Barracuda / Zodiac G2 Stalls

Have you got problems with your G2?

Me too... 

I swear, this pool cleaner will be the end of me. I spend hours studying it's movements and still can't figure out why it keeps stalling! 

Don't get me wrong, I'm totally amazed at it's design just the same. I pay respects to those engineers who've looked at its buoyancy, surface friction, suction, hose flexibility/curves, etc, and measured it so everything is just right.

Let's face it. Any pool cleaner is a marvelous work of physics. There's a delicate balance of forces to overcome, to create, to propel the thing forward and to keep it bouncing around all the surfaces for up to eight hours a day. Picking up debris so a pool can look sparkling all the time is a real challenge. 

Okay, so that's the sucky part over. Whilst I respect the science behind the G2 (and all other cleaners), I know I shouldn't need to know why it works, just that it works.

But I have to figure out the science... and I'm totally pissed. I'm spending too much time pulling my G2 out of corners and such to enjoy it's benefits.

It once worked. Now I'm baffled and befuddled (enjoying that word?) because of it's inability to keep moving and do it's job. It makes two passes of the pool and then gets stuck.

I've taken so much time out of my writing to chase it out of corners and to stop it from marching up and down a wall that I've lost count of the hours. It'd be quicker to vacuum the pool by hand than rely on the G2! 

But I'm defiant.

Here's a video to explain what it's doing:

You'll notice our pool is dirty. That was done on purpose. This is two weeks of the G2 doing it's own thing. (Since we've vacuumed the pool by hand)

We've kept it that way to better study the creature's movements during the course of a day. It's winter ATM so we're not swimming in the pool. The moss and leaf help me work out where it's tracking, rather, where it's not cleaning.

It's pretty ordinary wouldn't you say?

You'll notice that while shooting this video it stopped at my feet. That was fortuitous and totally unplanned... but it's an indication of the issues we encounter hourly. It's neither hooked up on a skin-fitting nor has it's diaphragm blocked by an obstruction. It just sits there, rocking back and forth..

To be fair to G2, my pump is wound up to full power and it's probably created such a high vacuum that it can't overcome the friction it has with the floor (especially in the shallows). Having said that, if it's not on high it won't cross the floor at all. It'll get stuck in the deep end and bury itself against a corner. At least a high with give us some coverage.

Too low and it stays in corners. Too high and it runs-aground here... but only here.

In the video you'll hear I make mention of the adjustments I've made to the ballast, deflectors, hoses and the hydro-static valve. It has a brand new skirt and bladder. The hose is one week old.

I will say this: It worked extremely well when it was new. Four years ago, it cleaned on any pump power and it never got stuck. We installed it with the deflector down low and the weight ring where the specs said to put it... and away she went! I never had to move it by hand, never needed to watch it to see if it was doing its job.

Now this is happening.

So it's over to you dear reader.

If you have an idea about what's causing the problem/s, I'd like to hear it.

-Michael.