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I've resigned myself to not relying on dry-fitting for accurate placement, just laying them connected loosely out for general location. Not only are they hard to get apart, but usually they don't go all the way together anyway until glued. I just measure everything, adding the socket depths...

Good advice. For the cleaning implement, I had trouble finding wood thin, strong, or long enough to really get in there, until I remembered a science project my son had done using basswood. I think the one I ended up with is 1/8" thick x 1/2-1" wide x 24" long, and is great to scrape and push...

My rule is: 1) If I keep it readily visible and in the way, I'll never need it again. Extra brackets from window shades, looking at you (literally, on the workbench)... 2) If it's easy to replace, I'll buy another and when I go to put away the scrap from *that*, realize I already had some...

I've always shaken it -- not minutes of vigorous paint-mixer shaking, but enough to thoroughly mix, like a few seconds of flipping it back and forth. I've never noticed the color change even if I take 5-10-30 seconds to read it. I use a "whitescreen" app on my phone and hold it behind the...

I would try double rinsing before the pH test (fill it full, swish, dump, repeat, then fill it to do the test). That should at least isolate whether it's residue, vs something with the drops themselves. Is there any way the first drop could be off, due to the way the bottle is stored or you...

I just like that it's listed as "submersible"; I don't think that means what whoever wrote or checked that thinks it means! Although, just think of the pipe costs we could all save by mounting the pump right in the deep end :) => Just in case it isn't obvious, don't do this! ETA: Dirk and I...

I too consider a flow switch to be a higher level of protection than pump current sensing -- there are many ways a pump could be running but mininal or no water flowing through the SWCG, from broken pipes to a faulty filter seal to a drain left open lowering the water below the skimmer, etc...

As a rough approximation, 1 gallon of 12.5% liquid chlorine is approximately 1 pound of chlorine if that helps. In the PoolMath app, you can go to "Effects of Adding" and select "SWG" (the web version doesn't seem to have the SWG option, but even the free version of the app should). Plugging...

If you're looking for definitive numbers, you could do a set of 3 experiments after you complete a successful SLAM: 1) OCLT (Overnight Chlorine Loss) -- this will be part of the SLAM completion anyway, to confirm that you have little to no loss without sun. 2) OCGT (Overnight Chlorine Gain)...

I'm pretty sure they all do that. Our inherited 280 was nicknamed "Splash" by the kids soon after we moved in for exactly that. You might be able to reduce it a bit with some of the adjustments, but I doubt you'll be able to eliminate it. The earnest 280 isn't trying to annoy you, it's just...

These weatherproof covers aren't watertight seals -- there is some drainage and air movement, especially from the bottom. I wouldn't expect the inside to be any more humid than tha ambient air. Definitely more chance for corrosion and water infiltration without a cover at all than with.

Everything goes down the sink drain here; I use my hands to filter the stir bar out, and rinse/wash them right away. I worry about a lot of things in life, but I don't personally worry about brief skin contact with tiny amounts of test chemicals (or muriatic acid when adding that) as long as...

First -- what is the CYA level you're maintaining, and what is the allowed range in your area? If allowed, keeping CYA in the 60+ppm range with a SWCG (and keeping the FC at proportionally higher levels) will reduce the FC loss to the sun at least by a lot. Second, I'd be tempted to put in a...

No need to delete; this might be interesting for other things, just not MA. We all had these ideas, trust me, before reading more on this site! As mentioned, no need to dilute in a 5 gallon bucket -- it dilutes just fine in a 13,500 gallon bucket! It's a good idea to pour in front of a return...

You definitely need the neutral for all of the protected equipment to come from the load side of the GFCI, otherwise it will (should) trip as designed, so your second diagram is correct. You can use both backstab holes, but you have some other issues there -- my understanding is that most...

That is another thing to watch for -- HDs and Lowes around here usually have both strengths right next to each other, with the 31.45% $1-$2 more than the 14.5%, so you have to look carefully. But I've been in ones that only had one or the other.

Echoing the suggestion to look around. Here it's in the outdoor garden area. The chlorine is usually with the rest of the pool stuff, with the muriatic acid often away in another corner. That's a good thing for chemical safety, but it's different in every store and sometimes not obvious (like...

SWCGs use a couple hundred watts at most; well within the ratings of virtually all WiFi etc outlets. I use a mix of Kasa and Eco-plug outdoor outlets to drive the SWCG (formerly for a Stenner pump), fountain, Dolphin robot, and landscape lights, and a Kasa switch for the pool light. All the...

I took an empty jug, measured water into it, and marked a 1x2 stick with a sharpie at each quart (that's the granularity I put in, could have been more). Now for each new jug I put the stick next to it and mark the jug. Close enough for pool work.

In my pool, there IS a noticeable difference in pH rise rates (days between reaching 8.0 and adding in my case) correlated with adding more vs less chlorine (i.e. when the cover is on, or the temps are low/sun is less), BUT I didn't notice a difference in that behavior when I installed the SWCG...

Apologies, I missed that this was an Italian version -- in my defense, how could I have guessed from the cryptic username "ItalianPoolGuy" or the "Italy" in the profile? :) In any case, good luck -- the other power supply should work. The distributor is probably confusing "automation mode"...

The S200 is still advertised as having both weekly timer and automation mode (Here, under Tech Specs/Connectivity and Automation), so I would first contact the seller and make sure the right power supply was included. I think they box some of the parts together at shipping -- my Explorer E30...

Agree 100% -- don't dilute (well, dilute into your 20,000 gallon "bucket" :)), and there's no need to measure to the ounce. How many gallons is your pool? Target pH is a pretty wide range, so you can approximate just fine. Like I said, I put quart lines on my MA jugs, but many people just...

Agree with above -- I wear chemist-style safety goggles (well, I don't always, but I intend to), don't use gloves or a respirator, and pour directly from the jug. No gloves -- A splash of MA on your skin isn't a big deal. Rinse it within a short time, but nothing to panic about. And you have...

Also check your CYA level -- it may have dropped over the winter, and that can make a big difference in FC usage during the day. I've seen 1-2ppm loss on a sunny day at 70ppm CYA, vs 4-5 at what turned out to be ~20ppm CYA

The hydrogen bubbles are normal byproduct of the chlorine generation and indicate it is producing -- in fact that's how I confirm at a glance if my SWCG is running. Different flow rates, lighting angles, eyeball position, pump flow rate, etc, can make them significantly more or less noticeable...

What strengh MA are you using? In past years, before and after SWCG I've used about a quart of 31.45% every 7-10 days (about a gallon a month), so if you're using the 14.5% that would be right in the same ballpark. My pH rise was pretty much the same before SWCG (using liquid chlorine) and...

I want to do something similar, and am considering using a keypad deadbolt -- the main issue is that the while the "outside" part is sealed/weatherproof, the "Inside" portion is usually not (it has to be openable for installation, battery removal, etc). That might be solvable by building a...

The "Sofner-Gard II"[sic] "Advanced Cleaning Formula" would make me nervous -- that could be some additive you won't want in your pool. For a one-time $15-$16 total difference I probably wouldn't risk it. Note that a few people have had issues with Morton's salt lately (dirt and rocks that...

Just to emphasize a point -- when you say "without a cover" do you mean at night also, and "with a cover on" it's on all night? In my experience, that's by far the biggest gain from a cover of any sort, especially in our climate. Check the water temp at the end and beginning of the day -- if...