Making 380 sweep more efficient

[dalehileman]

For the last decade or so we had run our main pump as well as our Polaris 380 for three hours a day until just recently when to save electricity we switched to Intelliflow vf at the suggestion of our excellent engineer buddy Ike who then also has so kindly overseen its installation. Cost of upkeep, operation and replacement also suggested cutting back sweep time, especially considering power consumption of its separate booster. Accordingly thanks to the remarkable versatility of the vf system we requested Ike to program it to cut down Polaris run time from three hours to only one without disturbing circulation time. Now however the bottom gets dirty, especially for an extended period after a windstorm

....which we had of course anticipated owing not only to the shorter run time but presumably a slower flow of flotsam toward skimmer port. We then considered, say, doubling the sweep time in spite of increased power consumption. However in the process of installation we also learned that at a low flow rate the vf couldn't meet the requirement of our Polaris booster* and so Ike further programmed it to double circulation during sweep. Thus given the prospect of both these increased power requirements we opted to consider other approaches, even tolerating some debris

But owing to habits of the Polaris sweep it spends more time in the shallow end so a week after the last storm the deep end bottom is still largely covered with detritus. Thinking therefore about means to make it more efficient, to spend more time in the deeps, or to make its path more nearly random I had considered fashioning a sail, attaching to the tubing where it emerges so that any breezes at the surface would disturb its path. However our prevailing wind from deep toward shallow would most likely only make matters worse

Of course pulling it up every so often to reset the rear jet can change its habit slightly, perhaps cleaning up at one spot at the disadvantage of another. Setting it to the lowest position for instance keeps it longer in the deep end but also discourages it from climbing steps and platforms. The requirement to continually readjust constitutes a nuisance and besides it's winter, the water is cold. Thus we are interested in comment from other users of 380 (or 280) regarding such matters

Thanks all


*Despite vehement denials by some "experts" in several other pool forums, we had been advised by our Friendly Local Bill's Pool and Spa that that if the booster should suck air for even a few moments, it could self-destruct. Thus it was necessary to boost circulatory flow rate during sweep to ensdure positive pressure at its input and while we realize we could have approached this problem by other more complex means, it's been our experience as you can infer from the post above that every hardware change introduces new and unforeseen difficulties which in the autumn of my life I'm unwilling to undertake but thanks anyway

[dalehileman]

Guys forgive me for bubbling this thread back up but I'm rapidly gaining the impression there just aren't many Polris 280 or 380 owners who also frequent Internet pool forums. So if you have anything to add, however OT, I'd be happy to hear from you. Thanks all

[chem geek]

Perhaps people are frustrated by your following Friendly Local Bill's Pool and Spa advice while you choose to ignore the advice of multiple "experts" who were trying to help you.

[dalehileman]

Geek I'm impressed by your credentials and ready advocacy but not last of all your cheerful propriety so unlike the typical "expert" in the face of skepticism if not temerity. Nonetheless I maintain the typical Polaris owner simply isn't a denizen of these hills probably because he's better off than we, thus more readily willing to hire help in the face of repeated malfunction

Anyway after a $125 repair bill I'm unwilling to test Bill's assertion by letting my booster once more suck air

[DonS]

Actually I'm watching this one because I'm also trying to determine the needed flow rate from an intelliflo for the sweep pump. I run around 25GPM for the filter only but have it programmed to run at 50 GPM for the sweep. The sweep motor seems a bit warm, but it hasn't had problems that I'm aware of. .... but I'd feel a lot better if I got an official answer from Polaris or a professional that told me what the required GPM is for the sweep motor.

[dalehileman]

Don I was faced with the same question. Our good and dear friend Bor Michaelson who installed it evidently had the required insight as going on 2 years now it’s been run running very satisfactorily. So I shall Fwd a link to this thread whereupon he might respond with the setting

However lest it suck air you may find it necessary as we did to prime at the start of the sweep for a few minutes at a much higher rate. Dobtless Bor will reveal his rationale whereupon I’ll post it here