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I discovered a few holes in the liner between the coping and the water line at a 45° corner. Does this look like insect damage or just the liner wearing out from age (the liner was installed in March 2004)? The rest of the liner seems fine and doesn’t feel brittle. I put a patch over the...

We have a toilet that flushes too slowly. A quick search online and some simple diagnostics revealed the siphon jet at the bottom of the bowl and rim jets under the rim are clogged with mineral buildup (the siphon jet at the bottom of the bowl is almost completely blocked!). I’m in the process...

For anyone needing a tarp style pool cover, Inyo Pools currently has a great deal. I just ordered a 30x50 tarp for half of what it cost us in 2015 when I last replaced it. I’m glad to finally see something pool related actually go down in price rather than being double or more!

We just passed the 10th anniversary of the “Day the Earth Smiled” photo project. The photo shows the Earth as seen from the Cassini probe orbiting Saturn. Apparently, the day and time the photo was to be taken was publicly publicized in advance and they asked people to go outside, look up, and...

Here on the coastal mid Atlantic, May has been unusually cold. For the first time since our pool was built in early 2004, we haven’t been able to swim in May. The water temp is struggling to get much above 70 (today it’s 67). Unfortunately, there’s still no break in sight for these much...

The equipment pad is on the north side of the house where it doesn’t get much direct sun. Would building some kind of cover over the pump motor to keep rain off help extend it’s life? Or are pump motors designed to be sufficiently protected from the elements as to not be a concern? If...

Our current pump motor was installed 10 years ago. Last spring at opening the shaft wouldn’t turn when powered on, but I was able to manually free it and it ran ok all season. Today I started preparing for opening and checked the pump motor. This time it is frozen solid. I can’t force the...

This evening I received this interesting email from In The Swim warned warning about non-EPA labeled chlorinating products: “Dear Valued In The Swim Customers, We wanted to make you aware of recent consumer product safety news related to chlorine pool tablets sold on Amazon and other...

Any of you night owls still up to see if Artemis launches?

Where did summer go? I can’t believe it’s already time to prep for closing. ☹️ We have a safety cover anchor that has come loose (can spin it around in the concrete deck/lift it out). I’m thinking of using some kind of epoxy to stabilize it? What would be best to use? I actually discovered...

I’ll likely need to buy more CYA (I may have just enough to get the season started). My go to brand, Puri Tech, ordered from Amazon, is not available. Prices I’m seeing for other brands are at least double or more than I paid last year. Out of curiosity I checked my order history. A 25# bag...

At closing I use these “Duck Plugs” to plug the returns. I accidentally overtightened one of them and the octagonal part sheared off, leaving the threaded section screwed in the return with nothing to grip to unscrew it. Any ideas on how to remove it? Thanks.

So, I need to do an OCLT. I HATE having to get up before sunrise!! Did I mention I HATE having to get up that early!? 😖 If the point is to see if FC drops in the absence of UV light, it got me thinking: would it work to take a pool water sample in a water bottle, place it in a dark place (a...

An aquatic sports center is being built near us. I’m guessing this will be Olympic size? Check out the pipes for the main drains! 😲

I’ve seen threads with owners posting about critters found in their pools. We have a new critter issue this time. Apparently, a pair of birds, Brown Thrashers, decided to raise a family in a bush near the deep end (equipment pad and walkway there as well). We opened the pool this week and...

How do I update my password if I’ve forgotten my current password? Normally, I have it set to stay logged in all the time on my iPad and iPhone. Somehow, I got logged out on my iPhone and cannot get in or reset my password (I‘m still logged in on my iPad) since I don’t remember my password...

I’m starting to get ready for opening next month. This year has thrown me for a loop with back issues. I decided to go with Cal Hypo again for the initial opening SLAM (no issue with the added calcium). Finding fresh liquid chlorine can be a challenge around here and with my back issues I...

I currently have a 1 HP Hayward Superpump (model SP2607X10) with a single speed motor (1hp, SF 1.1). The original motor lasted 9 years (replaced June 2013). Next year will be 9 years on the current motor, so I figured I would learn about replacement options ahead of time so when it comes time...

My salt cell, a T-15 installed May 2015, is showing signs of wearing out. It’s reporting salt at 2800 and the Taylor drop test shows 3800. I inspected the cell and it looks clean, as always. It’s still producing FC and having no trouble keeping up with demand. Any tips for squeezing every...

I found several small ball bearings in the pool (size maybe 2mm or so?). They were a little tarnished, not shiny. My first suspect was my 8 year old Polaris 280 cleaner (wheel bearings?) despite the fact that it’s operating fine. I removed and checked all the wheels, but don’t see any gaps in...

Having recently repaired our single speed pool pump motor (replaced start capacitor), it got me curious about the new efficiency standards coming in July 2021. The reading I’ve done on this has been a little confusing at times, but this is what I’ve figured out so far (please correct me if...

Our pool pump motor was out of commission for a few days (needed new capacitor), so I bought some 10% liquid chlorine to keep FC up until we could fix the motor and restart the SWCG. The motor is up and running now. I still have 3.5 gallons of the chlorine left (date code 20 125). Am I better...

I see so many posts all the time where pool owners are using the “Minimum“ FC number as their target, then don’t understand why they have issues when their FC is “fine”. It makes me wonder if having the “Minimum“ column is more confusing than useful. Has there been any discussion about...

This year, due to the Covid19 situation, I’ll be using cal hypo to SLAM our pool at opening (I normally use bleach). I expect I’ll might also use cal hypo occasionally during this season if FC needs a boost. The added calcium shouldn’t be a problem since I‘ve never add any since switching to...

Our concrete pool deck is in need of cleaning. Shaded areas in particular are really dark (mildew?). Some years ago we cleaned it with a power washer, and while very effective, it left the concrete feeling rougher. Any suggestions for how to clean it in a way that won’t damage the concrete...

I’m looking for salt for our pool and came across these two products; https://www.lowes.com/pd/Diamond-Crystal-40-lb-Salt-Solar-Crystals/50107190 https://www.homedepot.com/p/Diamond-Crystal-Sun-Gems-40-lb-Water-Softener-Salt-100012437/100143001?MERCH=REC-_-rv_cartempty_rr-_-NA-_-100143001-_-N...

In May 2015 I bought a Hayward T-15 cell for $398 (Amazon). I expect this season or next season I may need to buy a new one, so I checked current prices. I was shocked to see the price has increased to $600! I know generics are cheaper, but I prefer not to go that route if possible. I’ve...

This season we seem to be losing more water than usual, about 1/2” per day. I did a bucket test, and after 24hrs the pool water level was was 1/4” lower than the bucket water level. After 38 hrs the difference increased to 1/2”. I know the past few seasons we’ve had a slow leak, about 1.5”...

So a local pool store carried a brand of salt that I really liked, US Salt Superior Crystal, but now they’ve closed up shop. Everyone else in the area carries Aqua Salt, a brand I really dislike (dirty, mystery “stain inhibitors” that no one knows what it is). No one else around here has the...

I’ve noticed every spring at opening ph has dropped from about 7.5 at closing (October) to about 7.0 at opening (May). Any idea why? At opening, I’ll bump up pH back to about 7.5 and it stays there all season; never have to add acid. The pool stays covered all winter; no chems added. It’s...