ATTN: Inground Vinyl Pool Owners

[Pool_Mike]

Hey Inground Vinyl Pool Owners,

Were about to get one added to our back yard. 17x33 and I love to hear your feedback and share some tips on yours.

Our filteration setup is going to be chlorine w/ ZeoBrite system.

The pool cleaner the contractor is giving us is the POLARIS 150.
which is a suction side cleaner.
I am not to sure if this type of cleaner I will be happy with.
What is your take on that?
I am thinking that the Dolphin Diagnostic Advantage DL2019 electric cleaner would be a overall better cleaner. Any suggestions? What do you guys use?

I am also thinking to add to the zeobrite is nature2. Anyone like it? or even zeobrite?

Thank you all for reading this and I hope to hear feedback. Thanks!

[cleancloths]

Search the forum about the Dolphin, there is a lot of talk about problems with them. I just bought a Dolphin Dynamic a week or so ago and it is going back to Costco - most expensive worthless appliance I ever bought.

[waterbear]

both Zeobrite and N2 are ways to drain your pocket without really giving you any real benefits! You might be interested to know that the N2 cartridge contains copper sulfate and silver nitrate and that Austrailia has recently passed legislation that requires all copper/silver systems including Nature2 to be used with regular and NOT reduced chlorine levels to provide proper sanitation. They have found that the reduced levels do not adequetly sanitize the water. Why doesn't our own EPA take a stand like this?

As far as Zeobrite (and other zeolite filter mediums)....it might have a small pore size but water is going to take the path of least resistance which means it will travel AROUND the grains and not through them! IMHO, it is not going to be much better than sand. It's main benefit is it's ammonia scavaging properties that might help reduce the amount of combined chlorine that forms (or it might not) .

Save you money on both! IF you want to add something that will make your pool easier to maintain consider adding a Salt Water Generator but forget the Nature 2 (replacement cartridges will run you over $200/year!) and use sand in your filter. If you want it to filter better you can add a bit of DE powder to it to increase it's filtering ability!

As far as the polaris 150. it is your basic suction side cleaner. Polaris is owned by Zodiac who make the best known line of suction side cleaners. Polaris is better known for it's pressure side cleaners. IMHO pressure side cleaners outperform suction side but either can do a decent job.

[Pool_Mike]

waterbear, thank you for your thoughts.

I am going to look into the SWG. I did mention it to our sales rep/contractor and he recommended the zeobright due to cost. He did not say anything about swg, but all I hear is great things about it. A guy here at work has swg on his gunite pool and loves it. He says the maintnance is easy on the pool and looks clean and clear everyday when he is in it.

I know that there are two swg's systems/generator's, so which system should I get *IF* I go with swg? Also does swg work well with vinyl pools? Just making sure ;)

Thanks again

[Pool_Mike]

Not sure, but is this a swg? : http://www.poolcenter.com/poolstor_saltwatergen.htm

[cruzmisl]

I have a vinyl 18x36 pool and would ditch the sand filter in favor of a DE filter. Bit more work but worth the effort in my opinion. I am swapping out my sand filter in the coming weeks. I would also consider the Pool Pilot Digital SWG. They seemed like the best to me for features and value and poolsean is a regular contributor to the forum who works for the company.

As for the Dolphin, well I have had a Diagnostic for 3 years. I gave that one to my Dad and bought a Dolphin Dynamic from Costco. It works great in my pool. It's not perfect but what cleaning system is? It gets 90-95% of the dirt and garbage and I don't have to deal with any hoses. I bought a Poolbuster for the light clean up jobs and for my spillover spa. There are other contenders for robotic pool cleaners (ie Aquabot, Blue Diamond, Blue Pearl etc) but in the end I believe they are all the same. Some people have had problems with Dolphin but it's not unlike any other purchase. Some will have issues while others won't. For example, I spent $75K on a brand new car that burned a quart of oil every 500 miles. I'll never buy another because the manufacturer refused to fix it but there were thousands of other people with the same car that had no issues. Bad luck I guess. Either way if you do buy a Dolphin buy it from Costco as they have an astounding return policy.

[Pool_Mike]

You guys are all great help.

Well I will 4-sure have to have an suction side cleaner.

I hear great raves on the Hayward Navigator so that one is in question and research.
Another one which also was mentioned was the BARRACUDA G4 by Zodiac.
I really want to ditch that Polaris 150 for the reason that no one has one that I can get feedback on :( .

Cruz, as for that Dolphin @ Costco, I am a member there, but I am making our contractor pay for all of this :D . I just want to get all of it in line before I hop into our pool and feel we got the best for our budget. BTW,,, I would run that $75K car right into the dealerships window. That is awful service so I hope you get results.
Thanks all

[waterbear]

waterbear, thank you for your thoughts.

I am going to look into the SWG. I did mention it to our sales rep/contractor and he recommended the zeobright due to cost. He did not say anything about swg, but all I hear is great things about it. A guy here at work has swg on his gunite pool and loves it. He says the maintnance is easy on the pool and looks clean and clear everyday when he is in it.

I know that there are two swg's systems/generator's, so which system should I get *IF* I go with swg? Also does swg work well with vinyl pools? Just making sure ;)

Thanks again
There are a lot more than two....at least half a dozon manufacturers or more!
Personally I think PoolPilot and Aquarite/Aqualogic are both good.

[CarlD]

Don't ask ME about Dolphin right now--Mine is 2 years old and this season started giving me nothing but trouble. I would look at AquaBot or Blue Diamond instead.

I also have a Polaris 165 return side. It works OK, (the Dolphin when working is better), but Polaris is fragile too. Luckily, the company was really up on honoring their warranty, so it works great now.