Regardless of whether it is an above ground pool or an inground pool, the water in a vinyl finish pool all needs to be balanced and stabilised, and regularly checked for imbalances. Safety Tips for Owners, The vinyl liners in residential pools can be. Its critical to understand what may cause a liner to be susceptible to damage during cleaning. It leaked, it cracked and then it literally fell off the walls. Now our favorite energy efficient pool cleaner of the moment is the recently reviewed Dolphin Sigma, its a beast of a cleaner with triple motor pawer and all the bells and whistles you could want. At one end is the Dolphin Sigma robotic pool cleaner, at the other, the Aquabot pool rover and in between is about $1000. A robotic pool cleaner getting tangled with toys or solid objects with sharpedgesthat it can drag along may cause tears, leaks, or other damage to vinyl liners. If you do have a problem, while they are happy to sort it, it seems making that initial contact can sometimes be a bit of a frustration for many people. Complete were able to resurface the existing pool shell with an Aqualux Pool Finish, creating a waterproof membrane which covers the entire surface. The build quality of this machine is thoughtful, and in examining it there is no reason I would be concerned with using it on a liner. If you want the clean look of a pool without a hose and cleaner 99% of the time and happy to rinse off the cartridges after every clean, then a robot will suit you. Thus, the brushes or scrubbers are unlikely to damage your pools vinyl unless the liner is in dire condition. While everyone is comfortable with using robotic cleaners on more sturdy surfaces, there remains a little uncertainty when it comes to a vinyl pool liner as there seems to be a fear that they may increase wear and tear and shorten the lifespan of a pool. Robotic pool cleaners can go about their task without any supervision or manual intervention. The biggest issue I have with robots is the cleaning! The second type of staining is from metals in the pool water. Robotic cleaners are designed to be put in the pool once or twice a week for up to 2 hours to roam around the pool in a random pattern and vacuum all the dirt and leaves from the floor and walls. This kind of damage may be cosmetic or structural. If you have a soft surface such as PVC, the suction cleaner can rub and wear the surface over time, and if it doesnt move evenly over all parts of the pool, you may see its common path in form of a wear track, usually around the wall to floor junction. However, in the last few years, robotic cleaners have become quite affordable, so are gaining popularity with pool owners. So first off, lets take a quick look at above ground pools. A pools vinyl liner at or around thewaterlineis usually the most vulnerable because the portion remains exposed. An automatic pool cleaner sinks as it gets filled with water and the diaphragm inside stabilizes it when submerged. While the wheels or tracks movement, vacuum action, brushing, or scrubbing may not damage the floor or walls, the same abrasion may be too much around the waterline. The mesh reinforcing layer stabilises the fabric and stops it from shrinking or expanding. If you find that all of these options are a little out of your price range, you could also consider a suction pool cleaner. Can I use a robot pool cleaner in my vinyl pool? The most effective way to solve these leaks is with the installation of a flexible, waterproof membrane such as a pool liner, or an Aqualux pool finish. With a three layer design, AquaForce has a PVC base ply, a layer of reinforced polyester mesh, then topped with another ply of PVC. Most liners are made from a PVC film. Using a clean container or bottle, hold it upside down so that the opening is facing the pool floor, and insert it into the water, about elbow deep. While its not common, its certainly not unusual for glass pool fences to suddenly shatter without warning. While most cleaners themselves may not cause damage to your vinyl liner, this isnt to say that a liner may not be at risk when using a pool cleaner robotic or not. This was my first mistake as although the fence shattered into small 10mmx10mm size pieces, many of them were clumped together and too big to fit through the vacuum head opening or suction hose. However, any anomaly can change this, whether its the condition of your vinyl liner or the functions of the robotic pool cleaner. vacuum pool head vinyl weighted triangle clear Traditional PVC liners can be delivered to site fully welded in one piece, but AquaForce reinforced PVC liners are always fabricated on site, as they do not stretch or form to the pool shape. All three layers are homogeneously bonded together during the manufacturing processto be permanently fused. The only thing the pebble added value to was the builders wallet. From the filtration system to maintenance needs, theres no doubt that there are a wide variety of features that a robotic cleaner can offer. Luckily, this time around they found themselves in contact with a reputable pool builder. Getting the water balance right in a vinyl lined pool is a little different to a pebble, tiled or other finished pool. If increasing the acidity (lowering PH in the pool) removes the staining temporarily, then it indicates a problem with metals. The pool was finished and ready to swim within 2 weeks. A typical vinyl liner can be dry, scaled, and susceptible to peeling or chipping at or near the waterline and coping. However, under certain environmental conditions (likely to be found in an indoor pool) the fabric of a standard PVC liner can sometimes start to absorb water. For example, the Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus from Maytronics is the robotic cleaner that both my brother-in-law and I currently use. This Glascon pool in Brisbane is one of them. If this happens, there is no reversing of the process, and the life span of the liner is greatly reduced. Now you may have noticed that our recommendations all come from Maytronics Dolphin range of robotic pool cleaners. However, if the wheels or tracks continue to run in the same spot, the liner surface may suffer some or significant wear and tear. Dont just install another pool liner. Plus you have to wrestle with the cleaner and hose when you want a quick swim as most pool owners just dont bother to remove the vacuum from the pool. Turn it over and allow it to fill before bringing it back out of the pool. The correct chemical balance varies depending on your pool interior finish. After years of above ground pool fun, we took the leap and got our first in-ground pool installed. You dont have to worry about any scratching, slicing, or piercing action on the vinyl liner! There are simply so many features to take into consideration, but whether you want high suction pool cleaners, quality filtration system, an incredible navigation system or all of the above, youll find that theres something out there for you. By the addition of an algaecide or a super dose of chlorine, the algae will die and then it can be brushed off the pool surface and permanently removed. PH, total chlorine levels, ventilation and bathing load are all thought to be contributing factors. And when you do finally take the vacuum out, no one ever lays the hose out nice and straight, to minimise any effects of hose kinks on the cleaners performance. The one downside to this pool robot is that it is not designed to clean walls. Lets look at a few more things to consider before you settle on the right automatic robotic pool cleaner for you, like: Make sure the robot you buy can handle your pool. If your pool surface is quite abrasive, then the robot will have less wear on its tracks and rollers as it is only used for relative small amounts of time, but the wearing parts need to be compatible otherwise you will need to replace them quite quickly. However, it carries the price tag to match, you can find the latest price on Amazon here. Most robotic pool cleaners do not damage vinyl liners as their components are made of smooth plastic, rubber scrub brushes, and rubber wheels. A standard inground pool liner might work quite adequately in Asia, Europe or the Americas, but bring it to Australia and its a different story alltogether. There are three main causes of what appears to be staining or marks on a pool interior surface. vacuum poolmaster pool curved vinyl swimming liner essential tear repair aid liner vinyl pool tape swimline patch swimming underwater pack The robot takes about 7 minutes each time I clean it and I have to do this at least every week whereas I only backwash my sand filter every 4-6 weeks. Testing your pool water (chemical balance is important). If your pool has a soft finish, the robot makes sense as again it is only used for small amount of time, but you need to make sure the areas of contact with your pool finish are compatible so as not to create wear spots. So with that said, which one is best? A week later, I am very happy to report that my pool fence company has replaced the panel, and my Aqualux pool finish was up to the challenge, and proved tough enough to withstand the glass and has no cuts or leaks! You wouldnt buy a car made by Nikon, would you? If you look closely at a section of affected PVC, you can see the surface is weakened, and prone to forming tiny cracks that can develop into larger tears. The performance isnt up there with the E10, but it is still a nifty little machine and a few $$s cheaper. The brushes and scrubbers will have some abrasive effect, but it is not sharp and certainly wont pierce the vinyl. These robots need a power source, so the cable has to stretch far enough to enable complete cleaning. Another obvious consideration, how much to spend on you robotic cleaners? resurfacing your fibreglass shell with Aqualux, and see some before and after photos on our main website. Where on the pool should I position my reel. And rather than just go ahead and build a whole new pool inside the existing one, he suggested installing a pool liner, and put them in touch with Complete Pool Liners. Also, the water parameters or poorchemistrycan adversely affect the vinyl. If your pool has been overchlorinated or kept at incorrect chemical levels, this degradation will occur much faster than it should have. Once this dye staining has occurred, the stain can be lightened sometimes with the addition of high levels of chlorine introduced into the pool, but usually the staining is permanent and cannot be removed. It really is a matter of opinion. These microbes feed off nutrients in the ground water (like seepage from a septic system or other grey water) and they secrete dyes that will stain the liner from the underneath and can flow through to the inside surface of the pool. Naturally that pool builder has since left the Brisbane area, and not covered by insurance, the homeowners were left to sort out the mess themselves. Please see our disclosure page for more information. The rolls of the AquaForce fabric are laid in the pool and overlapped to form seams that are welded on site. In some instances, a robotic pool cleaner may get stuck without any obstruction due to some mechanical or electrical failures. First we need to understand a little about the conditions, and thats why Aqualux was developed here in Australia, specifically for Australian conditions. But all in all, this robot offers outstanding value. DO NOT use these levels on any other pool finish. But it is still one of the easiest surfaces to keep the pool balanced and looking good ready to swim. Costing many thousands of dollars to install, the pebble interior lasted around 12 months before it failed. Standard vinyl liners last for about5 to 10 years. Lowering the PH just puts the metal into solution, it doesnt remove it from the water and that is why it will re-appear when the PH is balanced it precipitates from solution and plates onto the pool interior surface. In fact, you will struggle to find an above ground pool cleaner that does. Click here to check the latest price of the Dolphin E10 on Amazon. You can see more about resurfacing your fibreglass shell with Aqualux, and see some before and after photos on our main website. It has outstanding cleaning power while being up to 8 times more efficient when compared to many other cleaners. The wrinkles usually start on the floor of the pool, but can be all over the whole liner. Of course, look what other people are saying about a pool cleaner before you commit, a fantastic resource for this is Amazon. The owners were happy with the price, and couldnt be happier with the result. A pools layout, vinyl liners condition, and variable factors in a given setting can cause problems. Coral Sand has a real pebblecrete appearance, and gives the pool a pale blue/turquoise hue when filled with water. However, the Dolphin robotic pool cleaner price isnt inflated and still offers excellent value. The Science Explained, Do All Swimming Pools Need To Be Grounded? An Aqualux pool finish is a specialist, flexible pool interior which is designed for Australias harsh climate, to out-perform other similar pool finishes. In 1990 ABGAL were the first company in Australia to use a single ply robotic cutting system to fabricate vinyl products. The surface also develops a rough feeling to the skin, and is no longer smooth like it was when it was new. As you do, they trusted their pool builders advice, and decided to go ahead with the pebble coat. If you ever suspect your robot has caused abrasion to your pool finish, just check the tracks and the underside of the unit you will likely see some of the pool surface colour on it and maybe some worn plastic parts. Fading above the water level is just weathering from the sun constantly beating down on the plastic resin surface of the Fibreglass gel coat. You can check out the details of it on Amazon here. Glascon pools have a concrete base, and use a rolled fibreglass sheeting for the walls.
ardless of whether it is an abov