Why Cordless
Why cordless pool vacuums are taking over Australian pool service
The short version: hose-connected pool vacuums work, but they cost you 15–20 minutes of setup and pack-down on every single pool. A cordless battery vacuum gives that time back. For a pool tech running a daily route, that's three to four extra paying jobs per day — without working any harder, driving any further, or buying any more advertising.
The hidden cost of hose-connected vacuums
The vacuum itself is the smallest part of the visit. Run the maths on a typical service call:
- Park, walk to the pool, assess: 2–4 minutes
- Drag cart, hose, and corded power lead from the van: 3–5 minutes
- Set up — connect hose, prime, lay extension cords: 5–8 minutes
- Vacuum: 8–15 minutes
- Pack down — drain hose, coil cord, wheel back: 6–10 minutes
That's 24–42 minutes of non-vacuuming work on every pool. Less than a third of your on-site time is the work the customer is actually paying for.
What changes with cordless
You walk from the van to the pool with the unit in one hand and the battery in the other. Click them together. Start vacuuming. End-to-end, you're at 20–35 minutes per pool — typically 15–20 minutes faster than a hose setup.
Across an 8-hour day, that's 3–4 extra paying jobs. At an $80 average pool service, that works out to roughly $60,000 a year per technician at the same hours and the same fuel. Your own numbers will vary with your route density, pricing and how far apart your jobs sit — run the maths on your own book before you bank on it.
Battery life is the new constraint — but it's manageable
The Bottom Feeder runs 1.5 hours per charge on its LiFePO₄ pack. The Shrimp runs the same battery. Most techs use one of three rotation patterns:
- Two-battery rotation. One on the unit, one charging in the van. Cycles continuously through a 10–14 pool day.
- Top up between pools. A 12V or AC charger in the van means every drive between jobs is a top-up.
- Triple-battery setup. A third battery as a hot spare removes battery anxiety entirely. Pays itself back in extra jobs in a few weeks.
Why LiFePO₄ matters
Most consumer cordless pool vacuums on the market use standard lithium-ion batteries. Several have been subject to safety recalls — the Aiper Elite Pro and Aiper Seagull Pro were both recalled over battery overheating and short-circuit risk.
The Bottom Feeder and The Shrimp use LiFePO₄ (lithium iron phosphate) — a chemistry with significantly better thermal stability, longer cycle life, and no recall history. We think the safety story is worth it on a tool you're carrying in a van full of chemicals through 35°C summer days.
What about the bags?
The bag does as much of the work as the vacuum does. Both units run the full 13" spa-width range — from a 40 micron super-fine bag for dust and dead algae up to a 3 mm heavy-duty leaf bag for storm clean-ups — and the same bags fit the BWT PK Turbo, BWT F1 Turbo and Kokido cordless cleaners, so you can upgrade your filtration before you upgrade the head. See the fitment guide or browse the Debris Bags collection.
Ready to switch?
Crownz Pool Store is the exclusive Australian distributor for The Bottom Feeder and The Shrimp. We hold stock locally, handle warranty claims directly, and ship Australia-wide.