All, I need some advice from the TFP community. I've been thinking about what to do all weekend and I just can't make up my mind!
Purchased my first robotic pool cleaner, a Pentair Kreepy Krauly Prowler 820 in June of 2014 from Hydropool.com for $734 with a $100 rebate offer from Pentair. Other than it being a pain to clean the pleated filters, this thing works like a champ. This past week I put it in the pool and turned it on and the power supply turned off after about five seconds. Took it out of the pool and I was able to get it to run for maybe 15 seconds. Impeller spins up, moves forward a few inches, stops, impeller spins up, moves in reverse a few inches and then power supply shuts off. It will not do this in the pool... it just shuts off after 5 seconds.
So I completely dismantled the entire machine. Took the motor apart and I see nothing wrong. I did find that if I disconnect the impeller motor, the drive motor will run forwards and backwards for about one minute and then do nothing else but the power supply does not shut off. So now I'm convinced it's either the motor or the power supply. I called Pentair, they said call Maytronics. Maytronics says just FYI, I voided my 2yr warranty because I did not purchase from a "dealer". Interesting, but I out of the warranty period anyway. She offers to send me some troubleshooting instructions. Basically if the power supply shows lights without the pool cleaner hooked into, the power supply is good. The troubleshooting steps for the motor basically says if it doesn't move, take it to a dealer. Fine! I call several stores and no one knows how to work on a Prowler 820. Screw it, I'll just order a replacement motor. One local pool store says sure, but it will cost $700 for a new motor.... wait what??? Hang up. Found a replacement online for $289 from Marine Pool Supply! Awesome! Sorry sir, Maytronics will not allow us to ship a motor. You have to bring the pool cleaner into the store. Uh, you're in Colorado and I'm in Memphis, TN.
Got to talking to the wife and she made a good point... would it be best to just buy a completely new unit? What if that replacement motor dies again in 3yrs? After two replacements, you could have bought a brand new one. So now I have that on my mind.
So what should I do? I can buy another brand new Prowler 820 on Amazon for $719 and have it here in two days. Then I have spare parts from the old one. I can spend $300 on a replacement motor and wait several weeks. Or I can start looking at a totally different brand. I read some really good reviews on the Dolphin Active 20 and it looks to have all the same features as my Prowler but I can't seem to find that for sale online. Looks like it's a "dealer" item. I don't want to spend to much money but I also don't want to take the cheap route and end up with another broken motor. All this stuff is WAAAYYYY overpriced anyway. This whole deal between Maytronics and the dealers seems like an industry trying to keep consumers confused and their wallets wide open. I have a hard time stepping foot into a "pool store" since finding TFP!
Thanks in advance for any advice or "here's what I would do" posts.
Purchased my first robotic pool cleaner, a Pentair Kreepy Krauly Prowler 820 in June of 2014 from Hydropool.com for $734 with a $100 rebate offer from Pentair. Other than it being a pain to clean the pleated filters, this thing works like a champ. This past week I put it in the pool and turned it on and the power supply turned off after about five seconds. Took it out of the pool and I was able to get it to run for maybe 15 seconds. Impeller spins up, moves forward a few inches, stops, impeller spins up, moves in reverse a few inches and then power supply shuts off. It will not do this in the pool... it just shuts off after 5 seconds.
So I completely dismantled the entire machine. Took the motor apart and I see nothing wrong. I did find that if I disconnect the impeller motor, the drive motor will run forwards and backwards for about one minute and then do nothing else but the power supply does not shut off. So now I'm convinced it's either the motor or the power supply. I called Pentair, they said call Maytronics. Maytronics says just FYI, I voided my 2yr warranty because I did not purchase from a "dealer". Interesting, but I out of the warranty period anyway. She offers to send me some troubleshooting instructions. Basically if the power supply shows lights without the pool cleaner hooked into, the power supply is good. The troubleshooting steps for the motor basically says if it doesn't move, take it to a dealer. Fine! I call several stores and no one knows how to work on a Prowler 820. Screw it, I'll just order a replacement motor. One local pool store says sure, but it will cost $700 for a new motor.... wait what??? Hang up. Found a replacement online for $289 from Marine Pool Supply! Awesome! Sorry sir, Maytronics will not allow us to ship a motor. You have to bring the pool cleaner into the store. Uh, you're in Colorado and I'm in Memphis, TN.
Got to talking to the wife and she made a good point... would it be best to just buy a completely new unit? What if that replacement motor dies again in 3yrs? After two replacements, you could have bought a brand new one. So now I have that on my mind.
So what should I do? I can buy another brand new Prowler 820 on Amazon for $719 and have it here in two days. Then I have spare parts from the old one. I can spend $300 on a replacement motor and wait several weeks. Or I can start looking at a totally different brand. I read some really good reviews on the Dolphin Active 20 and it looks to have all the same features as my Prowler but I can't seem to find that for sale online. Looks like it's a "dealer" item. I don't want to spend to much money but I also don't want to take the cheap route and end up with another broken motor. All this stuff is WAAAYYYY overpriced anyway. This whole deal between Maytronics and the dealers seems like an industry trying to keep consumers confused and their wallets wide open. I have a hard time stepping foot into a "pool store" since finding TFP!
Thanks in advance for any advice or "here's what I would do" posts.
