Taking over pool duties after going through several pool guys, I needed to make sure the pool didn't suffer. I read up stuff at http://www.troublefreepool.com/content/
Based on what I learned I bought a test kit AquaChek 551236 7-Way 100 Count Pool Water Test Strips on Amazon. I also bought a new leaf rake & metal pool brush. About $65 for all through Amazon.
On the last service day my pool guy actually cleaned the pool & vacuumed it....I felt a little guilty but realized, how come when I am letting him go he decides to do the his job? It was my job now, every 2 days for about 10 minutes I would pool rake, clean the skimmer and after 3 weeks it looked good but I could tell it needed a vacuuming. I had already shopped around for a robot as I wanted to clean my pool without running my pump/filter/SWG. My brother had helped me a week prior to show me how to properly clean and replace a DE filter. Pool guy charged me $90 to clean the filter in April. Based on the sediment/dirt in the filter, he backwashed the filter. A few days later, I received the Dolphin Nautilus - the price had just dipped to $599. My pool guy was costing me $120 a month. In 6 months I am ahead even with supplies I had to buy!
I have a 120v outdoor outlet with my pool equipment so plugging the power supply was easy. The cord is easy to manage with no tangles. The Nautilus is heavy - 4 jugs of milk heavy - it has recessed handles to lift (with your legs) and no problem moving it. The cartridge filter removal/assembly is easy to clean.
How I operate the Nautilus. The night before, I rake and brush down the sides of the pool & steps (8 minutes). The material in the water settles overnight to the bottom. In the morning, I lower the robot in the pool & give it 2-3 minutes for the water to soften the roller material on the tracks. Meanwhile, connect the power supply and push ONE button. I watched it constantly as it made pass after pass. It never stopped and ran up the sides and sometimes got to the bottom step. The power consumption is minimal, nothing compared to running the pool pump! The robot acts as a filtration pump, helping mix chemicals if you added any, and cleaning & circulating the water where it's needed. When it's done, it just shuts off....I immediately noticed the water is clearer, the bottom very clean (not "spotless" but I darn close) and now the water sparkles! Gently retrieve the robot with the cord, as it comes to the surface grab the handles, tilt to the side as you take it out and set on its side. That solves the issue people mention of "the debris falls back into the pool". My thought is their pool has too much gunk. The robot filters are overloaded and yeah gunk falls back in the pool. If I had a really dirty pool, I would pull out the robot out after an hour & empty/clean the filters and put it back in the water. I pull out the filter cartridge and the gunk was significant. The Nautilus scrubbed and removed the gross dead algae, sticks, leaves, and other debris.
From a labor saving point of view, it takes the sting out of doing the truly laborious work. The robot operates for 3-4 hours. Meanwhile I am free to complete other chores. How much time must I put in with the Nautilus? It takes me about 5 minutes to set up, 5 minutes to clean the filters, 10 minutes to put it all away.
From a financial position, it makes sense to buy a pool robot if you do your own pool. Figure 12 months of reliable use (I expect more of course) and a pool guy would be an easy $100 a month - that's 1200 vs. $600 for the robot.
Added benefits, less pump time (since I plan on cleaning my pool weekly). Mixing of chemicals is enhanced by the filtration action. The Nautilus is a 2nd pool filtration system.
The pool has never looked better and most importantly, it will always looks better...no missing-in-action pool guys to worry about. As long as I have the Dolphin Nautilus, the pool will look great.
Tips that work for me:
+Using a 5 gallon bucket & spray hose to rinse out filters - makes very quick work.
+Allow the Nautilus to drain on its side to remove water faster & access the filter cartridge.
+Leave the cord stretched out in the sun before packing up makes coiling up easy.
+Brush the pool sides & steps the night before to get the algae to the bottom for better cleaning.
+Add clarifier the night before to collect algae in greater concentration and improve water appearance.
UPDATE: 9/23/2014
The robot is working great, no issues. The robot has done its job keeping the pool clean. I've balanced the water better, & less gunk is collected now. Not one speck of algae - water sparkles! I was running the pump/filter/SWG for 8-9 hours. Now running 4 hours & Free Chlorine is in check, CYA in check & PH still runs on the high side (7.8) & I have to add acid 1x a week to keep at 7.5. All in all, with using the robot 1x a week, brushing 1x a week & sweeping & cleaning out skimmers almost every day, the pool is even less work than when I let my pool guy go. No regrets. ***** five stars
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This Item  Dolphin DISCONTINUED Nautilus Automatic Robotic Pool Cleaner with Dual Filter Cartridges, Two Scrubbing Brushes and Tangle-Free Swivel Cord, Ideal for In-ground Swimming Pools up to 50 Feet. |  |  |  |  |  | |
| Price | Currently unavailable. | -13% $1,299.95 List: $1,500.00 | $1,197.00 | $734.99 | $634.99 | $749.99 |
| Delivery | — | Get it May 17 - 21 | Get it as soon as Tuesday, May 14 | Get it as soon as Tuesday, May 14 | — | Get it as soon as Thursday, May 16 |
| Customer Ratings | ||||||
| Suction power | ||||||
| Easy to clean | ||||||
| Remote Control | ||||||
| Easy to use | ||||||
| Value for money | ||||||
| Sold By | — | Omega Distributions Co | BackyardPoolSuperstore | BackyardPoolSuperstore | BackyardPoolSuperstore | AiperDirect |
| power source | Battery Powered | AC | — | Corded Electric | ac dc | Battery Powered |
| size | 60 feet | — | Nautilus CC Pro with Caddy | Nautilus CC with Caddy & Cover | E10 with Caddy & COver | Seagull Pro |
| style | Dolphin Nautilus Robotic Pool Cleaner | In-ground,Robotic | In-ground,Robotic | Nautilus CC with Caddy & Cover | Robotic | — |
| batteries required | ✗ | ✗ | — | — | — | ✓ |
Reviews with images
It Does What It Is Supposed To Do (Items To Consider)
This product does exactly what it was designed to do and does it well. It is a suction/vacuum device (not a scrubber). But, while this unit solves issues of my old three wheeled (booster pump powered) Polaris it also creates three new annoying issues. First, there is no start timer. While the unit turns itself off after a couple of hours it does not turn itself on (and you cannot put it on a secondary timer because you have to physically push the start button on the power supply). Second, the unit has to be plugged into a power outlet to operate. Sounds simple right? Wrong. Chances are for safety reasons you do not have an outlet within a couple of feet of the pool. The power cord on the unit is short (maybe 6ft). The instructions specifically state not to use an extension cord but, you will most definitely have to use one (my outlet is about 15ft from the pool). This creates the problem of having to remove the unit, power supply and all the cords from the pool area every time you swim. Also, when the unit is operating you have cords cluttering up your porch/yard. Third, the reviews about the unit being heavy and hard to remove from the pool are spot on. I'm a young fit male and it is still a bear to wrestle out of the pool (now I know why I have seen other units with a large external handle). When not in use I have been dragging the unit to the garage by placing it on top of my wheeled cooler. It is a pain to remove the unit and all of the necessary peripherals from the pool area and then replace it every time I want to use it. I'm also concerned about leaving the extension cord, power supply, etc. out in the rain (so I don't). I have ordered a storage bench for the pool area so that when the unit is not in use I can just place the unit, cords and power supply in it (this will help but, it is an extra $100 expense I didn't consider). And here is worst case scenario - this thing is powered by electricity. Instructions specifically state not to swim with it in the pool. But, while it's running I frequently skim and brush/sweep steps, etc. I've come to realize that I'm sticking a metal pole in water where an electrical device is running. While I expect to get many years of service from the unit eventually it will fail. I just hope when it does it is not an electrical issue...and I'm not sticking a metal pole in the water. Let's hope my GFI outlet works. I'm attaching a pic of the mess I have to drag to and from the pool every time I use it (until my storage bench arrives). This is a good product at a good price...so long as you know what you're getting into!!!
Top reviews from other countries
Alberto Chavez
magnifico euipo se ahorra mucha agua y trabaja estupendo
Reviewed in Mexico on October 11, 2019