Polaris Vac-Sweep 380 F3 Pressure Side Automatic Pool Cleaner for In-Ground Pools Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a test
I can't compare the Polaris 380 with other cleaners, but try Googling as follows:

Polaris 380 forum

,where you will find divers pertinent input (no pun intended), eg:

[...]

Having maintained a large in-ground plunge for the better part of a decade, however, I can confirm unequivocally that the Swimming-Pool Establishment employs very few rocket scientists.The 380 system doesn't perform as well as one might hope and with a very limited warranty is expensive and hard to repair; while your friendly local service establishment might not provide much help in this respect.

In the first place, the path of the Vac-Sweep unit isn't sufficiently random, following a somewhat repetitious path and often leaving a single large patch of debris on the bottom.This problem can be dealt with by everyday shifting the position of the thrust jet, a nuisance at best; while there doesn't seem to be an optimum position for best coverage.

For example, my steps are at the shallow end of the pool.But if I set the jet to a high position in order to encourage climbing, the Sweep will spend almost all its time at the deep end.Polaris would do well to emulate other makes of pool sweepers which include a mechanism to slowly rotate this jet and thereby encourage a less predictable route.

Furthermore owing to its geometry being intended more for styling than performance, it is reluctant to climb steps and platforms, leaving their surfaces for its owner to sweep manually-every day just before your afternoon splash. The main problem seems to be the geometry of the frame, bugling out in front of the wheels, especially the single-side wheel.Thus when it encounters a curved surface such as the edge of a platform or step, it can't climb because the two wheels can't engage the obstacle simultaneously.Instead it makes repeated thrusts like the adolescent puppy attempting to hump your pantleg, without however gaining any elevation, until finally the backup valve pulls it away. Clearly the Vac-Sweep should have been built with four wheels instead of three, the two front ones projecting well below and in front of the frame.Also it might have helped if the unit had been made more narrow in width so as to better navigate the steps.

You can deal with the foregoing problem by adding a second tire to the single-side wheel, so as to project a fraction of an inch beyond the front, thereby improving the chance of traction.But you will have first to stretch the new tire, a requirement entailing Herculean effort.Also it helps if you acquire two additional feed-hose floats, mounting them as near as feasible to the Sweep so as to enhance buoyancy.More than one or two floats so situated, however, significantly diminish its traction when the Sweep is at the bottom.

Performance may be improved somewhat by removing the wall-fitting pressure restrictor, thereby increasing the power and range of the Sweep (Incidentally, this mod may increase wheel speed beyond the specified 28 rpm, which we suppose could shorten the life of the system). In addition, when I replaced the booster pump, the new one proved noticeably more powerful.

Used without restrictor, however, increased gyration of the backup system can occasionally so tangle up your feed hose as to temporarily disable the entire system until you untangle it.So if you also encounter this result, I suggest you think twice about letting it run during a weekend getaway.

Even with the increased thrust, though, the Sweep may not reach the far end of your pool because it can't overcome a loop or two in the feed hose. This could be due to reduced traction as suggested above, exacerbated by the float (its bouyancy discouraging it from being nudged below the surface and the effect of friction of its bulge above the surface); to reduced flow owing to aging of the motorpump, or even something as subtle as the season; for it isn't entirely unreasonable to guess that if you use your system in the winter as I do, the reduced water temperature stiffens the hose beyond its ability to untangle.

My contact with the Polaris folk suggests they had been working on a scheme to eliminate the floats but apparently they were unsuccessful because that was several years ago and I haven't heard from them since.

The Sweep itself is also covered by a 12-year guarantee.But after 2 years when it begins to wear out, you're chagrined to learn that the warranty covers neither internal parts nor labor.You will not enjoy replacing the belts.

A minor annoyance with the filter bag:The Velcro means by which the bag is opened soon becomes hopelessly entangled with debris and eventually won't stay closed.Therefore never open it.After just a few attempts you will find it fairly easy to empty by shaking out its contents.

Unless you're really determined and just plain good at it, you'll find the sweeper system difficult to repair as many parts don't fit together right or can easily be interchanged unintentionally.For instance there are at least a dozen permutations and combinations of such ways in which the parts of your auxiliary booster pump can be misassembled, not just by amateurs like you and me but even by the trained technician during a repair job.

The pump subassembly fails by throwing water from its top seal.(Even if you're able to dismount it yourself, the cost of repair is well over $100 and so you might resolve to learn how to do it yourself).The motor is water-cooled through the motor axle so if a slight amount of air enters the system (for example, if the pump is reassembled incorrectly, if water level drops below skimmer port, or if a small crack should develop in the plumbing), or you experience unusually high air temperature on a still day (which we do experience here in California's High Desert), it quickly overheats, shortening if not ending its life, at a replacement cost over $300.

So at risk of oxidization, I've installed a supplementary cooling system comprising weeper-soaker hose wrapped around the housing and fed under pressure.However, don't do this yourself if you're concerned that its corrosive effects might void your warranty.But if you're interested, I am dalehileman@verizon.net and I'd be glad to elucidate in more detail.

Owing to the complexity of this auxiliary system, including an elaborate Sweep full of small parts, the booster pump with its overtemperature breaker, pressure restrictors, an overpressure relief valve, 70 ft. of tubing, and an intricate backup valve containing dozens of gears, its susceptibility to malfunction is so great that the unit cannot properly be tested by your friendly local repair facility unless they have an entire pool complex on their premises.Hence when you get it back, your repaired motorpump may still not work.

As I said, though, I can't compare its performance and reliability to that of other makes, while some users post Internet forum reports of great satisfaction and long life from the Polaris 380 System.

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Product Description:
This mighty cleaner packs the power of 3 jets to swiftly scrub and sweep the bottom and walls of any size pool. In 3 hours your Polaris 380 will not only have cleaned dirt and debris, but will have also helped to distribute chemicals and heat around your pool. This independent cleaner runs off a separate booster pump so that the rest of your filtration system may run as efficiently as the Polaris 380. The unique filter bag even removes debris before it can reach your pump basket or filter making it the perfect complement to the rest of your pool equipment! Includes 31 ft. hose kit, deck or wall mount and complete instructions. Pump must be hard wired.

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