Can an in-ground pool cleaner be used on an above ground pool?

Feb 7, 2017
2
New Lenox, Il
Pool Size
10620
Surface
Vinyl
Chlorine
Salt Water Generator
SWG Type
Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
I am opening up my new pool for the first time soon. It was installed last year in the fall. I purchased a cheap pool robot from Amazon, but returned it because it would stop after 10 minutes. I am currently looking at the used market. I’m not sure if an inground pool cleaner can be used in an above ground pool. I am also looking for some recommendations for pool cleaners below $300. Thanks.
 
We had the EZ Vac which is the AG version of the Kreepy Krawly: https://www.amazon.com/Pentair-K506...hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-4583932713521121&psc=1 We had it for my last pool and it lasted the 20 years we had the pool and seemed to be still working fine. I would say it cleaned about 80-85% of the pool but it did miss spots; I would direct it to where it missed.

We now have the Hayward Aqua Bug Penguin: AquaBug | Cleaners | Above Ground Pool Cleaners - Hayward Pool Products I don't have any history with it as we also had a pool installed last year a week before Labor Day so other than putting it into the pool and watching it work for a little bit - it moved around!

Both cleaners are easy to use and come with lengths of tubing to make the reach of the cleaner tailored to your pool. Since both are suction side cleaners they will send the debris to the pump basket vs skimmer. They do sell a leaf canister to put onto the tubing to catch the debris but I have never used that.

I have no clue as to the differences between AG vs IG pool cleaners can be, other than the price.
 
some of the suction side & pressure side cleaners may require a booster pump so be sure to read the requirements.
I used the intex auto cleaner just fine in both my intex pools & my 33’ above ground pool before getting a dolphin robot. It is a pressure side cleaner that works on the venturi principle & throws the debris in a mesh tray. Mine was the original that does the floor only & cost me $69 way before covid - now theres also a version with brushes that can climb the wall. You will have to fashion an adapter out of pvc fittings to attach it to your return jet on a regular above ground pool as intex fittings are proprietary. I also installed a ball valve before my return so I could control how fast it went.
 
I am not sure if a suction side or pressure side would be better for my situation. My filter is not oversized and my wife would like the two German shepherds to use the pool. My neighborhood has a lot of mature trees but none hanging over the pool.
 
The pressure side ones have a bag or a bin to contain the debris so it doesn’t go into your filter, keeping your filter cleaner means less backwashing/cleaning. Suction side would send everything to your filter unless you add an in line filter/catcher (which I would recommend if you have anything more than fine debris) .
Your signature doesn’t list your equipment so it’s hard to recommend something specific.
Most people with dogs find using skimmer socks or hairnets in the skimmer basket invaluable no matter what kind of cleaner or filter you use.
I have one of the cleaners Vinny mentioned- it’s called a Mamba but it’s basically a kreepy krauly. It would get stuck in places & I worried it would suction to my liner if left unattended. On my above ground pool with hoses etc there was always some kind of air leak so sometimes it would make the pump cavitate which also meant it couldn’t be left unattended. I used its hoses to make my intex cleaner fit my large pool. The pressure side intex wasn’t affected in any way by the air leaks, I had plenty of oomph with my 1.5hp pump & I could leave it in 24/7 if I wanted (or however long I was running the pump). My pool has 2 returns so it didn’t affect the flow/circulation in the pool too much by taking one up & I could run my fountain at the same time if I wanted.
 
You might want to try a rechargeable manual vac like the Pool Blaster. It's affordable and you don't need to worry about your pump or filter. Check prices on amazon or elsewhere.

 
I have the intex version of one of those. It works pretty well, I mostly only use it for my steps (it fits inside them) & the edges where I have some big wrinkles & the hot tub sometimes. My pool is just too big to use it for the whole floor.
 
My experience with the EZ Vac was mostly a good one. It would sometimes get stuck behind the pool steps since there was a large gap and I had all the lengths of hose on it, probably should have removed a couple. It sometimes would get clogged by a big leaf or something and I'd have to unclog it. And sometimes it would miss areas as it meandered along clicking along. It has suction ports underneath the rubber skirt, on 2 sides of the rubber skirt and back then (maybe still) their connector to the skimmer was a self regulating valve. I would have to remove the skimmer basket, put the valve into the skimmer throat and it would start clicking along. I never had air leaks but if my pool had lost enough water and we are only talking about 1 inch the valve would suck in air from the vortex it made; so I made sure anytime I used it I had the water up to a certain level on the skimmer plate. Another thing nice about the valve is you are taking water from 2 places, vac head and skimmer so you are taking water from the top and bottom of the pool. Every so often I would manually vacuum the pool with the hoses provided on the EZ Vac and it worked well with that. I never used a leaf canister with it and actually used to watch the leaves flowing by in the hoses but my pump skimmer canister was fairly easy to open and my pool wasn't hard plump so no big deal.

I have no experience yet with my Hayward Cleaner, which is actually the Penguin and not the Aqua bug but I think they are identical except for the outside plastic critter look. If I remember correctly I think the pool store said I can use the cleaner suction lid over the skimmer basket but I'm not too sure on that until I try it. If it does work that way, no need for a leaf canister and it would be much easier to clean than the pump skimmer basket.

Since I was looking up pool stuff today I did see some sort of "vac" that uses either water jets from a hose or whatever to create a vortex into a bag. Concept seems OK except the hose thing could throw your chemistry off every time you use it.
 
I think the pool store said I can use the cleaner suction lid over the skimmer basket but I'm not too sure on that until I try it. If it does work that way, no need for a leaf canister and it would be much easier to clean than the pump skimmer basket.
I am 100% wrong on this, I just looked it up and they plug the skimmer's throat as well.
 

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My experience with the EZ Vac was mostly a good one. It would sometimes get stuck behind the pool steps since there was a large gap and I had all the lengths of hose on it, probably should have removed a couple. It sometimes would get clogged by a big leaf or something and I'd have to unclog it. And sometimes it would miss areas as it meandered along clicking along. It has suction ports underneath the rubber skirt, on 2 sides of the rubber skirt and back then (maybe still) their connector to the skimmer was a self regulating valve. I would have to remove the skimmer basket, put the valve into the skimmer throat and it would start clicking along. I never had air leaks but if my pool had lost enough water and we are only talking about 1 inch the valve would suck in air from the vortex it made; so I made sure anytime I used it I had the water up to a certain level on the skimmer plate. Another thing nice about the valve is you are taking water from 2 places, vac head and skimmer so you are taking water from the top and bottom of the pool. Every so often I would manually vacuum the pool with the hoses provided on the EZ Vac and it worked well with that. I never used a leaf canister with it and actually used to watch the leaves flowing by in the hoses but my pump skimmer canister was fairly easy to open and my pool wasn't hard plump so no big deal.

I have no experience yet with my Hayward Cleaner, which is actually the Penguin and not the Aqua bug but I think they are identical except for the outside plastic critter look. If I remember correctly I think the pool store said I can use the cleaner suction lid over the skimmer basket but I'm not too sure on that until I try it. If it does work that way, no need for a leaf canister and it would be much easier to clean than the pump skimmer basket.

Since I was looking up pool stuff today I did see some sort of "vac" that uses either water jets from a hose or whatever to create a vortex into a bag. Concept seems OK except the hose thing could throw your chemistry off every time you use it.
How would it throw your chemistry off? If you mean aeration causing ph to rise
I never experienced that issue. Its no more than was already coming out of the jet.
 
How would it throw your chemistry off? If you mean aeration causing ph to rise
I never experienced that issue. Its no more than was already coming out of the jet.
OK, I'm an idiot! I was thinking of the manual vortex cleaners that you hook up to a garden hose ... my routine is if there is a lot of big debris in the pool I use a leaf net to get most of it out and the vortex cleaners are kind of a leaf net. I don't think there's any garden hose automatic pool cleaners and we were talking about suction vs pressure cleaners ... :unsure:
 
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