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Too cold to swim in the Winter, so every year I turn off my SWG, and add liquid chorine here and there. But when I open the pool in the spring, the cell plates still have white mineral crud stuck to it and needs to be cleaned (water from the hose, soak in dilute acid, etc.). This buildup on...

Have a Minimax 250 that I have kept going for 20 years with repairs along the way. I have fixed this thing so many times it is like an old friend. But the heat exchanger is leaking and I think it is done. Shopping for a new gas heater for 25,000 gal pool. I was thinking Mastertemp due to my...

Minimax 250 NT heater. I know what you are thinking. Get rid of it. But for the most part it still works until recently. Getting a Vacuum Switch error on the digital display and the ignition module. So I replaced the vacuum switch, error persists. I took the fan housing apart. Changed the...

Was having problems with my existing configuration, see the photo below, the first picture, the one with the dog. I had an awful suction leak that was a struggle to identify. Pump kept running dry, especially when vacuum cleaner was operating. I think the leak came from that inlet valve...

Pentair Minimax. From the factor, heater comes with input on the left, output on the right when you are looking at it. . For my plumbing, this is problematic and involves extra plumbing. The product permits switching of the the input/ output and the manual explains the process. But it is as...

Replumbing my system. Any compelling reason(s) to get schedule 40 sweep elbows vs regular?

Plumbing a heater bypass. I use the Jandy valves. The angled check valve will save some plumbing. Any downside?

I am having problems with my current system and would appreciate some help from this resource. Currently I have the configuration below, I have labeled the different components. It is set up such that for an hour a day, the return to the pump switches from the skimmer to a suction pool...

Hi there I have had the old Hayward Pool Vac Ultra for 20 years. I have replaced most of the parts at regular intervals. I have been satisfied with the device for the most part. I use it with the Hayward leaf chamber to keep large leaves out of the filter basket. But recently it stopped...

Have a Pentair VF pump and a Hayward Poolvac Ultra The Pool Vac has worked fine for years with regular maintenance. I have changed all the moving parts several times over the years. I have a Jandy valve and actuator that switches from the skimmer to the Pool Vac at a specified time. At the...

Have Pentair FNS Plus 48 filter for about 20 years. I can honestly say I have got my money’s worth. Note that despite having a backwash valve, I never use it. Rather, I take the thing apart, and hose off the grids, and put it back together, and add new DE. I end up doing this about 3 to 4...

Had a Pentair VF pump for a few years. Six months ago, had to replace the drive assembly (that small computer unit on top of it). Ever since I have had miscellaneous problems. Below I describe one of them. I have the pump run from 9 am to 5 pm. Between noon and 1 pm, the unit has been...

Hi there. Recently replaced the drive assembly on a Pentair VF. I am having a problem that I did not have with the old one. I run the filter mode from 9 am to 5 pm. From 12 noon to 1 pm, I have Feature 3 set to move water at 30 GPM. This allows me to use a pool cleaner with an actuator on a...

Recently had to change the drive assembly on a Pentair VF pump after 6 years. Had some difficulty getting the desired programming. The pump runs for 12 hours at low output to save energy. But in the afternoon I have it programmed to run at 25 gpm from 12:00 to 13:00, in order to use a pool...

Need some help. Have a Pentair Minimax NT 250 heater. I know what you are thinking, and you correct. This is a crummy product and indeed it is. But cheaper than a brand new unit. I have a Pentair VF pump, and run it for about 12 hours a day. Here is the problem. With "energy efficient"...

Have used an Intelliflo VF pump for 8 years, has worked great and paid for itself. Three months ago, had an "Overcurrent Error", so I replaced the drive assembly. Worked fine for about 3 months and then began to get "System Blocked" error a few minutes after the pump input is switched from the...

Pentair VF pump, Model #011012, installed 7 years ago. Been an excellent purchase as power in SoCal is 38 cents a KwH. This pump recently died. Flashing red error light with message "Overcurrent Error". When I reset the error, and press the "start/stop" button, the red flashing light comes...

Anyone have experience replacing cracked Deck O Drain surface cap? Could not find anyone to replace the top for less than $2,500 for about 60 linear feet. I thought this was outrageous, but now I know why. The replacement cap is sold in 10 ft lengths for about $25 bucks. The instructions...

Numerous posts about problems with the Pentair Minimax, prone to malfunction. One of the known issues is that the unit can keep busting ignitors. On my unit, every two months the ignitor element would crack apart and would have to spend another 75 bucks to get a new one. Here is the genesis of...

Hayward Pool Vac Ultra, had for about 6 years. With regular maintenance, I have changed a lot of the parts here and there. Problem: Hose ends up twisting like spaghetti, and the whole pool does not get cleaned. There is nothing wrong with the hose, every segment is straight and I have never...

Often when you add a number of gallons of chlorine (or bleach) the pH test becomes unreliable (the indicator turns red) suggesting a falsely alkaline pH. This week my kid may have put too much chlorine in the water. The chlorine level is testing really high. Okay fine. Now when I test the...

Hi there. Have a diving board made by a popular manufacturer with a metal base. Problem is that the base gets exposed to water and starts rusting. Every year I have to remove it. sand/ strip off the old paint/ primer and start over. Been using the Rust-Oleum Primer and White enamel. But...

My SWG uses a Hayward T-15. Best price for new one I can find online is $430 shipped. Found a company that rebuilds cell called "Salt Solutions". Rebuild cell total is $295. They claim to use only parts made in the USA. My system unfortunately has required a new cell every 3 years with...

Pentair Minimax 250 heater with pump controlled by an external timer. I am trying to figure how to turn off the heater using an external switch to power down the heater 20 mins before the pump shuts off. My problem is that I am looking for a circuit in the heater that could serve this...

Setup: Intermatic Digital Timer (P1353ME) + Pentair VF Pump + Minimax NT Heater Short story: Turning the heater on/off via fireman's switch is not working. Details: The pump is programmed with its own timer to go on and off at programmed times. The Intermatic timer is "synchronized" with...

25,000 gal pool with SWG. During the winter I turn off the SWG and add a few pucks a month to the water via a floating dispenser. I have not added CYA to the pool over the last four years. I add about 1/2 gallon of acid a week to keep proper pH. In the summer, about every 7-10 days I add 3...

Pentair Minimax 250. Last fall, after 5 years, the heater stopped working, broken igniter. Replaced it, heater worked fine for the 2 months i used it. Went to fire it up this spring, wouldn't ignite. Igniter busted again. Note that you can tell if the element is cracked with an ohm-meter...

I know a lot of you may poo-poo this post; most of you probably feel that algae can be kept out of your pool without paying any attention to phosphates. Probably true, but for whatever reason my pool can still get yellow algae even with well maintained free chlorine levels, proper pH and...

Minimax 250 heater, prone to parts failure as many of you know. Long story short: 1) Igniter broke after 6 years of use, replaced last October, failed 6 months later 2) Ordered one from Amazon, carefully opened the package, the element was cracked into 2 pieces, sent back 3) Got a new one on...

For many of you, the Pentair Minimax is a bad dream long since forgotten. Mine won't ignite. The fan goes on, a moment later a "click" is heard but there is no ignition. I smell gas briefly. It repeats this a few times and then times out. I changed the ignitor. Problem seemed resolved as...