Zodiac 5820 White Unibridge Main Drain Cover Replacement

I read as many great reviews as I did horrible reviews before buying this product, but I took a gamble. What's missing from most reviews is what it is being used with: In my case, it is used in a salt-water, vinyl liner in-ground pool, with two Hayward 8-Inch main drain covers (part #WGX1048E) at 6.5 feet depth, running a Dolphin 4 automatic pool cleaner. We rarely use shock/chlorine additives, using only twice in past 4 years (in case it affects longevity) and so far no shock used this year.First, the unit is more substantial than I imaged. Its big. In fact, I went between 4 and 5 stars because honestly, its a bit obnoxious looking when installed. But, ultimately it worked as advertised. I tried as best I could to get the cleaner stuck by using the pole net to turn the cleaner to run over the cover from every direction over a dozen times with the pool pump off - to be sure the suction wasn't helping hold the cover in place. I turned the pump on and repeated the process. It did not move, twist or tear, nor did the cleaner ever miss a beat. I then let the cleaner run its normal cycle and while it got stuck on the other drain a few times, the cover side worked perfect. The cover was installed on 05/15/2017 & I will try to make an update on longevity/durability at the end of the season and adjust accordingly.Meanwhile, I have ordered a second unit and have confidence this solves my 'stuck cleaner' issue.6/03/2017 Update: second unit installed, multiple cleaning cycles, not stuck one time or cover pushed off main drain. Still staying with 5 stars!10/22/2017 End of season Update. For the entire season, only one time did one of the covers slide off - and that was after a large high school pool party and I was cleaning the next day. I don't know if the cleaner pushed it off or it was slightly off after the party and cleaner did the rest, but regardless, overall for the season VERY happy, saved lots of "stuck time:". Attached a pic of the covers at end of season and they still look like new. For my situation, equipment, and pool water type (salt) -- this product works as advertised.

The Unibridge is very well made, easy to assemble and very sturdy. The problem is my Hayward Navigator Pro pool cleaner somehow got stuck on the edge while trying to climb over it. I watched as it walked around the perimeter of the cover and then realized it was actually spinning the cover around my original drain plate as if it was riding a skateboard or a scooter. I shot a short video and will try to upload. This device should work well with pool vacs that have wheels, but the walkers not so much.

The media could not be loaded.  I used to get really irritated every time my pool cleaner would try to traverse one of the pool drain covers and get hung up - sometimes for 5 minutes before it would free itself (without my help). The two Zodiac drain cover "covers" really did the job! In this attached video, I was able to capture an instance when the cleaner would have hit the drain dead-on and high centered itself where the rotating drive wheels were up off the pool bottom and almost impossible to free itself. As you can see - no problems now. Although a bit pricey, the product works as advertised. Easy to assemble and install - an added bonus.

Our pool cleaner continued to get stuck on top of this thing. I cut out the middle (as other reviewers suggested) — nope. Still got stuck and I was stuck with an expensive piece of plastic I can’t use or return.

The newer safety drain covers cause a major problem to automatic pool vacuums walking along the bottom. Mine (a Zodiac MX6) always got hung up on the drain, and stopped cleaning until we manually pulled it off. This new drain cover - which goes over the existing cover - works very well and the vacuum can climb up and over its more gradual slope every time. I don't know why the blue version costs twice as much as the white one. I have the white, and it's worth every penny, even though it still seems expensive for what it is.

The soft rubber pieces degrade quickly and appears you can’t purchase them as replacement parts. Poor quality and way overpriced for what they are - but I need them to keep my robot from getting stuck on raised drains

These stop our automatic pool cleaner from getting stuck on the bottom drains.

Our plastic drain cover was crumbling from exposure to the sun and chlorine. I wanted something to cover it that was a quick fix until we could remove and replace the crumbling cover. I found this on Amazon and positioned it over the old cover. It's big, so it fit over the surface. Only problem was it didn't stay in place because it really needs to be positioned over a bit of a raised drain cover to stay positioned properly and our old drain cover was pretty much flush with the bottom of the pool. I would have to drag the Zodiac over the exposed drain with a pole once a day to keep it over the gaping hole.We've since replaced the old drain cover and, since I paid for it, I put this Zodiac over that. The Zodiac now stays in place and our Navigator glides over it easily, although the robot didn't get hung up on the old one either. So, I am not sure I really need this anymore, but at least it will reduce the sun exposure on our new cheap-plastic drain cover.For what it does, which isn't a whole lot unless your sweeper really gets hung up on the drain cover a lot, I think it is overpriced, hence, the three stars. But it does do what it is intended to do--allow the sweeper to glide over it easily. (Fairly easy to assemble, too.)

I have struggled for years watching my robotic vacuum get hung up the the drain cap, spinning round and round, not cleaning.With this drain ring/collar, my eVac has never been hung up.I can say with confidence I would recommend this product.

My Hayward Navigator pool cleaner no longer gets hung up on my main drain cover that seems to have a very high domed profile . The $65 solution to a problem that I was considering solving with a $1200 robotic cleaner purchase !Thank you Polaris........

did not solve our problem was returned