Checking a Pool Robot Cable for Damage

Look the cable over often, and again any time it has been snagged. A cable that carries power into a pool is not a part to gamble on.

What to look at

Switch off and unplug the power supply first. Then work along the cable from the power supply to the robot. Guides call for looking over the power cable on corded robots¹, and for checking it for cuts during routine handling².

Look and feel for these.

• Cuts or nicks in the outer jacket.
• Cracks or stiff, brittle patches. One maker says heat and UV exposure can make the outer jacket harder and more brittle over time³.
• Sharp kinks or flattened spots where the cable has been bent hard or crushed.
• Exposed wire or anything showing under the jacket.
• The plug. An NFPA columnist, writing about pool equipment, says cords should not be frayed and plugs should be in good condition with all blades present, with special attention to the grounding blade⁴.
• Both ends of the cable, including the swivel. If it's stiff or locked, the swivel page shows a hand test.

What means it shouldn't be used

If the internal conductors are damaged or exposed, one maker says the entire cable should be replaced³. The same source adds that a damaged electrical cable in water can be a safety risk³.

That's the line to draw. Any cut, nick, crack or exposed wire, or a frayed plug, means stop using the robot. Ask the maker or a service agent, and follow your own manual.

Never cut a cable down to shorten it either. That makes a new damage point.

Who does the work

Don't splice or re-wire it yourself. That is this page's own caution, so ask the maker or a service agent. The NFPA column covers pool electrical systems in general, and says they should be inspected by a qualified professional⁴. It doesn't mention robot cables. For a replacement, ask the maker. One maker's advice to order a compatible cable was given for a cable that is too short. It adds that a generic cable may not fit the connector, swivel, seal or electrical system³.

What wears a cable down

Knowing the causes helps you avoid some of them. One maker lists direct sunlight, tight bends, pulling on the cable and storing it in small loops as things that can shorten its lifespan³.

Pulling is the one you control most directly. Lift the robot by its handle, never by the floating cable². Pulling strains the cable and can cause damage².

Good storage habits are on the storage page.

Questions to ask before buying

• Is a replacement cable sold by the maker for this model?
• Does the manual say who may fit it?
• Does it say what damage means you should stop using the robot?
• How is the cable attached, and can it be swapped without opening the robot?

Never run a pool robot while anyone is in the pool, damaged cable or not.