Hayward Navigator Pool Cleaner….

[smcrea]

Hi Everyone,

I've now had my pool for 5 years and the Hayward Navigator pool cleaner has been doing it's thing as designed.

However it's now ground to a standstill.

To cut a long story short the parts needed to repair come to around $100

I'm wondering if it's cost effective to repair it or to just buy a new one?

I was talking to a guy at an online pool store and he was telling me that the Haywards have lots of moving parts and that I can expect other things to go wrong with it.

Problem is I don't know if he was just trying to sell me another pool cleaner or not!

So my questions:

- What is the life expectancy on the Hayward Navigators if they have been run 24/7?

- Is it worth buying a new one after 5 years or paying the $100 for the tune up kit and two pods?

- If the answer is replace then any recommendation on the replacement?.. my pool is very 'curvy' no part of the bottom is actually 'flat' so the cleaner will spend all of it's working life on some gradient. Obviously the higher the thing can climb my walls the better!

Thanks for any advise!

Steve

[TSH Tech]

Navigators have allot of moving parts inside them. They are heavy on the little moving part side of the scale. And when they stop moving after years of use, brace yourself for replacing almost everything. You say your Navigator is 5 years old? Toss it! Get a new one. I say this because the plastic frame that holds all the parts together so the thing will wobble about the pool, wear down and come out of specifications. And the cleaner never truly operates like new. After all is said and done, you will have rebuilt the entire thing all over again when you could have got a new one.

As a pool tech, I've seen many pool cleaners and Navigators are not on my list for making my customers happy. One of the best, bulletproof pool cleaners I've seen and suggest to my clients is The Pool Cleaner.
http://www.thepoolcleaner.com/
This little cleaner goes and goes and goes. About the only thing I've ever replace on them is tires and occasional flap parts on the bottom. But it's by far, one of the most bulletproof cleaners out there.

You also mentioned that climbing your pool walls is an important factor. The 2-wheel Pool Cleaner I mentioned above will get pretty high. Depending how rough the pool surface is, will occasionally get to the tile line.
There is one other cleaner I recommend that gets right up to the tile line. This pool cleaner is the total pool surface cleaner sweep and even eliminates pool brushing. I know that seems odd, but in every pool I've installed it, no brushing was needed. It will pull loose pool plaster off the surface, that's how good it cleans.
This pool sweep is the Barracuda MX8.
http://www.zodiacpoolsystems.com/Produc ... c-MX8.aspx
This is a nice cleaner. High above a Navigator, and about a notch down in terms of reliability from The Pool Cleaner, but overall a very good cleaner. I install these in my clients pools as well.

[smcrea]

Thanks TSH Tech!

This is very helpful and concurs with what other people are saying including the pool Tech who works on my pool.

He does however say that the MRX8 is nowhere near as reliable as the Pool Cleaner.

It seems that every expert I talk to including yourself comes hop with the 'Pool Cleaner' as the no brainer choice!!

Thanks Again!

[smcrea]

Placed my order for 'The Pool Cleaner' today at http://www.inyopools.com/Products/16300005059819.htm $344.99