How often should I use my robotic pool cleaner?

How often you should run your automatic pool cleaners depends on a few different factors. The short answer is that the more you use the pool, the more often you should run your cleaner. To answer the question in more detail, here are some things to consider.

How Well-Used Is Your Pool?

If you’re the only person using the pool, you might get away with a once or twice weekly clean. If you’ve got a family of four and their friends using the pool, you’ll want to clean the pool daily.

Why?

Every person that jumps in the water adds dust and small bits of dirt. They might even track in leaves or grass from the pool area. That matter may not leave a big mess in the pool, but it’ll start to decompose in the water. If it’s left in there too long, it’ll disrupt the pool’s pH level.

Do You Have a Pool Cover?

If it’s winter, and you’ve left the pool cover on the whole time, you can run the cleaner once a month for good measure. If it’s summer, and you’re using the pool a few hours a day, but covering it the rest of the time, you should run the cleaner at least twice a week.

What's Around Your Pool?

Do you have a wooden deck or pavers? Then there’s likely to be less dirt tracked into the pool from the outside. If you’ve got a garden around the pool, there’s more chance of vegetation falling into the water. The wind may also blow sand particles into the pool.

If this applies to your home, you'll have to clean the pool more often.

Tips for a Cleaner Pool

The following steps can prevent debris from landing in the pool, which means you won’t have to run your pool cleaner as often.

• Install a pool cover if you don’t already have one – and use it. Pool covers keep debris out but are also useful in warming the water in winter. Stick to a dark pool cover for the maximum heating effect, or a light colour to reflect heat away from the pool.
• Keep the pool area tidy. Cut back trees and bushes and make sure that all the soil is covered in grass. Earn bonus points by paving the whole area over.
• Consider installing a tap or shower so that people can rinse dirt off their feet before jumping in.
• Make a game of fishing out debris from the pool. Younger children and tweens might enjoy competing to see who can get the debris out fastest.