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How to use a robotic pool cleaner: people out first

Updated: 21 October 2026

The first afternoon you drop a robot in, someone is usually still in the water, or yesterday’s basket is still caked in the sun. How to use a robotic pool cleaner is the routine that stops those two mistakes, plus a charger left too close to the edge. This page does not rank the eleven amazon.co.uk listings and it does not pick a winner. The cycle follows the manuals and the review notes in this set, not a lab test. If you buy through our links, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Which machine you bought is on the [robotic pool cleaner comparison](/hub/pool-care/robotic-pool-cleaner).

The first afternoon you drop a robot in, someone is usually still in the water, or yesterday’s basket is still caked in the sun.

Our top picks

Dolphin Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus

Best overall

Dolphin Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus
8.0/10about £1,699
View offer
Bestway Bestway AquaTronix G150

Best value

Bestway Bestway AquaTronix G150
7.6/10about £95.93
View offer
EVERCROSS EVERCROSS BOT U8-2026

Rank 3

EVERCROSS EVERCROSS BOT U8-2026
8.2/10about £399.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Before it goes in
  2. 2.The cycle and getting it out
  3. 3.Filter and rinse
  4. 4.Winter storage

Before it goes in

Get people out before the robot goes in. Maytronics tells Dolphin owners not to enter the pool while the cleaner is operating. Other manuals say do not swim with the cleaner in the pool. Take out toys, hoses and anything that can jam a wheel. If you have just added flocculant, wait. Manual 8180002-EN says flocculant and clarifier clog filters. A cycle does not set the chlorine. Which questions to settle before you buy is the robotic pool cleaner buying guide. On a corded Dolphin, the EU safety sheet puts the supply at least 3 metres from the edge and 11 cm above the ground, on a 30 mA RCD, original cord only. The POOLPURE listing at about £88.63 says not to run the robot for long out of water and not to open sealed screws. A new socket in the pool zones is an electrician’s job.

The cycle and getting it out

Start only when the pool is empty of swimmers, then leave it. Flat POOLPURE listings park at 5% and give you a floating handle. The POOLPURE at about £88.63 adds a hook. The hzexun parks at the wall at 10%. The U8-2026 claims auto-edge docking and a hook. The Wybot’s UK reviews say hooking out is awkward. The Dolphin comes out on its cable. Wet weight is not printed. Dry weight runs from 2.41 kg on the Bestway to 12 kg on the U8-2026. If it stops in the middle, use the hook or the cable. Do not swim in to fetch it. If it will not start, a wheel has come off, or the cable sheath is split, stop and deal with the seller.
Dolphin Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus

Testsieger

Dolphin Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus
8.0/10about £1,699
View offer

Filter and rinse

Rinse the filter as soon as the robot comes out. Maytronics says debris dries hard if you wait, and that chlorine should be rinsed off the machine. Tip the basket into a drain or a bucket, not back into the pool, the same afternoon. A 6 litre EVERCROSS basket holds more wet debris than a 2 litre Bestway. The hzexun page prints 180 microlitres beside a 180 μm bullet. Use the basket you can see.

Winter storage

Follow the booklet for the model you own. The storage percentages do not agree. Maytronics talks about 5°C to 45°C with no water left inside. Aiper’s page says charge every two months to about 40–60%. A Liberty FAQ says at least 50%. A BWT note says 70–80%. The POOLPURE listing at about £88.63 says at least every three months. Do not average those into one winter charge. A UK hzexun review says the charge light was on and the robot was dead the next season. In spring, charge on the original supply before the first swim. A tidy floor is not a chlorine test.

Common questions

Can I swim while it is running?
No. Maytronics says not to enter the pool while a Dolphin is operating, and to remove the robot when the cycle ends. Other pool-cleaner manuals say never to swim with the cleaner in the water. The pool should be empty of people before you start, including a quick dip at the steps. Take the robot out before anyone goes back in, even if the cycle has only a few minutes left.
Where does the charger or power supply sit?
For a corded Maytronics-style supply, the EU safety sheet says at least 3 metres from the edge, 11 cm above the ground, on a 30 mA RCD, and on the original cord only. A cordless charger stays well back from the water, on that same kind of protected socket, with the robot out of the pool while it charges. If the only socket is inside the pool zone and you need a new one, ask an electrician rather than running a lead along the coping.
Can I add an extension lead?
Not if the manual forbids it. Maytronics says original cord only and no extension. A UK review of the Nautilus quotes the same ban. If the cable cannot reach the water from a legal socket, the fix is a properly installed outlet, not a reel across a wet patio.
What if I have just added flocculant?
Wait until the water has settled before you run the robot. The Maytronics manual says flocculant and clarifier clog filters. Dropping the robot into a milky pool fills the mesh with the chemical you have just dosed, and it does not finish the clarification for you. Brush, or simply wait, then run a cycle on water you can already see through.
How do I store it over a UK winter?
Clean it, dry it, and store it where the manual allows, with no water left inside. Charge intervals differ by brand. Aiper’s page says about every two months to 40–60%, the POOLPURE listing at about £88.63 says at least every three months, and other brands print other percentages. Follow the booklet in your box. A charge light after winter, as on one hzexun review, is not proof the robot will actually run.

Related pages

Cordless or corded robotic pool cleaner

Robotic pool cleaner for an above-ground pool

Robotic pool cleaner

Best robotic pool cleaner UK: the job, then the skip

Robotic pool cleaner buying guide: shape, then walls

Sources

Public UK sources from the research digest, plus the Maytronics manual and Liberty charger sheet named there. Shelf prices and star lines are the amazon.co.uk figures for these eleven listings on 19 October 2026.

  1. HSE: Swimming pool safety (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  2. PWTAG: Code of Practice (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  3. PWTAG: Glass in the pool (TN70) (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  4. IET Wiring Matters: Section 702 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  5. GOV.UK: Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  6. Maytronics: Dolphin operating manual (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  7. Maytronics: Liberty charger safety sheet (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  8. Consumer Rights Act 2015, chapter 2 (retrieved 19 October 2026)