Buying a Robotic Pool Cleaner in South Africa

If you have already weighed up suction, pressure and robotic cleaners and settled on a robot, the next question is which one. Robotic cleaners vary more than they look in the photos: what they clean, how they are powered, what their filters catch, and how easy they are to keep running for years. This checklist is written for a South African pool owner who has made the decision and wants to buy well. If you are still deciding between the types, start with our comparison of robot, suction and pressure pool cleaners, which covers that ground.

1. What do you need it to clean?

Robotic cleaners fall roughly into three groups by coverage.

  • Floor only. These clean the floor and sometimes the cove where floor meets wall. They suit pools where the walls stay reasonably clean and the problem is leaves and silt on the bottom.
  • Floor and walls. These climb the walls as well, brushing off film and fine dirt. For most Highveld family pools, this is the useful middle ground.
  • Floor, walls and waterline. These climb to the surface and scrub along the tile line. Hard Gauteng water leaves a scale line that no cleaner will remove once it has set hard, but regular scrubbing helps slow the build-up of dirt and sunscreen on it.

Be honest about what you actually need. Paying for waterline cleaning on a pool whose real problem is jacaranda leaves on the floor is money in the wrong place.

2. Your pool's shape and surface

Check that the robot is suited to your pool before you buy, not after.

  • Shape. Freeform pools, kidney shapes and pools with wide steps, benches or a deep slope challenge some robots more than others. Look for how the product describes its navigation and whether it handles steep transitions.
  • Surface. Marbelite and plaster give robots good grip. Fibreglass is smooth, and fully tiled or glass mosaic pools can be slippery for wall climbing. Ask whether the robot's brushes suit your surface, and whether different brushes are available.
  • Size. Every robot is rated for a maximum pool length or area. Compare that with your pool, measured at its longest point, and leave some margin.

3. Filters: leaves versus fine dust

A robot carries its own filter basket or bag, independent of your pool's sand filter. This is where the Highveld matters.

  • Leaves. If the pool is near trees, the basket fills quickly in autumn and after storms. A larger basket means fewer interruptions mid-cycle. A robot with a small basket in a leafy garden will stop cleaning effectively long before the cycle ends.
  • Fine dust. Highveld wind blows fine dust into pools for much of the year. A fine filter catches it, but clogs sooner with leaves.
  • Both. Many robots come with, or can take, a coarse filter and a fine filter. Being able to swap between them by season is useful here.

Ask how easy the basket is to open, empty and rinse. You will do it after every cycle.

4. Corded or cordless?

Corded robots run from a power supply that plugs into a normal outlet and sits back from the pool, sending low-voltage power down a floating cable. They run for the full programme without stopping to charge. Follow the manual on where to place the power supply and how far from the water it must be.

Cordless robots run on a rechargeable battery. There is no cable to tangle, and setting up is quicker. The trade-offs are run time per charge, charging time between cycles, and the battery's eventual replacement. Ask what a replacement battery involves and whether it is sold separately.

Power cuts. A corded robot stops when the power goes off and may need restarting afterwards. A cordless robot can still run a cycle during a power cut, provided it was charged beforehand. Consider when you would usually run it, and whether charging fits around your household's electricity use.

5. Cable length and swivel

For a corded robot, the cable must reach the furthest point of the pool, down to the floor at the deep end, from where the power supply will stand. Measure it before you buy, including the distance from the plug point to the pool edge. A cable that is only just long enough pulls the robot back and leaves corners uncleaned.

A swivel on the cable reduces twisting and tangling, which otherwise shortens cable life and can stop the robot mid-cycle.

6. Weight and handling

A robot full of water and debris is heavier than it looks on the box. You will be lifting it out of the pool after most cycles to empty the filter. Look at the weight, whether there is a quick-drain feature, and whether a caddy or trolley is included or available. For people who find lifting difficult, this matters as much as cleaning performance.

7. Programmes and timers

Most robots offer a choice of cleaning programmes: floor only, floor and walls, waterline, or a quick cycle. Many have a scheduling timer, and some are controlled from an app. Useful features are a timer you can set and leave, and an easy way to run a quick floor-only clean after a windy day. App control is convenient but not essential; decide whether you will actually use it.

8. Spares and service in South Africa

This is the question people forget to ask, and it matters for the years after the purchase.

  • Where do spare parts come from, and are they held locally or imported when needed?
  • Are the common wear parts, such as brushes, tracks, filters, cables and power supplies, sold separately?
  • Who repairs the robot if the motor or electronics fail, and where is it sent?
  • Roughly how long do repairs and parts take to come through?

A robot with a good price and no local support can end up in the garage while you wait for a part.

9. Read the warranty terms

Read the warranty itself rather than the headline length. Look for what is covered and for how long, what is excluded, and whether parts such as brushes, tracks, cables and batteries have shorter terms. Check who handles claims, whether you have to send the robot somewhere, and what counts as misuse. Keep your proof of purchase.

10. Looking after it

A well-cared-for robot lasts much longer.

  • Take it out of the pool after each cycle, rather than leaving it in the water
  • Empty and rinse the filter after every cycle
  • Rinse the robot with clean water now and then, particularly after shocking the pool
  • Store it and the power supply out of direct sun
  • Untangle the cable regularly and check it for cuts or kinks
  • Do not run it during or straight after a heavy chlorine shock, unless the manual allows it

What a robot will not do

A robotic cleaner does not replace your pool pump and filter. It picks up debris from the surfaces, but the pump still has to circulate the water, the filter still has to remove fine particles, and chemicals still have to be distributed. A robot also does nothing for water balance. Chlorine, pH, alkalinity and stabiliser still need testing and correcting. If you would like that side handled, our weekly pool maintenance covers testing, dosing and equipment checks.

If you already have a suction cleaner that has stopped moving, it may simply need a repair; our guide to a suction pool cleaner that is not moving goes through the common causes.

Buying from us

Robotic cleaners are in the Robotic Cleaners department of our online shop. Each product page shows the specifications, the price, and whether the item is held or ordered in, with its lead time. Payment is online through PayFast, by card, Instant EFT or SnapScan, and the minimum online order is R3,000. We do not handle cash.

Delivery is in our own vehicle from Centurion, priced by road distance, starting at R350 up to 10 km. The full delivery bands, and what can be ordered online, are on our pool shop in Centurion page. You can also collect from us in Centurion.

If you are not sure which robot suits your pool, WhatsApp us on 081 577 5051 with a photo of the pool, its rough size, and what usually ends up in it, and we will help you narrow it down.

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