I have a Polaris booster pump directly connected to the filter and the return line without any valves, recently i have been noticing water dripping from the underside of the B.pump. could this be the cause of some air pockets seen in the pool pump and/or sluggish performance of the polaris cleaner? thanks GUS

I'm not sure which pump fails after 15 minutes. Is it the main pump or the booster pump? The main pump works fine but when the booster pump is activated, one of them fails. What happens if you leave the main pump on and only activate the booster pump? Will the booster pump run indefinitely as well? They both share the same supply line. What have you checked so far? How old are both pumps?Do you pumps sound normal? Do the pump motors get abnormally hot? Any recent repairs or new symptoms? Is there a shut off valve on the supply line that has been turned/moved? Please write back with more information.

It is a random traveling, in the pool, cleaning unit.
It can either be driven by water flow without a booster pump, or by pressure, which would require an additional booster pump. This will be plumbed so that its intake comes off of the main pumps return line and then a dedicated discharge line to feed the in pool cleaning head.
There are different types designated by a 3 digit model number. x80 = needing a booster pump and x60 - no need of booster pump. These work off of the return lines coming back to pool from main pump. All of the in the pool return fittings will need to be dramatically reduced down except for one (1) where you feed the unit from.

Then there are suction style that plug into a skimmer or dedicated suction port. These will bring debris directly into the pump hair & lint pot basket and the finer stuff into the filter. Where the Pressure style cleaners have their own catch bag.

Another cool thing is they are equipped with a "Back Up Valve" this little doohickey will pick up the unit every 4-6 minutes and get out of any stuck predicament, like steps, ladders, corners, etc. and send it back on its way in a different part of the pool, pretty cool huh?

Good luck

Check this out:

With a new volute the most likely causes for low pump flow is a restricted return line, a restricted suction line(or air leak), or there is something wrong with the impeller in that order. There is a filter screen in the return line that can cause the return line to be restricted if it is plugged. It is either in the wall fitting or in the tubing system close to the wall fitting. If it is dirty it means that debris is getting into the system. Typically an early indication that a grid in a DE filter has a leak in it is a plugged cleaner filter screen. The speed of the motor could be causing the problem but this is rare without causing an over current condition in the motor causing it to shut off. My suggestion is first check the return filter screen. If it is dirty then clean it out. Before connecting the return hose start the pump and check the flow by reaching down and manually putting your hand over the water stream coming out of the wall fitting. Turn off the pump and connect the cleaner hose without the filter screen installed. Disconnect the hose from the cleaner and hold the end of the hose while someone turns on the pump. Water should come out of the hose at a high rate. Next install the filter screen and the flow coming out of the hose should be about the same. Now try connecting it to the cleaner. I hope this helps.

I would first take it out of the water and check for proper wheel RPM. If it is less than 28 RPM or you are getting no movement at all, it is going to be a problem with the power source. It is likely going to be that your booster pump is missing, malfunctioning, or is not installed properly on the pool cleaner. There are a few other things to check. Clean the skimmer, filter and pump basket, clearing any debris that restricts water flow. Check the hoses, connections and swivels for leaks. Try removing the blue restrictor disk from the UWF or if an adjustable gate valve is installed on the booster pump or cleaner line, open it completely so water can flow freely.

If you have an adjustable return valve, make sure that it is completely open. If it is partially closed, your cleaner will not be getting enought water pressure. Also, check to make sure that the blue restrictor plate is not installed in your return line. If it is, remove it and the pool cleaner should get adequate pressure.

Thank you for posting your question here on Fixya.com.

Have you cleaned or replaced the in-line filter found at the wall socket? How about the pressure valve found just after the wall socket...is it fully open, possibly allowing too much water to bypass the cleaner and return to the pool?

How about the main filter? If overall system flow is reduced because of a dirty main filter the booster pump would be 'boosting' lower than normal pressure so the net result at the cleaner is reduced as well. A cartridge filter is especially problematic here. It can look clean after rinsing it but after enough use the element needs to be replaced to restore original system flow.

Are there multiple return paths for water back to the pool that have valves? Can you throttle down a return to, say a spa for example, to force more water to the dedicated line for the cleaner?

If this answer does not fix your problem, please comment with additional details prior to rating the answer. Positive feedback is appreciated once your problem is solved!

John

The motor may be repairable. Check with local electric motor repair shops in your area. The motor may need to be replaced though and if so, we sell it at www.arrowmotor.net