Zodiac T5 Duo Questions & Answers

It's a bad designed pool cleaner. I've had mine for 12 months and have had problems after problems and the manufacturer is no help. They sent someone over and he had no experience with pool cleaners. I'm now saving to buy a new cleaner as this one stopped working 3 months ago.

Are you using the correct diaphragm? After market ones do not have a strong spline, so have less resistance to delay the suction. However I gave up on my T5 Duo after having had to replace the diaphragm every couple of months. Sure I got a free one when I complained to Fluidra. Charging $40 for each one of this is just robbery when they last less than the $20 ones. After 2 years of putting up with this I bought myself an RX-Tank from kreepy crawley for $850. It is amazing. The pool has never been cleaner. It also climbs the walls and only looses suction when the pool needs backwashing. And best of all, no diaphragm! I also fitted the leaf catcher from Zodiac a couple of section away from the skimmer. The leaf catcher is really great value. I've had the rx-tank for 9 months now and am very happy with it. external link  Good luck.

My experience has been that it's usually the diaphragm that is the problem. It is not as robust as the previous diaphragm design and is twice as costly. Pull the head apart and remove the diaphragm to see if it has splits in it.

The other problem I had was that the slots where the circular rubber skirt fits into the plastic head is where the plastic simply breaks and the skirt separates from the head. This occurred while under warranty and the manufacturer said the problem was that I did not maintain the correct chemical levels in the pool. My solution to this was to screw the items together with brass screws. So far it has worked a treat.

The manufacturers lack of support shows it has produced a new generation product that is inferior to its predecessor in both design and materials.

Hi Fred, Thank you for your inquiry. We recommend that it should be stored in a dry environment when it's not in use. If you need further assistance, we can be reached at the live chat located on this page during 9 am-5 pm Mon to Fri: external link  Regards, Zodiac & Astral Pool/Fluidra Support

Hi Fred B. I have done it both ways in different pools & found no difference in life of the unit. That being said, I do leave it in at the moment. Really depends on the amount of sun and average water temperature of pool. Thanks for your question.

Have you checked the diaphragm - it could have a tear in it?

No I haven’t. I’ll have a crack, thanks

Hi Guy. Thanks for your inquiry. This sounds like a diaphragm issue. Suction cleaners use a diaphragm to turn suction into movement, when this part rips, stretches or deforms due to use it can cause the cleaner to stop moving. This is an easily replaceable and consumable part you can purchase from your local pool shop. They may even be able to help you install it if you don't feel comfortable doing so yourself . Here is a video to help external link 

If you need further assistance, we can be reached at the live chat located on this page during 9am-5pm Mon to Fri: external link 

Regards, Zodiac & Astral Pool/Fluidra Support

Thanks - it was a rip in the diaphragm. the video was helpful. Cheers

Yes you can but it will require some fine tuning . You may have to fiddle with the Position of the weight ring first then try adjusting the Zodiac 3 position pressure flow lever where your system attaches to the skimmer . If you have a skimmer plate with a adjustable flow rate valve you can try to alter the flow pressure that way as well. End of day it is not an exact one solution fits all so best of luck .

They are only designed to suck up smallish leaves. The rubber diaphragm is not very large or robust so you may try a more efficient plastic diaphragm ( talk to your local pool shop who should have one) Only proplem is this May void your warranty if still under 2 yrs old.

Also just make sure that the cleaner head sits flush to the pool surface all the time ( you can easily check this by observing it in the pool when not operating ( may also have to adjust the position of the “weight ring” or even fit a second one.

That’s about all I can offer. Good luck.

Thanks for that, it's cleaning beautifully ,just not the gum leaves, guess I'll just have to hook them out myself. I can switch over to the manual vac every one in awhile..

This autumn has been an incredible pain. My T5 duo would only work for sometimes as little as 10 minutes before stopping. Even the small leaves would get stuck. Thank goodness autumn is over. Already dreading next year. Ill check out the plastic diaphragm mentioned above.

HI Brisdude, Thank you for reaching out. There are alot of different Cleaners available at Zodiac and it depends on which pool you have. We have local Dealers that can help or a dedicated Team that can help you over the phone. Zodiac is a global company and sells quality products. The reviews on here reflect a very small percentage of the cleaners that we sell worldwide. Many of the posts on here have had the issues resolved once we have spoken to them. Our number is 1300 763 021 if you would like to speak to one of our team. Thanks.

I found that in the first year of having aT5 Duo a number of parts broke down and were replaced under warranty but, once the warranty period expired Zodiac didn't want to know about it. If its still under warranty contact Zodiac or your Zodiac dealer.

Hi Ross, the sticky residue on the disc is a sure sign that the water chemistry is not right. When the cleaner is left in the pool water and particularly when the water chemistry is not balanced, it can have an effect on the cleaner. We recommend to remove the cleaner from the pool after each use and to test your water chemistry at least once a week for the well-being of both swimmers and your pool equipment.

I suggest the best solution to your problem is to replace the T5 as soon as feasible. I don't know about sticky residue (haven't seen it in 30 years of pool ownership) but the skirt will deteriorate and tear along the moulding lines till it falls apart. Then the body will start cracking etc etc