Review of the Hayward Navigator Pool Cleaner

About 6 years ago my wife and I bit the bullet and decided to have an in ground gunite pool built in our back yard. This wasn't so much a luxury as a survival step. We live in a semi-desert area of Southern California where summer temperatures have reached as high as 117 degrees and frequently hover around 110 degrees for days at a time. When the temperatures run that high the kids stay indoors with all the noise and chaos that comes with it. We needed a way to get them out of the house during the hot summer months or we would go crazy. The pool was an perfect solution. The kids were thrilled to be able to cool off in the pool during the hot summer months and my wife and I were able to have some measure of peace and quiet in the house. It was a win-win situation.

Of course, anyone who has owned a pool knows that it requires a certain amount of time and effort to keep it crystal clear and inviting. You have to learn quickly about pool chemistry, algal blooms, ph balance and more. You also have to regularly clean the pool removing leafs, sticks, rocks, dirt and other nasties that find their way into your pool.  Things that can make the pool a nasty mess if not dealt with promptly.

At first I used a manual pool vacuum attachment to my cleaning pole. It did a fine job cleaning debris from the bottom an sides of the pool but it required me to be out there to push it around being sure every inch was covered. What I needed was an automatic or robot pool cleaner than I could set and forget. While I was inside enjoying the air conditioner, the automatic pool cleaner would be fast at work vacuuming the sides and bottom of my pool.

So, after a few days of research and talking with people from a couple of local pool supply stores I settled on the Hayward Navigator. The Navigator has been around for a number of years but still is one of the most popular automatic pool cleaners on the market. In the years since its release a number of other pool cleaners have been introduced that may clean more quickly or are more energy efficient or even look better. Yet, people continue to buy the Navigator.

The Hayward Navigator is an automatic pool cleaner meaning it operates without human intervention. The Navigator features an exclusive SmartDrive programmed steering pattern that ensures my entire pool is cleaned quickly and completely, including the walls, all automatically. A unique turbine and gear system provides constant and balanced water flow assuring quiet, efficient operation and gentle movement across the pool bottom. The Navigator literally walks across the bottom of the pool whereas as other cleaners moved more erratically.

Many other cleaners move randomly and rely on the shape of the pool and tension from the hose to navigate the pool bottom and can leave areas unvacuumed.  The Navigators' SmartDrive ensures it covers the entire pool bottom methodically. Even in the tightest corners we found the Navigator was able to turn itself around and resume moving. It may take a couple of minutes but it never seems to fail to extricate itself. We typically leave ours in the pool and when the pool timer turns on the pump, the Navigator goes to work cleaning our pool. When the timer shuts down the pump, the Navigator goes to sleep.

So, why is the Hayward Navigator still so popular? Simply put, it is a workhorse. It gets the job done and it does it day after day, year after year. We have had our Hayward Navigator for over 6 years now and it is still doing an excellent job. Sure, we have had to replace the feet (also called shoes) and wing pieces a couple of times as a result of normal wear but the casing and drive system are still completely orignal. The rubber feet and fins can be replaced without tools and in a matter of a couple of minutes.  They are available as a kit at local pool supply stores or online at Amazon for around $10. Should it become necessary, the entire drive assembly can also be purchased and replaced separately. Replacing the internal mechanism of the Navigator can also be a do-it-yourself job, if you are mechanically inclined. If not, this may be a task better left to your pool supply guy.

We have found that the Hayward Navigator can be jammed by larger pieces of debris like large leaves, twigs or rocks it encounters in the pool. Normally, this kind of large debris should be removed manually with a skim net before your pool cleaner runs. However, when it does become jammed the debris can be easily removed through the suction hole on the bottom of the Navigator. Occassionally, we must remove an access panel on the bottom to gain access to the turbine to clear it of debris. This process typically takes less than 5 minutes and requires a philips head screw driver and the removal of one screw.

After more than 6 years of use, our Hayward Navigator doesn't look like new anymore but it still gets the job done day in and day out. The swimming season in our area is longer than most so out Hayward Navigator gets more of a work out than most. We have been impressed with the ruggedness,durability and effectiveness of this fine pool cleaner. When it finally gives up the ghost, we will certainly be looking to replace it with another Hayward Navigator.