The Pool Doctor's Exclusive
BUYER'S GUIDE

HOW TO BUY A POOL CLEANER

Choices, Choices, Choices

    By last count there were over 150 automatic pool cleaners, a new assortment of virtually identical garden hose cleaners and pool and spa wands.  Add to this the two or three central cleaning systems, plus of course the old, tried and true, arduous traditional manual method. It's a daunting task.

   We are the experts in the industry having sold virtually every automatic cleaner there is, and researched, tested and taken consumer and industry surveys of dealers and distributors.  Here's our recommendations:

1.) Decide What You Want To Remove From Your Pool.
      Only our Blue Line, the Aquabots (which we do not recommend) and our Battery-Powered Pool Buster
       Max CG Gold and EC Platinum and Silver    inflatable pool cleaners can remove microscopic debris.
      Nothing else will work. Not Suction-Side (Kreepy Kauleys, Baracuda, Haywards). No Pressure-Side
      (Polaris, Letro and Hayward Viper and Phantoms). Not Dolphins or TigerSharks. If you can live without
      out cleaning fine sand, silt, algae, disease-causing insect droppings, minutes stain-causing particles, then
       consider something other than a robotic or Pool Busters.  With varying success, other cleaners may remove
       larger debris, like stones, twigs, acorns and leaves.

2.) Decide How Much You Can Spend.
      When purchasing pool cleaners, not always, but most of the time you get what you pay for. Our $749 Blue
       Pearl is priced competitively with the least expensive robotics,, despite being the # 2 rated pool cleaner in
       the world. Pressure side cleaners require a separate, energy-wasting booster pump, together with the
       cleaner (Polaris, Hayward Viper, Letro) can easily cost $500-$900, plus the cost of an electrician. But be
       aware!  Pressure-side cleaners are not true vacuums. They create a small amount of vacuum which will trap
       larger debris as it passes by. On the low end of the scale ($129-$450 are Suction-Side Cleaners like the
       Kreepy Krauly, Baracuda and Hayward Navigator. These no not vacuums either, but simply extended
       vacuum heads. 

      Factor initial purchase price into your yearly operational costs.  Generally, the more expensive the
      the cleaner, the more it does, and the less your main filter and pump must do.  Running a main filter
      pump can cost up to 30 cents an hour just in electricity. The more it works, the more debris it sucks in that
      clogs the filter, and requires backwashing. Backwashing wastes hundreds of gallons of water and the
      chemicals in that water. The more you run your main filter and pump, the more wear and tear on it, the
      more wear and tear, the greater the chance for breakdown and need for maintenance, and the shorter the
      life of your entire system. See our actual cost chart. Pressure and Suction side cleaners can cost you over
     $3.00 a day, just in electricity. 100 days later in the first year you own your cleaner, and you've made up
     the $300 difference in purchase price between the inexpensive cleaner you purchased and a robotic, fully
     independent cleaner.

3.) Do Your Homework.  Compare. Compare, Compare!
      Pool Dealers and Pool Service Companies very often have sell with a disturbing conflict of interest.
      Manufacturers like Polaris Pool Systems solicit them all the time, and offer them sweetheart deals and even
      vacations to Hawaii and other exotic vacations based on a point system. They earn points by selling only
      the manufacturer's products. We made a dramatic change in our system by deciding not to sell the 150+
      brands and models we did in the past, and concentrate only on the very best pool cleaners in each
      category. Use our charts!

10 Reasons NOT To Buy A Suction-Side Cleaner (Kreepy Krauly, any Baracuda, any Hayward, any Sta-Rite, etc.)
 All: 1.) Require installation; 2.) Or, Require staying in the pool all the time; 3.) Are not really
               vacuums, but extended vacuums heads (they do nothing independently); 4.) Cause
               enormous wear and tear on your main filter and pump; 4.) Increase backwashing needs;
               5.) Reduce the suction power of your main filter and pump up to 50%; 6.) Result in 2X
               the amount of electricity being consumed; 7.) Have cumbersome, messy and ugly
               hoses, which bake in the sun and rot in chlorine; 8) Require constant inspection and
               frequent maintenance; 9.) Do not remove fine debris, like algae and sand; 10.) Are
               all over the pool (random coverage of areas that are not even dirty) and do not brush
              (vibrating pads are not brushes; to brush, you need brushes!).
             

10 Reasons NOT To Buy A Pressure-Side Cleaner (Polaris, Letro, Hayward Phantom or Viper, Baracuda Mars , etc.)
 All: 1.) Require installation; 2.) Or, Require staying in the pool all the time; 3.) Are not really
               vacuums, but extended expensive versions of garden hose cleans, which have weak,
               secondary vacuum-effect for only the largest debris;  4.) Cause enormous wear and tear
               on your main filter and pump (they do nothing independently); 5.) Increase backwashing
               needs;  6.) Reduce the suction power of your main filter and pump up to 50%; 6.) Result in
               2-4Xs the amount of electricity being consumed; 7.) Have cumbersome, messy and ugly
               hoses, which bake in the sun and rot in chlorine; 8) Require constant inspection and
               frequent maintenance; 9.) Do not remove fine debris, like algae and sand; 10.) Are
               all over the pool (random coverage of areas that are not even dirty) and do not brush
              (vibrating pads are not brushes; to brush, you need brushes!). AND 10 A.) Require
               installation of energy-wasting (up to 40 amps per hour) booster pumps!

10 Reasons NOT To Buy An Aquabot:
 All: 1.) Are either unproved new models, or 20-Year old technology; 2.) Clean in a slow,
              ineffective, time wasting and maintenance-causing Zig Zag cleaning pattern. 3.) Use 
              brittle, poor-climbing, immediately-deteriorating old fashioned brushes; 4.) Generally
              have a 1 year factory warranty (a sign of lack of confidence in their durability); 5.) Wear
              out far quicker than a Blue Diamond or Blue Pearl, requiring expensive repairs or
              replacement; 6.) Do not come with a convenient, practical caddy cart; 7.) Are extremely
              overpriced; 8.) Offer so many models, that the company does not concentrate it's effort
              building a few, well-tested models; 9.) Lack of one-the-spot, caring customer service
             as that offered by Water Tech, manufacturer of the Blue Diamond and Blue Pearl;
             10.) Do not make periodic turns, required for full floor coverage.

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 10 Reasons NOT To Buy Dolphins and
      Tiger Sharks:
 All: 1.) Are either unproved new models, or 30-Year old
              technology; 2.) Clean in a very slow,
              ineffective, time wasting and maintenance-
               causing Zig Zag cleaning pattern. 3.) Use 
              brittle, poor-climbing, immediately-deteriorating
              old fashioned brushes; 4.) Generally have a 1 year
              factory warranty (a sign of lack of confidence in
              their durability); 5.) Wear out far quicker than a
              Blue Diamond or Blue Pearl, requiring expensive
              repairs or replacement; 6.) Do not oil, hydro-
              sealed in motor compartments, which are
              necessary for  lubrication, cool operation and
              powerful suction; 7.) DO NOT FILTER ALGAE OR FINE SAND AND SILT' 8.) All parts come from Israel, delaying repairs for weeks, if not months;  9.) Drive and Pump Motor share a common motor case, requiring repair or replacement of both motors whenever one is not working properly;  10.) Do not make periodic turns, required for full floor coverage.