Solar Breeze Pool Skimmer
Pros
- 100% Solar Powered
- Virtually No Maintenance
- Large Debris Basket
- Saves Time & Money
Cons
- Dependent On Sunlight
- Not Great for All Pools
- The Cost
In my book the Solar Breeze Pool Skimmer ranks above all others, and in this review I’ll be going over what makes it such a great piece of equipment for pool owners.
But first, here is a brief overview of the Solar Breeze Pool Skimmer.
Solar Breeze Pool Skimmer Overview
I’m sure you already know this, but the Solar Breeze Pool Skimmer is a 100% solar power autonomous pool skimmer that you can set down in the water and let it run for hours by itself, saving you both time and money when it comes to pool cleaning. I once saw this product advertised as a “Roomba” for your pool and I think that is a great comparison… Except of course the Solar Breeze is the solar powered.
This particular pool skimmer features two 12 W solar panels that power a 5300Ah 7.4V lithium-ion battery, which then power a a silent motor with a lifespan of over 30,000 hours. Its dimensions are 20 X 23 X 6 inches and it only weighs 10 pounds.
When you turn on the pool skimmer and let it loose in your pool it will travel about bouncing off the sides and sucking up all leaves and debris in its way. In addition to skimming your pool for debris it also has a built in chemical dispenser where you can place chemical tablets so it can give off a slow release into your pool, which is much more desirable than going out and dumping large amounts of chlorine in all at one time.
How It Works
There really is not much to it at all. You simply set it down in the water, turn it on, and it will start skimming.
Of course you are going to need sunlight for it to work and the more the better. It works best when it’s nice and sunny out but will still work intermittently with overcast. The solar panels are constantly capturing light energy and charging the lithium-ion battery. Once the battery has enough power the skimmer will run.
So if it is sunny out it will be able to run nonstop without any problem. But if it is overcast the skimmer will run until the battery is dead, then it will sit and wait to be recharged, then run again, and repeat.
Because the lithium-ion battery stores energy it will have no problem running continuously on a sunny day with clouds from time to time. It will also be able to run for a few hours after the sun goes down.
How Well Does It Skim?
Sure, the Solar Breeze is a pool skimmer and all, but how well does actually skim? If it’s only going to do a good job at getting some debris out then this might be something you would want to avoid. Fortunately it seems to do a pretty darn good job.
Having somewhat large oak leaves in your pool are no match, nor are tiny pine needles and everything in between.
Cleaning Your Solar Breeze
There’s not really much of anything to this either. You just simply empty out the tray whenever it becomes full. There is no need to worry about damaging the skimmer if it is full and you do not clean it out in time. It will just affect its ability to scan for debris will not harm it.
You may be wondering how much debris this skimmer can possibly hold before you have to empty it out and you may be surprised. They tell you that I can hold twice that of a normal pool skimmer, but of course this depends on what they considered normal. But the fact of the matter is that the debris basket is a fairly decent size and can hold quite a bit, which is nice.
Other than cleaning out the basket you really do not have to do anything. Maintenance with this little guy is minimal.
Saves You Time & Money
An autonomous pool skimmer like this one can save you a good bit of time when it comes to pool maintenance. There are times when you still might want to skim out debris by hand, but overall this does a great job and requires virtually no time to use.
When it comes to saving money there is no doubt that it can do such, but how long it will take to pay for itself depends on your situation. It will save you on electricity costs to run your pool pump, pool chemical costs, and pool cleaning service fees if you pay other people to actually come in and clean your pool for you.
In an example online I found this chart that shows how you can recoup your initial investment within six months. But this includes if you are paying a cleaning service which many people are probably not…
But anyway, the bottom line is that it will save you money in the long run and it will save you time instantly.
Complaints
When I write a review on a product like this I always make sure to read as many other customer reviews as I possibly can to other complaints that might be out there. Below are some of the top complaints that I have found which you should know about before making a decision on whether or not to buy this product.
Can Have Troubles In Corners
One such complaint is that the skimmer may have troubles in the corners of your pool, if your pool does have corners of course. The tighter and more squared off your pool’s corners are the more difficult it will be for this thing.
When the Solar Breeze is skimming about your pool it will go from side to side, bouncing off traveling back and forth. You can imagine that it might get a little bit confused when there are two walls to bounce off of as there are in corners. So it will have a bit of trouble but this is nothing major.
Might Get Stuck In Your Pool
if you have a pool with a gradual slope going down in then this is going to be a problem. What will happen is the skimmer will travel onto the slope and get stuck, similar to a “beached whale”. You will then have to go down there and save it or else it will remain stuck.
For this reason I would not recommend an autonomous pool skimmer like this if you do have a pool with a gradual slope.
Debris Could Spill Out Back Into The Pool
This isn’t too big of a deal but one thing that can be annoying is debris falling back into your pool from the skimmer. If you are done using it for the day and go to lift it out of your pool be sure to do so while keeping it level. It is whenever you tilted that some of the debris could drain back out.
Is It Right For You?
Personally I think that the Solar Breeze is a well-designed and very useful pool product. Everyone wants to save time and money and the Solar Breeze can help you do exactly that.
As I went over above, when it comes to saving money with this the timeframe you are looking at will vary greatly depending on your particular situation. However, when it comes to saving time this thing will help you out right away.
Of course if you have a pool with a gradual slope or maybe a pole with a very strange design that it might get stuck in, then you should probably not be purchasing this, but for the majority of pool owners out there this should work great and you should be satisfied.
There are other solar powered pool skimmers out there, such as the Savior Pool Skimmer, but the Solar Breeze is a much better deal in my opinion and is more affordable.
Where To Buy
If you are interested in purchasing the Solar Breeze you will have to do so online. You can buy on Amazon.com, where the price is the lowest and you can get free shipping.