I hate suction side cleaners for the most part. A 3/4 HP booster being on for a couple hours, if that long, is not a big hog on the bill.

If you have variable power rates, shortly after start up when the costs per kilowatt are low is usually the best time.

Scott

Yep just set it on a timer and you will not even notice the power usage and have a much better cleaner.Without the worry of stopping up lines with debris....

Ok... I am convinced not to get a suction side cleaner... I see that it uses the pump basket and filter as opposed to a bag on the unit also.

Pressure side it is... but I do see the Polaris 360 seems to be a decent alternative that I can run without a booster pump. I see pretty good reviews on it. Any drawbacks, as long as I have a dedicated return for it that I can ensure has proper flow rate?

As long as you can get the proper flow it will work fine what size and shape is your pool? I still prefer booster driven cleaners the hoses seem to last longer.

25x45.

Just does not make sense to pay for booster 2 hrs/day and 3/4 hp... if there is not a significant advantage... when I can run the 360 with my regular pump... even if it runs longer, the pump will already be running longer anyway...

I know there will be some lesser cleaning ability, but unless it is significant, it just makes sense to me to go 360.

jscozz....from your posts on my thread a couple weeks ago, you're pool is going to have a beach and benches..correct?

Have you considered an in-floor cleaner. Ours always keeps the beach, benches and sunshelf spotless. And there is no hassle with a cleaner or hoses that can be an eyesore and eventual maintenance expense.

We have a 2 speed pump which uses about 500 watts at low speed that provides floor cleaning, chlorination and filtration to our pool for about 12 hours a day in the summer. High speed is used for about 1.5 hours to clean those hard-to-reach areas in the deep end every other day.

Everyone always comments how clean our pool is and the shallow areas, which are most noticeable, are always spotless.

Not sure how today's pool cleaners do on benches and more intricate interior pool features...my guess is they will have problems getting some of these areas which are most visible because they are shallow areas of the pool.

With all the homework and planning you've been doing, just wanted to mention this option to consider also....we have no regrets after 6 swim seasons.

"Ok... I am convinced not to get a suction side cleaner... I see that it uses the pump basket and filter as opposed to a bag on the unit also."

Not necessarily...You can put an inline leaf catcher on your hose, and can do it up near the wall fitting (assuming you have a dedicated suction line for the cleaner and are not tying up the skimmer's suction) which makes it a breeze to clean if you're worried about debris ending up in the pump basket (not sure why you think that would be a bad thing). Using a suction side vac, when connected to the filter's plumbing, is nice because you're cleaning debris while filtering the water simultaneously. Just my opinion.