Polaris 280 wheels

4x4tx

Well-known member
Jul 23, 2007
438
Greater Houston
Pool Size
17500
Surface
Plaster
Chlorine
Salt Water Generator
SWG Type
Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Ive noticed lately my cleaner is staying stuck in corners...looks like the front wheel and single wheel are turning..but middle and back wheel is not?

What kind of adjustment do I need?

Also looks like my scrubber on the tail is gone and the tail isnt really whipping around either.....is that because the scrubber is gone or do I need to adjust up the flow to the tail? Its been a while so I have forgotten which screw that is.

I bought this unit in 2015 and have replaced very little on it..im sure it needs some tuning.
 
There are several items that need to verify if you have not changed anything for 5 years.
Are the rubber tires gooey? That is one issue that reduces traction.
Is your small middle tension wheel smooth? it should have ridges on it to rotate the wheel properly.
Have you checked the inlet screen - where the hose connects to the pool wall? If that is dirty or clogged then not enough water flow is getting through to properly spin the turbine in the cleaner which then turns the wheels. Have you checked how many times your wheels rotate in 1 minute? For maximum efficiency, the single wheel should operate between 28 and 32 RPM.

This also affects how much flow is going to the tail that sweeps.
Have you checked your tail for holes? The blue rings are wear rings, if they become worn down (which is normal) then the white hose is rubbed against the pool and if it gets a hole then no flow to properly make the tail sweep. The wear rings should be checked yearly or more often depending on how long you run your cleaner each day.

I leave it at for now as those are the first items to check. I am assuming the pump is still functioning properly and no holes or leaks in your main hoses, swivel or backup valve that would reduce the overall flow to the cleaner.
 
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Great. I did that as well - Also see my post on rebuild of Polaris 280
It took about 2 hrs but I just took my time and ensured everything was cleaned up as well since I had it apart.


thanks..i wish I would have looked yesterday before I did it lol

I followed a youtube video as well, my kit was different..it had with all 4 wheels, the drive shaft bearings, a new tail and a new cleaner bag....it did not come with a new drive shaft but mine looked fine. I bought off amazon for $109

I noticed today when i ran it was leaning back a bit..like front wheel was off the ground a bit and it was running around pretty fast. It looks like I need to adjust float and maybe tail flow as well?
 
I noticed today when i ran it was leaning back a bit..like front wheel was off the ground a bit and it was running around pretty fast. It looks like I need to adjust float and maybe tail flow as well?
2 items to consider. The float position directly below the cleaner bag. That screws in and out to adjust. The next thing is the float position near the back-up valve. I have mine directly above the back up valve but that may vary from your set up depending on how long your hose is from your cleaner to the back-up valve. Good Luck.
 
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