Above Ground Swimming Pools Guide

It is nice to see that the needs of above ground swimming pool owners are being addressed with this nifty little cleaning aid. The Hayward 500 Aqua bug does not require any major projects to get up and running. This ladybug is actually an above ground pool cleaner that you can just set up then let get to work. It is powered by your existing filter and moves about the bottom of your pool sucking up any dirt that may have settled. It will handle some leaves, but there is also an optional leaf catcher for those who have major leaf issues. If the only above ground pool cleaner in your house is you, you should really take a look at this little item. When you add up the amount of time spent cleaning during the summer, the price of this unit seems even more reasonable.

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Hayward 500 Aqua Bug Above-Ground Automatic Pool Cleaner
	Manufacturer: Hayward Customer Rating:   List Price: $147.70 Sale Price: $100.00 Availibility: Usually ships in 24 hours Free Shipping Available Buy Now
Product Description
CLEANS FLAT AND DISHED-OUT ABOVE-GROUND SWIMMING POOL BOTTOMS IN 2 HOURS OR LESS! Efficient, automatic pool cleaner is designed specifically for your above-ground pool. Its unique pre-programmed pattern cleans the entire pool by vacuuming up all leaves, dirt and debris. Since it works off your pool's pump and filter, there are no expensive booster pumps to run. Aqua Critter can be self-installed in 10 minutes or less. Includes head, 30 ft. of hose (eight 4-ft. sections) and skimmer cone. To determine the amount of hose needed measure from the skimmer to the farthest point away, and add two (4-ft.) sections of hose. Give yourself a vacation from the back-breaking drudgery of cleaning and let Aqua Critter automatically vacuum the pool for you!
Product Details
Designer above-ground pool cleaner Patented SmartDrive programmed steering system ensures the entire bottom of the pool is cleaned quickly and completely Unique turbine/gearing system provides constant balanced water flow assuring quiet operation and gentle movement across the pool bottom Improves water circulation by pulling water from the pool bottom as it moves Advanced, contoured head design allows the AquaBug to complete the steering pattern in minimal time
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Customer Reviews
Cool little pool vac   Review Date: May 4, 2006 Reviewer: Rapunzel, Eastern USA This is a great little vac. It hooks up to your filter intake or skimmer, and vacuums straight to your filter - not a bag with holes that doesn't catch fine particles. We use ours in a 24' above ground pool made by Intex. Yes, one of those temporary pools. It would work in any above ground pool! The most important thing to have is a good filter system. The filter supplied by Intex is not very good. This vac works best with a sand filter. We have a Hayward Pro Series system with a 1.5 hp Power Flo Maxtrix pump. The combination of this filter system and vacuum has saved my summers. I spent the first year with this pool spraying out the filter and hand/pole vacuuming only to see the finer particles come back into the pool through the return. It took all the pleasure out of having a pool! Now, I hook up my vac (3 min), turn on the filter system (1 sec), and walk away - it's awsome!!! This little vacuum even handled our pool opening this year, which included a large number of leaves and a ton of very fine particles. Unlike the super expensive Pool Rover, this vacuum does not move systematically around the pool to clean in a specific period of time. It moves in ever-widening circles, then goes straight for a bit and starts circling again. It can be a little vexing to see it turn just before it gets to something that you want it to vacuum up, but if you give it time, it will get everything. We put ours in and let in run for about an hour, when we come back the pool looks great! Aqua Bug, Wanda the Whale, and Diver Dave are all the same vacuum with different housings. Love the bug   Review Date: July 10, 2005 Reviewer: Michael Mangan, Cortlandt Manor, NY United States I couldn't be happier with the AquaBug. It does a great job of cleaning my pool quickly and quietly. They say it takes 10 minutes to install, but I did it in about 5. The biggest problem with the bug is that it looks like a toy and is fairly inexpensive, so people might not take it seriously. However, it really does the job. It came with enough hose for my 15' x 30' pool, and it never gets stuck on my ladder. Added bonus: the random path it takes through the pool is hypnotic to watch. If you get a lot of leaves in your pool, I recommend getting the optional leaf-catcher to keep your filter from getting clogged. Works as Described   Review Date: April 27, 2006 Reviewer: K. Shiver, Carrollton, GA United States I have a 24 foot round above ground pool with a 52' inch depth. The bottom is not perfectly smooth (some wrinkles and divets), but the product does a great job in about 2 to 3 hours. I plan on running it every couple of days to clean and stir up the water at the bottom of the pool. My doubts have been erased!   Review Date: June 6, 2010 Reviewer: TheDougmeister, This little pool cleaner rocks. I have a 16 x 32 oval pool and my "professional" pool installer totally screwed up the bottom which left it with small wrinkles, and even worse, large indentations where the sand under the pool settled and the frame is raised. This makes for some pretty substantial navigation challenges for the Aqua Bug, or so I thought. I was reluctant to buy this at first, thinking there is no way it could overcome the uneven bottom of my pool. Considering the price, I thought WTH, and I went for it. I was pleasantly surprised as the Bug wondered into an indentation, stopped for a few seconds, turned a different direction and crawled out again. Awesome. Obviously if the Bug couldn't handle this it wouldn't even pay for me to use it since I'd be out there baby-sitting it constantly. If that were the case I may as well just clean the pool manually. But, as I said, the Bug came through with flying colors. The Aqua Bug didn't come with enough hose to reach the end so I had to buy more hose. (It comes with about 30 feet, but you have to take into account it not only has to span the entire length of the pool, but also has to go "down" to the bottom.) That being said, it took about two hours for the Bug to clean the entire area it could reach. I'll have the extra hose by the next use, but I don't expect it will take much longer. The DVD with instructions that comes with the Bug explicitly states that the bottom of your pool must be flat and smooth. It's nice to get a product that actually out performs expectations. How often does that happen? great buy   Review Date: May 6, 2009 Reviewer: C. Perritt, GA USA I purchased this cleaner to help with the daily chore of cleaning the pool, love the Aqua-Bug and its seemless wandering of the pool!! The only draw back is that if you have "wrinkles" in your pool it will hinder the "bugs" movement or even cause it to become "confused", but dont worry your kids will love watching it swim around.