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Due to unintentional negligence (pump running dry) that I didn't previously have to be concerned with when I was living where the pool is--I just had to address a squealing pump for the second time since 2022. The first time, I replaced the motor to save $, but I remembered it being such a pain...

I replaced the motor on my pump and now I'm reinstalling. I successfully connected one of the two leads, but I was having difficulty seating the other lead under the screw that tightens down to hold it in place, so I removed the screw completely to make it easier to position the lead wire under...

Is this mustard algae? A stiff-bristled brush won't get up what is on the step, and my pool brush won't get it up what is on the bottom of the pool. on step on bottom of pool

I know these "pool store potions" are not recommended by TFP, because they are not needed with the BBB method (which has served me well since I joined the first spring in this house), but the previous owner left some. They have been sitting for years, because I am somewhat of a hoarder, and it...

The pool contractor who "partners" with the guy replacing my concrete told me that I needed to raise my sagging skimmer back level with the top of my pool. He said it is putting stress on the plumbing beneath it. Makes sense, but isn't PVC pretty flexible? I actually think it has been like this...

We are having our deck redone. The original concrete had no reinforcement (mesh or rebar) and there was no bonding wire. Should this be a shock, or is this common? To my knowledge, no one has ever experienced any feeling of electrical current anywhere in or near the pool. I am wonding if since...

The SWG clearly isn't the right tool for boosting FC level quickly, and convenience is definitely the biggest benefit of having one, but from my experience, running the SWG for the extra time costs significantly less than adding bleach if the boost doesn't have to be sudden (e.g. for a SLAM)...

Installed SWG and tested water chemistry yesterday for the first time since fall of last year. (Early April is usually my first spring test, when the water temperature is in the mid 50's.) FC level was down to 0, which is not unexpected, and not too alarming as long as chlorine is introduced...

This doesn't seem good. After adding some CYA and borax at the skimmer, I noticed some CYA pellets on the bottom of the pool below the returns. Does this mean there is a hole in the sand? What do i do to repair?

First of all, let me warn everyone reading this that i tend to be an extreme over-analyzer. I'm sure that is the case again here, but I'd like to know what others think about my analysis, nevertheless. My pump is currently running non-stop, because the water was cloudy when I took off the pool...

In years past, I have contemplated numerous methods to heat my pool without an actual heater. i guess I don't really mean heat the pool, but help it maintain maximum temperature, thereby extending swim season. Regardless of semantics, here is what I have done. I created pvc extensions that...

Last night in the middle of the night I heard my pump running, which is a bad thing, considering I drained it about a week ago (can't remember the exact day). I had stopped running it over a month ago, which I did by just switching off the power at the breaker box, but I flipped the breaker back...

1) I recently replaced my pump (just updated signature) and noticed that the clean filter pressure is only 10 PSI as opposed to 12 PSI with the old pump. Does this mean that the flow rate on the new pump is basically only 80% of the flow rate on the old pump? I'll take that trade off, since my...

I am experiencing virtually the exact same problem as described in the initial post of the following thread: http://www.troublefreepool.com/threads/1219-Dumb-question-aacuum-plate. My water level has to be a couple of inches above the midline of the skimmer plate just to prevent the pump from...

Lately, when my pump turns on, the pressure starts out just above 0 and slowly (minutes, not seconds) climbs to normal, which is around 12 PSI. Any ideas what might be causing this?

I have contemplated a number of options of potentially lengthening the swimming season by at least a few weeks on each end, one of which I actually implemented. I made a pool cover out of PVC and 3 mil plastic, but I was only able to use it for one season, as it got torn up during the winter...

I don't cover my pool in the winter, nor do I drain it. This winter, for the first time, the water level has reached the top of the liner. I am assuming that because the level is right at the top of the liner, that it has already overflowed behind the pool wall some. Is this a serious enough...

I'm creating a table (for "fun") using excel to calculate the amount of FC increase for various pump run times and % levels of my SWG. Treating 1 oz chlorine gas "like" 1 oz of water volume, my numbers were close, but not exact to those of the pool calculator. My SWG puts out 32 oz of chlorine...

My pool is currently about 1/4 to 1/3 full after replacing liner. Here are readings on fill water: FC: 1 CC: 0 (which I assumed, but measured anyway; anything else would have been disturbing!) pH: 7.3 TA: 60 CH: 100-200?* Also possibly pertinent is that I have an SWG, but I'm assuming I'll be...

For more information on this pool see How to vacuum to waste correctly . Zea3 I have friend who just took off the cover of her 18x36 swamp. They just purchased the house in December. Of course, pictures of the house when it was on the market showed a pretty blue pool, but I'm suspecting the...

I've been using a homemade "heat retention cover" (popularly known as "solar cover") and it has been doing its job rather well. My pool water hit 88 degrees the other day! The pool does get 12+ hours of sun during summer months, which obviously helps. I have toyed with whether to leave the cover...

Thanks to TFP, I recently fixed an air leak which was causing a failure to prime, but now I have a new quandary, which may or may not have anything to do with my pump, which I assume is very old. Anyway, after vacuuming, as expected, filter pressure rose to the point of low return--smile if you...

I just started up my SWG again a few days ago, and was quite surprised to find my increase in FC only about 1/2 of what it was last summer! Is this thread possibly explaining that this could be because my water temperature is currently only 60oF, as opposed to 80oF when I measured the FC...

My pump has always had a slight suction leak at the pump basket lid, as evidenced by bubbles in the pump basket (until the pump primes), squirts from the basket lid when the pump shuts off, and water loss in the pump basket when the pump is not running. The leak has not been bad enough to...

Tonight is the first night I've had to turn my pump on to avoid freeze damage. It has only been running about 20 minutes every 3-4 days, since I'm only running it when adding bleach at this point. When I turned it on tonight, the water didn't move and I thought I might have waited too long...

First of all, thanks to TFP, I have had a truly TFP all summer long! Background: I've been faithfully measuring FC levels all summer with no problems. A few unexpected readings that may be the result of two successive inaccuracies in opposite directions, but for the most part I've gotten to...

I wondered if 6% bleach equated to 6%=0.06=60,000 PPM of FC in straight bleach. Pool Calculator and a little math seemed to confirm this, so I decided to test to see if my bleach had lost some potency. (I bought 10 cases of 3x182 oz from Sam's Club over a month ago and the cases were sitting in...

I'm getting tired of my sand filter taking several days to clear cloudiness after a pool party. DE seems to be the obvious answer, but I have some questions: 1) How do I know I'm getting the right kind? (Is it sold places other than pool stores?) 2) What is the shelf life? (Buying in bulk can...

I've read numerous posts about which SWG to choose (when I decide I can afford one). I would want something very basic, but my main concern in terms of budget would be how long to expect the cell to last. I read in pool school that cells typically last 3-5 years. Am I totally oversimplifying it...

This may not be deep enough for the deep end, but will the bleach distribute sufficiently enough by diffusion or should the pump be running when adding bleach?