Brush vs. Suction Cleaners

Ever wonder which pool cleaner to buy for your swimming pool? Ever buy one, only to have to bring it back and say it wasn’t working right? If you answered yes to any of these questions, hopefully by the end of this article you’ll have a better understanding of which automatic pool cleaning system is right for your swimming pool. With all the vacuums on the market, how do you decide? Let’s start off by explaining the different types of swimming pool cleaners and what the pros and cons are of each.

Robotic Pool Cleaner

By far the most efficient pool cleaner type on the market. There are many manufacturers that produce these machines ranging from Maytronics, Pentair, Aqua Products and more. The most proven and efficient robotic pool cleaner is made by Aqua Products. Aqua Products has been around since the early 80’s and invented the Aquabot. The Aquabot went through many technological advances over the past 20 years and has multiplied into many different models available. One of the lines by Aqua Products is called the “Eco-Jet” line. The Ecojet pool cleaners are by far the most efficient on the market due to their mechanical composure and energy-efficient nature. Most robotic pool cleaners have brushes and drive tracks, but the Ecojets have power jets in place of brushes which do a phenomenal job in lifting stubborn debris from the surface of the pool. Like any robotic pool cleaner that doesn’t run directly off of the pool’s pump system, The Ecojet plugs into a transformer box which then plugs into any standard 110V outlet. The only maintenance required is removing and cleaning the filter bag after each cleaning cycle. This is different than other cleaners as other cleaners feed the debris directly to the pool pump filter.

Side-Suction Cleaner/Lo-Pressure

The side-suction pool cleaner is next in line as far as energy and cost efficiency. Although, side-suction cleaners are not nearly as efficient as robotic pool cleaners since they run on your pool filtration system. You can recognize these cleaners as they are the ones that plug into a wall port underwater on the side walls. Robotic pool cleaners run on 110v wall electricity and are controlled by a converter/transformer box. Side-suction cleaners run strictly on the pool’s main pump causing more draw of electricity as well as a draw on vacuum power from the pool’s jets. Meaning, when the pool filter basket fills up with debris, you will usually notice a drop in water flow unless you monitor it daily. Although side-suction cleaners are built with fewer components, they usually tend to wear down quicker and need more frequent repairs. Most of the time, the cost to repair the unit costs almost as much as buying a brand new one.

Side-Suction Cleaner/High Pressure

The booster pump pool cleaner is easily the least efficient of the three types of cleaners. Not only do these cleaners run off energy fed from your pool’s filtration system, but they require extra power to run which is supplied by an external 3-4 hp electric motor, or “booster pump.” The extra draw from the booster pump has proven to easily add some significant cost to running your pool over a yearly basis. For this reason, when most people do the research, they find that the robotic pool cleaner is by far the most efficient. When a new pool is constructed, the pool store that helped supply materials is usually contracted with a booster-pump or side-suction cleaner manufacturer to offer a free pool cleaner. Almost always, since the cleaner is supplied for “free” customers will opt to use the cleaner. These types of cleaners are usually half the price of a robotic cleaner as they are much simpler in design. The problematic side to these units is the cost to have them repaired almost exceeds the cost of a brand new cleaner.