A suction cleaner that crawls, stalls, stops climbing walls or races around the floor is usually getting the wrong flow. None of the Zodiac or Hayward manuals gives a minimum pump size. Each gives a flow check instead, and that check is where to start.
Zodiac MX6 and MX8
Hold the cleaner just under the surface and time 10 turns of the yellow wheel-speed indicator.
- 20 to 25 seconds: right.
- 26 to 50 seconds: too little flow. Increase it.
- 10 to 19 seconds: too much. Decrease it.
The MX6 and MX8 come with an FRV100 flow regulator at the cleaner and a FlowKeeper valve at the skimmer. On a pool with a single skimmer the FlowKeeper is required. Zodiac says the MX8 needs as little as 20 GPM.
Baracuda G3 and G2
The flow gauge sits on the hose. The red indicator should rest at 3. A reading of 0 to 2 is low; 4 to 6 is high. Zodiac notes that water at 60 °F or colder may need more flow.
The diaphragm is the G3’s one moving part, and a worn or torn one shows up as a cleaner that barely moves at a normal reading. The G3 takes diaphragm W69698; the G2 takes W81701.
Hayward Navigator Pro
The in-line gauge has a black disk that should sit between MIN and MAX. The regulator valve can lower suction but cannot raise it, so a low reading points to the pump, the filter or a blockage. Hose length matters too: Hayward calls for the distance to the farthest point plus two sections.
Hayward PoolCleaner (Poolvergnuegen)
Hayward times the right front wheel: 11 to 14 RPM, which it equates to 7 to 10 inches of mercury on a vacuum gauge. Below about 8 RPM it still cleans the floor but will not climb walls. The cleaner comes with three throats for low, medium and high flow, and Hayward Support recommends at least a 1 hp pump.
When the flow is low
A full skimmer basket, a full pump strainer basket or a dirty filter all cut suction. Clean those first and repeat the check. If the reading is still low, the pump speed may be set too low for the cleaner, which is common with variable-speed pumps on a low schedule.
Parts for each cleaner are on the parts pages. If the cleaner needs a rebuild, the suction to robot page compares the options.
