Seeking materials that hold up in a pool setting

Rental Pool

Well-known member
Aug 7, 2015
145
Saugus, CA
I have a Nautilus CC Pro pool cleaner. I believe there is a design flaw in the unit, so I'm attempting to fix the flaw. Though you're not supposed to lift the cleaner out of the water by the cable, having it in a rental situation, I can't guaranty people won't do that. The cable goes into the unit and then is attached to the motor. I don't like the idea of tension being put on that connection, though it does wrap around a piece of plastic before the connection. I believe a simple fix would be to attach a grommet to the cable just inside the casing, so any tension would pull the grommet against the outer plastic shell, not stress the connection. Here are a couple of ideas I have for this. I would run the grommet around the cable and secure it with something like zip ties. Previously, I used an aluminum clamp, but that was covered with a hard white coating (like calcium), making it hard to remove when I had to replace the cable. I want to know what materials would hold up best underwater. I was thinking of silicone or rubber for the grommet and maybe nylon for the zip tie. I don't want it deteriorating due to the pool chemicals, and I don't want it to attract the chemical buildup I had with the aluminum. Please share your suggestions.

1731347845050.png 1731347877232.png
 
This thread was moved to pool cleaners, but it's not really about pool cleaners. I want to know what materials hold up best in pool water, so I want to hear from materials experts, not pool cleaner experts. I've found some grommets made of Buna-N rubber, also. I'm thinking silicone rubber may be too soft to hold the cable in the housing, or hold up to regular pulling, especially since the walls are only 2-4mm thick. My concern with the rubber is it may be too hard, making it difficult to snug it up with a zip tie, though cutting a groove, to allow slipping the cable into the ID, will slightly reduce the ID, so that might help. I also discovered polypropylene or stainless steel zip ties will hold up better than standard nylon ones. Here's another rubber option:
1731420250594.png
 
Last edited:
I want to know what materials hold up best in pool water, so I want to hear from materials experts, not pool cleaner experts
(Pssssst). They're the same experts. And context is important too. :)

Plus. Most of the regulars surf 'what's new' or 'new content' which shows all the forums without differentiating them.

I don't have any thoughts for you but @JoyfulNoise might.
 
Viton (FKM, Fluoropolymer, Fluoroelastomer) is more resistant to HOCl than Buna-N or silicone, and the only rubber recommended for exposure to HOCl.

1731449803073.png
 
  • Like
Reactions: Newdude
I understand they're the same people, but some people have their interests and are more likely to go to those areas than areas where they have less expertise or interest. Since I have to remove multiple screws to access this location, I can't easily see if anything is growing or deteriorating, so I want to choose materials that don't need to be constantly checked. I'm sure there are people here who have had much experience with seeing the impact of pool water on various materials and can make recommendations. Maybe I should stick with stainless steel.
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
LIFTING APPLICATIONS...
"...where significant weight could harm or kill someone"...you are overthinking it...

It is a cable stop clamp and should not be used in lifting heavy equipment...

You shouldn't have a problem with a robot...as long as there is enough clamping force on the cable so that it doesn't slide when lifted, or you use zips.
 
Since it's hidden, I wouldn't see if it starts to slip. I wonder if it would be helpful to cut ridges where it touches the cable. Will this get covered with the hard white coating, or was that just a reaction with the aluminum clamp I previously used?
 
I don't think ridges are necessary. I would backstop with a couple zip ties on the cord, below the clamp...this is likely going to hold better than the clamp.

HOCl is an oxidizing agent on aluminum and untreated (mild carbon) steel. You experienced that with the white corrosion...(Aluminum Oxide).

Why don't you just get a 316 hose clamp to replace the aluminum one...?
 
Get the correct size...
 
I am looking for something with more area hitting the plastic, so the plastic doesn't weaken in a small location. This clamp would have no more than 1/8"-1/4" of surface hitting the plastic. I don't want to break the plastic housing.
 
I decided to go with 2 parts, the 4-bolt clamp and the hose clamp, both in 316 Stainless. I attempted to look locally first and was very disappointed. Even the boat manufacturing and repair shops had never heard of 316 stainless. Only 304 stainless is available in my area. I finally gave in and bought the 4-bolt clamp from China and the hose clamp from a company specializing in woodworking, marine and DIY building supplies... 3000 miles away from me. I figure the 4-bolt clamp will have more surface area to protect the plastic casing and put less strain on the wires in the cable, while the hose clamp (placed on the motor side) will prevent that clamp from sliding. Thanks for your help.
 
  • Like
Reactions: PoolStored

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
Thread Status
Hello , This thread has been inactive for over 60 days. New postings here are unlikely to be seen or responded to by other members. For better visibility, consider Starting A New Thread.