Polaris 360 keeps surfacing

[steve32570]

I'm new to the forum and a first time pool owner. We purchased a home last October that has a 22 x 37 inground gunite pool, 4 feet at shallow end and 9 feet in the deep end. I just installed a Polaris 360 and am having problems. I had to add an extra 8 feet of hose so it would cover the entire pool. The pool has three returns but no valve to regulate flow independently. The problem is that the cleaner keeps returning to the shallow end and floating on it's side on the surface. I've adjusted the valve, the float, removed a float from the feed hose and even tried adding some weight just in front of the float. I've also noticed that the sweep hose assembly only trails along behind the cleaner with the scrubber trying to come to the surface.

Does this sound like a pressure problem? I wasn't able to get the correct RPMs of the drive wheels, but I haven't tried installing the eyeball regulators yet since the existing retainer rings have been covered with concrete or gunite and I will have to chisel them off apparently.

Any help will be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[H2O_Keeper]

I have the 360 as well with a steep incline and similar challenges. I found when I was having diving issues to adjust the thruster on the back to around 11:00. This gives a force down and some turning to help a little when it runs into a wall. Unfortunately mine does go into the wall on the shallow end a lot and get stuck but it eventually pulls back and does its thing. Overall it does a good job. The only thing I am dissapointed in is that the mesh is so large. The fine stuff you can just watch it go right through the bag.

Try the thruster change. Also I must have the restrictor on the opposite return of the cleaner or I dont generate enouigh force to even move it. You may need to see if you are getting the desired RPM's per the manual.

 

[crabboy]

Is there any air/bubbles coming out of your returns? Do you notice any air trapped in the unit? Will it only surface in the shallow end?

 

[steve32570]

After much trial and error, and waiting until I had a day without storms, I found it was a pressure problem. Restricting one of the remaining returns did the trick, along with some tweaking of the float and thruster. I did take the lazy approach however and blocked off the return with a rubber stopper from the local hardware store. Much easier than breaking the retaining rings loose and then breaking the restrictors from the retaining rings. Also I didn't want to run the risk of damaging the threaded sleeves in the return lines. One other thing is that when the cleaner is not in the pool I can simply pull the stopper from the return and everything is back to original.

Thanks for the replies.

 

[greggsteven]

you can buy a polaris sand and silt bag on e-bay for about $20. Works great on dirt and sand in the pool.

 

[jtinley]

Thanks to all for the tips here. I registered just to say thanks and to explain to others what worked for me.
First, my backup was in the middle and wound it all up badly. I put the backup after one length of hose from the polaris (6ft)
I put a few more swivels in it wherever I saw it bend: 1st length was fine, 2nd length ok until last 3 feet bends alot so I ADDed a 2ft section there + swivel + next section cut in 2 ft added swivel rest normal but I put the best swivel at end of 1st hose from polaris.

wall------s----s--s--s----s---B---s------Polaris
* removed metal spring weights on hose attached to polaris - it made it wheelee. I may add 1 back as it nose dives occasionally now
* tested wheels at 30 so that was fine.
*thruster was at 11ish clockwise but more like 10 degrees from dead center so I moved hard left 10:45
reason was it was turning right too much - it now just slightly veers right. could move it to 9:30
climbs great now and gets stairs so not sure it if I want to change that.

The swivels fixed any problems along with having the backup closer to the polaris - that was pivotal. I may do what I read two guys at the link below did which sounds strange but is a good idea: remove all connectors and use watertight tape instead. I'll get better pressure AND I really dislike it when a hose starts unraveling and the connector is hard to remove as I try to tweaser, needlenose, pick the old plastic hose away just to get the nut off. That may change my rpm's for the polaris wheels (should be from 28-32).
Here's some great links:
link to the manual with great pics:
http://www.poolcenter.com/Polaris360_Manual.pdf
link to best answers (they mainly keep repeating about the wheel at 28-32 but they add more tips within each answer
http://www.poolwarehouse.com/polaris-380.html
Guy who used tape was from this forum
polaris-360-hose-connectors-hose-nut-problems-t3059.html

oh, and for anyone wanting to find the 'proper way' to cut your hose and were referred to the manual like me and did not find it, I don't know if this is 'right' but I just hacksawed it and that worked fine.
Best prices on parts I found even better than my favorites (ebay&amazon) was here
http://www.poolcenter.com/parts_cleaner ... iagram.htm

I hope this helps someone out!