Getting bids, need some reviews

[Vandal]

I've been researching some things and was hoping to get more input for the pool that my wife and I are getting bids for.

First question is about the Hayward Phantom. One PB was big on it, but he also said that he can get the Polaris 280 for us as well. Is the Phantom a better cleaner than the Polaris and worth the upgrade?

Also, I was sold on the Intellichlor system, but the same PB recommends the Polaris AutoClearPlus, which I can't find much information about. Does anyone have any feedback on these?

And lastly, I understand that Sta-Rite is now part of Pentair, but is there any quality difference between the two lines and does Pentair offer the same three-warranty on the Sta-Rite stuff?

Thanks!

 

[SeanB]

I've been researching some things and was hoping to get more input for the pool that my wife and I are getting bids for.

First question is about the Hayward Phantom. One PB was big on it, but he also said that he can get the Polaris 280 for us as well. Is the Phantom a better cleaner than the Polaris and worth the upgrade?

Also, I was sold on the Intellichlor system, but the same PB recommends the Polaris AutoClearPlus, which I can't find much information about. Does anyone have any feedback on these?

And lastly, I understand that Sta-Rite is now part of Pentair, but is there any quality difference between the two lines and does Pentair offer the same three-warranty on the Sta-Rite stuff?

Thanks!

I'm a fan of Pentair. My intellichlor has not been perfect but their customer service certainly has. On the pool cleaner, short of spending 2-3 times the money, I don't think you'll do any better than the 280. It's effective, reliable, there are few moving parts, and when spare parts are needed, they are easy to find. Even though we only got a 1 year warranty with the Polaris 280 vs. 3 year with the Pentair cleaner, I was adamant on getting the Polaris and was glad I did. hth