Oren wrote:
On Sat, 09 May 2009 11:20:07 -0700, SMS
wrote:

The robots are powered by a DC power
source via a cable.

I call my suction "sweeper" / cleaner a "robot"!

Technically, it's not a robot. All plastic and a few stainless steel
screws.

The "robot" pool cleaners are more similar to like the Roomba robot vac
for the home. They have a computer inside and they cover every square
inch of the pool, rather than going in random directions. They are self
contained without relying on the pool's pumping or filtration system.
Some of them will shoot a stream of water onto the pool surface to whip
up dirt and algae so they can vacuum it up.

The big difference I found between a pressure side pool sweep (Polaris)
and the robot I now have (Dolphin) is that the robot gets the pool a lot
cleaner.

The problem with the Polaris is that it picks up leaves and larger
debris, but stuff like sand or dead algae goes right through the
collection bag (even the extra fine bag). It also required an inordinate
amount of maintenance, it would get stuck in corners, and the parts were
amazingly expensive. I.e. the collection bag would last about one season
before splitting, and would cost $30 for a simple mesh bag with the
requisite connector. I was constantly disassembling it to replace one
part or another. Also, it required a second pump. The idiot that
installed it (it was there before we bought the house) did not wire the
timers correctly (the timers need to be wired so the Polaris pump cannot
turn on unless the main pump is on) so when one of the timers failed,
the Polaris pump came on by itself and self-destructed.

I've never tried a suction side cleaner, but I've seen negative reviews
for ones like the Kreepy Krauly.

One other advantage of the robot cleaners is that they keep a lot of the
debris from ever getting to the main pool filter, so the regular pool
filter stays pretty clean. I only have to clean it once a year now,
whereas with the Polaris I had to clean it every month (but the filter I
had with the Polaris was also smaller, so that's not an entirely fair
comparison).