Belt repair blues

by George Hazelton
(Jonesboro, GA USA)

I have a Pool Demon, which according to AquaBot is a relabeled Classic. I have many years experience in back yard auto repair, encompassing many tasks far more complicated than the belt change.

My first effort was successful if tedious, given the close quarters around the motor/pump assembly.

But now...using belts and rollers from your preferred supplier, Aquaquality Pools, the job has become a nightmare. It has been impossible to insert all the bushings for the original brush rollers into the side plate with the belts installed. The belt tension is impossibly tight.

A conversation with Aquabot revealed that Aquaquality had sent me BLUE stepped rollers, the wrong ones. The proper rollers from AquaBot arrived, sure enough they are slightly smaller in diameter. But not enough. With the Aquaquality belts the tension is still too high.

Just now I've ordered the belts from Aquabot. Expensive! I was told that the belts have been unchanged for 15 years, so running changes can be ruled out. If this doesn't work I will be extremely angry.

Has anyone else had a similar problem? How did you resolve it?

ADMIN REPLY: This issue comes up when the belts are accidentally routed over the white tread rollers, the white grooved rollers on the bottom. The blue stepped rollers you received are proper, Aqua Products wants you to buy THEIR merchandise.