Polaris 360 with 3/4 HP pump?

[mwemaxxowner]

Hi y'all.

My pool was once serviced by a Polaris Rover and a booster pump. It has a dedicated Rover line plumbed in, and had a booster pump when I took over this pool.

I have since removed the booster from the plumbing, and rewired it for 110v with a plug for use elsewhere. I still have the pump and it would be easy/quick to put back like it was, but it's currently not plumbed and wired and ready to roll.

I am thinking about getting a pressure side cleaner, and I think I want a 360. I'd like to be able to run it and not need a booster running at the same time. Many reviews online make the 360 sound perfectly adequate as a cleaner, so I'm hopeful it would be acceptable as a non boosted cleaner vs a boosted model.

One thing I do wonder is, Polaris recommends a minimum 1 HP pump. I have read a review that said it ran fine off a 3/4 HP pump, but only the one. I have searched Google and this forum and haven't found much. So I'm curious, can anyone tell me I should be able to run this off of my 3/4 HP pump?

I have 3 returns and have one in the center of the pool where it would need to hook up. The 360 comes with adapters to hook to the eyeball fittings and restrictors to use on the other returns to tune flow at the cleaner. I'm sure I'd have to tinker with the flow a bit.

I will upgrade the pump to a VS pump and probably more HP some day, but it's only 2 or 3 years old currently, and I believe the Hayward 3/4 Super Pump is known to be a workhorse that lives a while. I don't plan to remove it prematurely.

 

[1poolman1]

While you can hook the Polaris 360 up that way, you severely limit the amount of water the system will be able to move because most of the flow will have to go to the 360 just to get it to move. You will regret that decision (I've seen it too many times).
After going through the large hose, it enters the Polaris and then is restricted to 4 nozzles (1 to run the turbine-wheel, 3 to spray into the pick-up tube) that are 1/8" or less in diameter.
For a pool your size, if you are going to use a Polaris-type cleaner, get one with a booster pump, you will be much happier. Don't purchase a 360 with the thought that you can add a booster pump later if it doesn't work out. A booster pump will destroy both the hose and internals of a 360 (again, seen it too many times).

 

[mwemaxxowner]

I don't completely understand. I thought it was a given that I'll divert most or all of the water to the cleaner. Are you saying it still won't function properly due to the 3/4 pump? I would no longer be circulating enough water?

I did understand that it is not compatible with a booster pump, and was not considering that as an option.

 

[reggiehammond]

What’s going on with your Warrior SE? The robot is a FAR SUPERIOR cleaning device, consuming substantially less power, doing a much better job.

 

[mwemaxxowner]

It quit at 2 years and 1 month. It fails the test cycle now, and seems to be due to the impeller motor.

Pentair is sending me a new motor unit, but I want another type of cleaner to use in the off season, and perhaps to use during the swim season also to take some of the load off the robot.

I also desperately wish I had something else right now while the robot is down and out. I don't want to be caught with an inoperable robot and nothing else again.

I'm also really irritated at the notion that I can't use my robot as much as I need to, or it won't give an acceptable service life. And that I can't use my robot that is advertised as AUTOMATIC and has a timer that you can schedule it to run daily, well... AUTOMATICALLY. My pool needs cleaning daily, and apparently I can leave this automatic robot in and schedule it to run daily with the automatic feature, or it will die an early death.

 

[mwemaxxowner]

While you can hook the Polaris 360 up that way, you severely limit the amount of water the system will be able to move because most of the flow will have to go to the 360 just to get it to move. You will regret that decision (I've seen it too many times).
After going through the large hose, it enters the Polaris and then is restricted to 4 nozzles (1 to run the turbine-wheel, 3 to spray into the pick-up tube) that are 1/8" or less in diameter.
For a pool your size, if you are going to use a Polaris-type cleaner, get one with a booster pump, you will be much happier. Don't purchase a 360 with the thought that you can add a booster pump later if it doesn't work out. A booster pump will destroy both the hose and internals of a 360 (again, seen it too many times).

I believe you're saying that, since I'll have to divert all of my flow to drive the Rover, I won't get adequate circulation through my pool, won't move enough water to get proper filtration, etc.

Is that correct?

And, if so, if I were ever to have a larger pump would that change?

 

[1poolman1]

I believe you're saying that, since I'll have to divert all of my flow to drive the Rover, I won't get adequate circulation through my pool, won't move enough water to get proper filtration, etc.

Is that correct?

And, if so, if I were ever to have a larger pump would that change?

Not sure what a Rover is.

You are correct, your filtration will suffer. Regardless the size of the pump, you are limited by the orifices in the Polaris 360 and still need to divert most of the flow to it. The 360 was designed to take the place of what was at the time the only widely-available non-booster pressure-side cleaner, the Jandy Ray Vac. Those were installed with a 3-way valve right on top of the pump that diverted flow to both the main filter and an "Energy Filter" for the cleaner itself. With that installation one could use a larger pump (1.5 - 2hp) and get good filtration and make the cleaner operate. A 3/4hp pump would need most of the flow go to the cleaner to get it to work and proper filtration was difficult at best. Plumbing a 360 after the main filter, despite what Polaris said, always caused problems. They test under laboratory conditions, I worked in the "real" world.

Being in business, I a NOT a non-profit organization, its how I support my family, though I am nearly retired now. I made a profit on products I sold, but would refuse to sell a 360 to be installed in this fashion because I knew it would be a waste of money.

You could have an "Energy Filter" installed, but would still need a larger pump to make the system work satisfactorily.

 

[mwemaxxowner]

For some reason everybody around me has always called the Polaris pressure cleaners a rover. Old habit I guess.

Thanks for the insight!