The Pool Guy Podcast Show · David Van Brunt

Why Pros Install Automatic Cleaners on Every Pool

April 10, 2026·20 min·1 clip

Why do some pool service companies refuse to take accounts unless customers install automatic cleaners?

The episode opens with sponsor reads for HASA liquid chlorine, the Bottom Feeder battery-powered vacuum, and Skimmer pool service software. The host introduces the central argument: all pool service accounts should have automatic cleaners installed. He first addresses the three main objections he hears from technicians. First, that having an automatic cleaner will make the technician seem unnecessary — he counters that chemical balancing, equipment checks, and spot vacuuming are unaffected. Second, that clients may feel they're overpaying if a machine does most of the cleaning — he argues technicians can fill time with tile brushing and thorough skimming. Third, that customers dislike hoses in their pools — he responds that a clean bottom is visually superior to a hose-free but leaf-covered bottom, and hose objections are rare in his experience. He then shifts to product selection, explaining that cleaner type should match local debris conditions: suction-side cleaners excel at dirt pickup and are the default in Southern California; pressure-side cleaners (like the Polaris 280) handle leaf debris better and are more common in the Midwest and Texas. He defaults to suction cleaners as the most universally effective starting point. The host introduces a key customer selling point: automatic cleaners remove organic debris that consumes chlorine, reducing chemical costs and preventing metal-ion staining from rainwater mud entering the pool. He references incidents where pools without cleaners developed permanent plaster stains after rainstorm mud sat on the bottom. He also notes a case where the cleaner collected roofing staples that would have stained the pool floor. He explains how to frame the cleaner's value for customers: a technician is on-site 25 minutes a week, but the cleaner operates all week, keeping the pool swim-ready between visits without requiring a callback before parties. He notes that some companies in his area refuse to take on accounts that won't agree to install a cleaner. The episode includes a story about a customer who stored a Zodiac Wahoo cleaner in a small towel storage box before a party, coiling the hose so tightly it developed permanent curl memory and could no longer clean the full pool. He explains how to straighten hoses (lay them out in the sun) and how to educate customers to lay cleaners flat on the deck rather than coiling them. For employee management, he recommends requiring employees to spot-vacuum every stop even with a cleaner installed, to demonstrate active service value. Spas require manual vacuuming regardless. He closes by recommending cordless robotic cleaners as an alternative for customers who strongly object to hoses, though he prefers suction-side cleaners for professional service.

As heard by us

A practical case for automatic cleaners as route tools that support service quality and pricing.

The episode argues plainly for leaving an automatic cleaner on every service account. Its point is less about gadgets than about time: if leaf debris and dirt do not sit long enough to stain, the pool looks better between weekly visits, and the service pro spends less time…

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Why you'd press play

Make automatic cleaners part of every service account from day one, not an optional extra.

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