Customer Reviews

Floatron Natural Pool Cleaner Algae-free No chemicals

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

I have used this Floatron for over ten years in a twelve-foot aboveground pool in South New Jersey and am very satisfied with its performance. I just left it floating all the time, and it kept the water free of algae and turbidity to the point that I used chlorine only once in Spring after removing the winter tarp, and once more in late Fall before putting the pool cover back on and disconnecting the pump. In all those years, I had to replace the copper electrode twice, at $50.00 or so each time, but I guess chemical treatment would have cost more in money and maintenance time.

The only slight cons are that when my children were younger and practically lived in that pool during the swimming season, their blond hair seemed occasionally to get a slightly greenish tint, and some white T-shirts showed the same coloration, but it was slight and never bothered us. Also, the rubber bumper strip around the Floatron's circumference came loose and split, and I had to caulk it back into its groove.

Some of that old Floatron's photocells look discolored now, as if water had leaked into or around them, and last summer I had to use chlorine a couple of times to keep the water clear. I guess therefore that this Floatron has reached the end of its lifespan, and I am replacing it with a new one, but the old one has served us well and fully earned its retirement.

Live in Albuquerque, NM. Have a 15 x 30 feet inground vinyl-lined pool that came w/ the house 10 years ago when we moved in. Sick of chemicals and trying to get the right balance and kill the algae I saw starting to grow. The Floatron (though I didn't get it from Amazon) came with a 3-month guarantee, so I thought I'd try it through the summer months. It was wonderful. Water feels so good and you don't smell chemicals. A friend locally said my pool is the only one she will swim in. Only need a trace amount of chlorine to burn off and some baking soda to up the pH from time to time. I recommended this to our neighbor with a gunite pool and a friend w/ an above-ground pool. Both still use it. The friend w/ the above-ground pool said she could never get her water to clear despite the Baquacil (sp?)type products. The Floatron cleared her pool. My husband was skeptical until we gave it a try. We have saved so much money, and I don't know why this product hasn't taken pool stores out of business with all their chemicals. The copper ions emitted take care of algae, bacteria, etc. It is so easy to open and close our pool. The copper core lasts us 2 years. A new one just screws in and doesn't cost a whole lot. e-mail me if you have questions at [...]

Ive had the Floatron in the pool for the last 4 weeks and there is absolutely no sign of algae. The water is crystal clear.

I use 1 3" chlorine tab is the skimmer per week, though Im not sure if its necessary. FYI the pool is above ground 4 x 24.

I've had my Floatron for just this season. It's done a fantastic job. I just let it float all the time. [I do clean (scrape the residue off) the inner core every other week, to make sure the Floatron is operating at full strength. Even so, I know I will *at least* get into next season before I need to replace the core.]

I have an 18'x36' in-ground pool with steps. I also have four large outdoor dogs that use the pool steps to cool off, although they don't go beyond the steps (I don't have the heart to block them from the pool given the mid-to-high 90s temps and high humidity in the summers here.)

Last year, I had to use a lot of chlorine (6-8 3" tablets a week) and clean the pool at least twice a week, and I still had to clear out algae at least every other week.

This year, I've had no algae even though I'm using a lot less chlorine (2-4 3" tablets a week) and only clean the pool once a week. Chlorine and baking soda are all I've needed. The water is also much easier on the eyes and much more enjoyable to swim in.

I haven't had problems with any green/staining, but, come to think of it, my friends don't have blond hair, so that could still be a problem for some.

Overall, I highly recommend this product; it's definitely worth the cost. It allows you to avoid the cost of dealing with algae, in terms of both chemicals and frustration.

I am using the Floatron unit since 4 years. I have a small 5000 Liter Pool and all I do is Floatron and filtering. The pool is mostly in the shadow and when the copper diode is very used and the spiral not cleaned I let the Floatron most time in the pool, it still "overloads" the pool after some months. When the copper diode is new and the spiral cleaned I let it 2-3 days in, 4-5 days off. If your pool is in the sun it even needs less time in. Note that the spiral should be cleaned well after maybe 6 months, it is not so easy to make it well, I've found a drilling machine with some kind of soft metal brush makes the cleaning much easier. The only part that needs to be replaced is the copper diode, can be ordered from [...] In my case I have it replaced 1 time in 4 years. Bigger pools will need more replacement.

I bought my Floatron with my pool about 3 months ago. I was a little skeptical, but have read a lot of positive reviews and decided to try it. I'm very impressed with it. My 27 foot above ground pool is crystal clear and I have never shocked it or used anything other than a few chlorine tablets and some muratic acid. Once we set it up and added some acid to get the pH down, we maintained about 1-3 ppm chlorine while the Floatron brought up the copper level. Once the copper level was up to ideal condition (about 3 weeks of full sun) we cut back the chlorine to about 0.5 ppm and have done nothing else with chemicals. Now we have the Floatron in 1 week and out 1 week to maintain the level. I'm estimating at that rate the electrode will last about 2 seasons. Total expenditures for chemicals so far about $60. Only down side is you have to clean the coil every week of use, but it only takes about ten minutes and they provided the cleaning brush and test kit. I highly recommend the Floatron.

We purchased our Floatron a while back and had to send it back last month, because it was taking on water and was not working according to the test method. They told us to drill a hole in the bottom of the Floatron and send it back. They sent us the same one back with white paint on the top and with a plugged hole in the bottom where I had to remove the water. I tested it again and it still does not work. I was happy for a year and a half. We are dissatisfied with the company.

I've had my Floatron for 6 years and I do think it has made a difference. I use mine together, with a chlorine tab feeder (set on low), to make sure my pool stays algae free. I can say with authority that this combo works well because recently my floatron sank and I had to remove it from the pool.

With the unit removed, my algae has returned and I'm back to brushing and shocking my pool.

So there is the reason for only 4 stars. Mine started taking on water within the first year of ownership. I called floatron who advised me to drill a couple opposing drain holes in the body, let it drain, then seal up the holes with silicone. I milked this band aid approach for another 4 years. (It would sink, I would drain it, and repeat)

I am here today shopping for a new one, even though I had problems with the first one, just because I miss it and it really does make maintaining the pool much easier. I see now that there is a two year warranty and I intend to use it if this thing sinks again. If you have a waterfall or fountain I suggest tethering it away from those features so as not to take on too much water on the topside.

I have used the floatron for five years and it has improved the enjoyment of owning a pool in many ways. First of all, having a pool that only has trace amounts of chlorine (barely detectable) is great for people with sensitive skin and saves clothing and hair from damage. It is also nice because I kayak and the lack of chlorine means I need not rinse my gear. Most of all, it saves in money on chemicals and the pain in the butt of having to fight the pH/total alkalinity battle. I read somewhere that the reason for the 7.4 - 7.6 pH requirement for pools has something to do with maintaining pH in a band for maximum chlorine effectiveness. Without that requirement the pH has a bigger green band, including up to 7.8 or so, above which the water will be too basic for your skin and eyes. The thing is that pH wants to naturally drive up to around 7.8, so if you are using chlorine, you constantly need to add acids in order to bring it back down. This eventually causes the total alkalinity to go out of band, requiring the addition of baking soda (or some other base), which then brings the pH out of band. This constant battle is the bane of pool owners that take care of their own pool. On top of that, keeping chlorine in your pool is just a pain in the but on it's own, due to the fact that even in it's solid form it sublimates (goes directly from solid to a gas, skipping the liquid form).

I see some complaints concerning the need to STILL keep chlorine in the pool. As the website explains, this is due to the fact that copper ions will not destroy oils and other suspended solids that are not algae or alive. Because of this, a VERY minute amount of chlorine is required to maintain clarity and the pool will still need a good shocking every now and then. Before you roll your eyes, check out what I mean. I keep a single tab in the basket, which doesn't even leave enough chlorine to be detected in a test, and is probably less chlorine than most drinking water contains. If the tab goes away and I forget to replace it for a few days, the pool doesn't suddenly become clouding either guys. I also need to shock the pool after a big party (I mean like over 50 people with kids and all big).

So my pool is pretty much a dream. I have to add chems when I open up in the Summer (I keep water in the pool year round), but after that, it is simply cleaning the floatron every couple of weeks, adding a tab to the basket once a week or so, shocking once a month or when a lot of oily people have been in the pool, etc. I test the pool about once a month and it is usually perfectly in band. How sweet is that? So yeah, this thing is a dream.

The one negative is the fact that it starts to take on water after about four years. I think I could have probably figured out how to fix this problem by resealing the seem around the edge. However, I have found that a simple solution has been to drill two holes and set it out once a week or so. I used to seal it up but it would sink again, so I quit fighting it and just deal with having to leave it out to drain every now and then. I wish they would fix this problem.

Anyway, this is a dream and has made owning a pool so much less of a pain in the butt.

I was so nervous about spending almost three hundred dollars on this for my 28' above ground pool, and my husband was a tad skeptical it would work. But I have sensitive skin and I hate that my kids are swimming in such chlorinated water almost every day in summer. So we got it when Gaiam was offering a 20 dollar off deal through amazon. And by golly, after 3 weeks of use in Michigan where sun isn't exaactly plentiful to say the least -- it's working! No algae. The water is very clear. We have been using a tablet of chlorine in the skimmer every week. My husband said that per the test kit, the water is becoming more ionized whenever he tests it. He does recommend cleaning the filter every week; we have pretty hard water and the mineral buildup was substantial. I believe the instruction booklet says you can never clean it enough! The water smells so much better and I haven't noticed any skin irritation anymore this summer. Could not be more pleased that my little plan worked!!! Have already been bragging to others about my nice almost chemical-free pool, and recommending the product. Oh, and I love that it's made in the USA!!