The joy of taking the Polaris in for a check-up

[anonapersona]

We were getting really PO'd at the Polaris. It was not going into the shallow end much, the hose was always tangled, and when it backed up and got stuck on the swim out or step it wouldn't get itself free. DH was threatening to buy some other sort, this is Polaris 380, and was pressuring me to do the research to find a new product to replace this one.

Instead, we took it to Warehouse Pool Supply for a free check-up. They had told me that if the hose is more than maybe 3 years old it was getting stiff and needed to be replaced. I bought one online, saving a few bucks, so I felt a bit bad that I was going to use their free check up service. They recommended some new bearings and belts. When we put the new hose on, we found the pressure regulating disk was no where to be found. That may have been what lost the power for the old dog. With all the new parts and the pressure disk and hose the Polaris is running like a champ. We also invested in a new bag with the zipper closure and a silt bag as well as we get a lot of sand in from the waterfall.

Wow, the pool looks great! After a brushing and vacuuming that was needed from having the Polaris out of the pool for so long, the Polaris has managed to keep the pool spotless.

So, if you are having small issues with your Polaris you might want to let the pros do a check up. (Not sure if Warehouse Pool Supply now bought out by Leslie's will still do the free check up but it appears that they are more like Warehouse Pool than like Leslie's in their manner of operation so I am hopeful.)

 

[Patrick_B]

Good tips, and glad you got it working right again. Are you still liking the new finish you had put in?

 

[Butterfly]

anonapersona,

 

[gtemkin]

Found the same stiff old hose syndrome made my Kreepy Krauley work poorly. I'm guessing that's a common problem for many older cleaners. It's great that you were able to breath new life into what would have been thrown away by most people.

 

[anonapersona]

Good tips, and glad you got it working right again. Are you still liking the new finish you had put in?

Yes, it is lovely. I really prefer the sandstone texture of this compared to the larger pebbles of the others we were considering. I think that we lucked into a Bicarbonate Startup, by virtue of the high TA of the fill water and the excess of baking soda that was used to neutralize the acid wash and so the break in was textbook perfect. None of the other contractors we talked to would vary from their Acid start up which would have killed my heater and probably damaged the pool surface so overall, the other contractor issues were minor I think. There were some hard to find leaks and some other things that were a thorn in my side. All resolved now. None of that had to do with the finish. I really think they need to rename it. Sunstone Jade was a very hard thing to buy when I was looking for turquoise and not green. There were no photos anywhere online of that color in a pool.

Hah! When I Googled Sunstone Jade pool finish.... I got a photo of my pool!

 

[anonapersona]

Found the same stiff old hose syndrome made my Kreepy Krauley work poorly. I'm guessing that's a common problem for many older cleaners. It's great that you were able to breath new life into what would have been thrown away by most people.

We had replace some, if not all, of the swivels, so I thought we had licked that problem. However, after buying the new hose it is so apparent that the hose itself was stiff, not just the swivels.

Well, $100+ for a hose and $200+ for some parts versus $600+ for a new unit.... yeah, sure I'll patch it up again. I've got so many spare tires and sponges and all this stuff, I didn't want the husband to pursue some other brand of cleaner.

I do wonder if my refusal to take it out of the pool when I shock the pool accelerated the hose stiffening. Not that I've shocked but maybe a handful of times in 5 years. But on occasion, one does need to shock. The connection is far below the surface and I find it impossible to get apart there in the deep water. Maybe in the future I will try harder to remove the Polaris.

 

[SwimAustin]

I'm pretty sure I need to do this too. My hose is stiff, especially now that it's cold, but even in the summer it was pretty stiff. I've fixed a few other things on my Polaris and taking it all apart, so I know it's in decent shape. I recently rotated the tires to even the wear out! But I have a very hard time setting it so it doesn't get caught and other problems. A stiff hose would certainly explain lots. Those problems got a lot worse as it got colder. I saw on line where I can buy hose and rebuild it myself. That's my style too, so another task on my todo list.

If you do take it out of the pool, be sure not to leave it in the sun. The sun will cause them to deteriorate too. I'm not sure if UV will make it stiffen or turn to powder, but I've never seen a white plastic that could handle much sunlight. The manual says not leave it out in the sun.

 

[anonapersona]

The whole hose replacement was about $109 if I recall correctly. It included the wall connection, disks, all the floats, swivels, and the end connection. It may be worth while to have that whole wall connection replaced while you are at it.