Niya Sonar 10

Maytronics rates it for pools up to 20 ft long, and it is aimed at above-ground pools. Its one-hour run time covers that size; in a longer pool it will run out of charge before it has covered the whole floor.

No. It cleans the floor only. The Niya Sonar 30 is the smallest Niya that climbs walls and scrubs the waterline.

About 2.5 hours for a full charge, which gives roughly an hour of cleaning. The LED turns steady green when it is ready.

Charge it fully before the first run; the LED turns steady green when it is ready. Unplug the charger, press the power button, and lower the robot into the water near the middle of the pool. It sinks to the floor, starts cleaning on its own and parks at the wall when the cycle ends or the battery runs low. Lift it out, empty and rinse the basket, and put it back on the charger for next time.

Charge it in a shaded, dry spot from a GFCI outlet, with the charger plugged straight into the wall rather than an extension cord and kept at least four feet off the ground. Connect the charger to the robot: the LED glows steady red while charging (some units flash green instead). When the battery is full the LED turns steady green and switches off after ten minutes; unplug the charger from the robot and the outlet. The robot shuts the charger off by itself when it is full to protect the battery.

• Short beeps every three seconds: the robot is not fully under water. Turn it off and place it in the pool.
• One short beep: the battery is low. Turn it off and charge it.
• A long beep: it is charging while switched on. Turn it off and let it charge.

If the robot moves slowly or the suction feels weak with no beeping, the filter is full: turn it off, rinse the filter, and replace it if the mesh is worn.

A clogged filter is the usual cause: a dirty pool fills the basket fast and the suction drops with it. Turn the robot off, pull the basket, rinse it with a hose and replace the filter if the mesh is damaged. A clean filter restores both speed and suction.

You rarely have to reach for it. When the cycle ends or the battery runs low, the robot parks itself at the pool wall just below the surface. Lift it by the handle or hook it with the Niya retrieval hook on a standard pool pole, let the water drain for a moment, then rinse it and set it aside to charge.

Balanced water and a filter that is not already full. Keep free chlorine at 1 to 3 ppm, pH between 7.2 and 7.6 and the water above 59°F for the best cleaning, and wait 24 hours after a shock or flocculant treatment before the robot goes back in. Saltwater pools are fine. Rinse the robot and basket with tap water after each cycle.

No. Maytronics lists it as not available in Canada. Pool Express ships to the 48 contiguous United States.

Niya is Maytronics' value line: cordless, light and simple, with one coarse top-load basket, no timer and a 1-year warranty. Dolphin robots cost more and add longer warranties, fine and ultra-fine filtration, weekly timers or Wi-Fi apps and more cleaning modes. If your pool collects fine silt or algae, or you want cleaning on a schedule, a Dolphin is the better buy; if you want a dependable cordless cleaner at the lowest price from a manufacturer with a real parts and service network, Niya fits.

Maytronics, through its US service network, under the 1-year warranty. Contact Pool Express first: our Pool Pros will confirm the fault, help you order a replacement part if that is all it needs (filters, wheel sets, batteries and chargers are stocked part numbers) or arrange the warranty claim. You also have our 30-day trial from delivery.