Backyard swimming pools can be a lifesaver in the height of summer, but those blissful afternoons splashing and cavorting in the crystal clear water don't come without their chores.

Pool cleanliness for your family's health is essential and it would not be possible for those without suitable equipment, if many mornings were not devoted to cleaning the pool. Now, take it from me, the manual unassisted cleaning of a large backyard pool is no easy task for most of us, that is unless you are very strong and fit, or of course you have a robot type pool cleaner. These are nowadays available in a great many styles and the is a model to suit most budgets. However, just as for most things in life the more you pay the better these things tend to work and the longer they last.

There are backyard pool cleaning accessories from Dolphin and Hayward for example (to name just two of the most popular on the web) and many more to give you the choices you need to personalize your private resort to the maximum. And, once you have sorted out your pool cleaner purchase you can continue to select other products from your favorite hardware supermarket where most tend to stock everything from outdoor patio heaters and grills to the finest in casual furniture able to add the finishing touch to your very own private getaway.

So, cleaning is a major problem associated with pools. Since, manual cleaning is tedious and boring there is genuine interest in automating the task by choosing a pool cleaner which can be one of two types; pressure and suction models.

Good automatic cleaners are programmed to randomly cover and vacuum the entire pool floor and walls. Debris on the pool floor is vacuumed up as well and trapped in the pool filters.

All the health experts seem to say that it is essential to clean your pool frequently, as the pollutants that get in the water can lead to bacteria and algae, which if not controlled will quickly contaminate your water. Sanitizing your pool on a regular basis will keep it clean and safe.

Check before you buy the equipment and see if you have a separate booster pump. Then once in service do check the O-rings on pump trap lids regularly as these may become worn and compressed over many years. Also check for any kind of hole in the visible surface of the plumbing before the pump (suction side) or after (pressure side).

Replacement parts are costly and unfortunately necessary, as this sort of equipment works hard and has been prone to wear at times. I easily spend $100 per year on replacement parts for quite a small pool.

Pressure cleaners operate on both the pool pump and a separate booster pump. A portion of the water from the pool pump is diverted into the pool-cleaner booster pump through a cleaner line. Pressure-side cleaners work best in open areas (not screened in) where lots of solid debris, such as leaves and twigs, are present because the unit can collect and house those items internally.

Robotic cleaners, which also trap debris via filter bags, work well for almost any pool shape, surface type or environment. Pressure-side cleaners have wheels and roll across pool surfaces, propelled by water pressure passing through the filter (some manufacturers recommend installing a booster pump to increase this propulsion). Some models offer high-tech, disposable micro-filtration bags, although these tend to be more costly they are very effective.

Suction cleaners attach via a hose to your skimmer box and use the suction created by your filtration system to suck up the dirt. They work by scrubbing the pools surface up to the waterline and picking up leaves. Debris and dirt is then sucked toward a filter system, cleaned and removed.

Design vary but in principle dirt and debris are sucked up by the cleaner and then through the hose, past the suction port, through the pipe, and is trapped in the filter pump strainer basket. This design makes suction side cleaners very much like pool vacuum cleaners.

The majority of pool cleaners will quickly clean any above ground pool regardless of size or shape, including dished out bottoms. The unit easily hooks up to your pool's pump and filtration system to get its remarkable cleaning power.