Oct 14, 2026Manufacturing
How Long Should a Pool Robot Last?
A pool robot's life is often set by its battery. What a life test can and can't prove, battery questions to ask suppliers, and storage that slows fade.
It's one of the first questions a retailer asks, and the honest answer is that a pool robot doesn't wear out all at once. Motors, tracks and brushes, seals and the battery each age at their own pace. The robot's useful life ends when one of them fails and can't be replaced at a sensible cost. In a cordless robot, the part owners usually notice first is the battery, as a run that gets a little shorter each summer.
What does a life test actually prove?
Our Y50S life test ran 10 units for 1,100 hours, 3 hours on and 1 hour off. Every robot was still running at the end, and the tracks showed real wear. The detail buyers tend to skip is the power source: the robots ran on a DC supply. That lets a test run around the clock without waiting for batteries to recharge, and it's a sensible way to load up motors, tracks and software. It also means the test tells you nothing about the battery. Battery life needs its own questions.
How many charge cycles will the battery take?
Ask for the cycle life of the cells, and ask what it's measured to. A cycle count only means something with an end point attached: so many full charge-and-discharge cycles until the battery holds a stated share of its original capacity. Two suppliers can quote the same count against different end points. Then ask whether the figure comes from the cell maker's data sheet or from a test on the finished pack. Cells on a test bench at room temperature tend to look better than a pack that's charged in a hot pool shed.
To turn cycles into seasons, look at how your customers use the robot. One full cleaning run is roughly one cycle. Runs per week, times the weeks in your pool season, gives you the cycles a battery sees in a year. An owner with a long, hot season will work through a battery's cycles faster than one who opens the pool for a short summer.
Why does my robot run shorter in its second summer?
Because the battery holds less charge as it ages, and the runtime on a spec sheet is a new-battery figure. Ours are too: the Y50S is rated at 150 minutes and the C1 at 210 minutes. A larger pack starts with more headroom, so it takes longer before a shorter run turns into a complaint. That's worth thinking about for customers with big pools, where the robot already needs most of its rated runtime to finish the job.
How should owners store the robot over winter?
A lot of battery life is lost in storage without anyone noticing. Lithium batteries age faster when they sit full and warm, and they can be damaged if they sit empty for months, because they keep losing a little charge even when switched off. The middle ground is what belongs in your manual: store the robot indoors somewhere cool and dry, leave the battery part-charged, and top it up partway through a long off-season. Owners rarely think about this, so it has to be written in the manual in plain words.
Can the battery be replaced?
Ask before the first order, because the answer decides whether a tired battery means a repair or a new robot. Buyers can order batteries from us separately, as well as filters, brushes, tracks and chargers. Ask any supplier whether the battery is a part your service team can swap or a job for a repair center, and whether a replacement keeps the same battery model number. If it does, its UN38.3 report and MSDS still apply when you ship spares.
FAQ
How many years should a pool robot last?
We don't put a number of years on it, because it depends on how often the robot runs, how it's stored and whether the battery and wear parts are replaced. Be wary of any figure in years that doesn't come with the test or the usage behind it.
What warranty do you give?
Our warranty for overseas buyers is 1 year on the whole unit. Batteries and spare parts such as filters, brushes, tracks and chargers can be ordered separately.
Planning a range that has to last more than one season? Tell us your market and how long your pool season runs in the form below. We'll suggest models and put together a battery and spare-parts list for your first order. Our team will reply by email within 1 business day.
Written by the Silver Home R&D and quality team.
