Clogged or Broken Quick Disconnect<\/strong><\/h3>\nYour Polaris Pool cleaner\u2019s hose is connected to the return jet with a little piece known as a quick disconnect. Inside this piece, a screen is there to catch debris coming from your filter so that it doesn\u2019t enter into the pool cleaner. If that screen gets clogged, your pool cleaner will protest by freezing in place.<\/p>\n
Check the screen to be sure it\u2019s free and clear of any debris or sand.<\/strong> If it\u2019s clogged, remove it from the hose and return jet, and rinse it to dislodge and dispose of the debris.<\/p>\nWhile you have it detached, check to find out if the quick disconnect is broken. If it is, it\u2019ll leak water and keep the pool cleaner from getting the right amount of pressure, which will stall it. If it is broken, you\u2019ll want to replace it.<\/p>\n
Leaky Float Hose<\/strong><\/h3>\nA pool cleaner sucks up water and debris from the pool, collecting the trash in a filter bag, and then refilling the pool with the clean water. The water is returned through the float hose, which moves from the pool cleaner to the return jet.<\/p>\n
A leak in that the hose will decrease pressure in the cleaner, stopping it in its tracks.<\/strong> If you see any holes in the hose, you might attempt to seal them using waterproof tape. That may work for some time but will fail, and you will be right back where you began. You are better off only replacing the nozzle.<\/p>\nLeaky Back-Up Valve<\/strong><\/h3>\nA long, white device mounted on the Polaris hose; the back-up valve puts powerful bursts of water via its nozzle, which moves the cleaner, allowing it to clean the pool. If it\u2019s leaky, or you see it continually spraying water, it wants to be replaced.<\/p>\n
Broken Belts<\/strong><\/h3>\nSimply like an indoor vacuum cleaner, a Polaris pool cleaner depends on drive belts that enable the wheels to turn. If a belt breaks, the cleaner comes to a screeching halt. Or, maybe not shrieking. After all, it is underwater.<\/p>\n
However, if the back-up valve is working, and the tail is moving back and forth, but the wheels aren\u2019t moving, it sounds like a broken belt.<\/strong> Fortunately, this is one of the easier techniques for Polaris pool cleaner troubleshooting.<\/p>\nSimply lift the cleaner from the pool\u2019s base, and also check to determine whether all the wheels move. If they don\u2019t, open the cleaner, and find the belts to see whether they\u2019re damaged. You might have some trouble finding them if they have snapped. There\u2019s no repair to be made here. You\u2019ll just need to get a new set of belts.<\/p>\n
Disconnected Internal Tubing<\/strong><\/h3>\nA Polaris Cleaner contains water tubes inside that direct pressure throughout the cleaning unit. They can seldom become disconnected, which decreases the internal pressure, which makes the cleaner stop running.<\/p>\n
Open up the cleaner and check if all the internal tubing is connected the way it\u2019s used to be. You\u2019ll quickly tell if it\u2019s not.<\/strong> The repair should be as easy as reattaching them, but if they don\u2019t stay on their own, you may want to use hose clamps to hold them in place.<\/p>\nYour Polaris Pool Cleaner Gets Tangled Up<\/strong><\/h3>\nSo it\u2019s not the case your cleaner has stopped working. In reality, it\u2019s moving around the pool so well, it\u2019s got all wrapped up in its power cable or hose, so it\u2019s holding itself hostage till you pay a ransom. Or, until you untangle it.<\/p>\n
\nHow can you keep it tangles-free and keep your pool cleaner running?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
Shorten the Hose Length<\/strong><\/h3>\nThe first step in Polaris pool troubleshooting for tangles would be to examine the hose length. You do want a little play in the hose so the cleaner can move smoothly, but a too-long hose will have a difficult time swiveling along with the cleaner.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s simple to figure out how long the hose wants to be.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n- Attach the quick disconnect to the hose to the in the pool wall.<\/li>\n
- Grasp the other end of the hose, and reach to the point of the pool distant from the wall connection. There should be sufficient hose to reach that point, minus or plus about six inches.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
If it\u2019s too long, you\u2019ll have to cut it.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n- Gauge the depth at the deepest aspect of your pool.<\/li>\n
- Cut the lead hose segment (the first portion of the hose that\u2019s attached directly to the cleaner) to match the pool depth.<\/li>\n
- Run the hose from the wall port to the distant point again. If it\u2019s still too long, cut equal parts from the remaining hose sections.<\/li>\n
- Reconnect the pool cleaner and let it loose!<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
Stretch Out the Hoses and Cables<\/strong><\/h3>\nSometimes, the reason cables and hoses become tangled is because they\u2019re hard and not flexible enough to move freely as the cleaner runs. You can use solar power to help alleviate this.<\/p>\n
On a sunny day, completely detach the float hose and power cable. Stretch out them across throughout the driveway or your yard, anywhere you have space for them to be full to be laid out. Work out any tangles or kinks, so that they\u2019re straight.<\/p>\n
Leave them in sunlight for a couple of hours. The heat will soften the plastic a little, making them more pliable, so when they return into the water, they will have the ability to move around better with the cleaner as it works.<\/p>\n
Check the Connectors<\/strong><\/h3>\nTo avoid tangling, the hose should move freely, and the swivel connectors that combine the hose sections are what allow this motion.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s small ball bearings in the connectors that make the swivel action. If those ball bearings can\u2019t move, the connectors can\u2019t rotate, the hose can\u2019t move perfectly, and you see a tangle on your hands.<\/p>\n
Check the Connectors to ensure they move easily. If they don\u2019t, put a little waterproof grease to ball bearings. If this doesn\u2019t help, you may have to replace the connectors.<\/p>\n
Measure the Cleaner\u2019s RPMs<\/strong><\/h3>\nThe wheels in your pool cleaner are designed to operate at a particular revolution per minute (RPM) setting. If the wheels didn\u2019t have enough resistance, and the RPMs are too high, the wheels will move faster than they should, and the hose can become tangled.<\/p>\n
Not only that, though, if the cleaner\u2019s wheels rotate too gradually, but it also won\u2019t be able to get near the pool thoroughly. If they rotate too fast, the cleaner will lift off the floor, and won\u2019t be able to vacuum perfectly. Adjusting the wheel\u2019s RPMs will solve both issues, as well as helping to prevent tangles.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n- Read the owner\u2019s manual to obtain the RPMs for your pool cleaner mode.<\/li>\n
- Using a marker, draw a line on one tire.<\/li>\n
- Notice the starting point (where the mark is).<\/li>\n
- Turn on the cleaner, and immerse it just below the pool surface.<\/li>\n
- Set timer for a minute.<\/li>\n
- Count one tire rotation each time your mark passes the initial point.<\/li>\n
- After the minute is up, compare the RPMs you counted to the manual recommendation to make sure the total falls within that range of the manual.<\/li>\n
- If it does not, adjust as needed, and redo the test until you attain the appropriate RPMs.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
While you\u2019re at it, examine the wheels for wear and tear. If they look damaged or worn down, substitute them before putting your cleaner back in the pool.<\/p>\n
Check the Weather<\/strong><\/h3>\nIf you make your pool cleaner work when the weather is cooler, you will lose that advantage of having softened up the cable and hose by placing them out in the sunlight. They\u2019ll harden up again, which will raise the possibility of tangling.<\/p>\n
The first option is not to run your cleaner when the temperature drops below 70\u00b0F (21\u00b0C).<\/strong> If you have to run it in cold weather, try putting the cable and hose out in the sun for a while before putting the cleaner in the pool. Then keep looking at the cleaner as it works so you can untangle any clumps as soon as they occur.<\/p>\n