Random and Planned Cleaning Patterns Compared

A zigzag and a neat lane are two answers to the same problem: cover the whole floor before the cycle ends. Which one you see depends on how the robot is built, the shape of the pool and the mode you choose.

Random paths

Wikipedia says suction-side and pressure-side pool cleaners trace a random course around the pool.¹ Those are cleaners that run off the pool's pump or a booster pump, not electric robots with their own power supply.

A random path covers the floor by chance. Given enough time, most areas get visited. Some get visited a lot, and some barely at all.

Planned paths

Maytronics says its robots don't move at random. They follow a systematic pattern. It says that is sometimes a "maze" pattern that covers irregular pools best, and sometimes line-by-line patterns apt for rectangular pools.²

A patent for a pool cleaner's directional control says the prior art generally operated in a random pattern of movement across the bottom of the pool. By criss-crossing for long enough, along varied paths, the cleaner covers all or nearly all of the floor.³

The same patent points out a catch. In very large rectangular pools, a substantial amount of time is needed to be sure a random-pattern cleaner covers the whole floor.³

Its own answer is a pattern of parallel paths between opposing sidewalls, with a U-turn at each wall. That's a patent description, and your robot may do something different.³

Gyroscope guidance is another planned route. Straight lines under gyroscope control give a zig-zag pattern, the patent says.³

Side by side

Short answer: Maytronics ties line-by-line patterns to rectangular pools and a maze pattern to irregular ones. Neither is a promise of a spotless floor.

Why yours looks different

Your robot's route may look different from another robot's. Your manual is the place to see what your model does.

Maytronics says specialty modes, such as waterline-only or wall-only cycles, run shorter.² So a different mode may change the route and the run time.

Which to expect

Don't judge a robot by one cycle. A neat route doesn't prove clean corners, and a wandering one doesn't prove missed floor. It's the result that counts.

Ask two questions. Does my model follow a set pattern, or does it turn at walls and carry on? And does my pool have straight walls? Both answers are in your manual and your backyard.

If your manual is vague, the maker's support line can say what your model does. Ask by exact model name.

The page on manual settings shows where to look. Pools with curves are covered in shape and coverage.