Modifying a "Poolmaster 28300 Big Sucker" so it can be used with in place of a Polaris 380

[Pichan]

Hello everybody! We are real newbies, both to pools and this wonderful website, and had our inground vinyl liner replaced a month ago. We are just getting our feet wet )) in learning about and caring for pools. The pool came with both a skimmer-vacuum which we've learned to use to clean up debris off the floor, as well as a Polaris K380 sweeper that connects to a jet port coming off a Polaris booster pump. The K380 seems a bit long in the tooth and we have not been able to get that going yet: the wheels are gummy, dirty and sticky (side note: is this part of the normal aging process?...we tried cleaning them with no success) and the quick connect will not twist in all of the way on the side wall's jet port. So, since we are on a budget currently, we just ordered a "Poolmaster 28300 Big Sucker" to handle the big stuff before we vacuum using the sand filter. Since the "Poolmaster" will run off a water hose, we were thinking of trying to connect it to the Polaris jet port and use the booster pump with the existing pool water instead of adding extra water (which is well water and has a high phosphate content, which has already become an issue!).
Does anyone have any experience with this? Or any thoughts/knowledge to share? All input would be greatly appreciated!!

 

[ajw22]

The Polaris 380 is a pressure side cleaner with water coming from the booster pump to power it.

The Poolmaster 28300 Big Sucker is a suction side cleaner which uses water being sucked in, not pushed out as the booster pump does, to vacuum dirt into your filter.

I would suggest you cancel the Poolmaster 28300 Big Sucker order and get a Polaris 280 which is as good as the 380 and less expensive.

Polaris Pool Cleaners - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[1poolman1]

Hello everybody! We are real newbies, both to pools and this wonderful website, and had our inground vinyl liner replaced a month ago. We are just getting our feet wet )) in learning about and caring for pools. The pool came with both a skimmer-vacuum which we've learned to use to clean up debris off the floor, as well as a Polaris K380 sweeper that connects to a jet port coming off a Polaris booster pump. The K380 seems a bit long in the tooth and we have not been able to get that going yet: the wheels are gummy, dirty and sticky (side note: is this part of the normal aging process?...we tried cleaning them with no success) and the quick connect will not twist in all of the way on the side wall's jet port. So, since we are on a budget currently, we just ordered a "Poolmaster 28300 Big Sucker" to handle the big stuff before we vacuum using the sand filter. Since the "Poolmaster" will run off a water hose, we were thinking of trying to connect it to the Polaris jet port and use the booster pump with the existing pool water instead of adding extra water (which is well water and has a high phosphate content, which has already become an issue!).
Does anyone have any experience with this? Or any thoughts/knowledge to share? All input would be greatly appreciated!!

Get a male hose-threaded barbed adapter as in the picture that will fit into the feed hose of the Polaris. Put that into the leaf-vac. Remove the hose from the Polaris and attach it to the adapter. Turn on the filter pump, then the booster and you will be surprised how much better the leaf-vac works. Pay attention to how the mender nut is attached to the hose when on the Polaris. It goes onto the feed tube first, then the hose, and then it is tightened onto the hose.
Even better, get yourself a piece of vinyl hose that will fit the Polaris at a swivel, attach it to the adapter and just remove the feed hose at the first joint (or the back-up valve). That way you are not having to deal with a hose clamp when trying to make the switch.

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[Pichan]

The Polaris 380 is a pressure side cleaner with water coming from the booster pump to power it.

The Poolmaster 28300 Big Sucker is a suction side cleaner which uses water being sucked in, not pushed out as the booster pump does, to vacuum dirt into your filter.

I would suggest you cancel the Poolmaster 28300 Big Sucker order and get a Polaris 280 which is as good as the 380 and less expensive.

Polaris Pool Cleaners - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

Thank you for your input! I feel quite dumb (and confused) because I thought that both the Polaris and the Poolmaster use the same principle: pressurized water creating a vacuum via jet nozzles, that sucks up debris which then collects in a bag and expels the water through the bag's mesh leaving the debris in the bag...the Polaris utilizing a booster pump with the outlet mounted on the pool's side wall, and the Poolmaster getting its pressurized water from a garden hose, instead.
And I figured the Polaris booster would allow us to recycle the existing pool water, while the Poolmaster would introduce new and untreated well water (in our case).
I was hoping to avoid having to rebalance the water every time we used it.
I guess I need to do more homework on this!!
PS: I apologize for my late reply...family issues came up...so I am just getting back to working on this project.

 

[Pichan]

Get a male hose-threaded barbed adapter as in the picture that will fit into the feed hose of the Polaris. Put that into the leaf-vac. Remove the hose from the Polaris and attach it to the adapter. Turn on the filter pump, then the booster and you will be surprised how much better the leaf-vac works. Pay attention to how the mender nut is attached to the hose when on the Polaris. It goes onto the feed tube first, then the hose, and then it is tightened onto the hose.
Even better, get yourself a piece of vinyl hose that will fit the Polaris at a swivel, attach it to the adapter and just remove the feed hose at the first joint (or the back-up valve). That way you are not having to deal with a hose clamp when trying to make the switch.

View attachment 596472​

Thanks...I just saw this! Sorry for getting back so late...family stuff sidelined my pool 'education' temporarily.
So it looks like using the Polaris booster pump instead of the garden hose is not only doable, but will improve it
I am self-admittedly a rookie, but this sounds promising and I look forward to trying this out. Thank you again!

 

[ajw22]

Thank you for your input! I feel quite dumb (and confused) because I thought that both the Polaris and the Poolmaster use the same principle: pressurized water creating a vacuum via jet nozzles, that sucks up debris which then collects in a bag and expels the water through the bag's mesh leaving the debris in the bag...the Polaris utilizing a booster pump with the outlet mounted on the pool's side wall, and the Poolmaster getting its pressurized water from a garden hose, instead.
And I figured the Polaris booster would allow us to recycle the existing pool water, while the Poolmaster would introduce new and untreated well water (in our case).
I was hoping to avoid having to rebalance the water every time we used it.
I guess I need to do more homework on this!!
PS: I apologize for my late reply...family issues came up...so I am just getting back to working on this project.

You are correct.

I took a closer look on the Poolmaster website and the big sucker does use pressure from a garden hose…

Big Sucker Leaf Vacuum – Poolmaster

I think plugging it into a Polaris booster pump will be way too much pressure for the device. But clearly I don’t know what it is capable of.

 

[Pichan]

You are correct.

I took a closer look on the Poolmaster website and the big sucker does use pressure from a garden hose…

Big Sucker Leaf Vacuum – Poolmaster

I think plugging it into a Polaris booster pump will be way too much pressure for the device. But clearly I don’t know what it is capable of.

Thanks for your update/clarification...much appreciated.
Well, it arrived while we were away...and we got it from Amazon on a 'Prime' deal, so I'll try it out and report back

 

[1poolman1]

You are correct.

I took a closer look on the Poolmaster website and the big sucker does use pressure from a garden hose…

Big Sucker Leaf Vacuum – Poolmaster

I think plugging it into a Polaris booster pump will be way too much pressure for the device. But clearly I don’t know what it is capable of.

If you are in pool service and don't have a leaf-vac that is adapted for use with a booster pump, you are very inexperienced.
There are adapters that were made for that very thing way back when the Pool Sweep was the pool cleaner of choice, and the Jandy Leaf Master was the only one on the market (no longer made as all the cheap imitations made it not worthwhile). They allow the quick release fitting on the Pool Sweep hose to attach to the Polaris. I've had mine for over 30 years and use it in my pool (with my last two Leaf Masters). The actual Pool Sweep booster pump was more powerful than the Polaris and made leaf clean-up so much easier.
Haven't seen the adapter for many years, but there are ways of getting a length of Polaris hose attached to a MHT adapter then attached at a swivel in the Polaris hose. If you do it, you'll have the thought, "Why didn't I now this sooner?"
For even more suction, every other hole in the leaf-vac can be drilled to a slightly larger size for more flow