Polaris 280 Installation

[NuPoolOwner]

I am a new pool owner and want to learn from this site and I also have many questions. My pool is a 14 x 28 rectangular pool with roman ends and a resin type curved step entry on the shallow end. It is vinyl lined, salt, with a Hayward Pump Filter and a manual cleaning system plumbed for the Polaris. To clean now, we plug the flexible hose into the skimmer and clean using the long aluminum pole and the triangle shaped head. Pool installer wanted to sell me the Polaris 280 for $1200.00. I declined so I could further research it.

Well, I researched and determined it was a good unit, but also found I could get it at a pool supply.com site for $699 with the booster pump. The ads for the Polaris 280 all say, must be used with a booster pump. So I bought the package, pump and robot cleaner. Now I am wondering if I needed the pump at all. If it is plumbed by the installer, what does that mean? I don't want to ask him because I didn't buy it from him.

I have another pump by the filter, but that is probably for the filter, right? So, do I need a separate pump?

NuPoolOwner

 

[Njaneer]

I am a new pool owner and want to learn from this site and I also have many questions. My pool is a 14 x 28 rectangular pool with roman ends and a resin type curved step entry on the shallow end. It is vinyl lined, salt, with a Hayward Pump Filter and a manual cleaning system plumbed for the Polaris. To clean now, we plug the flexible hose into the skimmer and clean using the long aluminum pole and the triangle shaped head. Pool installer wanted to sell me the Polaris 280 for $1200.00. I declined so I could further research it.

Well, I researched and determined it was a good unit, but also found I could get it at a pool supply.com site for $699 with the booster pump. The ads for the Polaris 280 all say, must be used with a booster pump. So I bought the package, pump and robot cleaner. Now I am wondering if I needed the pump at all. If it is plumbed by the installer, what does that mean? I don't want to ask him because I didn't buy it from him.

I have another pump by the filter, but that is probably for the filter, right? So, do I need a separate pump?

NuPoolOwner

The 280 does require a Booster Pump, not sure which one you got with your bundle, but the PB4SQ is the latest and is multi-stage which is more energy efficient.

You stated your pool is "Plumbed" for the Polaris, so that means all the required plumbing is there for a pressure side install. At your equipment pad there shoulld be a pipe that is blocked off for the connection to the booster pump and on the wall of your pool a UWF fitting with threads to install the hose UWF.

 

[NuPoolOwner]

Thank you, Njaneer. The pump I got is a PB4-60, and there is a pvc pipe sticking up from the ground about 10 inches with an el on it, no cap, but does not appear to be leading to anything on the pad. And on the wall of the pool, there is a fitting to hook up the hose. So, the white hose with the Polaris 280 hooks up to the UWF on the pool wall, right? And the pvc sticking up goes into the booster pump that will be mounted on the pad? And then the pump will be wired into the control panel? Will it be one of the auxiliary buttons in the control panel? So do I get just a regular electrician to wire in the booster pump to the control panel?

 

[ajw22]

PB4-60 pump installation manual is here —> https://www.polarispool.com/~/media/zodiac/global/downloads/h/h0399500.pdf?force=1. See section 3.

Pump needs electrical power installed by an electrician and connected to a timer or automation to control cleaner.

You pickoff water before the pool return into pump and connect pump output to the dedicated cleaner line.

And then the pump will be wired into the control panel? Will it be one of the auxiliary buttons in the control panel?

What type of control panel are we talking about?

 

[NuPoolOwner]

Thank you, Allen. I was thinking that the booster pump probably was wired into the Hayward control panel for the main filter because there are two auxiliary buttons in there that do not connect to anything. When the booster has been connected to electrical power, where will the switch be to turn on the Polaris 280, or does it automatically start when it is plugged into the side of the pool at the UWF? I am sorry if these are mundane questions. This is the first pool I have ever owned.

 

[ajw22]

What model Hayward Control Panel do you have?

The cleaner booster pump needs to be turned on by a timer or by your control panel buttons or control panel program.

You typically leave the 280 plugged into the UWF and in your pool all the time and it runs to clean for a few hours daily. You may remove the 280 when using the pool or just push it to the side.