Polaris Caretaker pool cleaning system malfunction

[kozy]

Ok....I'm officially stumped. Our pool has one of the Polaris/Caretaker in-floor cleaning systems in it. The system didn't work right when we bought the house. Only 2 of the heads in the pool would work, but they never went down. That leads me to believe that somehow the gears in the unit might have broke or been stuck. I've heard it can happen. So....I frickin bought a rebuild kit for it and a new filter for the unit as well. I replaced all of it tonight. Put everything together, and now NONE of the damn heads work!!!!! :bang head::bang head::bang head::bang head:

THis is really pissing me off. I'm having a barbeque/pool party this Sunday and I wanted this damn thing to be FUNCTIONAL so the pool would be clean. Does anyone have any knowledge about these systems? I attached some pics to show what I'm workin with. First pic is of the whole system, second pic is of the housing where the gears are stored...which I rebuilt.

 

[gamorg02]

did pools for 5 years man but never messed with them. sorry bro..

 

[nd4topspd]

I had an inground pool but different brand as your setup but if your pump is ok since rebuild I am guessing you are just airlocked. Is there a place like a cleanout filter on your pump or somewhere you can force water to your input of the pump until it picks up prime and forces water through the pipes. I've had that problem on mine in the past. Good luck:thumbs up:

 

[98Redlne]

My dad has one of those systems in his pool. The long and short of it is the system sucks all the way around. Way to many moving parts to survive for any length of time in a pool water environment.

The first thing I would do is go back to the original parts. I am not sure what comes in the rebuild kit, but if they included gears and o-rings you may be binding up, keeping the entire internal assembly from rotating, thus nothing is working.

 

[richwrench]

I'm running a different system (Hayward) , but I had a weird flow problem last week as well. I was sure I had a plumbing/valve issue, but my neighbor came over & found that the pump impeller was plugged full of debris. Cleaned it out & I'm back in business. It's a long shot, but I would check the impeller...

 

[kozy]

So I went out early this morning to tinker with it again because it's frustrating me so much.....see the picture.

I turned the bottom most knob (I have no clue what it's for, the knob is broken) and VOILA! the cleaning system works! But by doing that, the pool skimmer valves don't circulate water. So at least I can get the floor cleaning system to work. I don't know how these knobs work, but there seem to be 3 or 4 settings on them. I should "accidentally" break them so our home warranty will come out and replace them.....hehe

 

[gamorg02]

those are valves. normal parallel = open, perpenducalr - closed

shoudl just be open or closed, maybe varrying levels?

i bet the other thing stopped working b/c ur sucking or pushing more water thru them nwo.

whats this 'home warranty' you speak of?

 

[one2dmax]

Here's something similar that we have in Wichita. It costs us $75 service call if it's a covered item (which in my opinion doesn't cover crap).

http://www.comfortsystems.net/

Sean

 

[gamorg02]

Here's something similar that we have in Wichita. It costs us $75 service call if it's a covered item (which in my opinion doesn't cover crap).

http://www.comfortsystems.net/

Sean

interesting. ya our utility companies offer something similar. its much more reasonable tho. like $300 a year, no deductable, pretty high limits (few grand per appliance per year)..

pools are no problem tho. i know too much (altho not about those cleaners) and I bet the install is a bit difference since you don't have tow rry about freezing there...

you can see my PVC experience in the overkill of the sump pumps/pit...

1/2 HP main with a 1/3HP battery backup with a total capacity of around 4k GPH. damned if i'm flooded again from this pit.. dual outputs with valves. one goes to the backyard normally but the other can be directed down the driveway to city drain in an emergency.

 

[98Redlne]

Adding a generator to the mix will give you that extra warm and fuzzy feeling.

About 5 years ago we had a big Nor'easter. My In-laws had a similar system with sump and battery backup. Power went down for about 12 hours.

All they could do was watch the water rise and flood their basement after the backup battery died (about an hour and a half after the power dropped).

 

[gamorg02]

Adding a generator to the mix will give you that extra warm and fuzzy feeling.

About 5 years ago we had a big Nor'easter. My In-laws had a similar system with sump and battery backup. Power went down for about 12 hours.

All they could do was watch the water rise and flood their basement after the backup battery died (about an hour and a half after the power dropped).

yea i hear ya. this battery should be good for quite a bit. its the biggest, most powerful marine deep cell battery in the greater boston area... that would fit in the provided box.

 

[jfeagins]

I'd like to help with this pool problem, but I have one of my own.

I have a 3/4hp, 4800gph pump circulating the water in my pool, yet the water is still taking on a "green"ish look to it.

What am I doing wrong?

 

[gamorg02]

55 gallons of chlorine oughta clear that right up.

 

[4gasem]

yea i hear ya. this battery should be good for quite a bit. its the biggest, most powerful marine deep cell battery in the greater boston area... that would fit in the provided box.

My buddy's a plumber and sold my brother on a water powered back-up pump. No battery or charger to muck with and water pressure is pretty reliable.

 

[gamorg02]

yea i've seen them.... how much did it run him and what was the capacity?

 

[jfeagins]

My buddy's a plumber and sold my brother on a water powered back-up pump. No battery or charger to muck with and water pressure is pretty reliable.

How does that work IF your water pump pressure depends on the electricity being on to begin with? :ummm:

Oh, I get it. It works for people on city water that remains on during the power outage. Us country folk be outten luck. :biglaugh:

Gamorg02: I like the chlorine idea, but the wife would fuss about her little koi fishies being doa - not to mention the baby turtles that moved in this spring.

 

[kozy]

those are valves. normal parallel = open, perpenducalr - closed

shoudl just be open or closed, maybe varrying levels?

i bet the other thing stopped working b/c ur sucking or pushing more water thru them nwo.

whats this 'home warranty' you speak of?

Home warranties are typically paid for by the seller for the first year. It covers basically most things that break in the house. We already had a guy come out once. The piping on our pool is old and brittle (no thanks to the heat and sun) and sprung a leak. Only $55 to fix all the leaks and replace the pool timer. I consider that a good deal! After the first year, the owner has to pay to maintain the warranty, and it's usually between $200 and $300. Ours covers most everything in the home, so apparently us desert folk do **** differently than Dorothy and Toto do back in Kansas. :biglaugh:

 

[farukh44]

Ok....I'm officially stumped. Our pool has one of the Polaris/Caretaker in-floor cleaning systems in it. The system didn't work right when we bought the house. Only 2 of the heads in the pool would work, but they never went down. That leads me to believe that somehow the gears in the unit might have broke or been stuck. I've heard it can happen. So....I frickin bought a rebuild kit for it and a new filter for the unit as well. I replaced all of it tonight. Put everything together, and now NONE of the damn heads work!!!!! :bang head::bang head::bang head::bang head:

THis is really pissing me off. I'm having a barbeque/pool party this Sunday and I wanted this damn thing to be FUNCTIONAL so the pool would be clean. Does anyone have any knowledge about these systems? I attached some pics to show what I'm workin with. First pic is of the whole system, second pic is of the housing where the gears are stored...which I rebuilt.

It sounds like you’ve done a lot of the right steps already, but in-floor cleaning systems like the Polaris/Caretaker can be tricky to troubleshoot. Let’s narrow it down:

1. Double-Check the Reassembly
   • Ensure the gears are seated properly and aligned according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
   • Sometimes even a minor misalignment can prevent the system from working.
2. Water Pressure Issues
   • Make sure the filter is clean and the system is getting enough water pressure to operate. A clogged or dirty filter, even a new one, can cause low pressure.
   • Check the pump basket and ensure no debris is restricting the flow.
3. Valve or Gearbox Functionality
   • After rebuilding the unit, turn it manually (if possible) to ensure the gears move smoothly and don’t stick.
   • Sometimes new parts need a little lubrication (use pool-safe lubricants only) to work correctly.
4. Actuator Valve
   • Verify that the actuator valve (if your system has one) is functioning properly. A malfunctioning valve can block water from reaching the heads.
5. Check for Air Leaks
   • Look for any air leaks in the system that could reduce pressure. A common spot for leaks is at the pump lid, O-rings, or connections.
6. Bypass Adjustment
   • If your system has a bypass valve, ensure it’s not open too far, as this can divert water away from the cleaning heads.
7. Call a Professional (if Needed)
   • If none of the above solves the issue, it might be worth calling a pool cleaning services professional. They can diagnose deeper problems with the system, such as internal damage or pressure regulator issues.

Temporary Cleaning Solution​

Since you have a pool party coming up, consider using a manual vacuum or robotic pool cleaner as a temporary solution. This will ensure your pool is clean for the event while you troubleshoot the in-floor system afterward.
Let me know if you’d like me to help identify specific steps for your system!

 

[Fire-medic]

Good on you for offering your troubleshooting services but did you notice that the thread/post was nearly 15 years ago?

We use a Hayward Navigator pool robot and it does a decent job. I have maintained them and they usually last us about 8 years a piece while doing the robot maintenance myself.

We redid our pool, we kept the hole in the ground and replaced nearly everything else including adding a heater and a spa built in at the deep end. The thing that I am most pleased with is that we chose to go with a saline chlorinating system which has proven to be nearly maintenance free and much easier than lugging two and a half gallon jugs of chlorine by the Dozen back and forth to the pool supply store. We still have the water tested at the pool supply store and buy some chemicals from them but the frequency of their use is greatly reduced according to the readings we get from the water sample testing.

Perhaps someone in 15 years will post that they found my comment on use of a saline chlorinating system to be helpful!