The Aqua-Bug is an amazing tool for above-ground pool owners. If you are a pool owner, you know how much fun it can be to vacuum the pool...it's not! If you miss a day or two of vacuuming during hot or windy periods, the debris build-up on the bottom can lead to other problems. This is especially true the first few weeks after I open my pool. I have a sand filter, and for the first few weeks, the bottom of my pool looks like Panama City Beach.

I purchased the Aqua-Bug for several reasons. The primary reason was to have a tool that could handle the usually 30 minute vacuum job for me when I was short on time. The next reason was that it was on sale for $120. The third reason is that it came highly recommended by some co-workers.

The Aqua-Bug comes with a video for installation and proper use purposes. I suggest that you watch the video first. It only takes a couple of minutes, but if you haven't used a robotic vacuum before it will help you out greatly.

The instructions are very easy to follow. The Aqua-bug comes with attachments to add a small lady bug-like head to it (purely for cosmetic value unless you hunt lady bugs for a living).

There are also 7 hose lengths that attach together to form a 32' hose. This is the appropriate length to clean 24' or smaller pools. The lengths fit together easily by hand and have fittings on the ends of two lengths to attach to the Aqua-Bug and to insert in your intake. The hoses should be stored unattached so that permanent bends in the hose, caused by coiling, will not interfere with the Aqua-Bug's operation.

If your pool is larger than 24', then you will need to purchase additional hose lengths. These may be ordered through the company. The store where I purchased by Aqua-Bug did not have any additional components for sale.

The Aqua-Bug will not clean behind ladders. I pull my ladder back during use. The Aqua-Bug may bet stuck behind ladders depending on how far they are from the wall of the pool. The company sells a component that you may use to prevent the Aqua-Bug from getting stuck back there. I don't think that this is a necessary purchase. Anything that can be placed on the bottom between the pool wall and ladder will prevent the Aqua-Bug from getting stuck.

I usually turn on my Aqua-Bug at around 5:00 am and take it out around 7:30 am. This is usually ample time to clean the bottom of the pool.

If you are cleaning to remove large amounts of algae or a planning to vacuum some water to waste or drain, then I suggest that you use a hand vacuum. The Aqua-Bug cleans in a random pattern and may cover the same spot several times. If you are cleaning to waste so as to prevent extra dirty water from re-entering the pool, you will save your water bill by doing it by hand.

The Aqua-Bug has made my pool maintenance time cut down drastically. This makes the pool more enjoyable for me.

Was it worth the money? To me it was. This is a great product and I would recommend it to everyone with a pool.



Recommended: Yes