Two New iRobot Verro Pool Cleaning Robots

People tend to think of iRobot primarily as the maker of the Roomba robot vacuum. But you may not know that they also make a line of pool cleaning robots called the Verro. Today, they have announced an expansion of the Verro Pool Cleaning Product line, just in time for the 2008 pool season, with the addition of two new models, the Verro 100 and the Verro 500 (pictured). The Verro 100 is designed specifically for above ground pools, while the Verro 500 is designed to clean in-ground pools. The Verro 100 is priced at $299 US and the Verro 500 is $999 US.

No, they aren’t robotic humanoid robots in scuba gear with a brush—now that would be cool—they are underwater robots that crawl along the surface cleaning and scrubbing. Verro robots are equipped with an internal filtration system that removes debris and particles from pool surfaces and water as small as two microns.  The Verro 100 will navigate a flat-bottomed above ground pool of any shape. The Verro 500 has rubber rollers that brush and power-scrub all pool surfaces, as well as a powerful vacuum to remove debris. It cleans pool floors and climbs walls all the way up to the water line. The sturdy treads that drive the robot allows it to work on all pool surfaces, including vinyl, tile, fiberglass, and gunite. All Verro robots are easy to use because they operate independently with no hoses to connect to pool pumps or filter systems, thereby putting less wear and tear on expensive-to-repair filtration systems within the pool. .

by Mark Fleming on March 04, 2008 in Home Maintenance

iRobot Looj Cleans your Roof Gutters

One of the home maintenance duties that is often neglected is the cleaning of roof gutters.  If not cleaned out often, they can cause water damage, have overspills and ice dams. Plus, dirty gutters provide a home for ants, mosquitoes and other nasty pests. But cleaning gutters isn’t the easiest, most pleasant or safe job around the house.  In fact, it can be downright dangerous reaching about while up high on a ladder.  iRobot comes to the rescue for homeowners again.  Now, for the price of a professional cleaning service or less, you can buy their new iRobot Looj Gutter Cleaning Robot.

The Looj isn’t a little climbing and crawling humanoid with a brush, but something that looks like it belongs on the shelves of Home Depot.  It’s a powerful 500 RPM, 3-stage auger mounted at the end of rectangular handle that will crawl your gutters to break up sludge and clogs, lift out debris and brush them clean. The Looj requires no power cable, powered for up to 45 minutes by a 7.2V Nickel Cadmium rechargeable battery (15 hour charge time).

Here’s how it works: Use the Looj’s belt clip to attach it to your belt (some models use a holster), and climb the ladder. Once at the the gutter, place the robot in the gutter and detach the handle/remote.  Using the remote, you then drive the Looj forward and backward, while you watch the debris shoot out of the gutter.  When done, drive the Looj back, reattach the handle, climb down and repeat the process at another section of your gutter.  It doesn’t make turns so you do a straight section at a time.

The Looj comes in models Looj 120, Looj 150 and Looj 160, priced $99, $129 and $169, respectively. The Looj 120 comes with a belt clip and the higher models comes with a belt and holster which is more convenient to use.  The Looj 150 additionally comes with an extra auger and battery

iRobot Looj Gutter Cleaning Robot

by Mark Fleming on February 19, 2008 in Home Maintenance