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Best Small Inground Pool Cleaners Of 2024: Completed List

Brandon Forder
  Mar 28, 2024 8:52 AM

All summer long, your in-ground pool is the gathering place for friends and family. Your inground pool gets plenty of use all summer long, from barbecues and parties to quiet float days.

After days of entertaining visitors, your pool is probably full of grime, insects, dead leaves, and stray sand. Anthony & Sylvan Pools recognizes that the needs of each pool and its owner are unique, hence we have a wide variety of pool cleaners.

This buying guide will assist you in selecting the best cleansers for your tiny inground poo


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Last update on 2024-03-28 / Affiliate links / Images, Product Titles, and Product Highlights from Amazon Product Advertising API


Buying Guide

Types

Robotic Pool Cleaners

Due to their low complexity and low maintenance requirements, robotic pool cleaners have quickly become the market's preferred option. They don't put any more work or strain on your pool pump, so you won't need a booster or second pump if you get one of these. Robotic pool cleaners are simple to operate; they simply need to be plugged into a GFCI outlet and dropped into the pool to clean it.

The cleaning and filtration capabilities of modern robotic cleaners are second to none, and they barely make a peep as they do it.

Pressure Side Pool Cleaners

A pressure side pool cleaner is a type of pool vacuum that uses water pressure to roll over the pool's floor and collect particles in a bag. The pools they clean best are those that are somewhat large to enormous.

Unlike vacuum cleaners, pressure washers don't need their filters changed often. Investing in one of these cleaners is a wise choice because they have a long lifespan (up to 10 years!). A special pump, also called a "booster pump," is needed for some pressure side pool cleaners.

Suction Pool Cleaners

As with an automatic vacuum, a suction pool cleaner draws debris and dirt from the pool floor. It affixes to the pool's skimmer and is propelled by the pool's filtration system. The suction system collects material from the pool floor as the filtration system transports it through the skimmer for further processing.

If you have a small to medium sized pool, you should consider purchasing this pool cleaner. Only downside is that it draws power from the pool's filtration system, which can be a bit taxing on the pump.

Pool material

What you're looking for can be narrowed down based on the material of your pool's floor. The bottom of a pool could be built of fiberglass, vinyl, tile, gunite, or plaster, and it might be level, rocky, uneven, or sloped. Remember that not all pool floor materials can be cleaned by every robotic cleaner. The floor of your pool should match the specifications of the cleaner you choose.

Pool shape

The most common pool shapes—round, oval, kidney, and rectangle—are all well-suited for use with robotic pool cleaners. But if your pool has unusual features like corners, inclines, built-in bars, steps, or bench seats, you'll need to hire a cleaner who can handle those as well. The pool's layout is a key factor in determining which cleaner will do the best job.

Pool size

It's important to think about the dimensions of your pool when shopping for a robotic vacuum. It controls how quickly the robotic pool cleaning will scrub the pool. The necessary extension cord length and storage space requirements should also be examined.

For the task at hand, it must be sufficiently lengthy. Plus, the bag needs to be large enough to accommodate the trash that will be gathered. If you put a cleaner designed for a 30-foot pool into a 50-foot pool, it won't do as good a job.

Your location

Consider the soil, sand, pollen, seeds, leaves, flowers, twigs, and bugs that are common where you live. The geography, climate, and location all play important roles in this. Do not forget that an increase in particles will strain the pool's filtration system.

For larger debris like leaves and twigs, a robotic pool vacuum with a big filtration basket is preferable, while ultrafine filters are necessary for finer particles like dirt, sand, and pollen.

Suction power

Pressure pool cleaners are more effective than smaller pressure side-suction cleaners, which are lighter and lack the force of a pressure cleaner, if your pool is exposed to a lot of detritus, such as leaves from nearby trees and dense landscaping. Keep in mind the dimensions of your pool and the potential hazards posed by neighboring trees, animals, and other objects. Seek out a pool cleaner that is equipped to deal with the proper size and quantity of trash.

Larger bits of dirt and debris that end up in the pool can be removed with a pressure cleaner. However, a booster pump is necessary due to the increased suction needs. For smaller particles like silt, some trash bags are designed with many chambers, while others can only accommodate larger objects like sticks.

Booster pump

The need for, or presence of, an external booster pump is noted for each pool cleaner model. You'll still need a booster line, even if your vacuum comes with its own booster.

If the machine needs an external booster, you'll need to hire a pool professional to install one before you can use it.

The efficiency of a pressure pool cleaner can be increased with the help of a booster pump. They can shorten the time it takes to clean, make the power more consistent, and even lessen the strain on the cleaner itself.

Compatibility 

If you have an above-ground pool, you probably can't use a pressure cleaner on it. Instead, try to get a vacuum with pressure-side suction. Standard pool vacuums can only handle a 10-foot by 10-foot space, with depths of up to 8 feet. However, if your pool is bigger than that, you'll need to purchase an additional hose extension to ensure that the pool vacuum reaches every part of the pool. The pool vacuum's suitability for a vinyl liner should be stated by the manufacturer. A few rotary brushes can actually scratch vinyl or tile.

Common dirt

You'd be incorrect to assume that a pool cleaner can't be damaged. The truth is that they aren't always able to keep up with the cleaning.

In any case, it's crucial to be aware that most cleaners tend to fall short in some areas while excelling in others.

In my experience cleaning pools, debris, sand, and silt have proven to be the most tenacious stains.

Please note that I do not recommend using a suction cleaner on leaves.

For finer particles like sand, silt, and pebbles, however, they perform admirably.

Warranty and after sales

Investing in a product that is backed by a warranty is a must. Who is responsible if it fails the following day due to a flaw in production?

When something breaks unexpectedly, a warranty will usually pay to have it fixed or replaced. That is, of course, provided that the guarantee is still in effect. Make sure you read the warranty terms before using your cleaner, even if it has the longest guarantee available, to avoid invalidating the warranty.


FAQS

Which inground pool Cleaner is the best for any swimming pool?

Due to its exceptional performance and convenient features, the Pentair GW7900 Kreepy Krauly is our top pick for inground suction pool cleaners. You can't purchase a computer with as many bells and whistles as this one for less than a few hundred dollars. Cleans in-ground pools methodically, eliminating the odd filth patches that plague other cleaners.

This equipment is versatile enough to clean a wide variety of surfaces, including concrete, gunite, vinyl, and fiberglass. The finest part is that its wheels do not wear out and need regular replacement. The machine requires nothing in the way of upkeep, thus regular use will yield substantial cost savings.

The contemporary safety drains are only one example of an obstacle that this pool cleaner can navigate with ease. Large leaves, twigs, sand, pollen, detritus, little leaves, dead bugs, and even the tiniest particles of dirt can all be collected with little effort. The effectiveness of the vacuum depends on how often the filters are cleaned.

Because of this, your pool's water will always be pristine as long as the filters are properly cared for. In fact, its capacity to brush off and collect algae makes it one of the few pool cleaners that receives great praise.

How much does an in-ground pool cleaner cost?

When looking into purchasing a pool cleaner, the first thing you'll want to know is how much they typically cost. Price varies across the market like it does for any other commodity. The cost of an inground pool cleaner will increase in proportion to the number of extra features you require.

One more time, the cost of your purchase is dependent on where you make it. Pricing for in-ground pool cleaners typically begins at around $99 and goes well into the thousands of dollars. Price differences between mid- and high-end pool cleaners can be attributed mostly to the level of sophistication and convenience offered by the latter. The more expensive ones, for instance, come with a remote control and four-wheel drive.

Can You Rent Pool Vacuums?

While some pool supply stores may provide vacuum rentals for pools, it is usually more cost-effective to simply purchase your own. Daily rental costs might range from $20 to $40. It is important to keep your swimming pool in good condition because it is an investment and will, hopefully, be used frequently during the swimming season.

The easiest approach to maintain your pool clean, according to our team, is to invest in your own pool vacuum or swimming pool cleaner, which you can use whenever you like without having to arrange for pickup or drop-off.

How Do Automatic Pool Cleaners Work?

Robotic pool cleaners, also known as automatic cleaners, are propelled and create suction with the use of electric motors that have been tuned to consume as little energy as possible. The automatic pool cleaner is simple to use; after ensuring proper setup, turning it on, and placing it in the pool, you may shift your attention elsewhere.

Most automatic or robotic pool cleaners are designed to function in tandem with your pool filter, since their rotating brushes loosen algae and other tenacious particles and deposit it in the water, where it can be filtered out.


Conclusion

It might be difficult to determine which in-ground pool cleaner is best for your needs among the many models and brands on the market. As a result, before making a final decision, you should do some careful thinking and investigation.

As each model is designed to meet the needs of a specific set of customers, there is no absolute best or worst option here. So, we've made it our unwavering mission to help you focus your search by compiling a list of the top 10 in-ground pool cleaners on the market today. which you can select from at this time; you won't be dissatisfied with any of them.


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