Mobility Problem

[cainadai]

Hi everyone! I'd like to introduce you to Christine:



We inherited Christine from the previous owners of our home/pool. We think she is a Polaris (she has a Polaris booster pump) but all of her identifying features have been aged right off of her. Like her namesake, she's an oldie but a classic. Also like her namesake, sometimes she has a mind of her own. She enjoys running down frogs (we once found a frog leg wrapped around one of her axles), flinging off her tail, flinging the scrubber off her tail and sometimes... she just goes on strike. That's what brings me to you fine people, today!

When I take her out of the pool and inspect her, I can't find anything unusual. Her wheels move, no visible obstructions, everything seems fine. In the pool, her jets are functioning. There's water coming out of them at low pressure when the booster pump is off and higher pressure when it's on. Her tail is whipping as usual, but she's moving very slowly around the pool and when she encounters a wall or the stairs she won't climb anymore. She just gets stuck and sits there until I come out and rescue her. I disconnected the hose from the wall and pulled out the little debris screen. It was dirty so I gave it a good wash and put it back, to no avail. I checked it again just to make sure it hadn't become immediately clogged again, but it looks fine.

Any ideas?

 

[cowboycasey]

I just had to say, I know this does not help, but Christine is really kewl

 

[zea3]

Here is a link to some troubleshooting tips. I would check for air in the system and check the hoses for leaks first.

Help! My Polaris Pool Cleaner Stopped Moving!

 

[cainadai]

cowboycasey: Thanks! We like her, she has character.

zea3: That link seems to be exactly what I need. I ran some water through the cleaner hose outside the pool and water is leaking out both from the backup valve and the coupling that joins the two lengths of hose together (which I replaced last summer, any idea how often those should need replacing?). There also seems to be a little air in my lines, so I'm going to keep an eye on it. Just re-lubricated the O-rings for the pump basket and chlorinator to get a tighter seal there. Hoping that makes the air bubbles go away. As for the leaks, well, I guess I'll start with the coupler and go from there. Thankfully the backup valves are much cheaper on Amazon than at the pool store.

Anyone know what the difference is between the Polaris G52 and Zodiac G52?

 

[cowboycasey]

Anyone know what the difference is between the Polaris G52 and Zodiac G52?

Price from what I see at least... they look identical

 

[cainadai]

Oh my gosh, I forgot to say: THANK YOU zea3!

 

[zea3]

You are welcome!

 

[cainadai]

I found the culprit! After replacing the backup valve and swivel didn't help, I took Christine apart and found a broken piece inside that one of the hoses attaches to.





As you can see, this part is removable... it's a cover of some sort for what looks like a gear that turns the front axle. However... somehow I doubt I'm going to be able to find a replacement part for my ancient pressure cleaner, especially since I have no idea what its model number is. If anyone has any suggestions, I'm all ears.

 

[zea3]

I think I found it! The second link is an easier to read parts list.

RED/WHT HUMMER LEGEND PLATINUM | PoolParts.com



[url]http://www.poolcenter.com/p/legend-platinum-truck-series-page-1
[/URL]

 

[cainadai]

zea3, you are AMAZING! Now I just have to figure out how much I'm willing to pay vs how soon I want Christine back in action. Always a delicate balance, isn't it?

 

[cainadai]

So, interesting dilemma...

This is the part pictured on the web site:

This is the part I received:

The bag has the right part number but the elbow points the wrong direction. Okay, so, I figured I could hook up the hose to it anyway BUT the hose isn't long enough. I could get a longer hose with enough room to bend, but the pool store guy says (and I take his advice with grains of salt which is why I'm here) that having a bend in the hose will inhibit water flow, so I should really attempt to re-order the part (preferably through him).

Any thoughts? Return/exchange the part? Let the pool store order a part? Just get the hose hooked up and call it good? Give up and manually vacuum for the rest of the summer?

 

[atttech-2]

If the bend in the longer hose is gentle enough I don't think it will be a problem we are talking inches not feet here, as long as you are not kinking it I would do the longer hose. To get the hose on more easily dip the ends in hot water before sliding over the barb.

 

[proavia]

In post # 8, picture 2 - is there enough clearance to route the hose around the other side of the vertical pipe, without kinking the other end?

 

[cainadai]

proavia: The other pipe that the hose connects to is pretty close to that center pipe. I had a heck of a time getting it off this morning; really not looking forward to trying to wedge it back on. I don't think routing it around the other side of the pipe is an option due to placement. Either way, the existing hose isn't long enough.

I stopped by Lowe's this morning in search of a hose but no luck. Planning to try Ace and Home Depot tomorrow morning. Failing that, I plan to just drop the whole lot off at the pool store and let them deal with it while I spend the weekend re-painting the cover. I think that is a task I can actually accomplish. Don't ask how the manual vacuum attempt went last night.

 

[cainadai]

Problem solved! After striking out at Ace and Lowe's today, I went to another pool store and they had the correct replacement part in stock and were able to swap it out for me, negating the need of a new hose. I'll be returning the wrong part I received, and Christine is moving around the pool regularly once more! Thanks again, everyone!