Robot pool cleaners & skimmers Luxury pool maintenance tools These devices are used to automate the tedious task of having to clean your pool, so you can spend more time enjoying it! Yet, while they have some benefits, skimmers are also limited in some ways. In this blog, we will look at the drawbacks of using skimmers and how they compare to other pool cleaning solutions such as the robot pool cleaner.
Low coverage and ineffective
An issue with traditional skimmers is the limited coverage. Skimmers are mostly meant to clean away debris on the surface, from leaves to twigs to bugs. Though effective at preventing large debris from populating the water, they stop there and don’t help with deeper cleaning jobs, like vacuuming the pool floor. As a result, skimmers are unable to clean the whole pool and often need a helping hand from a pool vacuum or a pool robotic pool cleaner to take care of dirt and debris that settles into the pool bottom.
Inconsistent Performance
Skimmer performance varies based on factors such as the type of debris, pool design, and water flow. If, for example, your pool has a lot of floating debris or heavy winds, the skimmer might not be able to keep up. In this way, skimmers do not particularly efficiently remove fine debris or sand, which can stay suspended in the water and cloud it. This inconsistency can be frustrating for pool owners who expect their skimmer to clean the components of their pool.
Step 1: Manual Cleaning and Maintenance
Although skimmers can get the job done for cleaning at the surface, they are still prone to manual upkeep. The skimmer basket must be emptied at intervals, particularly when there are heavy accumulations of debris. If you do not clean the basket, the water flow will be hindered, making the skimmer less effective. Therefore, this maintenance adds to the fullness of work needed on the pool, making it much less convenient than a fully automated pool cleaning robot, like a Beatbot AquaSense Pro, which has a lower need for manual Hosting.
Increased Risk of Damage to Pool Surfaces
Skimmers may also damage the pool surface in certain circumstances, such as when they are not installed correctly, or the weir (floating door) gets stuck. The skimmer may scratch or scuff the pool interior if it gets caught on the pool edges or if used improperly. If left unchecked, this can run up expensive repair bills, particularly for high-end pools made from soft materials. Conversely, a swimming pool robot cleaner is everything but violent, and it brides every tank in your home with soft brushes that can gently clean your flat and smooth surfaces with delicate movements.
Not Ideal for All Pool Types
This is not hard to understand: every pool is different; skimmers are designed for standard shapes, but in pools with many angles, multiple steps, or broad deep water areas they may operate less efficiently. Waterfalls or fountains may also disrupt the performance of the skimmer, affecting its suction power. Because they can navigate more complex pool layouts and clean both surface and submerged areas, robot pool cleaners are better suited for a wider variety of pool shapes and features.
Low Suction Power for Heavy Debris
Most skimmers have low suction power to clean up relatively light debris. Things like leaves, branches, or big bugs could clog the skimmer basket, making it lose suction. In such cases, you may require heavy-weight options like a vacuum cleaner for the pool. These types of robots have more powerful suction that can pick up more kinds of debris, leading to a cleaner pool.
No Water Filtration
In addition, skimmers lack filtration systems, which are designed to remove very fine dirt and bacteria from the water. They do well to remove litter from the top, but play no role in water quality improvement. Some robot pool cleaners, like the Beatbot AquaSense, come with advanced filtration systems that can trap more fine particles and bacteria than other equipment, so not only does it get the pool cleaner, but it can also assist in enhancing the overall water quality.
Conclusion: Should You Get Skimmers?
One such downside to skimmers is that they only cover limited areas, and thus, parts of your pools remain dirtier when relied upon exclusively to perform the work required. Alternatively, for a thorough cleaning, consider trading up a well-made robot for pool cleaning, like the Beatbot iSkim Ultra or Beatbot AquaSense Pro. These inventions are built to automatically scrub both the surface of your pool & the bottom of it, a better way compared to average skimmers.
Keystrokes: Luxury pool owners can now rest easy when they know not only the limitations of skimmers but that investment in a pool vacuum robot or swimming pool robot cleaner means less time spent cleaning and more time relaxing with fewer headaches.
