rebuild or replace Polaris 280

[boston2austin]

My polaris 280 has become unreliable. It doesn't clean the entire pool, wandering in the same circle leaving significant amount of debris at one end of the pool. The hose is frequently tangled leaving it sitting in one place. it has laid on its side spinning in circles. The inline filter is long gone. The new swivel I bought leaks a little. The backup unit works, but it leaks through a little constantly. Now, it has a broken axle. I tried to give the local brick and mortar pool store my money and they sold me the wrong axle. GRRR However I am now looking at rebuild kits. Is it worth it? the rebuild kit doesn't include a hose, backup valve or swivels. I fear that if I purchased those separately my time, effort, and energy may not be worth it. I'm going to look around a little, but I wonder if someone has a strong opinion. A new robot is NOT an option, and pole vacuuming is getting tiresome. I am giving the little old polaris the hairy eyeball every 2 days as I pull out the 20 foot hose and struggle with the process, and it sits idle on the pool deck seemingly relaxing. it is only 7 years old.

Thank you, in advance.

 

[Rocket J Squirrel]

I feel your pain. My pool came equipped with a 280 when I bought the house in 2012. It worked for a few years and then started taking me down the path of "replace every part one at a time." I thought about a rebuild kit, but was so tired of throwing parts at the 280 that I trashed it and got a 3900.

I've had the 3900 several years now, and the tail has lost its "swish." It still works fine, but they all wear out, so I can see déjà vu in my future. (Whoa, that's heavy, man.)

 

[jeffr47]

Ditto. We have a 3900 that came with the house. It's not doing it's job.... not moving around like it should. I'll follow one of the YouTube videos on cleaning out the jets etc, but think rather than a tune-up kit, I'll put that money towards a robot.

 

[Rocket J Squirrel]

We have a 3900 that came with the house. It's not doing it's job.... not moving around like it should. I'll follow one of the YouTube videos on cleaning out the jets etc, but think rather than a tune-up kit, I'll put that money towards a robot.

Probably a good idea. In my case, the configuration of my pool (auto-cover, location of skimmers & AC outlets) makes a robot impractical.

I've had the 3900 several years now, and the tail has lost its "swish."

In my case, I was able to replace the entire 3900 tail assembly this week, from clamp to foam sweep, including wear rings, for about $20, and the swish is back.

 

[jeffr47]

So an update: I found the Polaris 3900 tune-up kit for about $120 online and ordered it. What a difference! With a few adjustments the previous owners apparently didn't know they needed (the tubing was much too long and the heat float was waterlogged), the sweeper is doing beautifully and the pool looks great.

I still want a robot, but this certainly bought us a season and that matters when money is tight. Seems like money well-spent to me.