Search results

I've been benefitting from this forum for years. Because we live in the NE, for all that time, I've been draining down the water level to below the return jets, blowing out the lines, etc. In other words, winterizing by the book. Today, I covered our pool (mesh cover) to avoid the coming...

I have been a Stenner chlorination guy for the last 3 seasons but had gotten lazy about schlepping bottles of bleach, so I took the plunge and installed an RJ60+ this season. The install was a breeze and after adding 800 lbs of salt to our pool (based on the Taylor test kit), I was getting the...

Just a quick note to those who have cartridge filters. I recently bought a set of Pleatco filters for my Pentair C&C 420 and a Blaster 2000. I put the new filters in at opening this year and all was well until we got a massive rainstorm that dropped ~3" of rain in 4 hours in the NE. Sadly, my...

For helping me close my pool for the first time. Of course whether I was truly successful will be known upon opening next season. That said, with your help and watching what the previous owner's pool company charged $1000 to do, I think we are going to be fine. Fact is, that thanks to all of...

Way too early to actually be doing this, but since this will be my first closing, I want to think ahead. I've read through most of the pool closing thread and didn't see a clear answer to this question. My equipment pad is probably 6-8' above the level of the pool, so it would make sense to blow...

Hi all, Thought I would let folks know that I replaced our 500W incandescent bulbs in Pentair housings with this $139 option: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00WE1SKIW/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1 They use 35W vs 500W and are sufficiently bright to illuminate the whole pool at...

Hi All, Perhaps this is a naive question, but I always assumed the benefit of a VS pump was that one could more precisely regulate the flow rates to achieve optimum efficiency. I figured that if my old 1.5 hp SS super pump II consumed 1500 watts to move 40 gal/min that a VS pump would also use...

The pool was opened ~3 weeks ago, and when I took off the cover the water was pretty cloudy and there was lots of debris. I cleaned out the debris, but decided to raise the FC to shock levels to be on the safe side. The FC has been slowly going down, but remains higher than my target range even...

During the course of opening the pool, one of the Pentair lights fell out of its niche. I checked on the other one and it also was essentially unsecured. In pulling out the light, this plastic part fell out of the niche. In the first photo, there is a broken round piece that looks like it...

My prior equipment pad consisted of a single speed pump, a propane heater, and a Sta-Rite System 3 cartridge filter. I wanted to replace the SS pump with a variable speed (got a great price on the Pentair VSXF pump). I am adding a 23kW solar array and wanted to move to an electrical heat pump...

Maybe I've missed something, but the manual that came with my Triton plus was very lame. I've searched and have been unable to find how to use the weekly programming function. Is it the selection of 1/2/3 that one can choose on the power supply base? How does one choose 2.5 or 1 hour cleaning...

We inherited a pool maintained on pucks and as this was my first pool, I found TFP in my quest to understand what was involved in pool care and feeding. Last season (shortly after closing on the new property), I bought the TFT kit and measured CYA levels of >100. Not surprising, from what I...

This is my first pool opening, but this site has given me the courage and just enough knowledge to take this on (or just enough knowledge to be dangerous if one hears my better half :D) Our pool temps are still in the high 40's, but our son was off for Spring break and we decided to pull the...

Hi, I asked this question in my "bulk bleach storage" post, but I remembered that new questions are best asked in a new thread. So, my question is whether if I already have 12.5% in a tank, can one safely add 8.25% as long as one adjusts the dosing for the resulting combined dose? Not...

Just bought a new house with a pool. Previously it had been maintained with trichlor pucks by the prior owners. I inherited a clear pool, but the CYA was >100 (probably close to 200). Being convinced by the common sense approach to pool maintenance I found here, I decided to take matters in my...

Can I use this to connect a Stenner? http://www.amazon.com/Pentair-R172317-Diverter-Replacement-Automatic/dp/B004VTGQTU/ref=pd_sim_86_13?ie=UTF8&dpID=210DccEgqHL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&refRID=0532CWAR8JC8S5PN65XF I would cap the larger outlet and put the Stenner into the 1/2"...

Hi All, A question for the hydrodyamically-inclined: I can get a good deal on this particular pump but it has 3" in and outs and my plumbing is 2". Is there a problem putting 3" to 2" reducers on the suction and return sides? If so, should I put the reducer as close to the pump as possible, or...

Hi All, Forgive me if this question has been covered already. We have a free-form pool and I would like to extend our NE swim season with a solar cover. I figure a rectangular solar sheet could cover roughly 80-90% of the surface. Would I get 80-90% of the insulating value if that is all that...

Is this a stupid idea? As posted elsewhere, I need to drain and replace water in my pool to deal with an elevated CYA problem. This will lower my CH and rather than adding bleach keep algae at bay and adding CaCl2 to add CH, can I just use Cal-hypo until my CH problem is resolved? I didn't do...

Hi All, I'm trying to take control of the pool this season and went out to measure where the chemistries are after a long, warm winter. I could use some help with current chemistries and how to move towards opening. As of today: Temp 54.5 F pH 7.2 FC 3.5 CH 100 TA 60 CYA 90 Borate 0 NaCl 200...

Hi all, I am ready to put in new equipment on our pad that include (all Pentair): C&C 400 sq ft filter, IntellifloXF VS pump, 140K BTU heat pump. I feel able to do the plumbing myself, but I understand that Pentair requires it to be "professionally" installed if they are to honor the 3 year...

Hi all, I wanted to add boric acid to our pool this year and saw that Duda Diesel has two forms. Any preference between the powder and the granular form? I assume the powder would dissolve more readily, but just checking. Thanks! Jay

I use other forums where this feature is available and it would be valuable to allow newbies (like me) to get a better sense of things like "Experience with a SWG. How reliable has it been?" 1. Completely; 2. Occasional problems; 3. Frequent problems. No need to post, just click a button and...

I'm sure there are happy users of each, but was wondering if there were some clear cut differences between the two systems. My naive take is that Omnilogic is newer and buggier, but with great long-term potential. The Pentair ET has been around longer and has fewer current issues, but maybe...

Hi All, I'm planning on switching from a propane heater to a heat pump next season. Before considering brands, I've been chewing on the question of how much heater do I need. I ran across this handy calculator from Raypak. http://roxwebdev01.pixelgate.net/gas_sizing/Raypak.php?appid=1 One...

Hi All, Ran across this calculator and thought it looked interesting. Does it reflect real-life savings? Or is it simply a marketing tool. My inputs were: 40,000 gallons; 1.5 hp SS pump; 24 hrs runtime; $0.23/kWh; 5 month season. https://www.hayward-pool.com/shop/en/pools/EnergyCalculator I...

I know this has been covered, but this question still perplexes me. I'm looking at a variable flow pump for next season and I came across this graph for the Pentair Intelliflow: What can I learn from this graph? Thanks in advance. Jay

Hi All, I introduced myself here: http://www.troublefreepool.com/threads/105333-Happy-newbie-pool-owner-in-Westchester-NY I'm working towards ditching my pool service for next season (just bought the house and will finish out the existing contract in a couple of weeks). I have a couple of...

We recently purchased a home with a pool. The pool has been managed by a service by the previous owners for years. So far, it has been a happy experience for us. The pool has been clear, clean, and immensely enjoyable for the family and friends. I've opted to continue the existing pool...

First of all, what a great forum. Kudos to those who have made this amazing resource available to folks like me. So my situation: we recently purchased a house with a pool (see sig for details) and it's my first one (pool virgin?). The previous owners have been using a pool service for...