Paul

Looking to Buy a Robotic Pool Cleaner?

Are you looking to buy a robotic pool cleaner and don’t know where to start? Below are a few of our favourite robotic pool cleaners and a breif rundown on why we love them.

Maytronics S150

Maytronics S150 Dolphin
Maytronics S150 Dolphin

The Maytronics Dolphin S150 is reasonably priced at $1999, but even though it is one of the cheapest robotic pool cleaners on the market, it is a brilliant machine. The Maytronics S series – also available rebadged as the X, Trident Hydro, AW5, plus many more, is a durable and easy to use robotic pool cleaner. In the S Series these models range from the S50 and S100 which are budget options for smaller pools, to the S150, S250 and S400. The S150 to S400 are all essentailly the same robot, however the prices range from $1999 to $3349. What’s the difference?

The S150 utilises the same chassis, filter and motor as the top of the range S400 however to bring the price down, Maytronics have removed features from the S150. The S150 features a shorter 15m swivel cable, no timer features, no WiFi and a 2-year limited warranty as opposed to the 4-year comprehensive warranty of the S400.

For smaller pools and customers who dont need these extra features, the S150 is a brilliant robot with a durable motor and simply drive system. We love the price, the simplicity and the low cost of servicing.

Maytronics Dolphin M550

Maytronics M550
Maytronics M550

The Dolphin M550 was released to the market in 2024 and in our opinion has been a game changer. The M550, priced at $3099, is based on the flagship Dolphin M700, and while the M700 is a great machine, the price at $3899 is just out of reach for some.

The Dolphin M550 is a dual drive robotic pool cleaner, meaning that the robot contains two drive motors, one for each track. This allows the robot to turn on the spot and efficiently navigate any pool. The key difference between the M550 and other robots, is that the motor has been simplified by removing the Servo motor and LED card. This both reduces the price, and increases durability.

What did the servo motor and LED do you ask? The servo motor is what allows other robots from travel horizontally along the waterline, the LED was simply flashing lights. Whilst some may miss the waterline cleaning, the removal of the servo motor mans there is one less component that can fail as the robot ages.

Contact paul@roboticsrepair.com.au or 02 8606 2425

How Long do Robotic Pool Cleaners Last?

A common complaint among Robotic Pool Cleaner owners is how long they last compared to the customers’ expectations for the robot. But how long your robot lasts is actually entirely up to the customer. The biggest cause of premature robot failure is improper use by the customer, which is in turn a failure of the retailer to properly explain how to use their robot.

Let’s look at why robots fail and what you can do to minimise these issues.

Overuse
If you look at the side of the box that your robot comes in, or in the manual, you’ll likely see that the manufacturer states that the robot should be used no more than three times per week. This is despite the contradictory fact that when you log into your robot on the app, the first timer option is to have the robot run every single day.

The reason the manufacturer states this is that the electrical components in your robot, like all things, have a predetermined life expectancy. Many manufacturers have a clause within their warranties that states 3 years or X amount of hours, meaning if you reach the maximum hours in 1 year as opposed to three, your warranty expires.

If you want your robot to last ten years, then you need to use it as little as possible. If you are running your robot around a clean pool that no one is using, then you are shortening its life unnecessarily.
Use your robot only as required, and when not in use, take it out of the pool.

Chemical Damage

Robotic Pool Cleaners work in the harshest environment of any domestic appliance. Chlorine is literally designed to destroy foreign matter in the pool, combine that with fluctuating acidity, salinity, temperatures, and other chemicals – your robot is coping it from all angles every time it is in the pool.

So what can you do about it?

Testing
To begin with, you should be testing your water regularly, not every two to four weeks at the pool shop, but at home with a simple test strip at least once a week if not twice. Only by doing this will you start to get an understanding of how your pool reacts to environmental factors such as temperature and rain. If your chlorine is high or pH too low, then your robot should not be in the pool, nor should your family, but at least they have a longer warranty.

Adding Chemicals
We see chemical damaged robots every day, and a common response from customers is that they always have their water tested, the chlorine is never high, or that they have a service company look after it. And herein lies the problem. Assume you take your water to the shop and they say the chlorine is low, great, it’s not high so it’s not damaging the robot, but what are the pool shops telling you to do? Add chlorine? Did you take the robot out when you added a shock dose of chlorine, acid, or 5 bags of salt? All these chemicals are heavier than water, so they go right to the bottom of the pool and what else is down there, your $3000 robotic pool cleaner!
The same goes for pool service technicians, are they taking your robot out of the pool when they add chemicals? They don’t have time to dose the pool and let the chemicals distribute through the pool, they are in and out as quickly as they can, and your robot is often left in a soup of aggressive chemicals as a result.
Want your robot to last ten years? If chemicals are being added to your pool, your robot needs to be out of the pool.

Lack of Servicing
When you buy a car do we expect it to last forever without servicing? No, we follow the rules and service as per the service schedule, and thus our cars last as we expect. A car can literally last for 50 years if the service schedule is followed, but in that time, the service schedule will replace nearly every wearing component, and we won’t bat an eyelid.
When it comes to robotic pool cleaners, servicing is often completely neglected, retailers fail to mention it, even the manufacturer never mentions it, but like a car, the motors and moving parts on your robot need to be replaced periodically if they are to last. Your robot should be serviced every two years under normal use conditions. But if you’re using your robot every single day, then service it every year.
Maytronics robots have the best warranty available on any robot and the high cost of a good quality robot has factored in some servicing under warranty, if nothing else, bring your robot in for a service before the warranty ends, and then once you’re past the warranty period, get it serviced at least every two years.

Neglect
Australians love our pools. During the hot summer there is no better place than in the pool, early morning swims to wake up, afternoon swims after work, and getting friends and family together over weekends, the pool is the place to be in summer! But, when the weather cools down the pool is quickly abandoned like in a zombie apocalypse movie. This period when pools first cool off is a killer for robots. As the weather and the pool water cools, with no swimmers in the water, your chlorine demand plummets, but often your chlorinator is still working away like it’s midsummer, slowly but surely increasing the chlorine level in your pool to the point where it will destroy anything in the water.
We see a massive influx of bleached white robots between June and July each year after pools have been left unchecked at the end of summer. Once the summer hangover has passed we pop our heads down to the pool and notice that our beloved robot is dead in the water.
How do we avoid this? Don’t neglect the end-of-summer routine, continue to test the water and reduce your chlorine output as required. If your chlorine spikes, take the robot out until the balance has been restored.

Contact paul@roboticsrepair.com.au or 02 8606 2425

Maytronics Wave Commercial Rental

For commercial swimming pools and aquatic facilities, the Maytronics Wave Commercial Robotic Pool Cleaner is a vital piece of equipment. These robotic pool cleaners are put to work daily to reduce the manual workload involved in keeping high-bather load aquatic facilities in pristine condition and ready for the next day.

The downside is that these Robotic Pool Cleaners are very expensive, require regular servicing, and get knocked around by staff. But what if there was a better way? Sydney Pool Robotics is introducing Wave Commercial Rentals into the market. Instead of a massive upfront cost, you pay a monthly fee for 3 years with nothing more to pay. All servicing and repairs are covered within your fee and at the end of the term, you can upgrade to a new unit or exchange your rented unit for a brand new Wave Robotic Pool Cleaner.

This will reduce your facility’s outlay on equipment and remove altogether ongoing servicing costs and downtime for your robotic pool cleaners, with scheduled servicing and loaner units provided whilst your machine is offsite.

Robotic pool cleaners available for rental include the Maytronics Wave 300, Wave 300XL, Wave 200, Wave 150, Wave Pro Expert 2×2, and Wave 100.

If this sounds like something that could benefit your facility please get in touch, and we’ll work out a package that gives you the best possible outcome.

Contact paul@roboticsrepair.com.au or 02 8606 2425

maytronics wave 300
Maytronics Wave 300

Cordless Robotic Pool Cleaners? Do They Live Up to the Hype?

Corded robotic pool cleaner v cordless

If you are in the market for a Robotic Pool Cleaner, chances are you’ve come across the new cordless options. Every manufacturer has one, but are they worth the money and do they actually make cleaning your pool easier?

Cordless V’s Corded, Pro’s and Cons

Corded

A traditional Robotic Pool Cleaner typically comes with a floating cable of around 18 meters, enough for most backyard pools. These cables feature a swivel connection to prevent tangling and connect the robot to the control system.

Pro’s
High performance motors allow for high suction
Unrestricted run times
Easy to remove from the pool using the cable
Always connected to WiFi
Larger debris basket capacity
Cheaper to service and will last longer
Can be used over and over again without needing to remove from the pool.

Con’s
Cable can be considered unsightly

Cordless

Cordless Robotic Pool Cleaners are smaller than their corded predecesers and designed for lighter duties.

Pro’s
No unsightly cable
Have to be removed from the pool so less exposure to damaging water chemistry.

Con’s
Not suitable for large pools
Smaller size restricts debris collecting capacity
Battery requires charging after each use
Battery requires replacement after 3 years
Difficult to remove from the pool

Conclusion

Overall the removal of the cord on a robotic pool cleaner leaves you with a less capable and more expensive Robotic Pool Cleaner when it comes to the full lifetime of the robot. Replacement batteries are expensive and the performance of the robot will likley deteriorate as the battery ages. Compare that to a traditional robot that will work tirelessley for years, the cable is in our opinion a feature that whilst unsightly, gives the best value for money. There are also new cable options on the market that allow the cable to be connected inside the pool, giving the best of both worlds.

Robotic Pool Cleaners and Customer Expectations

As a pioneer in Sydney’s Robotic Pool Cleaner service industry, Sydney Pool Robotics stands as a trailblazer in the transformative wave sweeping across the pool maintenance sector. A decade ago, the sight of a Robotic Pool Cleaner in a backyard was a rarity, as the majority of pools relied on traditional cleaning methods such as the classic Kreepy Krauly suction cleaner or the Polaris and Jetvac pressure cleaners.

In today’s landscape, the once-prevalent traditional pool cleaners have fallen out of favour, making way for the ascendancy of the Robotic Pool Cleaner as the undisputed ruler of pool maintenance.

Nevertheless, the transition comes with a shift in dynamics. Unlike the straightforward, low-cost nature of the old-fashioned pool cleaners, Robotic Pool Cleaners represent a more sophisticated breed of electronic devices that demand a level of care far beyond their predecessors. In times gone by, a Kreepy Krauly could be purchased for under $1000, effortlessly installed into the pool, and then essentially forgotten about. It would dutifully navigate the pool for hours each day, gathering leaves and debris with a certain clumsiness, only necessitating attention when its parts wore down to dust. Replacement spares were a minimal expense, typically costing under $100, allowing pool owners to swiftly resume their pool maintenance routine.

Fast forward to the present, and the landscape has shifted dramatically. Robotic Pool Cleaners, while offering unparalleled efficiency and capabilities, come at a higher price point due to their advanced technology. The days of a pool cleaner being a set-and-forget investment are a thing of the past. These electronic marvels require a more conscientious approach to maintenance and care, necessitating a departure from the ease of the traditional pool cleaning era.

Optimising the Performance and Longevity of Your Robotic Pool Cleaner

One recurring concern among owners of Robotic Pool Cleaners is the expectation that these devices can be left in the pool continuously, operating daily. Disappointment arises when, despite the initial investment, the expensive Robotic Pool Cleaner exhibits signs of wear and lasts only three years. It’s crucial to understand that this expectation is a carryover from outdated practices, as Robotic Pool Cleaners are not designed for continuous, daily operation.

So, how can you ensure that your Robotic Pool Cleaner remains efficient and lasts for an extended period? This guide outlines three key rules often overlooked during the purchase of a Robotic Pool Cleaner that are essential for promoting the longevity of the unit.

Strategic Use Patterns

Robotic Pool Cleaners, being intricate mechanical devices, share similarities with automobiles in terms of wear and tear. The more these devices are in use, the faster their components degrade. Drawing an analogy to car maintenance, consider that if you accumulate 100,000 kilometers on your car in a year, it would need servicing ten times based on the typical 10,000 km service schedule. Similarly, a Robotic Pool Cleaner benefits from less frequent servicing when used less frequently.

Quality Robotic Pool Cleaners log operational information onboard, tracking cycles, hours of operation, and faults such as being out of water, part cycles, and motor overloads. Historical data analysis reveals that an average Robotic Pool Cleaner requires a running gear check after 250 runs and electrical component servicing after 500 runs. While these are average figures, it’s important to note exceptions to the norm. We recommend using Robotic Pool Cleaners twice a week whenever possible, accumulating around 100 runs annually. This approach necessitates servicing every second year, allowing the unit to operate smoothly for at least five years before major intervention is required. Conversely, daily operation mandates annual servicing, with a likelihood of major failures within two to three years.

This critical information is often overlooked during the purchase of a Robotic Pool Cleaner but is indispensable for managing customer expectations. Running your robot every day is not a sustainable practice for its longevity.

Water Chemistry

Robotic Pool Cleaners operate in arguably the harshest domestic environment, exposed to water, sunlight, and chemicals designed to break down and destroy foreign substances. Following the guidelines outlined in your Robotic Pool Cleaner’s manual, maintaining the ideal water balance is imperative:

  • Chlorine levels should not exceed 5ppm
  • pH levels between 7.2 and 7.8
  • Salt levels should not surpass 5000ppm

This balance is crucial because the components of your Robotic Pool Cleaner are designed to tolerate it. Deviations from this range result in rapid degradation of components, particularly in high chlorine environments. Rubber tracks and seals degrade swiftly in such conditions, and once the seal fails on the motor block, the inevitability of your robot’s failure becomes apparent.

Regular Servicing

Similar to automobiles and other mechanical devices, Robotic Pool Cleaners require routine servicing. Components such as foam rollers, climbing rings, and brushes are vital to the robot’s operation. These are wearing parts, and once worn, your robot may struggle to perform tasks such as climbing walls. Continued attempts to climb under stress can put excessive pressure on the motor, shortening its lifespan.

At Sydney Pool Robotics, we strongly recommend an annual check for all robots. Conducting this check during the winter ensures that, barring any unforeseen events, your robot will dutifully maintain your pool’s cleanliness throughout the swimming season.

By adhering to these guidelines, you not only optimize the performance of your Robotic Pool Cleaner but also extend its operational lifespan, making your investment in cutting-edge pool maintenance technology truly worthwhile.

Robotic Pool Cleaners and Water Chemistry

At Sydney Pool Robotics we often see Robotic Pool Cleaners that have been subject to improper water chemistry. Many robot owners feel ripped off when their robot does not last as long as they had hoped, however in many instances user error is the reason why the robot has failed. And it’s not necessarily the owners fault, too often the proper way to use and care for a robot is not relayed to the client by the retailer.

Within your Robotic Pool Cleaner owners manual, which we know most people do not read, you’d notice that it states the ideal water balance for your robot is as follows:

Chlorine no higher that 4ppm
pH Between 7.0 and 7.8ppm
Maximum salt level 5000ppm.

When your robot is subject to water chemistry outside of these ranges, rapid and permanent damage can be caused to the electrical and mechanical components. The leading cause of premature failure of robotic pool cleaners is high chlorine. High chlorine bleaches your robots exterior, decays the cable and tracks, and worse of all, causes the failure of seals on the motor. Once these seals have failed, water enters the motor unit and destroys the electrical components.

We typically see a spike in High Chlorine related failures around July each year and the reason for this is likely the reduced chlorine demand from your pool. Throughout summer, your saltwater chlorinator is generating chlorine all day just to keep up with the demand from warm water and high bather loads, but as the water cools the demand for this chlorine drops. However, no one tells your saltwater chlorinator this, and it continues generating chlorine regardless, gradually causing the chlorine level in your pool to reach dangerous levels. This high chlorine will then cause expensive damage not only to your Robotic Pool Cleaner, but to components of your filtration system.

High chlorine is easily identifiable. Keep an eye out for these tell tale signs:

  • Strong odour of chlorine when removing the robot from the pool.
  • Bleached white debris within the robot.
  • Decaying cable and tracks.

If you detect any of these issues, remove your robot from the pool and wash it down with fresh water. Do not return the robot to the pool until the water balance has been addressed.

How to Avoid Chemical Damage

The best way to avoid chemical damage to your Robotic Pool Cleaner is to know your pool. Purchase some test strips that allow you to regularly test your water at home, this will help you get an understanding of chlorine demand in your pool. You’ll notice variations from season to season, and even week to week as the weather changes. Adjust your chlorinators output as required as per the test results, if the chlorine level is low, increase the output. If the chlorine level is high, reduce the output.

Ideally, remove your robot from the pool when not in use, put it in to clean the pool and remove it when it is finished. We know this isn’t always feasible, but it is best practice and will extend the life of your robot.

Lastly, have your robot serviced annually. Your Robotic Pool Cleaner is a sophisticated piece of electrical equipment that operates underwater in harsh conditions. Annual servicing is a must if you are going to keep your robot in good working order. Even during the warranty period a quick trip to a service center will allow trained technicians to look over your robot and they may be able to resolve minor issues that could have become major expenses.

Decayed Tracks showing chlorine damage
Decaying Tracks from High Chlorine
Bleached Debris Inside the Filter Compartment
Discoloured Cable