My Dolphin Z5 worked fine for 4-5 months then started getting stuck on our drains. There is a thread from 2016-ish where I detailed cleaning parts and replacing parts one by one, but nothing helped. Now (after 4 years!) I have discovered a solution that does not completely solve the problem but makes it livable.
So...I had the idea that if the Dolphin was a little less heavy underwater, there would be less friction when it passed over a drain cover, and the problem might be solved. I commandeered one of our smaller-diameter pool noodles, cut off three 8-inch long pieces, and lashed them neatly in parallel with the the robot's handle. Threw the robot in the pool, and... it didn't sink at all. LOL it just floated around. As it turns out, very little noodle is needed to make these things float. I ended up using just one piece of noodle about 4-5 inches in length. The robot's buoyancy is now such that the robot floats when turned off, and "sinks" to the bottom when turned on (the jet of water helps push it down). But did it help?
RESULTS
Does the robot still get stuck? Of course it does! But not as often
And here is the very best, unanticipated, unintended part: When the cleaning cycle is over, the motor turns off and the ROBOT FREES ITSELF by floating up to the surface! And the next day it can begin again. If you are fortunate enough to have a remote control, turning it off and back on that way works too. And needless to say, the Dolphin has no trouble climbing the walls now at all (although that worked pretty well before). I suppose a better solution would be to get one of those 4WD models, and I may do that if this one ever wears out, but for now we're good.
So...I had the idea that if the Dolphin was a little less heavy underwater, there would be less friction when it passed over a drain cover, and the problem might be solved. I commandeered one of our smaller-diameter pool noodles, cut off three 8-inch long pieces, and lashed them neatly in parallel with the the robot's handle. Threw the robot in the pool, and... it didn't sink at all. LOL it just floated around. As it turns out, very little noodle is needed to make these things float. I ended up using just one piece of noodle about 4-5 inches in length. The robot's buoyancy is now such that the robot floats when turned off, and "sinks" to the bottom when turned on (the jet of water helps push it down). But did it help?
RESULTS
Does the robot still get stuck? Of course it does! But not as often
And here is the very best, unanticipated, unintended part: When the cleaning cycle is over, the motor turns off and the ROBOT FREES ITSELF by floating up to the surface! And the next day it can begin again. If you are fortunate enough to have a remote control, turning it off and back on that way works too. And needless to say, the Dolphin has no trouble climbing the walls now at all (although that worked pretty well before). I suppose a better solution would be to get one of those 4WD models, and I may do that if this one ever wears out, but for now we're good.
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