How to Use a Pool Cleaner Like a Pro

I never thought I'd be the kind of person who gets excited about a pool cleaner . That’s something I’d associate with my dad, or the overly enthusiastic neighbor who also power-washes his mailbox. But here I am, sitting on the edge of my patio with a mug of coffee, watching my Beatbot AquaSense 2 swirl around the pool like it owns the place—and honestly? I love it.

Let me back up. A year ago, I bought a house with a pool. It wasn’t even a deciding factor; it just happened to be there. At first, it felt like a bonus. Then came the maintenance. The leaves, the cloudy water, the way algae creeps in like it’s been invited. I spent the first three months trying to “wing it,” relying on a net, a YouTube playlist, and some advice from a well-meaning but overly confident uncle.

Eventually, after too many Saturdays lost to scrubbing, I gave in. I Googled "how to use a pool cleaner," and fell into the black hole of options. Some were clunky, some sounded futuristic, but none clicked until I stumbled across Beatbot. Their AquaSense 2 series stood out—not because of flashy specs (which I didn’t understand anyway)—but because of the way people described them. Smart. Quiet. Reliable. Almost like a silent co-worker who just gets it.

Setting it up was laughably easy. Plug, drop, and go. No app syncing nightmares, no 40-minute setup video narrated by a guy with three thumbs. Just drop it in the pool, and it does its thing. At first, I hovered. Watched it cruise the floor like it was solving a puzzle. But within minutes, it became background—a gentle hum under the surface, like a low purring cat that occasionally climbs the walls.

The first time I emptied the filter canister, I actually felt proud. It was like looking at the contents of a vacuum bag and realizing how filthy your carpet was. There were leaves, fine sediment, maybe the remains of a beetle or two. Gross, but satisfying. I didn’t clean the pool. My robot did. But somehow, I still felt accomplished.

Here’s the thing—nobody really teaches you how to use a pool cleaner. Sure, there are instructions. But there’s a difference between pushing “start” and actually working with it. What I’ve learned is that it’s less about technology and more about timing.

For example, I run it early in the morning. That’s when the water’s calm, the leaves haven’t really fallen yet, and the sun is just starting to warm things up. It feels like giving my pool a fresh start to the day. I usually grab coffee, maybe water the garden while it runs. It takes about 90 minutes, give or take, depending on the mess.

Weekly, I do a little more. Brush the steps, test the water, skim the surface if needed. But honestly, 80% of the heavy lifting is handled by this tiny submarine-looking genius.

I never thought I’d say this, but I sort of look forward to the whole process now. There’s something rhythmic about it. Almost meditative. I think that’s the biggest surprise—how turning on a pool cleaner turned into a morning ritual. It’s not glamorous, but it’s grounding.

Even the maintenance is painless. Cleaning the canister is easy—twist, dump, rinse. Occasionally, I check the tracks and give it a rinse. That’s about it. It's so far removed from the nightmare stories I heard—hoses getting tangled, robots tipping over, missed spots that you only notice when your in-laws visit.

At some point, I realized this cleaner wasn’t just bouncing around randomly. It was learning. Mapping. Changing its path depending on where debris built up. It seemed to spend more time near the deep end after storms, or near the steps when it was windy the day before. There’s no big announcement or flashing message. It just adapts, quietly.

That’s the thing with Beatbot’s AquaSense 2—it doesn’t shout about being “AI-powered” or whatever buzzword is trendy this week. It just works. And over time, you notice the difference. Fewer missed corners. Cleaner tile lines. Even the water feels better somehow.

And maybe this sounds dramatic, but the cleaner changed my relationship with my home. Before, I avoided the pool unless I was swimming. Now? I’m out there more. Even just reading by the edge or hosting friends for a spontaneous dinner. The cleaner took away the stress. The guilt of a dirty pool. The mental checklist of “I should really get to that.”

Now it’s automatic. Reliable. Peaceful.

I gave it a name—Otto. Don’t judge. When you watch something that efficient glide around every day, you start to appreciate it. It feels like part of the family.

If you’re reading this because you’re where I was—a bit overwhelmed, frustrated, probably Googling “how to use a pool cleaner” between Amazon tabs and discount chlorine tablets—let me save you some time:Don’t buy the cheapest one you can find. 

Don’t assume they’re all the same. Find something smart enough to handle the work with you, not just for you. For me, that was the Beatbot AquaSense 2.

And don’t overthink it. Just drop it in, let it learn, and get on with your life. You’ll start noticing things—how much calmer the water looks, how you suddenly feel okay inviting friends over without a 3-hour cleanup sprint. It becomes effortless. Organic.

These days, I don’t even notice when Otto’s cleaning. He’s just part of the background—like birdsong or the wind chime by the shed. But the results? Always noticeable.

And every now and then, when I sip my coffee and catch the shimmer of a perfectly clear pool, I nod to him like an old friend and think: We really figured this out, didn’t we?

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