I have a Polaris 380 pool sweep that probably will not survive this
season after my numerous rebuildings. Any recommendations for a
different unit?

On Wed, 08 May 2013 16:55:19 -0400, Pointer
wrote:

I have a Polaris 380 pool sweep that probably will not survive this
season after my numerous rebuildings. Any recommendations for a
different unit?

How deep is the pool?

On 5/8/2013 1:55 PM, Pointer wrote:
I have a Polaris 380 pool sweep that probably will not survive this
season after my numerous rebuildings. Any recommendations for a
different unit?

I would advise getting a robotic pool vac rather than another sweep. I
had a Polaris once. It didn't do much. It collected leaves and twigs
okay but of course dirt went right through the mesh bag back into the
pool. Some people put stockings inside the bag to prevent the dirt from
passing through. The other issue is that the mesh bags didn't last very
long and parts were very expensive.

I've been using a Dolphin for about the past eight years. I'm on the
second one. The first one lasted about six years. They are not really
repairable when the core motor and logic board go bad. The second one I
bought used from someone who was tearing out their pool (found it on
craigslist). They are very expensive but they work very well. The pumps
don't need to run when it is going, it's powered by its own DC power supply.

While I normally don't promote Leslie's, one advantage of buying one at
Leslie's is that they include a three year warranty. Wait for a 15-20%
off discount code. My first one did break just a couple of weeks before
the end of the three year warranty and they fixed it free.

Second choice would be a suction side cleaner since these are only
$150-250 and use the existing pump (no booster pump) and they do vacuum
up dirt rather than passing it back into the pool like a Polaris.

On Wed, 08 May 2013 16:55:19 -0400, Pointer
wrote:

I have a Polaris 380 pool sweep that probably will not survive this
season after my numerous rebuildings. Any recommendations for a
different unit?


My recommendation is buy another Polaris. Of the three cleaners I've
tried the Polaris was the best. I'm still using a Polaris 180 that's
20 years old. The 180 might actually be more durable then the 380
from some reports I've heard.

On 5/8/2013 5:22 PM, Oren wrote:
On Wed, 08 May 2013 16:55:19 -0400, Pointer
wrote:

I have a Polaris 380 pool sweep that probably will not survive this
season after my numerous rebuildings. Any recommendations for a
different unit?

How deep is the pool?

10' at the deepest

On May 8, 7:50*pm, Ashton Crusher wrote:
On Wed, 08 May 2013 16:55:19 -0400, Pointer
wrote:

I have a Polaris 380 pool sweep that probably will not survive this
season after my numerous rebuildings. *Any recommendations for a
different unit?

My recommendation is buy another Polaris. *Of the three cleaners I've
tried the Polaris was the best. *I'm still using a Polaris 180 that's
20 years old. *The 180 might actually be more durable then the 380
from some reports I've heard.

I only have experience with the Polaris 380. It's about
7 years old now and still works fine. Never been rebuilt.
Contrary to the report of it not working, not picking up
dirt, etc, mine has performed excellent. Polaris makes
a bag that is meant to catch fine silt, if that is an issue.
But even with the regular bag, never found catching
dirt to be a problem, most of it gets caught up in with the other
debris.

The only complaint I have with the Polais is that if there
is a lot of stuff in the pool, the bag does fill up fast. I
don't know if any of the other types are better in that regard.

On 5/9/2013 6:26 AM, wrote:
On May 8, 7:50 pm, Ashton Crusher wrote:
On Wed, 08 May 2013 16:55:19 -0400, Pointer
wrote:

I have a Polaris 380 pool sweep that probably will not survive this
season after my numerous rebuildings. Any recommendations for a
different unit?

My recommendation is buy another Polaris. Of the three cleaners I've
tried the Polaris was the best. I'm still using a Polaris 180 that's
20 years old. The 180 might actually be more durable then the 380
from some reports I've heard.

I only have experience with the Polaris 380. It's about
7 years old now and still works fine. Never been rebuilt.
Contrary to the report of it not working, not picking up
dirt, etc, mine has performed excellent. Polaris makes
a bag that is meant to catch fine silt, if that is an issue.
But even with the regular bag, never found catching
dirt to be a problem, most of it gets caught up in with the other
debris.

I had a 360. The difference between the Polaris and the Dolphin is
incredible. It's true that Polaris makes a silt bag but it didn't work
well for me. I was also constantly replacing parts on the Polaris,
besides just the bags which sometimes broke withing a few months.

The pump for the Polaris is still there, and the pool even is plumbed
with a pressure outlet for the Polaris. But I would never buy another
Polaris. The design is flawed.

However, as a "sweep" I guess it does it's job, it's supposed to stir up
the dirt so the dirt eventually gets sucked into the pool's filter. A
Dolphin is a vacuum, and a sweep, and it brushes the walls.

On May 9, 9:39*am, sms wrote:
On 5/9/2013 6:26 AM, wrote:





On May 8, 7:50 pm, Ashton Crusher wrote:
On Wed, 08 May 2013 16:55:19 -0400, Pointer
wrote:

I have a Polaris 380 pool sweep that probably will not survive this
season after my numerous rebuildings. *Any recommendations for a
different unit?

My recommendation is buy another Polaris. *Of the three cleaners I've
tried the Polaris was the best. *I'm still using a Polaris 180 that's
20 years old. *The 180 might actually be more durable then the 380
from some reports I've heard.

I only have experience with the Polaris 380. *It's about
7 years old now and still works fine. *Never been rebuilt.
Contrary to the report of it not working, not picking up
dirt, etc, mine has performed excellent. *Polaris makes
a bag that is meant to catch fine silt, if that is an issue.
But even with the regular bag, never found catching
dirt to be a problem, most of it gets caught up in with the other
debris.

I had a 360. The difference between the Polaris and the Dolphin is
incredible. It's true that Polaris makes a silt bag but it didn't work
well for me. I was also constantly replacing parts on the Polaris,
besides just the bags which sometimes broke withing a few months.

The pump for the Polaris is still there, and the pool even is plumbed
with a pressure outlet for the Polaris. But I would never buy another
Polaris. The design is flawed.

However, as a "sweep" I guess it does it's job, it's supposed to stir up
the dirt so the dirt eventually gets sucked into the pool's filter. A
Dolphin is a vacuum, and a sweep, and it brushes the walls.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

My polaris brushes the walls. It climbs right up there, close to the
surface
of the water. Other ones may do a better job, but when they are
clean,
I don't need them cleaner.

On 5/9/2013 3:45 AM, Pointer wrote:
On 5/8/2013 5:22 PM, Oren wrote:
On Wed, 08 May 2013 16:55:19 -0400, Pointer
wrote:

I have a Polaris 380 pool sweep that probably will not survive this
season after my numerous rebuildings. Any recommendations for a
different unit?

How deep is the pool?

10' at the deepest

What does the depth have to with anything?

The three types of pool cleaners are quite different.

A suction side cleaner, like the Kreepy Krauler, is the simplest,
vacuuming up dirt and leaves and sending it to the pool's regular
filter. It also stirs up the dirt so it can be filtered through the
"drain" and the skimmer into the filter.

A Polaris has a tail which stirs up the dirt from the bottom so it can
be filtered out by the pool's regular filtering system. It also collects
leaves in its own bag, but the mesh of the bag allows water (and dirt)
to pass right through (as someone pointed out, they do offer a bag with
a finer mesh that traps some dirt). You need a second pump for the
Polaris (they have a model that runs of the main pump but is should be
avoided) and both the main pump and the Polaris pump must be running at
the same time, and the pool controls need to ensure that the Polaris
pump can't be turned on without the main pump being on.

The robotic cleaners have a thick cloth bag that is essentially another
very fine filter. It traps dirt, fine sand and silt, algae, leaves, etc.
It runs independently of the the regular pool pump and filtering system.
The bag can be hosed off and then machine washed on gentle cycle with
Oxyclean.

My experience is only with the Polaris and the Dolphin, and the
difference in how well they clean and how much trouble they are, is
stark. The Dolphin does a much better job of cleaning the walls. The
Dolphin bag traps far more fine particles than the Polaris (which
essentially traps none). The Dolphin requires much less maintenance. The
bags last essentially forever, and the rubber scrubbers probably last
for six years and can be replaced by the owner. With the Polaris I was
constantly buying bits and pieces to repair it, and the bags were
ridiculously expensive and didn't last long. There were three different
bags you could choose from and each had their pros and cons.

That said, After about six years, my first Dolphin quit working (and it
had been repaired once under warranty as well). However when I calculate
the actual cost, the Dolphin was still cheaper because the Polaris cost
me about an extra $100 per year in parts and supplies, as well as the
cost for the electricity to run the booster pump. Now I'm on my second
year of a Dolphin that I bought used for $200 from someone demolishing
their pool. We'll see how many years I get out of it.