Mars swimming pool cleaner

[Craig A]

Anybody have any experience with the Zodiac Mars HP swimming pool cleaner?

My pool guy is recommending it over the Polaris 280. I had a Polaris pressure cleaner at a previous house I owned, and never had a problem with it and it kept the pool spotless. In my current house I've had the Baracuda G3 kreepy-krauly (also made by Zodiac) for 2 years now and I've been very disappointed. It does not really keep the pool very clean, misses lots of spots and always gets hung up. It finally quit working the other day. The price is about the same for this versus the Polaris, a little over $500 with booster pump.

Thanks Craig A Houston, TX

[SQLit]

The only pool cleaning system I had that really worked was an in floor system with pop up heads. The heads acutually moved the dirt to the floor drain and poof, an clean pool in an few hours.

I have had and discarded cleaners with "the extra pump". I have had better luck with the cleaners that operate from the primary pump and the suction line. One pump to run equals less electricity cost over the long haul.

One thing I have learned is that every cleaner, suction or not, requires maintenance. Some 2 times a year others more. When they stop doing their jobs well it is time to fix them. I was pleased with one similar to

had the suction plate for the upper skimmer at first and never got it to work very well. Always needed adjustments. I traveled a lot so that was unacceptable. I put an suction line through the wall of the pool about 9 inches below the water line. Boy oh Boy did than make an difference. I had to dig up the yard and run 2.5 inch pvc because of the 90 ells in the run but it worked like a champ. Down side, the hoses do not last for ever, like

3 years in Phoenix and do not be fooled into buying generic replacements. They never worked correctly for me. I finally paided up for the Hayward stuff and away it went like when it was new. Bottom line plan on every 3-4 years overhauling the system to an extent. It is the cost of owning a pool as far as I am concerned.

I also found out that pumps over time loose effectiveness. Which means an new impeller or pump every 4-5 years.

Best of luck with your decision. Take the cleaner to an pool place and have them take it apart in front of you. The wear marks are amazing at least to me they were.

[Richard J Kinch]

That's naive and incorrect. Two pumps are cheaper.

Suction-side cleaners spoil the circulation system efficiency.

A separate booster pump runs efficiently, and only when needed. The circulation/filtration system is not compromised.