Best Automatic Pool Cleaners
The Polaris Vac-Sweep 280 pressure-side pool cleaner works in all in-ground pools and requires a booster pump. About Polaris Polaris cleaners are the number one recognized brand of pool cleaners worldwide and have enjoyed 40 years as the top selling pressure pool cleaner. 280 Pressure Side Pool Cleaner At a Glance Powered by double jets, cleans a pool faster (3 hours or less) Works in all in-ground pools of any size and shape Unique filter bag removes debris before it reaches your pump basket or filter Sweeps, scrubs, and vacuums the bottom and walls of your pool Includes 31 feet of feed hose; equipped with single chamber filter bag for capturing larger debris Runs off a booster pump (available separately). Polaris Vac-Sweep 280 pressure side pool cleaner.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The last one lasted 14 years and over those years I did need to replace a back up valve which was damaged because I did not drain it properly and it froze and cracked over the winter. If a persons pool was open all year, I would not expect it to last that long. One note is that the instructions for cutting the hoses properly was confusing to me."
"It lasted 9 years by my guess so I was good to come to grips that it was time to replace it. I thought about switching to the KK but it just didn't seem to have the features or benefits to move me away from what has worked well for me going on 16 years @ two different pools."
"I run it for 3 hours overnight and rarely have a speck of mess on the pool bottom in the morning. I watched it literally climb up the sidewall to the surface before turning it's hind wheel towards the sun above the water, then travel back down the wall to begin again."
"Once the hose starts breaking after a few years, save yourself some time and replace the WHOLE HOSE."
"Con: literally weve had this less than a year and already the bag that collects the debris has separated from the velcro."
"So, with one good Polaris experience (the original 380) and one poor Polaris experience (the replacement 280) under my belt, I gave them another chance, and bought this 380. After a few sessions of breaking the wheels free by hand, I disassembled it to see why it was locking (something the first 380 NEVER did in the many years that I owned it). Then I noticed that the hose fitting which secured the input hose to the single jet plenum in the venturi tube was covered in a thick gob of what looks like white silastic; the two hose connectors leading to the two-jet plenum on the other side of the venturi tube are correctly fastened with no sealer in sight."
"I got this in the spring and spent most of the summer trying to get it to work correctly."
Instructions: Cleaner will not go into a shallow end that is less then 3ft deep.The hoses may not connect too tight so that the pool cleaner can move freely and reach more spots. Require at least a 3/4 hp swimming pool pump or 1600 GHP to function properly.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"If you're reading this, you may be looking at the low price coupled with some of the negative reviews, and thinking about passing on this item. It's literally got nothing but sharp corners and angles that eat pool vacuums for breakfast, or any other time it's hungry. That said - this is a 4 star review solely because there is nothing helpful included with the vac to explain WHY it might not be working. The "heavy duty" hose is cool in theory, but its weight and relative inflexibility caused movement issues for me. This machine is designed to work with that weight, but the sections that always sit at the surface should be replaced with something lighter and more flexible. This vacuum works by "hopping" with the motion and weight of the flapper inside, and without a separate power source, it can have trouble consistently fighting the hose, especially on walls. I put the first weight right on the end of the vac, and the second one mid way through the second section of hose. My pool laughs at vacuums with its angles, bumpy surfaces, and other assorted pitfalls - kind of how you caught at the cat trying to catch a laser pointer dot. On a recently backwashed or clean filter, the vac goes "rata-tat-tat-tat" in very fast succession - multiple times per second. As the filter fills up, and water flow slows down, the frequency decreases and the vacuum starts to suck, figuratively."
"The hose sections are the same size as the ones you can buy for a Barracuda or Kreepy Krauly at your local pool supply store. I figured that for about $80-$85, I could buy one of these every year if necessary and still save money! It may be a coincidence, but once the water got cold all of a sudden my generic Kreepy Krauly wouldn't move when the pump came on each day. After much trial and error I finally figured out that the baffle plate was rubbing against the flapper, just barely, but enough to keep the flapper from starting to move. One side of the baffle plate is held with a screw, and the other side is held in place by two small protrusions from the plate that fit into holes in the cleaner head. The holes allow the baffle plate to move up and down just a little bit on one side, maybe just 1/8", but the other side where the screw is cannot move. I have posted photos of the fix with this review - I hope it saves somebody else some time!"
"Since neither one of us had owned a pool in the past, we hired a pool company for monthly maintenance and service. We finally decided to get a pool vacuum for the pool since our pool was constantly green. With the help of a local pool company, we were able to get the pool from swampy to sparkling in a mere 24 hours."
Our most advanced pressure-side automatic pool cleaner that doesn't require a separate booster pump The Polaris Vac-Sweep 360 pressure-side pool cleaner works in all in-ground pools and operates without a separate booster pump for maximum energy efficiency. 360 Pressure Side Pool Cleaner At a Glance Vacuums, sweeps and scrubs the bottom and walls of any size or shape pool In-line back-up valve automatically frees the 360 if it gets cornered and keeps cleaning without interruption Powered by the pressure of clean water returning to your pool, leaving both the filter and skimmer free to eliminate contaminants Unique filter bag removes debris before it reaches your pump basket or filter, prolonging the life of your filtration system Includes 31 feet of feed hose; equipped with single chamber filter bag for capturing larger debris. Includes 31-feet of feed hose, and single chamber filter bad for capturing large debris.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The last one lasted 14 years and over those years I did need to replace a back up valve which was damaged because I did not drain it properly and it froze and cracked over the winter. If a persons pool was open all year, I would not expect it to last that long. One note is that the instructions for cutting the hoses properly was confusing to me."
"It lasted 9 years by my guess so I was good to come to grips that it was time to replace it. I thought about switching to the KK but it just didn't seem to have the features or benefits to move me away from what has worked well for me going on 16 years @ two different pools."
"I run it for 3 hours overnight and rarely have a speck of mess on the pool bottom in the morning. I watched it literally climb up the sidewall to the surface before turning it's hind wheel towards the sun above the water, then travel back down the wall to begin again."
"Once the hose starts breaking after a few years, save yourself some time and replace the WHOLE HOSE."
"Con: literally weve had this less than a year and already the bag that collects the debris has separated from the velcro."
"So, with one good Polaris experience (the original 380) and one poor Polaris experience (the replacement 280) under my belt, I gave them another chance, and bought this 380. After a few sessions of breaking the wheels free by hand, I disassembled it to see why it was locking (something the first 380 NEVER did in the many years that I owned it). Then I noticed that the hose fitting which secured the input hose to the single jet plenum in the venturi tube was covered in a thick gob of what looks like white silastic; the two hose connectors leading to the two-jet plenum on the other side of the venturi tube are correctly fastened with no sealer in sight."
"I got this in the spring and spent most of the summer trying to get it to work correctly."
Best Automatic Pool Cleaner Replacement Parts
Pool Vac A-Frame/Turbine Kit. Enter your model number to make sure this fits.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Incidentally - I have used the old standard Hayward navigator pool vac for many years as well as a couple of other brands. When a unit has had a few years of service and a new set of 'feet' or 'wings' doesn't make it travel any faster - as like when it was new - it is time to do an A-frame kit replacement."
"I had my son do a over haul in the pool sweep, all New underneath , ever since I biught this kit and he put it on, my pool sweep has never worked better."
"It stopped moving, so I replaced the wings and the pod shoes because that's what normally get's worn out, but to my dismay the thing was still only moving an inch an hour."
"I've been using this same vac for about 14 years now because it's easy to work on and performs great."
"These parts were easy to install and came with instructions but you need to pay attention when removing the old pieces."
"This kit solved one of the problems with my Ultra Vac Pro."
"My pool sweep is running better than it ever has with this kit."
"Some bearings were found in the pump basket so I was pretty sure about what had happened. All you need is a Philips screwdriver, a nut driver, and something with a flat blade to pry with."
Best Pressure Pool Cleaners
The Polaris Vac-Sweep 280 pressure-side pool cleaner works in all in-ground pools and requires a booster pump. About Polaris Polaris cleaners are the number one recognized brand of pool cleaners worldwide and have enjoyed 40 years as the top selling pressure pool cleaner. 280 Pressure Side Pool Cleaner At a Glance Powered by double jets, cleans a pool faster (3 hours or less) Works in all in-ground pools of any size and shape Unique filter bag removes debris before it reaches your pump basket or filter Sweeps, scrubs, and vacuums the bottom and walls of your pool Includes 31 feet of feed hose; equipped with single chamber filter bag for capturing larger debris Runs off a booster pump (available separately). Polaris Vac-Sweep 280 pressure side pool cleaner.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Once the hose starts breaking after a few years, save yourself some time and replace the WHOLE HOSE."
"Con: literally weve had this less than a year and already the bag that collects the debris has separated from the velcro."
"This is a very good cleaner, but it has a tendency to get hung-up on the steps."
"I almost returned the product again because of frustration but I decided to get a couple of 1.5 " caps from a local pool supply for less than $6.00 and when I capped 2 of the returns it worked perfect and cleaned the pool in about an hour."
"So, with one good Polaris experience (the original 380) and one poor Polaris experience (the replacement 280) under my belt, I gave them another chance, and bought this 380. After a few sessions of breaking the wheels free by hand, I disassembled it to see why it was locking (something the first 380 NEVER did in the many years that I owned it). Then I noticed that the hose fitting which secured the input hose to the single jet plenum in the venturi tube was covered in a thick gob of what looks like white silastic; the two hose connectors leading to the two-jet plenum on the other side of the venturi tube are correctly fastened with no sealer in sight."
"I got this in the spring and spent most of the summer trying to get it to work correctly."
"Large gap between the white and blue cheap plastic."
Best Robotic Pool Cleaners
With groundbreaking design and a level of efficiency never seen before, the newest Dolphin has set the standard. Highly efficient, state-of-the-art commercial grade DC motors and an ingenious Multi-Media™ filtration system deliver an exceptional user experience while reducing energy use up to 87%. Want to clean fine debris and algae that passes through other pool cleaners? The underwater robotic cable swivel is one of the greatest engineering accomplishments in the pool cleaner industry. Smart-Nav software delivers highly optimized coverage for a new level of clean. 24 volt motors operate on nearly 90% less power than AC booster pumps. Microprocessor controlled Smart-Nav™ software delivers highly optimized scanning and coverage for a new level of clean. Premier reaches deep with dual scrubbing brushes to scrub the pool surface and then vacuum it away so you don't have to.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The Dirt Devil was a decent product but quit working after 2 years. Decided to buy the top of the line this time, and if this one didn't work out, I am done with robotic pool cleaners. Still cleaning like a champ. My only concern is longevity, but with a 3 year warranty I feel at least somewhat confident that this will go the distance."
"We have a busy schedule and don't have the luxury of time to manually go around pool with traditional vacuum to get dirt out every day. Pool construction is just about done but we've used the cleaner probably around 20 times already as landscaping around the inground pool (plus the constant high winds we've had lately) keep the pool dirty thus requiring the use of the robot. I find myself washing them with hose after almost every time which is the reason I stop using them for the time being. I think those are mainly for a pretty clean pool. Until the pool is done being landscaped, I'll stick with the big bag made of canvas. The unit only seems to run a process for about an hour and this cannot be adjusted to my knowledge for say 2 or 3 hours at a time. The buttons on power pack are only for how many times a week but who actually uses the robot like that? The robot constantly gets stuck straddling those hopper lines where is doesn't have a flat surface to run on."
"Its filter volume is too small compared to polaris, it is hard to access the filter, it just hangs out in the middle of the swimming pool, it does not got to two ends of the pool."
"So much for the "no nonsense warranty" Maytronics advertises on their web site and their promise of rapid repairs and modular design (direct quote from their site is below): "Rapid Repairs: we understand that you didn't invest in a robotic cleaner to manually clean your pool. Why in the world do I have to pay quite a bit for sending the whole product, including the power box to them, and be out of service for at least a week+ when the only thing that needs to be done is the replacement of one of the "DIY component in about 10 minutes?""
"The product seems to be working fairly well, though I see it occasionally passing over top of the smaller particles and not gathering them."
Best Suction Pool Cleaners
The Zodiac G3 In-Ground Suction Pool Cleaner is a quiet and powerful suction cleaner that works with low-speed pumps to clean with maximum efficiency. G3 suction cleaners work with a FlowKeeper Valve that automatically regulates water flow, to maintain peak cleaning performance even with lower horsepower pumps. Plus, Flowkeeper offers pool surface skimming with a turn of a switch Intelligent Design. Navigating an in-ground pool is made easier by the Wheel Deflector which helps with movement around tight corners. Devours small and medium-sized debris and cleans floor, walls and steps of your entire pool. FlowKeeper Valve automatically regulates water flow to maintain peak cleaning performance even with lower horsepower pumps.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Even bent hose can be made straight again and when they are the system cleans the deep and the shallow ends and works great!"
"I have always had a person come weekly to clean my pool and had no idea what I needed to do it on my own, I saw this ha good reviews and it was much more than I expected."
"product works great except It misses some spots, I had it running for 12 hours and it missed about a 10ft square on the shallow end of the pool."
"It does have good suction and if you stand outside and move it every time it gets stuck it works fine."
"I like the shaking action that is has on the hose to loosen dirt and debris on the top of the water making it fall to the bottom to be sucked up."
"Same unit as sold in the local pool supply stores."
"Just had it a few weeks but for my above ground pool this cleaner is awesome and my pool is the cleanest it's ever been."
"It was simple to set up and keeps my pool clean."
Best Pool Hoses
Poolmaster's Classic Collection offers a generous selection of performance and built-to-last products made from resilient components designed to keep your pool sparkling. Since 1958, Poolmaster has been a leading manufacturer of aftermarket pool and spa products with an unwavering commitment to quality, service and reliability. The swivel cuff end connects directly onto the vacuum head and the non-swivel end connects to the skimmer.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Hose curls up quite a bit and is more difficult to straighten than our previous hose."
"The vacuum works twice as well with this hose as it did with the 3 foot sections that had to be hooked together."
"After reading several other reviews this hose looked like the best value.It came packaged in a banged up cardboard box which was worrisome."
"The hose it great with a swivel end for the attachment to the pool vacuum head - the only drawback (and I believe this to be a defective pool vacuum head design) is that the hose keeps falling off the head because it only inserts about 1 1/2 inches onto the vacuum head tube."
"Works as expected and stays connected to the skimmer vac plate and vacuum head."
"The only problem I have had while vacuuming is the end slips off the vacuum, but I'm not sure it's the fault of the hose, rather possible the vacuum, as the piece which attaches to the hose also comes loose where it attaches to the vacuum."
"The first one we received, the swivel end was already broke off the hose and loose in the box. I used it 3 times to clean the pool and the swivel end broke off the hose!"
"I have given 2 stars at this point for my disappointment but may update that to a higher number once I contact Poolmaster customer service to see what they have to say about the product."
Best Pool Brushes
The Wall Whale is a swimming pool brush with a spoiler. Great for routine brushing or tough algae problems.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I just got my pool replastered and needed to brush all surfaces of the pool and found this to be heavy and also didnt want to damage the soft plaster with the fin."
"I feel certain that I am getting a much better brushing from the Wall Whale compared to a simple brush. I find that as the wall meets the floor of the pool, I am not able to transition the pole angle back toward me enough to avoid banging the brush frame against the pool floor."
"It makes cleaning pool so much easier, especially when the pole is extended and leverage is usually much harder to achieve."
"It cleans the walls and bottom of the pool very well, and it passes the real test - I am much less tired after using it on my entire pool than I was with a normal pool brush."
"The "fin" really does weight the brush, so it doesn't float up from pool bottom - makes cleaning the bottom and sides WAYYYY easier!"
"I was all ready to buy a cheap brush but decided to splurge on this one due to good reviews. I've learned my lesson from other brushes loosing bristles due to leaving out in sun."
"To give this any less than 5 stars is a disservice to the innovation, quality, and heart that went in into the making of this product and GABCo nailed it!"
"Increases pressure against the wall significantly and reduces effort."
Best Pool Vacuum Heads
Whether you're looking for the best in pool and spa cleaning supplies and accessories, or fun for the family in toys, games, and sports, Garfield Pool Equipment is you one-stop shopping center! Fits standard 1-1/4-inch and 1-1/2-inch vacuum hoses; Snap-Adapt handle for easy assembly.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"See my customer image, where I've done what I hope is a passable job of describing how the spring is installed, after wrestling with the thing for an hour."
"Still I give 3 stars it's ok for the money and one flaw doesn't mean it sucks. The key here is that it's heavy enough to stay down and actually has good suction."
"Works as advertised."
"good price, quick delivery."
"This thing sucks."
"This tool plus the vacumn hose made cleaning my pool a breeze!"
"This works just as I thought it would."
"The more rigid body seems to be a benefit to function, as it appears to prevent "vacuum lock" where my old one would "stick" to the bottom of the pool floor in some locations. At first, I thought that it was a good idea since when I clean the vertical walls, the old cleaner would float away from the surface sometimes, and this spring might keep the head parallel to the handle when going up and down. All the metal fasteners of this product have rusted severely and now I have to replace them or face stains in my pool. I went to my local hardware store and purchased all new SS metal fasteners for this pool vac. Upon disassembly, it becomes obvious that the rust I suspected on the fasteners, is in fact coming from the internal weights! I get that lead has all that bad stigma and such, but this manufacturer could have encapsulated the weights into plastic, etc., to prevent rust. My advice is this, buy something better if you care about your pool finish and your filter element, as this will mess you up for sure!"
Best Pool Rakes & Skimmers
► ►. No more wasted time and money. purchasing another pool rake that's no better than the last one. No more wasted hours cleaning your pool with a rake that's not really up to the task. 100% "NO QUESTIONS ASKED" LIFETIME GUARANTEE - If any portion of this heavy duty pool skimmer net ever breaks, fails or tears, simply contact us for FREE replacement parts or a complete replacement of the entire pool rake as per manufacturer's lifetime product warranty (Commercial users: Lifetime 50% Off Replacements). DEEP, DURABLE, ABRASION RESISTANT, DOUBLE-STITCHED NYLON POOL BAG is stronger and more abrasion resistant than double layer polypropylene catcher netting offered by other companies. LONG LASTING, HEAVY DUTY, SUPERIOR QUALITY, PLASTIC RIM is safe for all types of pools and will guard against marring or scratching of premium pool surfaces.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"My only disappointment was that it does not pick up small items like twigs and berries and small leaves on the pool floor as good as the Sting Ray, which may be "operator error"."
"After the leaves fell last fall I went through three pool nets (broken frames, ripped netting one actually was left at the bottom of the pond) and finally I gave up on cleaning the ponds."
"I LOVE MY PRO-TUFF LEAF NET!!! You will love this thing, and especially the wonderful customer service you will receive from this seller!"
"After reading all of the reviews I thought this must really be something based on the way people talk about it. And it is held in place with a plastic ring that seems impossible to get off, where my last one seemed like it was designed to be able to take off..."
"Love it and have been able to help keep the pool clean for frequent use as the weather has been warming up."
"Pay the one time price and it will be the last pool net you will ever purchase."
"this product and its guarantee is as good as it gets."
"In the many years we've owned a pool, this is the best pool rake we've owned. The Pro Tuff Pool Skimmer Net rake is a good product."
Best Pool Maintenance Kits
Enter your model number to make sure this fits.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"We have had several nets of this nature over the years and none of them are even close to as easy to use, well-made and as effective at removing leaves and salamanders, dirt and all of the other things that end up in the pool as this one. It also just makes removing them go so much faster as it is sometimes difficult to catch salamanders or frogs and this net makes it effortless."
"just like the three stars it's okay."
"Slight issue I have is that the angle of the bag rim makes it a bit harder to scoop things off of the bottom of the pool."
"The material of this net frame is perfect to allow it to slide easily across the pebbletech surface of my pool."
"(We have no local pool supply folks, so you make do with what's available). Can't speak as to durability - the sun and pool chemicals just eat these things up in a few years anyway."
"The mesh bag is sturdy and easy to flip inside out by shaking for cleaning it out."
"I have 14" x 5' limestone slabs as coping for my inground 20'x40' pool. for some reason pieces of the limestone have been flaking off the edge and into the pool pretty much ever since I installed the coping. Anyway, I just pulled this out of storage and tried to use it the other day as I was opening the pool (and still have issues with my limestone coping) and it was cracked."
"When the first one came it had a hole in it, right at the seam and I was thinking "great!" It has some glue and net on the plastic but after all it wasn't very much money."
Best Handheld Pool Vacuums
The cordless design and powerful Lithium Ion battery ensures the cleanliness of whatever water residential water application. Comes included with (1) reusable all-purpose filter and (2) microfilters for fine cleaning!
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Update****While I still agree this is easier than using a vacuum and hose, I got a new pump (sand) this summer and found the vacuum problem originated from my cartridge filter pump. While it is great for small jobs, it is doesn't replace an effective pump with vacuum suction. Original review. This is soooooooo much better than hauling lots of hose to the pool."
"I took a women's nylon knee hi, cut off a few inches and I put it OUTSIDE the white bag, folding top over black ring."
"One nice thing that I did not notice in the write-up is that the unit comes with two "slime socks" to filter very small particles."
"I did spend a couple hours this morning vacuuming to get it "caught up," and here's what I found: 1) Whoever said you need to invest in a pole for it must not own a pool skimmer. Tons of suction and in minutes the thing was full of what looked like pesto. 4) The panty hose also made it a LOT easier to close (they're thinner). 8) After a couple hours of farting around and playing with it, my pool looked clean, but I wanted to run down the battery so I could recharge it. We live in a very windy area with lots of plants, trees, bugs, etc."
"I just am amazed at how this cleaned my 24 ft round pool and still had power to go longer! I hate having to lug out all the heavy hoses and connect them to the pool inlet. My reviews are completely honest and are my personal experiences with the product. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission Guidelines on Testimony and Advertising."
"We were able to clean the pool more quickly than we expected and it was easy to thoroughly clean the complete pool."
Best Pool Chemicals & Water Testing Products
Nature2 SPA is perfect for spa owners looking for an eco-friendly, low maintenance alternative to heavy chlorine or bromine to keep their spa clean and free of harmful bacteria and viruses. Nature2's patented technology uses minerals to destroy bacteria for up to four months in portable spas. Enter your model number to make sure this fits.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"It doesn't fit in the Intex filters so I just used a zip tie to attach it to the water inlet jet so the water is always flowing through it."
"We are not heavy users of our hot tub but it lasts at least 6 months for me."
"So, I have a ring that has inside threads at 1.5", I have a 90 degree elbow that is 1.5" on one end and 1.25" on the other end, I have a 1.25" short length of pipe, then I have an elbow at the bottom."
"I recently had to repair a leak in our tub and decided to start fresh when I had to refill it."
"I use a large wire cutter to cut the rod down to the point where the "hot springs" model (gray instead of yellow)."
"These are very convenient and effectively keep the spa water clear."
"I previously used bromine and it worked but caused lung irritation."
"Been using these for years, in our old hot tub and now the new one."