Zodiac Pacer Questions & Answers

Hi Jacqueline B, This could be due to the hose being slightly kinked, incorrect flow rate, worn out parts, holes in the hose. I would suggest laying the hose out in the sun for a day to completely dry out and un coil and kink, also check if there are any holes in the hose or diaphragm and ensure the flow is adequate by using a pool pulse.

Kind regards Zodiac Australia

Hi Estelle, It could be that there is too much suction which is causing this or even that there is some damage to the hoses. If it neither of them you may want to have a local technician assess it to see if they can find the what is causing the issue.

Kind Regards, Zodiac Australia

Hi there, not 100% sure but it seems like Nr 1 gives the strongest suction.

Hi Peet, Thanks for your inquiry. It appears that there's too much suction. Using the Baracuda Pool Pulse, make sure the suction is at a maximum of 2. Reduce the suction using the AD Flow Valve located in the skimmer. Make sure the hose weight is located 900mm on the 1st hose from the cleaner head. Make sure the pool return lines are pointing downward and avoid the pool water rippling the pool surface.

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 for the answer it helped thanks

Hi Eve, It could do however my skirt has operated fine for over 4 years without excessive wear. Check the skirt for splits or loose fitting to the base, otherwise I'd be looking at the following: Make sure the weight on the Ist section of hose is allowing the head unit to keep the skirt in contact with the pool floor. (If this does not happen the skirt will lose suction as it approaches corners etc.) Adjust the weight position up or down on the hose to correct and re-try. Check anything that may be preventing suction, (restriction or splitting of the diaphragm in the head unit). Has the speed of the unit slowed? If so, check for hoses that are fractured on the outer edges. (You'll see wear marks on the outer edges of the hose from scraping along the pool floor. (This can be done by slowly lifting the hose out of the water, bending them gently, and checking for air being sucked in). Of course I presume you have checked all the normal stuff like, cleaning skimmer box, filter and doing a backwash etc? Remember pools around this time of year get a real workout! Hope these suggestions help. Regards Paul.

Thanks Eddo, I will try what you have suggested. I appreciate your feedback.

Hi have the same problem can sum help me I change the diaphragm still the same problem

Almost certainly a failed diaphragm in the cleaner, I would take it in to the shop where you purchased it for them to check and if necessary replace the diaphragm.

Thank you very much.

Hi Satz, did you buy a new diaphragm? We are having the same problem and wonder if this resolved your issue?

Generally speaking, cleaners with skirts (of any brand) will either wear thin from rubbing on the surface, or will deteriorate through excessive chlorine levels, with a vinyl surface and properly balanced water chemistry the skirt should last at least 2-5 years (life will vary widely from pool to pool).

Suction cleaners of this type are hit and miss as to covering the pool, if your pool has any tight corners, steps etc they are more likely to get stuck. Kidney shape pools are less trouble, but there's no guarantee. If your budget allows, I would recommend a Dolphin S50 or E10 robotic cleaner as you can be sure they won't get stuck, or for suction cleaners, the Onga Hammerhead. The Hammerhead has a solid "hammer" which will last for 10yrs or more rather than the failure prone diaphragm found in Zodiacs.

As a general rule I would not recommend buying Zodiac, their after sales service in recent years has a very poor reputation.

Thank you very much for your advice.

Hi Martinique, I've found the Baracuda Zodiac Pacer quite satisfactory. We have a smaller pool now (6m x 3m) and it's the 2nd time I've bought Baracuda with good results. I agree it occasionally gets caught in a corner, but not often and after the pump turns off it'll get free. I also find by repositioning the hoses at the skimmer you get a pretty good sweep across the pool. We have full sun on the pool in summer and although all tubing and heads including the skirts will suffer from sun and poor pool balance chemicals, I've only ever replaced 1 skirt and a few tubes over the years. Both our pools were pebble crete which are fairly hard on skirts, but around 6 years was the only skirt I replaced, whilst 5 tubes were also replaced during that period. Certainly there may be better units around however for my money the Pacer is a good unit with few worries when set up. Regards Paul.

Thank you Eddo.

Sorry Jim, Surprised you have too much suction. I'd re position the Ad valve to the higher setting to make sure it'll increase suction in that direction. If that happens I guess I'd be then recheck that the valve is correctly fitted and re adjust it back to 1. Note, It must have some water sucking at the Ad valve top, otherwise it will have too much suction at the base. Further than that Jim I'd contact Baracuda or the supplier for the problem. Hope this is useful, Regards, Paul.

The skirts wear thin over time and once they lose their strength they will tuck under and get sucked in. You need to replace the skirt, i find generic skirts actually last longer than the genuine Zodiac items, as well as costing a lot less.

Thanks for the info, I will look into a new one. This is our first summer in our new house with a pool, so we are trying to figure all of it out.

Hi, Please call us anytime should you need advice. We are happy to run through the everyday dealings of running a pool. Our number is 1300 763 021. Here is a link to our Dealers - external link  - Thanks.

Hi Sarel. I'm hoping you still have the assembly and instruction manual on hand! It's important to re-check a few things, Firstly, make sure your skimmer box is cleaned out, and your filter has been back washed or cleaned. Now recheck the plate fitments to the skimmer box. If these are not snug water will be sucked into there instead of through the cleaner head. Recheck the plate is fitted the correct way, as per diagrams in the instructions. The weir valve should be well below the water line,( if it's not it will suck air) and set on the middle position to start with, (it comes set that way). Re check that all the hoses are fully turned to their lock positions and the foot is connected correctly. If the unit does not work after this, I would suggest you remove the foot from the hose, place your hand over the hose whilst the unit is still working. It should almost suck your hand hard onto the hose. This proves you have enough suction. If not, then re adjust the weir valve to the upper groove and recheck suction. If all this is good and it still does not work I suggest you remove the diaphragm from the foot as per instruction book and refit it, making sure it is correctly fitted to the head.

It is important to have no air being sucked into the unit, (bubbles from your pool outlets will be seen), and also no pool water is being sucked into anywhere else except the head unit. This is hard to check unless you get to feel around all hose connections and head fittings for any suctions on your hand. You could do this also with a light piece of cloth as it will be sucked to any leakage point.

Hope this helps. If all else fails then contact your supplier or Zodiac, however most problems will be solved by performing the above steps, Regards, Paul.

Many thanks for the reply. I eventually dissembled the whole thing and found that the inner pipe was not connected to the diaphragm. After reassembling it properly it started working as required. Maybe Quality Control should be addressed. Kind regards, Sarel

Hi Aapkak, Can I confirm your location? You have mentioned you purchased this in South Africa. The Website address for the customer service is - external link  If you require help in Australia - can you please email apac.aftersales@zodiac.com with details of your pool (including pump) and any photos that might help us to help you. Thanks!

Hi Aapkak, Make sure you've assembled the Pacer as per included instructions. If you no longer have them, download the Pacer owners manual and recheck assembly. After that try moving the Weir Valve setting to either the centre or Hi setting, (opposite end to where originally fitted) Please note! There's a little red flap on the Weir Valve. If that has been activated, it will open the valve thus bypassing all water from the head and it will not suck. Also make sure you've assembled the cover plate correctly in the skimmer box, as this also will not allow the unit to pick up full water, sucking air as well. Hope this helps. Let me know how this goes, Regards, Paul.

Hi Paul

Thanks for the tips. I've done all of that though......

Hi Stephen, I'd suggest you pull the head apart and firstly check that there's no debris in there. At the same time check that the white mouthpiece has not gone soft, hard or split as all these can cause a problem. I'd also check each hose section making sure there's no fractures causing it to suck air or water before the head, as this will slow the unit down. If you raise each section slowly above the water while the unit is running you'll hear a hiss of air being sucked in, if there's a leak in the hose. Adjustment of the weir valve at the skimmer box can be done, however if it's been good up til now, something has caused a problem and it'll only continue or get worse, so try to find the problem and all will be good. Regards, Paul.

Hi Stephen, have you checked to see if there is any debris which is lodged inside the cleaner? While checking for lodged debris, also check to see that the diaphragm is intact. A large piece of debris may have caused a split in the diaphragm. If the diaphragm is in tact and there is no stuck debris, please contact our After Sales team on 1300 763 021 or email apac.aftersales@zodiac.com for further trouble shooting tips.