If you have a swimming pool in your house, you must have some idea about how important it is to keep it clean and the water fresh at all times.
Pool algae cause one of the most major cleanliness problems in pools. In terms of the environment, algae is one of the most important organisms on earth and is known to provide 70% to 80% of earth’s oxygen. But when algae are formed inside a pool, it gives a very nasty look, and it also impacts our health in many negative ways.
The real problem comes from the bacteria present inside the algae as swallowing, coming in contact with them, or breathing those bacteria can lead to health problems like rashes, respiratory infections, gastrointestinal illnesses, etc.
In this article, we’ll look into the best above ground pool vacuum for algae and making comparisons, so your purchase decision job becomes easier, and you know exactly what to expect out of the product you buy because keeping your pool clean is as tough as it is crucial. You should have the appropriate equipment to do that.
Best Pool Vacuums
In this part, we’ll be listing down and looking into the details of some of the best pool vacuum cleaners available on the market for you to choose from and buy.
1. Dolphin Escape Above Ground Pool Cleaner
The Dolphin Escape is one of the latest and most advanced pool cleaners to hit the market. The cleaner comes packed with features including Hyperbrush scrubbing, advanced filtration system, and rubber tracks to ensure that every part of the pool is cleaned, uniformly.
The cleaner comes with a 40-foot-long cable to provide a secure connection. Its powerful Hyperbrush continuously spins and cleans up all the particles and algae stuck to the pool’s surface. The filter cartridge on this model is also quite bigger compared to the other models, which lets the cleaner run for longer without the requirement of a cleanup.
Another impressive feature is the SmartNav, which reads and maps out your pool’s surface and moves on it accordingly. It can also sense different obstacles like ladders etc. and can carefully avoid them.
Pros
- High energy efficiency.
- Long, 40-foot cable for easy navigation.
- Large capacity filter cartridge.
Cons
- Doesn’t come with a timer.
- Can’t be controlled with a remote.
- Doesn’t allow you to set automatic cleaning times.
2. Pentair K50600 Kreepy Krauly EZ Vac Ground Pool Cleaner
If you’re not a fan of wheels and cleaners moving around the floor of your pool and you would instead prefer a hand-held device, this is your product. The Pentair Kreepy Krauly is an excellent alternative for wheeled cleaners, and its flapper can collect a far greater amount of debris than its alternatives.
The K50600 comes with a powerful hydraulic system that provides excellent vacuum power along with the ease of minimum servicing as the flapper is the only moving part in the entire device.
One other great feature of the Kreepy Krauly is that unlike most other cleaners, it doesn’t follow a particular pattern, which means no areas will remain untouched and uncleaned.
Pros
- Very easy to install, assemble and use.
- Easy navigation around ladders, tight corners, without getting stuck.
- Great product life and efficiency.
- Amazing value for money.
Cons
- Flapper makes clicking noises when it’s being used to clean the surface.
3. Zodiac Ranger Suction Side Auto Above Ground Pool Cleaner
The Zodiac Ranger Ground Pool Cleaner is a great product manufactured by the Baracuda company. Its highly efficient with an easy to assemble layout because it only has a single moving part in its body, the flapper.
You can easily use it to clean tight corners where wheeled pool cleaners might never reach, which provides you a far cleaner pool surface.
The flow keeper valve featured inside the Zodiac Ranger controls the flow of water to make sure that sufficient water runs through to provide the best cleaning results. Moreover, the AG disc contributes to allowing the cleaner to move effortlessly over the pool surface, making your job much easier for you.
Pros
- The flapper is completely noiseless.
- Easy to assemble and use.
- Simple design and highly cost-effective.
Cons
- The filter needs to be cleaned out often.
- Big leaves or debris can clog the vacuum, causing problems.
- Fails to reach the very tight spots of the pool.
4. Hayward 500 Aquabug Suction Above Ground Pool Cleaner
This powerful suction pool cleaner can be the one for your pool, and there are several reasons to believe that. The Aquabug is a versatile, pool cleaner that performs super efficiently with a maintenance requirement of close to none.
It features the Smart Drive technology, which allows it to automatically make its way around the pool, cleaning the floor as it goes. It’s also designed to work with your pool’s filtration system and doesn’t need any additional pumps.
The Deluxe Bumper Ring at the bottom reduces friction and steers Aquabug clear from obstacles like ladders and walls. Furthermore, the turbine system makes sure that water floors gently through the system and is perfectly balanced out for the cleaning process.
Pros
- Super easy to install and operate.
- Comes with a generous one-year warranty.
- Electricity efficient because it doesn’t require additional tools.
- Highly convenient and efficient in performance.
Cons
- Can’t handle large amounts of debris at once.
- Faces difficulties cleaning soft walls.
5. Hayward W3500 Aquabug Above-Ground Pool Vacuum
Similar to the Hayward 500 Aquabug, this is another powerful addition to the above ground pool vacuum cleaner family of the company Hayward. The most exciting feature of the Aquabug W3500 is the fact that it takes the water present inside the pool, circulates it through its system, filters it, and lets it out, hence not requiring any additional water pump connection to clean the pool.
The Hayward W3500 Aquabug cleans out all the dirt and algae off of your swimming pool’s surface.
Setting this bad boy up requires nothing more than 10 minutes, and thanks to its Smart Drive technology, you never have to worry about controlling it.
Pros
- Comes with a one year warranty.
- Noiseless operations thanks to the unique gearing system.
- Takes almost no time to be assembled and operated.
Cons
- Not good at tackling wrinkled swimming pools.
- Some problems with the movement.
6. Hayward 900 Wanda The Whale Suction Above Ground Pool Cleaner
The Hayward 900 Wanda The Whale Suction Pool Cleaner is also a more powerful variant from their pool vacuum cleaners. Wanda The Whale comes pre-programmed with the SmartDrive technology, which allows it to steer around the pool surface with no difficulties, easily avoiding obstacles and doing its job.
The cleaner doesn’t take much time to assemble, hardly 10 minutes, and is generally a time saver due to its efficient cleaning process that doesn’t require much of your attention. There is, however, one issue, and that is of the hose. The hose sometimes becomes a bit of a hindrance when it comes to larger pools due to its length.
But other than that, Wanda The Whale Suction Pool Cleaner is a fantastic, highly innovative cleaner that gets the job done in a short period.
Pros
- Takes hardly 10 minutes to be assembled.
- Comes with a year-long warranty.
- SmartDrive technology for automatic steering.
Cons
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- Doesn’t adequately cover tight corners.
- Not suitable in pools with wrinkles.
7. Aquabot Pool Rover S2-40
Aquabot Pool Rover is one of a kind, robotic pool cleaner that has no difficulty in tackling different swimming pool terrains. It mixes water at up to a speed of 80 to 85 gallons per minute and faces no problem in moving over inclines, etc.
Aquabot Pool Rover also features an automatic shut off option where you can set a time limit according to your pool’s size, so it will automatically turn off when the job is finished. Usually, one hour shutdown time is for smaller pools, while large pools require a shutdown time of two hours.
Moreover, Aquabot doesn’t require pairing up with a pool pump system as it already comes with a suction power pump that helps in collecting all the debris into the filter bags.
Pros
- Comes with an electrical cord.
- Doesn’t require a hose.
- High-quality tread for better movement.
Cons
- Rubber covers are loose.
- Power supply unit is a weak.
8. Aquabot APRVJR Pool Rover Junior Robotic Above-Ground Pool Cleaner
The Pool Rover Junior is another excellent addition to the market by Aquabot. This robotic pool cleaner comes with a 40 feet cable so you can just plug it in and get it working. The filter bag that comes with it is reusable and collects large amounts of debris and dust very quickly.
The Rover Junior is exceptionally lightweight, comes with an automatic shut off feature and runs on non-marring wheels that provide smooth movement across the pool and better cleaning results.
Pros
- Ultrafine filter to filter out even the smallest of particles.
- Comes with non-marring wheels.
- Automatic shutoff mechanism.
Cons
- The motor is costly if needed to be replaced.
- The build is a little flimsy.
Comparison Chart
| Best Above Ground Pool Vaccum | Robotic/Suction | Shutoff Timer | Warranty |
| 1. Dolphin Escape Above Ground Pool Cleaner | Robotic | No | 1 Year |
| 2. Pentair K50600 Kreepy Krauly EZ Vac Ground Pool Cleaner | Suction | No | 1 Year |
| 3. Zodiac Ranger Suction Side Auto Above Ground Pool Cleaner | Suction | No | 1 Year |
| 4. Hayward 500 Aquabug Suction Above Ground Pool Cleaner | Suction | No | 1 Year |
| 5. Hayward W3500 Aquabug Above-Ground Pool Vacuum | Suction | No | N/A |
| 6. Hayward 900 Wanda The Whale Suction Above Ground Pool Cleaner | Suction | No | N/A |
| 7. Pool Rover S2-40 | Robotic | Yes | 1 Year |
| 8. Aquabot APRVJR Pool Rover Junior Above-Ground Pool Cleaner | Robotic | Yes | 1 Year |
Frequently Asked Questions About Above Ground Pool Vacuums For Algae
How often should a pool be vacuumed?
Generally, it’s best if you vacuum the pool at least once a week. But any time you notice large amounts of debris or algae, you should vacuum your pool as soon as possible.
Does vacuuming remove algae from the pool?
Algae can be a little tough to remove, especially if it’s in tight corners or small spots. Vacuuming does help a lot in removing algae and more importantly in preventing further algae growth as it removes debris and dead leaves from the pool which start the algae growth in the first place.
Why is it important to manually vacuum the cleaner even if we have a robotic cleaner?
Manual vacuuming is important because it does all the heavy lifting and clears up the big debris piles. Moreover, robotic cleaners never get the tight corners and they can only be done through manual vacuuming. Robotic cleaners are best for light every day cleaning.
What’s the good/working life of an above ground pool?
Pools last somewhere around 5 to 15 years depending on the quality of their build and how well they’ve been maintained.
Buying Guide
When buying a pool cleaner for your swimming pool, the main things you need to focus on are the features that the product is offering. The biggest concern should be about the functionality that the pool vacuum cleaner offers. Check for the accessories that come with the product as well, things like hoses, extensions, extra cable and other kits, matter a lot in adding to your cleaner and making cleaning easier for you.
Furthermore, always check for warranty as these products might malfunction due to being engaged in a water area. Robotic cleaners come with a lot of moving parts and innovative technology which can stop working at any moment, therefore warranty with those are crucially important.
Another important thing to notice is the filtration system. A strong filtration system assures a faster cleaning process and less energy consumption, ultimately. It’s also the part of your product which has the biggest contribution in doing the actual cleaning process, therefore a good filtration system is of utmost importance.
Technologies like the SmartDrive and other mapping, navigation systems are important for robotic cleaners as they function themselves and move around the surface of the pool. Therefore, look for that if you’re buying a robotic vacuum.
Conclusion
Keeping in view all the pros and cons, and the features these cleaners are offering, we think that if you want to go for best above ground pool vacuum for algae, you should go for Aquabot Pool Rover S2-40. Whereas if you’re going for a hand held suction vacuum cleaner than a good option for you would be Hayward 900 Wanda the Whale Suction Pool Cleaner.
