Do I Still Need to Brush the Pool if I Have a Robot? My Real-Life Test in Raleigh

I’m Nathanael Greene, a pool expert with over 15 years of experience in designing, building, and maintaining pools, now sharing my know-how as a blog writer for Beatbot. My love for pools kicked off as a kid cannonballing into my granddad’s backyard oasis, and it’s grown into a career of keeping swims dreamy.

Last July, my phone buzzed with a call from Lisa, a frustrated pool owner in Raleigh, North Carolina. “I’ve got this robot—why am I still scrubbing?” she asked, her voice tinged with exasperation. I grabbed my toolkit and headed to her shaded lot in North Hills, where her 22,000-gallon in-ground pool awaited—a shimmering rectangle of vinyl-lined water framed by towering pines. Lisa had invested in a robotic cleaner months earlier, hoping to kiss her pool brush goodbye. Yet there she was, still chasing algae streaks and questioning her high-tech purchase. As a pool pro with a soft spot for problem-solving, I couldn’t resist diving in to see if automation could truly replace elbow grease. Here’s what I found, straight from the deep end.

When I arrived, Lisa led me to her backyard, where the pool glistened under a canopy of trees. At 40x20 feet with a sloping bottom, it was a beauty—but not without its battles. Pine needles littered the surface, and faint green smudges clung to the walls near the skimmer . “I run the robot three times a week,” Lisa said, pointing to her sleek robotic cleaner charging on the deck. “It’s great for the leaves and sand, but these algae spots? I’m still out here brushing every other week.” I could see the weariness in her eyes—maintaining a pool in Raleigh’s humid summers is no picnic, and she’d hoped the robot would be her ticket to freedom.

I’ve seen this setup before: big pools with lots of organic debris and warm water are algae magnets. Lisa’s robot was picking up the slack on daily grime, but those stubborn streaks had her doubting its worth. “Let’s put it to the test,” I told her, rolling up my sleeves.

Lisa’s cleaner was a solid mid-tier model—smart navigation, decent brushes, and enough suction to handle the pine needles that plagued her pool. I plopped it into the shallow end and watched it hum to life, tracing the floor with methodical precision. “It maps the pool pretty well,” I noted as it climbed the walls, its brushes spinning against the vinyl. After two hours, I hauled it out and checked the filter basket—brimming with needles, dirt, and even a few unlucky bugs. The water looked clearer, and the floor was spotless. But those algae streaks? Still there, mocking us from the sidelines.

“See?” Lisa said, crossing her arms. “It’s good, but not that good.” I nodded. Most robots excel at loose debris, but algae can cling like glue, especially on textured surfaces. Time to dig deeper.

I suspected Lisa’s cleaner might need a boost to tackle the tough stuff. “Let’s try a heavier cycle,” I suggested, switching it to its intensive mode—something she’d overlooked in the manual. This time, I watched it linger longer on the walls, its brushes grinding against the algae with steady pressure. After another run, I squinted at the trouble spots. “Better,” I said, pointing to a noticeably fainter green patch. “It’s not perfect, but it’s progress.” The robot’s design—consistent force and smart patterns—was chipping away at stains I’d once scrubbed by hand on jobs like this. Still, Lisa wasn’t sold. “So I don’t need to brush?” she pressed.

“Not so fast,” I replied. “Your robot’s solid, but it’s not the top dog. Let’s talk upgrades.”

I’ve worked with pools long enough to know that not all robots are created equal. Lisa’s model was reliable for daily upkeep, but for a pool her size with persistent algae, she needed more firepower. I pitched the Beatbot AquaSense 2 Ultra, a beast I’ve seen dominate in tougher cases. “It’s got AI mapping, five-in-one cleaning—floor, walls, waterline, even water clarity—and brushes that hit harder,” I explained. Lisa raised an eyebrow but agreed to a demo. A week later, I returned with the Ultra, and we let it loose.

The difference was night and day. It scaled her walls like a pro, lingered on the algae zones with pinpoint accuracy, and left the waterline gleaming. When it finished, I ran my hand along the vinyl—no slime, no streaks. “Holy cow,” Lisa laughed, peering into the crystal-clear water. “That’s what I’ve been missing.” The Ultra’s dual-layer filter had nabbed every speck, and its water-clarifying tech cut her chemical use in half. For the first time, she saw a future without her brush.

Using the Beatbot AquaSense 2 Ultra felt like having a pool-cleaning fairy godmother swoop in. When I first set it loose in Lisa’s pool, it seemed to know exactly where to go, zipping around the floor, climbing the walls, and even skimming the waterline like it had a mind of its own. The brushes spun with a quiet determination, wiping away those pesky algae streaks that used to drive Lisa nuts, while it sucked up every last pine needle and speck of dirt I’d been worrying about clogging her filter. And the water? It looked fresher somehow, like the robot had sprinkled some magic to keep it balanced without me fussing over chemicals. After a single charge—quicker than my old coffee maker takes to brew—it parked itself by the edge, ready for me to call it back with my phone. Lisa’s pool went from a weekend headache to a sparkling retreat, and I could see the relief in her eyes—no more scrubbing, just swimming.

So, do I think Lisa—or you—still needs to brush the pool with a robot? Here’s my take, forged from 15 years in the trenches: it depends on your cleaner. Lisa’s old robot handled 80% of the job, but she still had to spot-brush the stubborn bits. With the Beatbot AquaSense 2 Ultra, though? I’d say the brush is retired. It tackled her 22,000-gallon pool—up to 3,444 square feet—with ease, even in a saltwater setup or on wide steps. “I haven’t scrubbed since you brought that thing,” Lisa texted me a month later. “I’m living the dream!”

For me, it’s personal too. Back at my granddad’s pool, I’d have killed for this tech. Today, I’d tell you this: get a robot that matches your pool’s quirks—size, shape, debris load—and you can ditch the brush for good. The Beatbot Ultra’s my gold standard, and it’s proof automation’s not just hype—it’s a game-changer.