Do You Really Need an Automatic?

[docsobeck]

in my experience, above ground vs. inground makes all the difference in the need for an automatic cleaner. i had an above ground for five years at my first house, and vacuuming once a week was sufficient to keep it nice and clean. then i moved to a house with an inground, and came to a startling revelation: with an above ground, leaves, pollen, flower petals, dirt, etc. either lands in the pool, or it does not land in the pool. with an inground, pretty much EVERYTHING eventually gets in the pool. i was vacuuming 4 times a week to keep it clean, and very quickly decided it was get an automatic, or live with a dirty bottom most of the time.

[CarlD]

You'll get mixed reviews but a GREAT compromise is a PoolBuster. It's manual but it's easier and faster than a hose. Just get the fine filter bag and, if it seems weak, contact them BEFORE the warranty runs out. Sometimes the battery/motor pack has a bad battery that won't hold a charge. But when it's good, it runs for an hour.

Again, some people have had bad experiences with them but I've been delighted with mine, even when I had to change out the battery at my expense because it was out of warranty.