Copy this code into your page. Free to use with the credit link.
advertisement
The payback math
robot $/season = price ÷ lifespan (seasons) reclaimed value = hours/week × 4.33 × months × 85% × your rate
The only honest way to price a convenience machine is to price your time. Set the rate to zero and robots never pay back — set it to your real wage and most 1.5-hour-a-week pools justify one in under two seasons. Neither answer is wrong; the calculator just makes you pick your number out loud.
A worked example
$1,000 robot, 5-year life, 1.5 hours a week across a 6-month season, time at $30/hour: the robot costs $200 a season and hands back ~33 hours worth ~$995. Payback in well under one season — and that's before counting that robots also filter fine debris your manual vacuum sends through the main filter.
Buying notes from the field
Match cord length to pool length + deck distance, prefer top-loading filter baskets (you'll clean it every run), and treat waterline- scrubbing models as the tier worth stretching for. Robots are also the single biggest workload reducer after a cover — the two together turn pool care into chemistry-only.
Frequently asked questions
Are robotic pool cleaners worth the money?
For most owners spending 1.5+ hours a week vacuuming and brushing, yes — a $1,000 robot over a 5-year life costs about $17/month against roughly 6 hours of reclaimed weekend per month. Below an hour a week of manual work, the math gets personal.
How long do robotic pool cleaners last?
Typically 3–7 years; 5 is a fair planning number. Cord care (no yanking), storing it out of the sun, and cleaning filters after each run are most of what separates the 3s from the 7s.
Robot vs suction vs pressure cleaner?
Suction cleaners are cheap ($100–400) but load your filter and run off pump time; pressure cleaners often need a booster pump; robots are self-contained, filter their own debris, and scrub walls — costing more upfront and least to run (~5 cents of electricity per cycle).
Do robots replace brushing entirely?
Mostly — good ones scrub floor, walls, and waterline. Corners, steps, and behind ladders still appreciate an occasional manual pass, and during an algae fight you'll still brush (algae biofilm needs aggression a robot's routine doesn't deliver).