The Polaris Back Up Valve is a mechanism attached to the cleaner's feeder hose, which helps the Polaris cleaner maneuver the floor of your pool. If this item is malfunctioning then your cleaner may not be able to clean effectively.
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Dub Posted: 11/5/2021
1) What is correct length of hose from from the connection to Polaris 3900 to front connector of backup valve? 2) should the water jet on the valve be on the top (up)or bottom (down)? Thanks.Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Matt S. Posted: 11/10/2021
According to diagrams for the Polaris 3900, there is one length of hose (lead hose) between the cleaner and the backup valve. The spout that shoots out the water jet should be facing the side of the cleaner so that it would propel the cleaner backward.Reply
Jackscuba Posted: 8/26/2021
I was having my Polaris pool cleaner getting tangled up in its hose for a couple of years. It happened a lot, at least once or twice a day, getting tangled when the back-up valve was backing up. I changed the backup configuration to the one shown in this diagram ( https://www.polarispool.com/-/media/zodiac/global/downloads/tl/tl-862.pdf ) and the difference is incredible. It has not tangled itself even once in the last two weeks. Highly recommended you change to this configuration if you are having a tangling problem. I didn't have to buy any new parts, just used the ones I had.Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Matt S. Posted: 8/27/2021
Thanks for the tip!Reply
caesar nahhas Posted: 4/13/2021
how many feet from the cleaner itself, the instruction was not clearReply
InyoPools Product Specialist Matt S. Posted: 4/16/2021
The back-up valve should be on the first hose joint before the leader hose. You can see a diagram of the hose assembly here: Polaris 280 - Hose AssyReply
Kyle Posted: 5/23/2018
Your instructions always help me. Regarding this topic, it would be nice to add more tips in Step #3 and #10. I have Polaris 360. I spent more than 10 minutes to unscrew the plastic nuts from the backup value. Then I spent more than 20 minutes to screw back with a groove plier, but I still couldn't put it back completely. Putting a hose back was okay, but tightening with the plastic nuts with a bare hand and with the plier didn't work well. My hand almost got a blister by forcing to tight the nuts.Reply
Anonymous (hose tearing ) Posted: 10/16/2017
Anonymous (hose tearing) - I have no data on this issue. Please give Pentair a call at 800-831-7133 to see if they have something to correct this problem.Reply
Anonymous Posted: 10/16/2017
Hose between Valve and cleaner keeps tearing.Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Dennis R. Posted: 8/7/2017
Anonymous (Back up valve) - The length of the hose connecting the back up valve to the cleaner should be 4' by design. But if the connecting ring is wearing out by dragging on the pool floor, I would shorten the connecting hose.Reply
Anonymous Posted: 8/3/2017
My back up valve is dragging on the pool floor and the connector ring keeps wearing out. Should I shorten the length of the hose connecting it to the cleaner (3900)?Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Dennis R. Posted: 10/28/2016
ATX16 - The distance between the cleaner and the backup valve should be one hose length - 4 ft. Check to make sure the valve is not clogged with debris.Reply
ATX16 Posted: 10/27/2016
how long should the hose be between the cleaner (in my case a Polaris 360) and the backup valve? I often find my cleaner stuck in the same place, and am wondering if there may be toomuch hose length. I'd guess it is 6'. I do see the backup valve working some times, but it's pretty gentle.
Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Dennis R. Posted: 10/3/2016
sydbarrett - It sounds like the mechanism inside the Back UP Valve may be jammed. The water from the Back UP Valve should only pulse intermittently. Take the valve apart and clean out any debris in the gears. Check for cracks in the shell of the valve. Check that the gears move easily.Reply
sydbarrett Posted: 10/1/2016
I just bought a back up valve for my polaris 360....the water is a continuous hard flow from the backup valve. I checked the line AFTER the valve to see how much water was getting to my cleaner.....very very little. There is no pressure getting to my cleaner now. HelpReply
InyoPools Product Specialist Dennis R. Posted: 9/27/2016
Kevin - As long as your cleaner is not getting stuck in the corners and appears to be cleaning the entire floor, I would tend to agree with you.Reply
Kevin Posted: 9/26/2016
My backup valve has over time increased it's amount of time on to the point that today it is stuck on. My pool is kidney shaped and the cleaner never gets hung up on anything. I'm wondering if, in my case, I even need it?Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Dennis R. Posted: 4/26/2016
schumap1 - I would recheck the steps in the guide again. Make sure the mechanism's water port is aligned with the valve port. Inspect the valve top cover O-ring. If these are good, you may have to replace the mechanism.Reply
schumap1 Posted: 4/25/2016
thanks for instructions, the outer casing cracked and had to be replaced. Now i cannot reuse the mechanism as it now does not hold pressure and simply shoots water releasing all pressure needed for cleaner. The simple instructions imply the mechanism is either broken, failing or not reusable.. Any help is appreciated,Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Dennis R. Posted: 5/18/2015
Ray - Evidently this is a shared problem. See the previous comment under "User: Tate" for a possible solution.Reply
Ray Posted: 5/17/2015
I hate the backup valve. No matter what I try, it whips the cleaner violently around in circles, often entangling the hose and filter bag in the process. All it needs is a gentle tug backwards, not an angry sea serpent attack. Who are the engineers responsible for this?Reply
Tate Posted: 5/17/2015
What I have done to reduce the tangles created by the backup valve being too powerful/running too long is glue a small length of tube inside the water jet. The restricted flow makes the reversing action less violent and solved my problem.Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Dennis R. Posted: 6/30/2014
Keith - Unfortunately the timing of the backup is not adjustable. The cleaner has a set pattern to maximize the area it cleans.Reply
Keith Posted: 6/29/2014
I agree. All the time the Polaris is in reverse, it is not cleaning. Backup every half hour would be fine.Reply
Bruce Posted: 11/19/2013
Is it possible to reduce the amount of time the back-up valve reverses the polaris. It seems that the unit ties itself & the hose into knots as the back-up valve reverses for too long. You then need to untangle them. This happens fairly often. It seems like the reversing time needs to be halved.Reply