the system in a smaller time period.
Because there is no requirement to put in any extra plumbing or pumps, suction sides are often 50% of the price of other cleaners. Though, since they suck stuff straight into your filter and pump basket, they can create difficulties if the skimmer gets bunged up.
This is a regular occurrence if your pool is in a place that has a lot of vegetation. Fitting a leaf trap will help avoid this problem since it stops the bulkier stuff before it gets to the pump basket. If the suction cleaner doesn't come with a leaf collector, you might be able to put one in the vacuum hose.
A few suction-side vacuums are able to "scrub" the pool's sides. It does so by agitating itself as it travels round the swimming pool. This reduces the frequency you will have to brush clean your pool. And, as it draws debris straight into your filtration system, it can extract much finer particles than a pool vacuum with a bag.
If you don't normally have foliage in your pool, the daily grime and debris shouldn't clog your skimmer basket.
If you pick this variety of vacuum for the pool you need to be sure you keep your filter dirt free. If your filter is bunged up the suction will be lessened and so it will move about less easily and cleaning can be adversely affected.
Pressure-side Automatic Pool Cleaners
In contrast, pressure side cleaners are driven by water pressure, generated by a pump, and include interior vacuum bags.
The force drives the cleaner round the pool and forces the debris into the bag. It does not suck material into your pool filtration system or pump basket which means you don't have to vacuum them so often and they can deal with leaves. On the other hand, they are not able to filter tiny particles through the bag and don't scour the walls very well either.
The price of a pressure side pool vacuum depends, to some extent, on whether or not you choose a booster pump or make use of the swimming pool's main circulation pump.
A dedicated booster pump tends to clean the pool slightly better and last longer than using the main pump but it is an added expense and will need a dedicated line set up.
Robotic Swimming Pool Vacuums
Robotic pool cleaners are stand-alone units which operate independently from the main pool filtration system so don't need hoses.
They're powered by internal electric motors which are powered via an out-of-doors outlet. They have a transformer and power lead that changes the electricity to a lower voltage after being plugged in.
Robotic above ground pool vacuums pump grime straight into their interior filters and come pre-programmed. The on-board computer chip diagnoses any problems and "learns" the contour of your pool. Several have a remote control that allows you to maneuver the cleaner around your swimming pool so you can scour any spots it might have missed.
Robotic pool cleaners are excellent at getting rid of small debris and deposits. It can additionally scrub the tile line along with the walls.
As a result of the powerful pump inside that vacuums up the debris they're also a great way to boost the water circulation in the pool.
All this functionality comes at a price however, and robotic pool vacuums are amongst the most costly on the market, with costs ranging from $400 to $2000 and more.
Above ground pool vacuums not only help keep your pool looking sparkling, they also save you effort and time allowing you many additional hours to enjoy relaxing instead of cleaning.
The chief job in maintaining your pool is manually cleaning the dirt and debris off the bottom. Because it's too heavy to float in the pool it doesn't get drawn into the filter through the skimmer and falls to the floor. Consequently, you either need to remove it manually or with a specially designed pool vacuum.
Nowadays, there are lots of assorted devices to make it easier to do this however the easiest to use, by far, are the automatic swimming pool cleaners which are available in both in-ground and above ground designs. Without one, you'll be in the swimming pool, cleaning the bottom every few days or more regularly if weather conditions drive vegetation and grime into the pool water.
Categories of In-Ground and Automatic Above Ground Pool Vacuums And Cleaners
Suction-Side Vacuums
Suction-side cleaners are powered by the suction produced by your swimming pool pump. This enables them to move around the pool floor where they suck up the debris. The water is sucked through your filtration system so extra water is moved through the system in a smaller time period.
Because there is no requirement to put in any extra plumbing or pumps, suction sides are often 50% of the price of other cleaners. Though, since they suck stuff straight into your filter and pump basket, they can create difficulties if the skimmer gets bunged up.
This is a regular occurrence if your pool is in a place that has a lot of vegetation. Fitting a leaf trap will help avoid this problem since it stops the bulkier stuff before it gets to the pump basket. If the suction cleaner doesn't come with a leaf collector, you might be able to put one in the vacuum hose.
A few suction-side vacuums are able to "scrub" the pool's sides. It does so by agitating itself as it travels round the swimming pool. This reduces the frequency you will have to brush clean your pool. And, as it draws debris straight into your filtration system, it can extract much finer particles than a pool vacuum with a bag.
If you don't normally have foliage in your pool, the daily grime and debris shouldn't clog your skimmer basket.
If you pick this variety of vacuum for the pool you need to be sure you keep your filter dirt free. If your filter is bunged up the suction will be lessened and so it will move about less easily and cleaning can be adversely affected.
Pressure-side Automatic Pool Cleaners
In contrast, pressure side cleaners are driven by water pressure, generated by a pump, and include interior vacuum bags.
The force drives the cleaner round the pool and forces the debris into the bag. It does not suck material into your pool filtration system or pump basket which means you don't have to vacuum them so often and they can deal with leaves. On the other hand, they are not able to filter tiny particles through the bag and don't scour the walls very well either.
The price of a pressure side pool vacuum depends, to some extent, on whether or not you choose a booster pump or make use of the swimming pool's main circulation pump.
A dedicated booster pump tends to clean the pool slightly better and last longer than using the main pump but it is an added expense and will need a dedicated line set up.
Robotic Swimming Pool Vacuums
Robotic pool cleaners are stand-alone units which operate independently from the main pool filtration system so don't need hoses.
They're powered by internal electric motors which are powered via an out-of-doors outlet. They have a transformer and power lead that changes the electricity to a lower voltage after being plugged in.
Robotic above ground pool vacuums pump grime straight into their interior filters and come pre-programmed. The on-board computer chip diagnoses any problems and "learns" the contour of your pool. Several have a remote control that allows you to maneuver the cleaner around your swimming pool so you can scour any spots it might have missed.
Robotic pool cleaners are excellent at getting rid of small debris and deposits. It can additionally scrub the tile line along with the walls.
As a result of the powerful pump inside that vacuums up the debris they're also a great way to boost the water circulation in the pool.
All this functionality comes at a price however, and robotic pool vacuums are amongst the most costly on the market, with costs ranging from $400 to $2000 and more.
Above ground pool vacuums not only help keep your pool looking sparkling, they also save you effort and time allowing you many additional hours to enjoy relaxing instead of cleaning.
