Polaris 380 - expected service life

[cardano]

Question for those who have owned a pool for more than 6 months
What is a reasonable expectation for service life on a cleaner ( like a Polaris 380 ) ? I am going on the assumption that it will be in the pool 99% of the time ( removed only for parties and not for daily swim sessions ) and that my CYA of 60 will mean my FC is around an average of 8.
Thanks Stu

 

[JasonLion]

A Polaris should last many many years. However, it will require regular maintenance. Typically some small part or another breaks every year or so and needs to be replaced.

 

[JimM01]

I inherited a Polaris 180 that was probably ten years old when I bought my house. It kept going for another ten years and I finally bought a Polaris 280 to replace it. The 180 still works but it was getting to the point where it needed a complete overhaul so I decided it was time to get a new one.

 

[malcolmb5325]

They say the cleaner will clean a pool in approx 3 hours, so it should only be running for about 3 - 4 hours a day, depending on the pool debris and the rpm's are between 28 - 32. Remember it is plastic with gears and cogs so the more you run it and the harder you run it the quicker it will need repairs.

 

[SwimAustin]

My Polaris 380 is pretty old now (decade?). It's been repaired many times. Myself, I've replaced the filter bag, tail and feed hose. I even rotated the tires. I'll probably do a rebuild kit in another year or two. It cleans my pool in about an hour, by that point there might be a leaf or two if it started out with lots of them, but it's not worth running it more. I'm less worried about wear and tear, but noise and electricity.

 

[CUTiger78]

My 380 is about 15-years-old and still going strong. Had to replace some parts and probably bought 2 tune-up kits. It's wicked easy to work on. Rebuild kits are much more expensive than tune-up kits, though, and if I ever thought I needed a rebuild kit, I might just buy a new one.

BTW, I hear that the 280 is still the best model. Somebody said it's strong enough to suck up the neighbor's cat. With the 380, you'll have to be happy with getting dirt & leaves.

Good luck!