So I have a Polaris....

EmilyOTR

Bronze Supporter
Feb 15, 2017
704
Ferndale, MI
Pool Size
15000
Surface
Plaster
Chlorine
Salt Water Generator
SWG Type
Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
I have a Polaris, and the pool has been open 4 days. I don't think it does a very good job. Is this not supposed to be a replacement for a manual vacuum?
 
Yes, the Polaris should keep the pool bottom clean. Most pool builders will set them up so they run properly in the pool. If not, the manual shows how to make adjustments to make it run better.
 
So I switch back and forth between my robot and Polaris and each of them have some cons. The Polaris is always needing a small tweak to run optimally (or needing a part replaced). There's only a few things you can adjust assuming it's new and all the parts are good. Play with the way the back jet is positioned, most people say 11 oclock works best for them, but you may need to try a few different settings. You can also adjust how far back the float head sits and that can make a big difference. I suggest studying it and see what exactly it's doing. Climbing too much or not enough? Suspended in the water? Popping a wheely?

I've only had my pool for about a year, so maybe one day I'll figure out how to use the Polaris it requires less tweaking, but I ain't there yet. I'm still adjusting mine all the time trying to find the most optimal settings.

The robot is much lower maintenance from that aspect, but it's major con is that it doesn't do all that well at picking up big leaves and debris (but does an excellent job at the small particular type stuff).
 
Yes I think climbs too much. After all the stuff is on the bottom. And it seems to be suspended in the water a lot. I was in the pool today with it and it would go right over stuff and not pick it up.
 
How long do you leave the Polaris going? Do you have a booster pump? Have you checked the RPMs? Does it slowly crawl around the pool or does it move with some purpose?

Maybe you're not getting enough flow. You can check this by making a small temporary mark on one of the wheels, while you're in the pool with the Polaris, get a hold of it while it's still mostly submerged and count the number of times that mark makes a trip around in a minute. Polaris says it should be 28-32.

Being suspended a lot can be caused by water in the float head or air trapped in the unit somehow.

My advice is to read the owners manual and watch some youtube videos. Learn your Polaris and how to tweak it for optimal performance. If you want a pool cleaner that you stick in the pool and forget about, the Polaris is probably not the pool cleaner for you (however every type of pool cleaner has it's own drawbacks).
 
We have a Polaris 280 running on a booster pump. Once you get the thing figured out, then most of the work is emptying the bag. I found that the tail jet needed to be pointed straight back and angled up slightly for ours to run good.

Is this a new Polaris? If not, it may be time for a rebuild kit and a new hose. When the hose gets stiff, it really messes up the way they run.

We we run ours with the leaf bag that comes with the unit in the spring and fall. Winter (we don't close the pool) and summer we use the sand/silt bag. It picks up the fine particulates better. We also have two of each bag. They are much easier to empty when dry.

Hope me this helps,
Bryan
 
Yes we have a booster pump. I don't know a lot about it because we inherited it from the previous owners so I have no idea how old it is.
 

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I had it serviced and they replaced what it needed. It's a 380. It seems to do better now but gets stuck all the time on our ladder. And besides getting stuck there seems to avoid our deep end.
 
Update: our pump was clogged. We fixed that, and then backwashed and now the Polaris never gets stuck and cleans the whole pool. I'm so happy.
 
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