Ask any salt water pool owner what the biggest downside to their pool is and they’ll probably tell you it’s the vacuuming. For a regular chlorine pool the balancing of chemicals adds another set of tasks that are mundane but necessary although this tends not to be an issue for salt water pools. Water balancing is usually easier with a salt system.
If only you had a magic self cleaning pool system to do the work for you, vacuuming and cleaning your pool automatically, right? Debris would fall into the pool and get cleaned up without you lifting a finger. Too bad that doesn’t exist…
…or does it?
I happened to come across an interesting concept of a self cleaning pool system that not only keeps the floor of a pool clean, it actually improves a few other important aspects of pool water, too. I decided to take a much closer look.
A self cleaning pool system not only automatically vacuums your pool floor but increases water flow to better distribute chemicals and reduce cold spots making the water temperature more even. This can reduce overall chemical, pump and heating costing while better protecting the chemicals in the pool.
So in addition to the time savings from manual vacuuming, the actual water flow and chemistry may be improved too.
Let’s compare this potentially awesome cleaning option with traditional pool cleaners that tend to get used most commonly and see if it’s really this good.
Self cleaning pool system
A self cleaning pool system is integrated into the floor of the pool and typically uses a series of pop up nozzles to direct water flow and debris in a specific direction towards a main drain. The drain sucks in the debris and collects it in a central canister. A side skimmer similar to a regular pool collects surface debris.
The five main steps in the process are as follows:
- The main water valve manages the flow of water to a series of nozzles and directs the overall management of the system.
- Rotating pop up nozzles on the pool floor similar to garden sprinkler heads direct debris towards the main drain with directional water flow in a coordinated fashion, cleaning the floor of the pool as well as steps and seating that your pool may have. Depending on your pool size you may have 10 – 15 pop up heads installed.
- The main drain at the bottom of the pool sucks in debris and collects it in the containment canister which is manually emptied when needed just like a skimmer basket.
- Large capacity debris canisters and optional side skimmers collect debris at ground level before it reaches the pump which can help to reduce stress on the system.
- A Venturi skimmer collects debris such as leaves that float on the surface of the water which also helps to promote water flow at the surface of the pool. The Venturi effect involves constricting the skimmer to increase water velocity as it flows towards the pool pump.
Here’s a self cleaning pool system from Paramount in action as illustrated in this short video to show us how it actually works.
Self cleaning pools also promote better water circulation
While the main benefit of a self cleaning pool is the automatic vacuuming feature, there are actually several huge side benefits given the design of the system.
Better water flow
The design of a self cleaning vacuum involves a series of small pop up nozzles strategically placed at the bottom of the pool. They pop up and rotate back and forth like a sprinkler head and push debris towards the next nozzle which then pops up and repeats the process. Eventually the debris makes it to the main drain and gets sucked in and collected in the disposal canister.
This level of water flow normally doesn’t exist on the floor in a regular pool. You may have experienced swimming in a pool or ocean where you suddenly reach an area of water that is warmer or cooler than the area you just swam in. In a pool, the deepest water is of course furthest away from the sunlight and is therefore cooler.
But by circulating the water to this degree you help to eliminate cold spots particularly in deeper water which is a problem in virtually every other pool. It’s just how it is. Water returns in most pools are near the top of the pool and the only real water flow at the bottom is water being sucked into the main drain.
This level of bottom floor water flow means you may be able to reduce heating costs while also getting more enjoyment out of the pool given that the temperature throughout the pool will be more consistent.
Better dispersal of chemicals
A related component to better water flow is better dispersal of chemicals. With a regular pool, it typically involves water entering the pump through a side skimmer at the surface and a main drain at the bottom of the pool only. Two or more return jets at the side of the pool send filtered and chlorinated water back into the swimming area.
By better circulating warmer surface water to the bottom and bringing cooler bottom water upwards, it can help to reduce chemical usage due to sun burn off and wind dissipation. Chlorine can die off in a pool in as little as 2 hours when hit with direct sunlight so the more your pool water is circulated, the more likely chemicals in the water are dispersed.
Plus, the less likely you will experience dead spots in the water with little to no circulation which can lead to algae growth.
Self cleaning pool costs and considerations
Online reports suggest that a fully installed in floor pool cleaning system costs between $5,000 and $15,000 list price on top of the actual cost of the pool itself. Given the high cost, it’s likely you can bring the price down given that this sort of system is not the norm and there might be some wiggle room. $5,000 – $10,000 seems to be a more common price range paid.
An infloor pool cleaning system is best installed during a new pool install given that it involves the inclusion of numerous floor mounted water nozzles and extra piping – and possibly an additional pump – which would be difficult if not impossible to install on an existing inground pool.
Is a self cleaning pool system worth it?
When you compare the time and effort of vacuuming your pool each week, you might be happy spending the extra money and eliminating the single most time-consuming aspect of pool ownership.
Having said that, an in floor pool cleaning system does introduce a number of new moving parts into the pool which will eventually break and need to be replaced. How does one replace these moving parts underwater unless you completely drain the pool to do so or get your snorkel gear out?
And anyone who has ever owned a pool knows that larger leaves and twigs frequently get stuck in the main drain and in the vacuum heads. Some debris is just too big to fit through a drain or vacuum head and needs to be manually removed when it blocks the system. This larger debris can also cause trouble in the main drain in a self cleaning pool system.
Finally, the extra parts and plumbing involved can increase the chance of a leak that needs to be repaired.
Self cleaning vs manual vacuuming vs automatic pool vacuum cleaner
There are two traditional ways that pool owners vacuum their pool. Let’s see how they compare to a self cleaning pool system to further see if there’s a benefit in this system worth paying for.
Manual vacuum head
The standard way of vacuuming your pool: You take your vacuum head and attach it your pool hose and pole and then attach your pool hose to the side skimmer for pump suction. You then walk around the pool manually brushing and vacuuming the walls and floors of the pool surface.
In my experience this method generally works well but is of course time consuming. If your pump suction isn’t great for whatever reason, it will negatively impact your ability to properly clean the pool. If the vacuum head falls off the pole (it can happen…) you’ll have to dive in to the bottom of the pool and retrieve it.
How long does it take to manually vacuum a pool?
It’s a loaded question because it depends on the size of the pool, how dirty it is and how efficient you are. Many pool owners spend 20 minutes to 40 minutes each time, perhaps 1-3 times weekly vacuuming their pool.
Automatic pool vacuum
Often referred to as a Kreepy Krauly (or creepy crawly) “automatic” vacuum cleaner. I put the word automatic in quotations because in my experience it depends on the quality of the automatic pool vacuum you purchase and the style and shape of your pool. There are two main types of them to choose from:
Robotic pool vacuum
These automatic pool vacs are motorized, heavy, quite expensive and can work well to clean your pool. They are manually put into the water and automatically run around the pool floor and vacuum up the debris. Some are capable of vacuuming the walls too. They have a canister to collect debris which you empty yourself. Some work off a power source that is plugged into the wall. Others may be battery operated.
One consideration is that small rocks or pebbles can be dragged along the floor of a pool by a robotic pool vacuum which can scratch vinyl or fiberglass surfaces.
Higher end models can work very well to clean your pool. At a typical cost of $600 – $1,300 it’s much cheaper than an in floor pool cleaning system and can more easily be fixed or replaced if needed.
Kreepy Krauly
Kreepy Krauly is an actual brand name but other brands exist too. Cheaper automatic vacuum cleaners are connected to your pool hose and pump and use the pump’s suction to vacuum the pool. Depending on the quality of these models, the amount of suction you get and the slope of your pool, this style may or may not work. In my experience with a model of this nature it worked very poorly. It frequently got stuck particularly when traveling up the slope when moving from the deep to shallow end. It got stuck in corners. It stopped working when twigs got stuck in the opening.
This “automatic” pool vacuum takes time to set up and operate with more time and effort required if it gets stuck as my one frequently did. I still have it but don’t bother using it anymore.
Expect to pay $200 – $600 for varying levels of quality for manual Kreepy Krauly and competitor-type products but it appears that they are being pushed out of the market by an increasing number of robotic vacs that are smarter and more powerful.
Summary
Even though the main selling feature of a self cleaning pool is the self cleaning part, the side benefits of better water flow and better chemical circulation are very big potential cost savings to you, the pool owner. While the self cleaning option leads to time savings, the cost savings from the other two benefits can quickly add up.
Having said that, the cost is very high for a fully automatic self cleaning pool system and at some point the many moving parts and possibly plumbing will have to be repaired or replaced. It’s likely that over time we will see more in floor pool cleaning systems as our world – and our pools – become more automated and easier to maintain.