Am I expecting too much from my Hayward Aquanaut 400 - VIDEO

[QingGuy]

This was shot after my Hayward Aquanaut 400 ran for 6 hours. Am I expecting too much in terms of it cleaning the areas it missed in six hours? How long are others running their cleaners? I've had issues with this thing since I bought it looking for feedback and please do tell me if my expectations are unrealistic. BTW, it NEVER cleans my shallow end (left side, I've run it 12 hours and it won't clean the entire shallow end) well. I wish I'd purchased the two wheel version vs. listening to Hayward and going with the four wheel version due to the length of my pool.

Wish I would have purchased a robot, neighbor has one and does a great job.

Hayward Aquanaut 400 Cleaner Not Cleaning - YouTube

 

[QingGuy]

Spoke with Hayward and they suggested running vac then entire time my pump is running. Right now my pump runs 6 hours a day. So I'll run it at a higher RPM for 3 hours to ensure the vac's wheels rotate the Hayward recommended RPM, then I'll lower the pump speed for general circulation (skimmer and bottom drain) and the vac will move at a lower speed. He thinks running my vac 6 hours a day will fix my problem. Thoughts/experience.

 

[mas985]

I only run my vac one hour per day but I don't expect it to keep the bottom spotless either. But if it is not reaching the shallow end, then setup could be the issue. If you get the wheel RPM setup right and it still does not hit the shallow end, then you may need to adjust the float.

 

[QingGuy]

@mas985 - Thanks for your reply. Yea if I only ran 1 hour a day there's no way it would keep the bottom of my pool clean. Just doesn't get around enough, you saw what 6 hours looked like. Hayward has worked on the shallow end issue with me, sent me new hoses etc. The issue is the four wheel unit vs. the two week unit. They recommended I go with the four wheel due to the length of my pool, problem being, it doesn't do well in the shallow/narrower end of my pool, something to do with the gears being different on the four wheel version. My neighbor has the two wheel version of the same cleaner, I drop it in my pool and it does fantastic. So I've been brushing the dirt in the shallow end of my pool towards the deeper/wider end of my pool in order for the vac to get it. Really wish I'd saved the $100 and got the two wheel version.

It does seem a little crazy that I would need to run it that much, but as the support guy said, you're running your pump anyway, just keep it on.

BTW, my pool isn't normally that dirty, we had a big windstorm blow through here that seems to have deposited the entire desert into my pool. It made for a great visual though of the areas the cleaner wasn't getting to.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

My Kreepy Krawly does an ok job as well. Here's two things I have noted -

1. Hose coil

My hoses are old, stiff and they have serious curvature to them. When new they are straight and pliable. I find that the hose tends to coil and that really impacts the ability of the cleaner to move because the hoses act like a spring.

2. In-line Canister

I always try to ensure there is an air bubble in the canister so that it floats. I'm actually looking to chop off a section of pool noodle to put on each end of the canister to make sure it floats. If my canister fills with water, it sinks and that impedes the motion of the suction vac.

I also seriously need to replace the bottom seals on the unit as most of them are worn down to nothing.

 

[borjis]

I have a Hayward Navigator.

The hoses are in sections and near new condition, I remember the manual stating to always leave them disconnected when stored and flat
never coiled or they can develop "memory."

Mine gets every square inch (usually) within 3-4 hours. Sometimes it misses near the shallow return jet and i guide it
there before disassembly.

I too have a canister while it cleans, but oddly enough, I get better coverage from this cleaner if I make sure
it doesn't float with air in it. Just discovered this a few weeks ago. If it does float, the cleaner finds itself
way too often in the deep end which is usually cleaned by that point.

The navigator I had at my last pool (gunite)
worked best floating the canister with some air. Though it was a slightly newer model. It's hoses were a little more stiff.