Steps, Ledges and Benches: How Robots Handle Them
Many robots can travel over steps without cleaning them. Some are made to clean steps too. Which one you own is a manual question.
Going over versus cleaning
Maytronics says most robots go over stairs without actually cleaning them.1 It adds that some robots go over steps but are too big and have no mechanism for cleaning them.1
Wikipedia says brushes help clean floors and walls, and in some designs even the pool steps are included.2
Side by side
| Goes over steps only | Built to clean steps | |
|---|---|---|
| What you'd see | Robot passes, step stays dirty | Robot cleans the step surface |
| Suits | Pools with few or no steps | Pools with steps, benches or ledges |
| Where to check | Your manual's feature list | Look for step coverage listed as a feature |
Maytronics suggests looking for a model that explicitly lists step coverage as a feature if your pool has built-in steps or a tanning ledge.1
How a robot moves on them
A robot's tracks and drive motor give it traction and movement.2 A step is a sudden change of height and surface. How a given model copes depends on its size and design, so don't assume your robot will manage a tall step.
Three things that move a robot
Wikipedia says electric robots rely on three natural principles to navigate walls and steps.2
- Traction from the drive motor and tracks.
- Buoyancy from air-filled areas inside the machine.
- The force of water pushed out of the top, which presses the robot against the floor and walls.
That's the general picture. Your model's design may differ.
Some robots use PVA brushes. Wikipedia says their adhesive quality lets the unit cling to walls, steps and floors.2 Not every model has them.
Maytronics adds that wall-climbing capability varies by model. It's worth reading that line in your manual before you assume anything about steps.1
Benches and ledges
A bench or tanning ledge is a wide, shallow shelf. It's like a step that goes on and on. Maytronics groups steps, benches and ledges together, saying they can be addressed by models with flexible navigation and step-cleaning ability.1
Pool owners often ask if a robot will get stuck there. This page can't promise either way.
What to do
Check the manual's list of what the robot cleans. If steps aren't listed as cleaned, clean them as your manual says, and follow its instructions for removing the robot and switching it off. If the manual doesn't say, the maker's support line can tell you what your model does. Ask by the exact model name.
If the leftovers keep coming back, the checklist in this page on missed spots is a good next stop. Layouts get their own page too: pool shape and coverage.
Notes and sources
- What Is a Robotic Pool Cleaner?, Maytronics
- Automated pool cleaner, Wikipedia
Keep reading
How Pool Robots Find Their WayA robotic pool cleaner starts with no map. Here's how it turns at walls, covers the floor and decides where to go next.
Random and Planned Cleaning Patterns ComparedWhy a pool robot zigzags in one pool and runs neat lines in another, and what each pattern suits.
Gyroscopes and Sensors in Pool Robots ExplainedWhat a gyroscope, an accelerometer and bump sensors do inside a pool robot, in plain words, and what each one can't do.