Polaris 360 or ThePoolCleaner suction side?

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A

acroy

0
May 11, 2010
205
Dallas TX
It's been asked many times already (i've done some searching & reading!) but wanted to validate my thoughts with you all...

Situation:
33k gunite inground pool
2 skimmers & 4 wall jets
no dedicated pressure or suction lines
Plan to install big 2spd pump & run 24/7 on Low
Want a pool cleaner which will work with (relatively) low flow
Debris type: Leaves leaves leaves, acorns acorns acorns, twigs and twigs!!

I've been running a Dirt Devil pro-V, more or less a Creepy Crawly-type suction side. It gets jammed on the hard stuff like twigs and acorns. Plus it takes pretty good suction to run (current 2.25hp 1-spd). I do have a PoolDevil skimmer, which helps a lot, but getting tired of unjamming the vacuum.

My thinking is
1) pressure side will work @ lower pump speed
2) pressure side will handle the big debris better, not get jammed
3) pressure side will not introduce all that garbage into my lines & pump basket

the polaris 360 I can get for around $360, looks like TPC model is around 450. I've seen mixed reviews on the Polaris and nothing but good on TPC.

Any feedback before I blow a few hundred bucks??
Thanks!
 
I have the suction side unit, but the pressure side is recommended for twigs and such, like MITS says. I might be able to help you on pricing if you decide on TPC. Drop me a PM if you would like me to see what I can do (I have Dieter on my speed dial, and I need to speak to him anyway!).
 
Dead, white algae. Suction side on my pool draws through the filter. I have a robot, but the thing died after 2 weeks and I'm still waiting on the replacement. I sweep my pool every day but it's still not making the water clear. My 1954 pool has one skimmer, one main drain, and four returns at the shallow end. Keeping it clean is almost impossible for me at the moment without something in the pool assisting.
 
RobbieH said:
Dead, white algae. Suction side on my pool draws through the filter. I have a robot, but the thing died after 2 weeks and I'm still waiting on the replacement. I sweep my pool every day but it's still not making the water clear. My 1954 pool has one skimmer, one main drain, and four returns at the shallow end. Keeping it clean is almost impossible for me at the moment without something in the pool assisting.
Click to expand...

I'd suggets get yourself a suction-side, it runs the water through the filter & takes care of the fine stuff (assuming your filter is working!;))
 

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33k = big pool (and gets a lot of stuff in it)

Big pool = robot

Robot = the most cleaning power (but you will have to pay)

I don't think a suction side is big enough for that pool. Since a booster pump and a pressure side cleaner will add up close to a robot, I'd get a robot.


Blue diamonds are very good but there are some new ones out that look promising, too.
 
duraleigh said:
Big pool = robot

Robot = the most cleaning power (but you will have to pay)

I don't think a suction side is big enough for that pool. Since a booster pump and a pressure side cleaner will add up close to a robot, I'd get a robot.
Click to expand...

I'm going to have to stick with the robot I guess. I suppose my pool is too big to use a suction side. My robot is supposed to be back up and running in just a few days. The power supply died.
 
Just realized I mislabled the title of the thread (doh) should have read "Polaris 360 or ThePoolCleaner pressure side....

I've pretty much decided to go with pressure side for it's ability to handle the bigger junk.

As far as robots go, they look like a pain. Have to store it somewhere, deal with a cord or an expensive battery, throw it in, take it out... bah. I like an automatic vacuum just running around slowly 24/7 keeping the place continously clean. but that's MHO.

cheers
 
acroy said:
Just realized I mislabled the title of the thread (doh) should have read "Polaris 360 or ThePoolCleaner pressure side....

I've pretty much decided to go with pressure side for it's ability to handle the bigger junk.

As far as robots go, they look like a pain. Have to store it somewhere, deal with a cord or an expensive battery, throw it in, take it out... bah. I like an automatic vacuum just running around slowly 24/7 keeping the place continously clean. but that's MHO.

cheers
Click to expand...

don't forget power supplies dieing, happened twice on the blue diamond, motors dying, that happened at least twice on the blue diamond, etc.
 
I have been using pressure-side cleaners for the last 12 years. Currently a Letro Legend II and before that had a Polaris. (no booster pump, ever). Pool details in my sig, below.

I just went "over to the suction side", LOL.

I bought and installed a Zodiac Barracuda MX8 suction side cleaner (attaches to one of my skimmers) and it works great, because it is actually vacuuming the pool bottom and it gets ***ALL*** of the fine materials that have precipitated out and are sitting on the pool bottom. We have farm fields nearby and we get a lot of wind-blown dust.

The Polaris/Letro pressure side cleaners really won't do that. What you are counting on, when it comes to any fine particulates that can't be caught by the bag, is for them to move enough water around in the pool, so that the fine particles can get into a suspended state in the water, and thus can get to the skimmers.

This is not ideal and the deeper your pool, the less effective it will be, in getting any fine materials into suspension.

However, large amounts of debris, like palm tree debris that we typically get in the pool during the off season, will easily jam up the suction side MX8, and would also load the pump basket with junk really quickly.

My plan is to run the MX8 during the months that our pool is open and is, for the most part, clean and free of any large debris (typically April through mid-September, here in Northern CA).

During the winter months, when my only real concern is picking up large debris that fall in from the trees, etc, I run the Letro, on the pressure side.

I think that this approach is turning out (so far) to be the best for my situation, of course, your situation may be entirely different.

Rob
 
My Polaris 360 works well to keep my 30,000 gal pool clean of the big stuff, as long as I "steer" the Polaris part of the time. Working on its own does not get all of the debris, but I am happy with the suction power. My Polaris is not good when it comes to 'fine debris", it just kicks it into suspension.

I just bought a Polaris 9300 (robotic), but have not yet tried it out so the vote is still out.
 
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