Doheny Discovery Died After 3 Years

[gkennedy3]

My local Pinch-a-Penny repaired this robot occasionally, replacing wear parts as necessary. They commented more than once that it had a lot of sand/silt in the cleaner and that likely caused it to wear out faster than normal. Before I invest another $800 in a pool robot, what am I missing? Should I buy a different model less susceptible to this type of wear and tear? The robot was left in the pool year round but we took usual care in untwisting the cord and cleaning the basket. Any insight because I'd hate to buy another similar model with such a poor life span. Thanks for any thoughts.

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[gkennedy3]

Just a follow-up. When I think about sources of sand/grit/solids in my pool I consider the surrounding environment, the pool surface itself, and possibly grit from shingles on my roof. The surrounding environment is flagstone surrounding the pool itself with a concrete surface past that. So, the flagstone could be deteriorating and the concrete would certainly collect dust/dirt. The pool surface itself should be somewhat protected as I add calcium chloride fairly often to ensure calcium isn't leaching out of the surface. We have had hail producing grit from shingles, but these are fairly large particles and get collected pretty easily. I am going to clean my cartridge filter soon and will see if there is an inordinate amount of material there. I guess I'm just jealous of people saying their robot lasts for 10+ years and mine did a great job but no longer...

 

[Mdragger88]

What exactly is dead about it?

 

[Oly]

What exactly was the cause of death? Bearings can seize but can be replaced cheaply, motor replacement is a more expensive proposition. Water intrusion into the motor case can lead to problems with bearings and motors. I don't leave my unit in the pool and am looking for ways to maintain and improve sealing the motor unit case to improve the bots lifespan.

 

[gkennedy3]

I just picked up the robot from the shop. They said the power supply and the motor are failed. I wanted it back so I could open it up and see what it looks like for myself. I'm about to open up the patient and if I see anything interesting I will report back.

 

[gkennedy3]

First time opening the motor housing. The drive gear and impeller are not seized up. I pulled off the drive gear cap and the cavity appears to be very dry. A dry desiccant packet is right under the cap so if there was water intrusion it got dried while at the shop (probably not likely). I'm going to pull the multimeter out and see what kind of voltage I get from the power supply and through the power cable.