Choosing a Pool Cleaner: Robot, Suction or Pressure?
Brushing and vacuuming a pool by hand takes time, and in a Gauteng summer, with dust, leaves and storm debris, it is a job that never stays done. An automatic pool cleaner does the floor work for you. There are three kinds — suction-side, pressure-side and robotic — and the right one depends on your pool, your debris, your pump and your budget. This guide explains how each works and how to choose.
What does an automatic pool cleaner do?
An automatic cleaner moves around the pool on its own, picking up dirt from the floor and, depending on the type, the walls and the waterline. It does not replace water chemistry, and it does not entirely replace brushing: the steps, corners and tile line usually still need a brush. What it does is keep the floor clean between visits, so that dust and leaves do not settle, stain the surface and feed algae.
How does a suction pool cleaner work?
A suction-side cleaner connects by a hose to the weir or a dedicated suction point. The pool pump provides the power: water is drawn through the cleaner, which moves it across the floor, and debris is pulled into the weir basket, the pump basket and the filter. The Kreepy Krauly is a well-known South African example.
Strengths: the lowest upfront cost, simple mechanics with few parts, no extra electricity, and spares that are easy to find.
Weaknesses: it adds load to the pump and filter, you empty baskets more often, it needs good suction to move well, and large leaves can block it. Most suction cleaners do the floor and part of the walls, not the waterline.
Best for: family pools with a sound pump and filter and a moderate debris load.
How do I keep a suction cleaner working?
- Keep the weir and pump baskets empty; a full basket starves the cleaner.
- Check the diaphragm or other moving parts for wear, and replace them before they fail completely.
- Check the hose for cracks and air leaks, and make sure the sections add up to the right length for your pool.
- Adjust the flow regulator so the cleaner moves steadily without racing.
- Backwash when the filter pressure rises, because the cleaner sends more dirt to the filter.
How does a pressure-side cleaner work?
A pressure-side cleaner connects to the return side of the system, usually through a dedicated line and often with its own booster pump. Water pressure drives the cleaner and pushes debris into an attached bag, so the dirt never reaches the pump or the filter.
Strengths: it handles leaves and larger debris well, and keeps that load off the pump and filter.
Weaknesses: it often needs a booster pump and a dedicated return line, which adds cost, electricity and plumbing. The bag needs emptying. Pressure-side cleaners are less common in South African home pools than the other two types.
Best for: pools with a heavy leaf load that already have, or are willing to install, the plumbing.
How does a robotic pool cleaner work?
A robotic cleaner is a self-contained electric unit with its own motor, pump, brushes and filter basket or cartridge. Corded models plug into a low-voltage power supply beside the pool; cordless models run on a rechargeable battery. It works independently of the pool pump, and most models cover the floor, walls and waterline on a programmed cycle.
Strengths: the most thorough clean, including walls and the waterline on most models; fine filtration in the cleaner itself; no load on the pool pump or filter; and it does not depend on the pool pump's hours, so a charged cordless robot keeps cleaning through a power cut.
Weaknesses: the highest upfront cost, and electronics that can fail. It should be lifted out, rinsed and stored out of the sun after each cycle, rather than left in the pool permanently.
Best for: owners who want the most thorough clean for the least effort, and pools that collect fine dust.
Which pool cleaner should I choose?
Start with four questions.
- What is your debris? Fine dust and sand favour a robot with a fine filter. Leaves and twigs favour a pressure-side cleaner with a bag, or a robot with a large basket. Mixed, moderate debris suits most suction cleaners.
- How strong are your pump and filter? A suction cleaner needs good suction and a filter that can take the extra dirt. If the pump is weak or the filter is tired, fix that first or choose a robot.
- What shape is your pool? Simple rectangles suit any type. Freeform pools, steep transitions and deep ends favour robots.
- What will you spend, upfront and over time? Suction cleaners are the cheapest to buy and robots the most expensive. Factor in hoses, diaphragms, bags and baskets.
If you have a salt pool, check that the cleaner is suitable for salt water.
Can a pool cleaner cause problems?
A suction cleaner that is too hungry for the pump can starve it of water and make it run hot or lose prime, and a worn hose that lets air in has the same effect. The signs are air in the pump basket, weak returns and a cleaner that stalls. If the pump sounds strained with the cleaner connected, disconnect it and check the flow regulator, the hose and the baskets. If the pump itself is the problem, see pool pump repairs. A cleaner that sends more fine dirt to the filter also shortens the time between backwashes.
Does a pool cleaner replace a pool service?
No. A cleaner keeps the floor clean; it does not test or balance the water, brush the tile line, empty the baskets or check the equipment. When a pool needs a proper reset — at the start of summer, after tenants move out or before a party — a once-off pool clean is R1,200 for a small pool, R1,500 for a medium pool and R1,800 for a large one.
Where can I buy a pool cleaner?
Our online pool shop stocks robotic cleaners such as Aiper, automatic cleaners like the Kreepy Krauly, and hoses and spares. Each product page gives the specifications, the price, and whether the item is held in stock or ordered in for you. Delivery is priced by road distance from our Centurion office, and reaches Johannesburg north, including Fourways; see our Johannesburg page for the details. If you are not sure which cleaner suits your pool, WhatsApp us a photo of the pool and the pump before you buy.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my Kreepy Krauly not moving?
Usually a worn diaphragm, a blocked cleaner throat, a full basket or not enough suction. Check the baskets, the hose for air leaks, and the flow regulator.
Can I leave a robotic cleaner in the pool all the time?
It is better not to. Take it out after each cycle, rinse it, and store it out of direct sun to protect the plastics and the cable.
Do automatic cleaners climb walls?
Robots usually do, and many clean the waterline too. Suction cleaners mostly clean the floor and the lower walls.
Will a pool cleaner stop my pool turning green?
No. Algae is controlled by chlorine, pH, pump hours and filtration. A cleaner helps by removing the debris that feeds it.
Talk to us
WhatsApp or call Crystal Reef on 081 577 5051, or email sales@crystalreef.co.za. For how the filter copes with the extra dirt, see pool filter types explained.