Not using in floor pool cleaner- anything I should do?

[robermax]

Hi guys-thanks for any help in advance
I have a robot and stopped using my in floor pool cleaner a few years ago. It called Turbo Clean I believe. It has a gearbox that flips up little valve disks and sends the water to different circuits. . I have pool service opening and shutting the pool. I've noticed in the past that the gearbox was stuck and was not sending water to the returns but it didn't seem to bother anything and I wasn't using the in floor cleaner anyway.
This year I noticed one of the gears was split and asked the pool guys if it would be bad to leave it out entirely and just leave the valves permanently open to the 2 returns and he said he thought it would be fine.
Do any of the knowledgeable pool folks have an opinion on whether there is a problem with doing this? I can get a replacement gearbox and put it in myself if needed but it just doesn't seem necessary.
Bob

 

[mas985]

This year I noticed one of the gears was split and asked the pool guys if it would be bad to leave it out entirely and just leave the valves permanently open to the 2 returns and he said he thought it would be fine.

Removing the zoning gear is an acceptable option to turn the floors into returns.

Are the in-floors the only returns?

But you mentioned there are only two returns? Is that zones or heads?

 

[1poolman1]

Hi guys-thanks for any help in advance
I have a robot and stopped using my in floor pool cleaner a few years ago. It called Turbo Clean I believe. It has a gearbox that flips up little valve disks and sends the water to different circuits. . I have pool service opening and shutting the pool. I've noticed in the past that the gearbox was stuck and was not sending water to the returns but it didn't seem to bother anything and I wasn't using the in floor cleaner anyway.
This year I noticed one of the gears was split and asked the pool guys if it would be bad to leave it out entirely and just leave the valves permanently open to the 2 returns and he said he thought it would be fine.
Do any of the knowledgeable pool folks have an opinion on whether there is a problem with doing this? I can get a replacement gearbox and put it in myself if needed but it just doesn't seem necessary.
Bob

Five or six port valve? The entire gear train assembly is between $105 and $160 +/- depending on which and where it is purchased. A&A parts now.

 

[robermax]

Removing the zoning gear is an acceptable option to turn the floors into returns.

Are the in-floors the only returns?

But you mentioned there are only two returns? Is that zones or heads?

Hi, thanks for reply there are 2 "eyeball" type returns in additions to the underpool heads.

 

[robermax]

Five or six port valve? The entire gear train assembly is between $105 and $160 +/- depending on which and where it is purchased. A&A parts now.

I thinks it's 6 port valve. I replaced it once.. Not concerned about the price more about the complication. When the gearbox was working I used to fix it so it went to one the of "eyeball" returns on the sides but it was a slight nuisance to get it lined up. If I leave it out and just leave the 2 eyeball ports open each has half the flow- not sure this is a bad thing but unsure. The flow from the returns did seem to push leaves to the skimmer basket on the other side but this is probably a minor issue since I have an electric cover anyway.