How To Repair Hayward Pool Vac

Rob is a puddle-service industry professional with over 20 years of experience.

Is your pool vacuum moving slowly, or not at all? Read on.

By Matthias Cooper, via Pexels, created with Canva

Is Your Hayward Navigator Pool Vacuum Not Moving?

A common puddle cleaner is the Hayward Navigator, which consists of many moving parts. Occasionally, those parts fail and need to exist replaced.

If y'all're similar me, you like to salvage money. Many pool stores volition repair these cleaners with no "labor costs," merely believe me, you volition be paying more than enough for the parts and could save at least 50% or more by ordering the parts online and fixing it yourself.

Y'all don't need to be a rocket scientist to repair it. If you take the fourth dimension to read through this article and refer to the photos, there really isn't much to it. Here are the troubleshooting tips you'll learn:

• Replacing parts
• Checking the A-frame
• Disassembling vacuum
• Checking the gearbox

Checking the feet or "shoes"

Rob Hampton

1. Determining What Needs to Be Replaced

If your navigator seems to spin effectually in circles without actually going anywhere, or if it doesn't really move at all, or if y'all've owned information technology for a while, you probably already know that something may have gotten stuck in the unit.

You need to pull any it is out. (Surprisingly, this trouble accounts for around one-half the calls I get.)

Next, take the unit of measurement out of the pool and cheque the "shoes" or "feet." These are the iv pads that allow the cleaner to grip the surface. If these are worn downward as well much, they will demand to be replaced.

The A-Frame assembly

2. Checking the "A-Frame"

The A-Frame is inside the navigator, but I can usually tell if this is bad by how loose the pods seem to be. If in that location is a lot of play when you movement the pods back and forth and it seems very loose, so the problem is probable to exist the A-Frame.

The A-Frame is the most common repair I make on these cleaners and is piece of cake to replace. The "pods" are usually not bad unless they are visibly cracked or cleaved. Other parts include the turbine, bearings, and gearbox, which I will talk about shortly.

Checking the "pods"

Rob Hampton

Removing the screws

Rob Hampton

The turbine and bearings

Read More From Dengarden

3. Disassembling the Navigator

Please be sure to reference the photos for this section on how to detach your Hayward Navigator pool vacuum correctly.

How to Disassemble the Navigator

1. Remove the "wings" from the unit. The wings are attached to the pods.
2. Pry off the round protector in the eye of each pod, which will expose the screw heads. This will require a ¼ inch socket to unscrew.
3. After removing the two ¼ inch screws, the pods may still be on tightly. Pry with a flat screwdriver on either side of the spiral and work gently. Pods will come up off.
4. Afterwards pods are removed, plow the unit upside down and remove the center screw and remove the center piece, which that screw holds in. This will betrayal the turbine.
5. Now remove the 4 Phillips screws as shown in the photo. This will remove the section that houses the A-Frame. Remove the A-Frame gently and set it aside.
6. End Hither! If the A-Frame is the only part that you lot are replacing, you will not need to go to the next footstep and remove the six perimeter screws. You can stop hither and re-assemble the unit with the new A-Frame.
7. At that place will now be six more screws around the perimeter of the unit. These are much longer than the first set of screws you removed. You lot will need to remove these to get to the turbine and bearings. One time screws are out, this slice volition also be removed fully exposing the turbine and bearings. The bearings and turbine volition lift out and the new bearing and turbine kit volition go in its place.
8. Lift the turbine and the two bearings out of place. Old bearings may autumn apart. Don't worry, the new ones won't. Replace with the new bearings and turbine. They can only go in one way. At present replace the plate with the vi screws. The turbine should spin freely.

4. The Gearbox

The gearbox does not oft need replacing. If it does, this is a very easy role to replace. With the six perimeter screws, turbine, and bearings out, but pull out the quondam 1 and replace it.

The gearbox

Reassembling Your Pool Vacuum

After replacing the parts, it is just a matter of re-assembling the unit just as it was disassembled. It's non hard since there aren't too many screws to remove and put dorsum in.

If all was done right, it is prepare to go dorsum into the water and clean your pool!

This article is accurate and true to the best of the author's knowledge. Content is for informational or entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for personal counsel or professional advice in concern, financial, legal, or technical matters.

Questions & Answers

Question: I have had the Navigator for most 2 months, and its sucking, merely non moving effectually the pool. Why is this?

Answer: If information technology's 2 months (brand new) it should be under warranty if there'southward something broken. Practise the pods movement back and forth when information technology's not on the bottom? I would besides check for any obstruction in the turbine (a rock, large leaf, etc...) These rarely go bad when they are that new unless you bought information technology used. Also check valve positioning on the pool pump, meaning, does it have Plenty suction? If there's not plenty suction, it won't movement much.

Question: All of the inner parts of my Hayward Navigator pool vacuum are new; the pods and shoes are new, the hose is new. When the Navigator is suspended the pods move. If I place the Navigator on the lesser of the puddle all action stops. Practise you have whatever suggestions?

Answer: The only suggestion I would accept, knowing that you've replaced all the inner parts and pods, (otherwise, I'd say the A-frame or pods), would be to brand sure at that place is enough suction through the cleaner. If you accept a divide cleaner line, close the main bleed valve and close the skimmer valve halfway and take the cleaner valve all the way open. Make sure filter is clean and the system has plenty of period. More suction on the cleaner will arrive work better. You lot tin can wait at this article that explains how the valves should exist prepare.

https://dengarden.com/pond-pools/How-to-Gear up-Va...

Question: My Hayward pool vac wasn't moving so I replaced the A-frame and turbine kit. It at present just stays in one section of the pool. No matter where I move information technology, information technology always makes it way back to the same section and does circles in that area. I replaced the gear box and medium turbine spindle gear last year merely I assume its one of these. Do you take any suggestions?

Answer: The pods might need to be replaced. Where the pods fit on to the A-frame can become loose over time, allowing for a lot of motility. They should fit snug. Also, check the rubber shoes to make sure they aren't worn downwards.

Question: 1 of the pods is jammed on my pool vacuum. How do I get it off?

Reply: If the pod is difficult remove, I usually apply some wd-40 effectually it and a flat screw commuter to work information technology off.

© 2012 Rob Hampton

Rob Hampton (author) from Port Richey, Florida on July 28, 2020:

Rob Tron. These are the kind of comments I love to see! I'm happy information technology worked out well. Cheers for reading!

Rob Tron on July 28, 2020:

Thank you so much! Your guide was very helpful. I bought new shoes since they were quite worn. I besides ordered an A-Frame since you said it was so common to see it fail. And I am glad I did, since in one case I took the quondam one out, I saw ii of the wheels I could plough by hand, but not smoothly. The third wheel didn't plough at all, and the 4th had lost all its brawl bearings, and then it was just a piece of plastic dangling on the axle. After replacing everything I put the cleaner dorsum in the puddle and it worked! Thanks to you I saved so much money ownership just a few replacement parts!

Rob Hampton (author) from Port Richey, Florida on May 22, 2019:

Gary, make certain there is enough suction on the cleaner line. Be certain there are no breaks or leaks in any of the hose sections.

Gary on May 22, 2019:

I've replaced just about everything on my navigator. When it's out of the water it will spin at the business firm connection but when I place it in water information technology won't plough. Everything else is working fine.

Mauricio Batista on Apr 21, 2019:

Hi I would know if the house tin can cause the problem for the navigator not moving or moving slowly? Give thanks y'all.

Rob Hampton (writer) from Port Richey, Florida on April 09, 2019:

Tom.. Thank you! I love comments like yours. I'grand glad it worked well for you. Ya, I don't retrieve I've replaced a gear box, information technology's usually ane of, or all of what y'all replaced. Should last for a few years for you lot!

Tom Roberts on Apr 09, 2019:

Swell info, information technology gave me the courage to attempt the repair. I had to replace the turbine, pods, wings and A frame. Works like new.

Thank you for posting this info.

Tom,

Rob Hampton (writer) from Port Richey, Florida on Feb xix, 2019:

John (and anyone else) I've now enabled the "ask the author a question" Delight post questions under that platform but also feel complimentary to leave comments here. John..The parts you lot replaced should last much longer than a few months. Without being able to physically check out the cleaner, hard to say. Gear box? Maybe. A lot of dissimilar issues could cause it to spin in circles. Check the pods and "shoes"

john on February 19, 2019:

So, I have replaced all the inner parts,and it worked for a few months now information technology gets stuck. I notice it doesnt pass the hang test and the primary plastic gear that the hose hooks up to gets stuck and will move a trivial bit in one direction but not the other, My thoughts is peradventure the chief gear is worn out. Any thoughts?

Rob Hampton (author) from Port Richey, Florida on October eleven, 2018:

Hello Rebecca. Aye, replace all four. These can be purchased on Amazon. A local pool supply store volition have them, but you lot'll pay 4 times equally much.

Rebecca on October 11, 2018:

I only looked at my Hayward and come across the feet are worn downwards and the back ones are gone. Where can I get theses and exercise I have to replace all 4 of them

Rob Hampton (writer) from Port Richey, Florida on July 02, 2018:

Distressing for the delay Robert. I'll do my best hither. And then..should the gear cone spin freely? No. Information technology should be pretty tight and have some "try" to turn by hand. Sounds like you've washed everything correct then far although you did not mention a pod replacement. Pods can have new "feet" but often where they are placed on the a-frame, that connection or piece where the pod screws into the cleaner can be worn.. IE; gaps causing it to slip. Gear "grinding" noise? Depends on what you mean. Yes, it's normal when the cone is turned to brand a sound. More like gears moving rather than "grinding". The valve positioning... You mentioned the fountain.. That is on the return side of the pump so doesn't take anything to do with the amount of suction on the cleaner. Not certain how the intake side of your pump is set.. But should be... SKIMMER/MAIN Bleed/CLEANER (perchance spa if a combo pool/spa but spa should be closed anyway if in normal pool mode) Valves should be (on intake side)... Main drain closed completely. Cleaner fully opened and skimmer open up half mode. Adjust but the skimmer valve for more than or less suction on the cleaner. Hope this helps

robert miliano on July 01, 2018:

i have a pebble tech pool and a hayward navigator pool cleaner. a hayward DE filter system.. the cleaner would non move from the center of the pool .. i replaced well-nigh everything(shoes,a frame assembly, turbine and bearings , gearbox assembly, the intermediate gear and spindle gear and spindle,front end and rear flap.. the just thing i hadn't put into this $$$ pit was the cone gear.. is the cone gear suppose to plough freely ...??

its stiff and makeS a grinding noise.. i looked at the teeth to encounter if any were missing or out of shape only they appear to be ok... i used the vac gauge and it said max.... i don't know how to fix up the valve handles for skimmer and water autumn.. HELP!!!

Source: https://dengarden.com/swimming-pools/navigatorrepair

Posted by: schmidtweressid.blogspot.com

Share this post