Hayward AquaNaut Suction Pool Vacuum Review

Review of the Hayward AquaNaut Suction Pool Vacuum

As of this writing, there are 178 customer comments and 62 answered questions for the Hayward AquaNaut Suction Pool Vacuum.  I’ve read the customer comments, and then condensed the results into this review.  I hope that this helps you when shopping for a pool vacuum.

Best Fea​tures

• check Handles any type of debris
• check Maintains its suction even when on uneven surfaces
• check Easily climbs over uneven surfaces
• check Easy to install
• check Ideal for use with variable speed pumps

Item Specifics

The Hayward AquaNaut Suction Pool Vacuum can handle any type of debris without clogging.  Because of the V-Flex technology, even large debris can pass through easily.  It has a patented adjustable roller skirt, which maintains the suction even when it’s on uneven surfaces and obstacles.  It also has patented tire treads, which allows it to easily climb over uneven surfaces such as your pool’s main drain.  This pool vacuum has multiple pre-programmed steering sequences that allow it to clean the whole pool.  This product can be used with different speed pumps.  It is easy to use, and easy to install.  

Bad Reviews About Customer Support

I came across a lot of bad reviews for customer support.  The following is one of them.  A customer reported, “It didn’t work for me.  It doesn’t go from the deeper part of the pool to the shallow one.  Try to contact support several times and they didn’t give me any reasonable answer.”

Gets Caught up Easily

There were many complaints about this pool vacuum getting caught up on obstacles.  Here is one of them, ” I have now owned for 1 year, 6 month and repeatedly have the issue of it getting high centered/stuck on the main drain. I have used it in the skimmer inlet, and also via the side suction but continue to have issues. I have had 2 pool pool companies to go to the house to try to solve this issue. I have even had the main drain covered with the recommended shield which did not work. I then replaced replaced the main drain and still have the same issue. The cleaner climbs the drain then sits there as wheels do not touch the pool surface. Just very displeased with this product and do not plan to buy any more Hayward items. Really had high hopes for this.”

Ease of Installation

This is an easy pool vacuum to set up.  Here is one of the ease of installation comments, “The installation was simple, good instructions and not that complex. Set it up and had it cleaning the pool and climbing the walls in no time. This has not been without issues though.”

Hose and Hose Connection Issues

This vacuum does have some major issues, with one of them being with hose and hose connection problems.  Here is one of the comments,  “First, the floats for the suction hose do not stay on, they fit poorly and do not completely circle the hose. They actually are a little to tight and partially collapse the hose (more on this later) and then come off later and you find them floating around the pool. This prevents the cleaner from climbing the walls and I found the cleaner lying on it’s side yesterday in the bottom of the pool with both floats floating on the surface. Second, one of the hose sections split at the connection point and it’s useless, it allows air to be sucked into the hose. This may have been because I coiled the hose after the first time I used it, but there was nothing that said not to coil the hose and the troubleshooting guide actually tells you to leave the hose in the sun if you coil it and the loops won’t come out. So I need a new section of suction hose.”

Pros

• plus Easy to install
• plus Handles most types of debris
• plus Maintains suction on uneven surfaces

Cons

• close Hose issues
• close Hose connection issues
• close Gets stuck easily on pool obstacles

Hayward AquaNaut Suction Pool Vacuum Conclusion

Hayward AquaNaut Suction Pool Vacuum is easy to install but it does have some issues after the installation phase.  Customers reported hose and hose connection issues.  It also gets caught up easily on pool obstacles like drains and ladders. Unfortunately customer support doesn’t seem to readily help with these issues. For the price that you will be paying, which is rather high, I’d think twice before getting this pool vacuum.

Common Questions

Here are some top questions that I found for people considering buying the Hayward AquaNaut Suction Pool Vacuum.

• chevron-circle-right Will the tires harm my vinyl liner?  No, this pool vacuum should not harm your vinyl liner.
• chevron-circle-right Where do I get replacement tires?  You can go to the Hayward website to find tires.
• chevron-circle-right What is the difference between the 200 & the 400 other than price?  The AquaNaut 200 is a 2-wheel cleaner with 33′ of hose suitable for pools up to 16′ x 32′. The AquaNaut 400 is a 4-wheel cleaner with 40′ of hose suitable for pools up to 20′ x 40′.

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