Zodiac Baracuda G3

The Baracuda G3 is Zodiac's suction cleaner for in-ground pools, and its whole design is one moving part: a diaphragm, with no gears, wheels or flappers. It runs off the pool's own filter pump through a skimmer or a dedicated 1½-inch vacuum line, on 39 feet of hose, and Zodiac rates it for tile, vinyl, gunite and fiberglass and for small and medium debris.

For a tracked Zodiac suction cleaner with a turbine engine instead, see the MX8 and MX8 Elite.

Zodiac sells it in two versions, and the difference is the warranty.

G3 or G3 PRO

The G3 is W03000, and it is the version you will find online. The G3 PRO is W03000TR, which Zodiac's product page says is available only at a local pool store and cannot be bought online.

Fluidra's parts diagram covers both on one page, and Zodiac links the same owner's manual and quick start guide for each. What separates them is in the box and in the terms: the G3 PRO comes with a second diaphragm, and Zodiac gives it one year of warranty, where its limited warranty names the G3 as an exception at ninety days.

Before you connect it

Zodiac's preparation is short, and two steps are easy to skip.

1. Vacuum by hand first if there is a lot of debris, and clean the filter and the pump basket.
2. Close the main drain line.
3. Aim the returns down, to break up surface circulation. A return fitting that cannot be adjusted has to be replaced with a return line diverter, W24100.

To assemble the cleaner, stretch the finned disc over the foot pad, fins pointing up, so it sits in the groove and turns freely. Then slide the wheel deflector over the extension pipe, clips up, until it snaps into place. It should turn freely too.

Hose length and the weight

The manual sizes the hose by where the suction point is:

• Skimmer or suction line in a corner or at the end of the pool: enough hose to reach the farthest point, plus one section.
• Suction point in the middle of a side: enough to reach the farthest point, plus two sections.

Put the hose weight in the middle of the first section, about 20 inches back from the end. When it is right, the hose makes roughly a 45-degree angle between the cleaner and the floor. In pools 8½ feet or deeper, the manual says a second weight, W83247, may be needed, 5 to 8 feet from the cleaner.

Getting the flow right

The G3 is set by measurement, not by feel.

1. With the pump running, fill the hose with water by holding its end in front of a return until it is flooded. Turn the pump off.
2. Connect the hose. On a dedicated suction line, it goes into the 45-degree elbow, the elbow into the safety vacuum fitting, angled up toward the surface. On a skimmer, fit the valve cuff and FlowKeeper valve with the arrow pointing down, and put the hose protector net on the section that enters the skimmer. If the pool has more than one skimmer, use the one closest to the pump.
3. Fit the flow gauge to the submerged hose and turn the pump on. The red indicator should sit at 3.

To set it, work with what the pool has:

• One skimmer: the FlowKeeper regulates the flow, and the manual says it must always be used in that installation.
• More than one skimmer: leave the cleaner's skimmer open and slowly close the other until the gauge reads 3.
• Dedicated suction line: leave the vacuum line open and slowly close the skimmer line.

If the gauge reads 0 to 2, clean the filter and baskets and check the suction valves. If it reads 4 to 6, check the valves, turn the FlowKeeper to a lower setting, and if it is still high, open the main drain slightly.

Then turn the pump off, take the gauge off under water, and submerge the cleaner until bubbles stop coming from the extension pipe. Connect the hose, let the cleaner sink, and turn the pump on.

When it is not cleaning properly

The G3 cleans at random, and Zodiac says its coverage depends on the pool's shape and the flow available. Most problems come back to the flow gauge, the hose weight and the hose itself.

• Does not move, or moves slowly. Confirm the main drain is closed, check the flow, backwash the filter and empty the pump basket, then look at the diaphragm. In water at 60°F or below, the manual says flow may need raising, because the hose and diaphragm stiffen. A falling water level in the pump basket, or bubbles in the basket or at the returns, means air in the system: check the hose connections, the fittings at the pump and the pump lid O-ring.
• Stops and starts. The diaphragm, for blockage or damage.
• Will not climb walls. More flow, and check the hose weight. The manual notes climbing may be limited in some vinyl pools and pools with safety ledges.
• Stays on the walls or the edge. Less flow, and move the hose weight slightly away from the cleaner.
• Patterns, or misses areas. Check the flow, aim the returns down, straighten the hose, check the weight and the hose length.
• Never reaches the far end. Add return diverters or aim the returns down, and move the weight slightly away from the cleaner. Deep pools may need the second weight.
• Stuck at steps. Check the flow, shorten the hose if it is too long, and use a return to steer it.
• Stuck under the ladder. Zodiac's fix is a ladder guard, G21.

A return can also steer. Zodiac's method is to aim one toward the opposite wall so it pushes the hose gently, with surface movement visible about 8 feet out from the fitting.

The diaphragm

The quick-release cassette gets you to the only moving part without tools.

1. Unscrew the cassette and pull it out of the cleaner.
2. Loosen the cassette chamber, and pull the inner pipe and diaphragm out of its bottom.
3. Pull the diaphragm off, check it for debris or wear, rinse it, and replace it if needed.

To put it back, make sure the retaining ring is on the diaphragm, push it onto the inner pipe, and pull both through the bottom of the chamber until the diaphragm seats against the lip. Tighten the outer pipe and refit the cassette.

The parts that wear

Two parts touch the pool, and Zodiac's warranty excludes both.

• The foot pad, W70327. Replace it when the channels between the treads are ⅛ inch deep or less. Press down on the locking tab and pull the foot flange toward you and up to remove it.
• The finned disc, W70329. Store it flat whenever it is out of the pool, or it warps.

Routine care

• Never coil the hose. Store the sections disconnected, drained and straight, out of direct sun.
• Disconnect the cleaner before cleaning or backwashing the filter, and let the system run for at least five minutes before reconnecting it.
• Take it out before chemical or shock treatments, and wait at least four hours after super chlorination before putting it back.
• Check the liner first on a vinyl pool. Zodiac says not to install the cleaner on a liner that is brittle or has stones, wrinkles, roots or corroded metal against its underside until it is repaired, and that it is not responsible for liner damage.

Where Zodiac's documents disagree

• Hose length. The manual gives one extra section for a corner or end installation and two for a center one. The quick start guide shows two extra sections, then says to add one more for a corner or end installation. The quick start guide itself points to the manual for complete instructions.
• Where it is covered. The owner's manual says the cleaner is for sale and use in the United States and Mexico only, and is not warranted outside them. Zodiac's current limited warranty covers products bought and used in the fifty states and Canada.
• The warranty length. The manual gives no term at all. The limited warranty and the G3 product page agree on ninety days for the G3, and the G3 PRO page says one year.

Check the model before you buy

• G3, W03000: ninety days.
• G3 PRO, W03000TR, from a pool store: one year, and a spare diaphragm.

Neither warranty covers the foot pad or the finned disc, and neither includes labor. The Zodiac brand page sets out the rest of the warranty terms.