Cleaning
How pools actually get clean, what each tool does, and where cleaning stops and water chemistry begins.
Guides in Cleaning
- Robotic vs Suction vs Pressure Pool Cleaners: Which Type Fits Your Pool?There is no universally best cleaner type. Robotic cleaners operate independently from the main pool filtration system. Suction cleaners use suction from the pool pump and are often well suited to smaller debris. Pressure cleaners use the pressure side and can be useful for larger debris, but some systems require a booster pump.
- Cordless vs Corded Robotic Pool Cleaners: The Tradeoffs That MatterChoose cordless when cable-free setup is a major priority and the robot's rated runtime and coverage comfortably match your pool. Choose corded when you prefer not to manage charging and the available power-cord length reaches the pool correctly. Cleaning coverage matters more than the word cordless.
- How to Choose a Robotic Pool Cleaner Without Starting With a BrandStart with compatibility, not features. The right robot must be designed for your pool type and size and must clean the surfaces you actually want cleaned. After that, compare debris handling, filter access, cord or battery limitations, retrieval, warranty, and replacement-part availability.
- Why Is My Robotic Pool Cleaner Not Moving?Start with the cleaner's own power/charging and model requirements, then inspect the water-side items the manufacturer allows owners to check. Current Maytronics Dolphin support for a powered robot that does not move tells owners to restart or verify the power supply, check the impeller for debris, and inspect tracks and brushes for obstructions or visible damage. Current cordless Liberty guidance also includes a full charge, proper submersion and clean filters. Those steps are examples from those product families, not universal repair instructions for every robot.
- Why Won't My Robotic Pool Cleaner Climb the Walls?First confirm that the cleaner model is designed to climb the pool's walls and surface. Then clean the robot's filters, inspect its brushes/tracks or other traction components, and check whether algae or biofilm is making the wall slippery. Current Maytronics Liberty support lists clogged filters, incorrectly fitted filter panels, wall biofilm/algae, water balance and the model's operating-temperature range among wall-climbing checks. Use your cleaner's own manual for coverage and temperature limits; do not copy a Dolphin-specific number to another brand.
- Why Does My Robotic Pool Cleaner Stop Mid-Cycle?Separate a normal completed program from a cleaner that stops early with an error. Check the model's selected cycle or mode and any status light first. Current Maytronics Dolphin troubleshooting for a cleaner that starts but fails to complete a cycle checks whether the power supply shuts off, then routes owners through a power-supply restart, impeller debris, tracks/brushes and visible obstructions. Cordless models add battery/charging and model-specific modes. Do not assume an early stop means the motor has failed.
- Why Is My Pressure-Side Pool Cleaner Not Moving or Getting Stuck?Start by identifying the exact pressure-side cleaner and how it is powered. Verify the filter system and any required booster pump are running, then check the model's feed-water path, screens/filters, hose, jets and backup mechanism. Jandy's current Ray-Vac support lists the filter system being off, a normal backup cycle, dirty finger/energy filters, a hole in the hose, a backup Hydro-Timer fault and a plugged transporter jet among causes of a cleaner that stops moving. Polaris/Fluidra also maintains separate troubleshooting for its pressure-cleaner models because the parts and backup systems vary.