Changing the Polaris 3900 sport (P39) RO538000 Head Float

The Polaris 3900 Sport and its sister cleaner the P39 are both extremely popular Polaris pressure side cleaner models. And for good reason as they work extremely well. The biggest downside to these cleaners is the updated body design. In particular, if you compare it to the Polaris 280 it is more like doing repairs on a 1988 Toyota Corolla vs a 2022 Tesla.




Maybe not that extreme but when it comes to replacing the RO538000 Head Float for the 3900 Sport and P39 you will need to disassemble most of the cleaner. With the Polaris 280, you simply pull it off the back and it takes 10 seconds. Can I get a hip hip hooray for over-engineering? 

The float on the back is an important part that allows the Polaris cleaner to stay balanced in the pool. The 3-wheel design is not the most aerodynamic or more importantly not the most stable design format for a cleaner that is moving on the bottom of a pool. Think of the float as a counterbalance that keeps the cleaner upright on the pool bottom. 

The reason you may need to change the float is that the plastic can get old from being in the pool all year and after several years cracks will form letting water in. I should have noted that the float is hallowed and filled with air. An important engineering point and as the water gets in from the crack or cracks the float will fill up with water. This, of course, makes the float heavy and you will find the Polaris tipped over on its side once enough water gets in. 

Time to change the float:
You find the cleaner at the bottom of the pool on its side.
You find the cleaner tipping over or moving with one wheel off the ground
You find the sweep hose dragging the cleaner on its side across the bottom of the pool
The cleaner won’t stay up on its wheels and constantly falls to one side

Why couldn’t Polaris design the 3900 Sport and P39 to have a float that just simply pulls off? Don’t know. It is a pretty critical part of the cleaner and when it is full of water the cleaner is non-functional. Fortunately, you don’t have to take it into a shop to get it repaired. The video will show you the simple step-by-step disassembly procedure. 

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