TL;DR
A suction-side cleaner is an automatic pool vacuum that connects by hose to the skimmer or a dedicated suction port and is propelled by the circulation pump's own draw, sending debris to the pump basket and filter. It is the least expensive automatic cleaner class, suited to fine debris like sand and small leaves, but it loads the filter with everything it collects and stops working when the pump is off.
What it means
A suction-side cleaner is an automatic pool vacuum that connects by hose to the skimmer or a dedicated suction port and is propelled by the circulation pump's own draw, sending debris to the pump basket and filter. It is the least expensive automatic cleaner class, suited to fine debris like sand and small leaves, but it loads the filter with everything it collects and stops working when the pump is off. Pressure-side and robotic units cost more but spare the filter, the usual upgrade path in leafy yards.
Where it sits in the glossary
Suction-side cleaner is part of the Trade jargon group inside the ProFix Directory glossary. Browse every term in this category from the glossary index.
Why Ohio homeowners should know it
This is a term Ohio homeowners encounter when reading contractor quotes, hiring paperwork, or inspection reports. Understanding it well enough to ask one good follow-up question is usually all the protection a homeowner needs.
ProFix Directory keeps definitions short on the index page and saves the longer context — Ohio-specific rules, where the term comes from, and which ProFix tools touch it — for these per-term pages so the term is easy to cite and easy to share.
ProFix tools that touch this term
See also
License: CC-BY-4.0 — quote freely with attribution to ProFix Editorial Team / ProFix Directory.