Opened my pool a few days ago and added chlorine. Today I got around to doing a full test.

FC 14
pH 7.3 (somewhere between 7.2 and 7.5)
TA 50
CH 50
CYA 30
Salt 1800

Clearly I need to add stabilizer. I'll get on that first. I'll probably also get some salt in there. Not sure what to do about the pH. It stayed in the very low 7's all year - never naturally increased. I might add something to bring that up a bit this year. I'll have to read up on that because I believe it impacts alkalinity. First thing's first - to the store for CYA and Salt.

Second issue is a question about salt. My SWG says salt is 2900 and my test says 1800. I try to keep it around 3000 so no doubt I'll put in a bag, maybe two. Question is, does it matter? If the unit thinks it's at 2900, isn't that all that matters? Won't it still keep making chlorine as long as there is actually salt in the water, rather than be 2900 per the unit, or 1800 per my test kit? BTW, my test kit for salt is a 3 or 4 years old. It's always read different from the unit, but would it be worth getting a new test kit, or, basically rely on the unit and put in more salt based on that.

Hi all, after hours and hours of research, I finally found a replacement for my Hayward Colorlogic 12v AC pool lights. I thought I would post my solution here in case anyone is in a similar boat. There weren't many search results for my criteria, so hopefully this will help others find a solution. Please let me know if this is not the right place to post this.

I struggled to find anything suitable for my situation - I did not want to spend the $1,300 per light for a direct replacement since Hayward lights are finicky, and I do not trust Florida Sunseekers because of their lack of UL/ETL rating. Cheap Amazon lights were a definite no-go. Pentair Amerlite appears to be discontinued, Hayward Astrolite out of stock everywhere, and the majority of other listings were 120V or $800+. I already have a 120V -> 12/13/14v AC transformer installed and preferred to stay at 12v AC.

Buried under the Hayward Astrolite parts is the InyoPools Pureline 12v AC fixture:

I don't know why it doesn't show up as a result when searching, but the fixture is UL/ETL rated, a fraction of the price of other fixtures (hopefully only because of demand, not because of poor quality... I'll report back in a year), and is a drop-in replacement for the Hayward Colorlogic.

Now onto the hard part of running the new cord through the conduit... I have fish tape so we'll see how it goes. Open to advice!

Willerd

Thank you to everyone who helped me get off the ground a few weeks ago. Now it's time to fine-tune this relic as much as I can. First and foremost, I have to try and get a handle on that classic hot-tub "smell" that irritates my wife's sensitive olfactory senses (because ultimately, that's who this is for and all about, right?). I'm extremely confident and well versed in TFP techniques regarding pools, and my pools have been spotless and non-irritating to even the most sensitive of swimmers. But this hot tub, which gave off a chlorine/bromine (I found their stash of tablets) odor even before we filled it, is giving me fits. Both in terms of the smell bothering her and my inability to keep ahead of the chlorine use (I followed to the letter the sticky instructions on dichlor to chlorine). I just want us to be able to enjoy the spa without it irritating anyone.

And now I'm seeing information about a possible negative interaction between chlorine and an ozonator, which I believe I have but I have no indication if/when it works because I have no manual left by the previous owner. But I see labels on the internal workings that say ozone, and some online schematics include info about an ozonator (Jacuzzi model Z145). Could this interaction between the two be the cause of excess irritants or my low FC levels? Would disconnecting the ozonator be a good idea?

This past winter’s storms and near-zero freezes damaged the “wall” around my outdoor pool’s spa. Initially I thought that I just needed to re-attach and re/grout the spa tiles using Leslie’s Patch-It, but as I removed tile after tile I noticed that a small amount of the “substrate” beneath some of the tiles is damaged. By substrate, I’m referring to the structure beneath the tiles - which appears to be concrete.
There are several spots where the “concrete” beneath the tiles is cracked, and several 1/2” chunks simply fell out.
I’m not in financial position to pay big $$ for an expert’s repair.
Can I use concrete to fill the damaged areas and cracks, then allow that to cure, and then proceed to use Patch-It to secure the tiles? If so, is there a specific product recommended?
I have no experience with this specific type of repair; however, I did build my own pool equipment pad several years ago, using rock, rebar, etc, which has held up 100% for several years, but this damaged spa wall needs a very smooth surface on which to re-seat tiles.
I’m looking for professional-quality answers: what specific material would be best to repair/replace the damaged area beneath the tiles.
Thanks in advance!
I covered the damaged area with a tarp, so closeup pics are not currently available as it is raining hard today in Texas. Included one pic, but can provide more after things dry up over the next few days.
I appreciate your help!
John in DFW

I don't contribute much (read: at all), but I just wanted to chime in to say thank you to all who contribute to this site!

I have had my pool for just over 4 years now (it's a ~15k gal Blue Haven gunite/pebble plaster/salt water/cartridge filter pool). From the time I filled in up in early April of 2021, it has NEVER been anything but crystal clear--this even with a dog that routinely likes to jump onto the sun ledge. And yes, that includes all 365 each year. When we got our rare snow fall this year, I have a beautiful picture of our crystal-clear pool surrounded by a blanket of white (when I find the pic I'll be sure to come back and post it). That is all a credit to you all!

I recommend this site to all my pool-owning coworkers and friends--and pretty much anytime someone brings up pool maintenance.

To anyone new pool ownership. Read Pool School and follow it! You won't be sorry!

Thanks again!

-Tommy

Hello!

I’m hoping someone can help me figure out what’s going on with my spa. As you can see in the photos, there’s noticeable discoloration and blotchy staining in the spa area of my pool. What’s odd is that the main pool doesn’t have this issue—it’s isolated to the spa only.

I’ve tried scrubbing with a brush and even rubbing a chlorine tablet on some of the spots, but it didn’t really make a difference. That makes me wonder:

• Could this be a plaster issue (like mottling or mineral staining)?
• Could it be due to water chemistry differences between the spa and pool?
• Is there anything I can do to treat or reduce the appearance of these stains?

The plaster is about 6-7 years old, and I try to keep my water chemistry in check. Any thoughts or experiences would be really appreciated!

4 years ago we built a 20,000 gallon In ground Gunite chlorine cartridge pool with a variable speed jandy pump. Over the weekend we drained it (cya was high) and cleaned the filters. I have spent most of today trying to get it going again. I have attempted to prime the pump no less than 20 times. The water level is over halfway up the skimmers. I’ve got the 2 skimmer lines open and the main drain. I have tried getting it to work with the pressure gauge open and with it closed. We did get it going for about an hour and it seemed great (water never quite filled the pump basket, but was close). We had the bubbler and all the fountains going. Then the pressure/flow went back down without warning. Tried to prime it again without luck. At my wits end. Ideas?

Ok I've posted this before - and no one seems to have experienced this but when I pull my Dolphin S200 out of the pool it releases a bunch of dirt. I hate it. My pool is clean today but I put the robot in to pick up the dirt IT RELEASED yesterday. not that that will help. anyway, Last year I texted marina pools and sent her photos and she told me to buy some replacement parts, did that, didn't fix it. I took it too my local pool store, and he had no idea. I finally decide to check the maytronics FAQ and this is what it says. If I have to remove it UPSIDE down, then I'm releasing all the water it's holding onto my deck? How is that reasonable? this makes me want to go back to my Polaris 280 but I've never had good luck with my booster pump and that's a lot. plus the 280 isn't a lot cheaper than the 799 I paid for my S200.

When I remove my Dolphin from the pool, dirty water and debris escapes back to the water​

When you remove your Dolphin from the water, gently pull it towards you using the cable. When it reaches the edge, remove it with the handle, never lift the robot out of the water by the cable.
Tilt the robot while placing it on the edge of the pool, and let the water drain out. If debris is still falling back into the water, try removing the robot from the water upside down.

We closed our 18’ above ground pool for winter but it failed and the pool had so much nasty stuff in it we decided to drain and start over. We have now cleaned it and it is ready to fill. However, we are going to be gone on vacation for 7 weeks. I had originally thought we would fill and just leave the pump rink g 24/7 while we are gone, but I don’t have anyone to come check the chemicals and I am concerned it will get an algae bloom once the chemicals get out of balance. I thought about adding the winterizer and putting the winter cover back on and not turning on the pump. But we will want to use the pool soon after we return…. I read on this forum that is is t good to leave the pool empty. So I would appreciate your ideas on the best course of action at this point.

We are in Seattle so the weather over the next 8 weeks is a Crud shoot- we could get a heat wave or it could be cold and rainy the whole time.

Your suggestions are greatly appreciated!

Unfortunately I have been a pool.owner for over 40 years, but time crept up on me now have Pool Company. My pool now is a Anthony/ Sylvan in ground 23 year old granite pool. Unfortunately my pool people don't know much about a Compool #Cp3400. They suggested replace panel. Likel a good homeowner went right to Ebay. To my surprise found one at about $350.00 and brought it. My luck they had two different ones, a cp3400 and a cp3600. You guess it, ordered the cp3600 by mistake. Big question is are they still interchangeable . Only difference I notice it has two more control bottoms. Can I still used my cp3600.
Thanks Roy

We started setting up the pool today. I’ve decided I want to convert to salt. We haven’t added anything to the water yet. The pool is 2/3 full. Do I start be adding 3 bags of water softener salt to the pool and running the pump for 24 hours? How soon do I need the SWG? What else do I need to add? Stabilizer…

Moving down in Jan, and wondering what a BASIC 16x32 IG pool will run me. No bells and whistles, just a basic one. I know I can get estimates once down there, but just want to get a ballpark figure, since we will be looking at homes without one.

I have a good motor from 2018, that has a bad control unit. I have a good control unit from 2023 with a bad motor. They are both superflo pumps that look identical, but the 2023 head unit plug connecter is different then the 2018 motor plug. Does anybody know if the orientation is the same? I can probably change the plug connecter, but I dont want to burn anything out if the orientation is different. Oh and of coarse the wire colors are different.

My hubby opened the multiport head to empty our sand as we had sand going into the pool last year and he wanted to check the laterals. The head is a Pentair 261186. When he removed the head the cage like portion on the bottom remained inside the filter. Is this basket/cage supposed to be a separate or did.it break off?

Has anyone tried the Thermax Solar Pool Heating Panels? They're also under the name OKU Solar Pool Panels. Made in Germany but I can't seem to find a US dealer for these. Honestly, they appear to be the most durable panels out there. I've seen videos of people hitting them with a hammer, run over by a car...so I'm intrigued. I'd love to hear from someone who already has them about what they like or don't like about them and if they're aware of a US distributor. The only one I can find is in Canada. I'll leave the link so you can see what they look like. Looking forward to reading the replies!

Unglazed Solar Pool Panels | Northern Lights Solar Solutions

jvanevery said:

I got it and recommend it. Does a real good job. Easy cleaning with no tools required. Element does seem to get dirty a little faster but I have had construction going on the entire time so it’s expected. Bought another element and just keep rotating them out. If paired with a pipeline pump manufacturer will extend warranty to 3 years.

Click to expand...

I got my AquaStar 35000 installed but my filter gets decompressed ( little leak from the bottom of the lid) when the pump turns off.
I checked the lid tightness, I checked O-ring and still same things. It’s only 4-5 drop but still bothers me.

Any ideas what I can do?

First post. I have the Taylor TF-100 test kit. For some reason, I get pretty different test results. See table below:


I am taking water samples from the same spot each time. I am using the Chlorine only test tube. I rinse it out with tap water and dry it with a paper towel after every test.

I'm new to testing the water myself so is this fairly normal? Is it within the expected MoE?

My pool is in the floodplain. This past February we got hit with a 100-yr storm event and my pool had 7.5' of water over top of it. We had our safety cover on so we didn't get a lot of flood mud in the pool but there is a fine layer of silt. And a ton of algae and frogs and tadpoles. I've had it uncovered for weeks because the safety cover was ripped.

Now, I'm getting ready to open it up soon as I get my CORE-55 chlorinator to stop leaking at the joints. My first question is do any of you use something other than teflon tape around the threaded joints to prevent leakage? I've replaced the rubber O-rings and it still leaks and I used Magic Lube II on them as well.

My second question is the big one. My plan is to scrub the walls, vacuum the floor to waste while refilling with water to keep it full, then SLAMing it. Do you think this will work with the algae and amphibians or should I bite the bullet and drain it and refill it?

Advice is much appreciated.

My concrete deck is in really good shape but the original paint is dull and somewhat stained. It could use a new coat of white paint. There are a lot of options but each one has problems. Is there a paint used often by the professionals that will last another 15 years?

Thanks,

Ali

Hi All - I'm looking to upgrade the motor on a 2Hp Hayward MaxFlo XL pump to a variable speed pump and after thoroughly confusing myself I'm hoping to get a little confirmation before I pull the trigger on a new motor - manual here https://ca.hayward.com/media/akeneo_connector/asset_files/I/S/IS2300_RevE_d94c.pdf.

I'm looking at getting the following two pieces to do the upgrade
- This 2.25 HP VSP from Nidec NIDEC NEPTUNE VAR SLEED MOTOR 2.25 HP NPTQ225
- This GO kit Aladdin GO-KIT1V for Hayward Max Flo Pump Series 1800-2800

My questions are, is this all I need to do the replacement? I understand the pump needs a '48Y' flange, is this motor correct? Anything else I need to know or should get in advance?

Thanks for all advice, eager to give this a shot but I'm really a complete newbie to this type of thing.

Have customer with 5 year old plaster (new pool). Has some extensive copper staining (using some “blue” chlorine product).

Plaster feels smooth to the touch.

See pics. This forum has me paranoid about acid washes now.

Does anyone have any recommendations on a joint sealer for around my concrete and steps into the pool? I have attached a pic of the joint I would like to caulk. Or maybe comments on whether I should or shouldn’t seal this joint, thx

PFA the pics of my salt water pool's wearing out pool coping and deck. I'm in central Texas. I guess, extreme summer heat and winter freeze combined with salt water (?) causing these structures to wear out, turn black, endure cracks. Looking for suggestions to repair the cracks and chips first and how to maintain them better going forward. Please enlighten!

So a couple days ago (luckily JUST after it had finished a final cleaning before I closed the pool, sometimes you do get lucky) my Dolphin just stopped working. It was going along happily in a cleaning cycle, came back and it wasn't moving. Not unusual, at the end of the cycle the light stays blue a while but it's stopped because it's done. It seemed short though, so I turned it off, waiting 30 seconds, turned it back on. Nothing. I waited a few minutes, turned it back on, nothing. Waited until the next day, took it out of the pool, set it on its side, heard no noises at all, no movement.

The troubleshooting guide (http://images.inyopools.com/cloud/documents/dolphin-troubleshooting-guide.pdf) from Maytronics is of course woefully inadequate since they don't want you doing DIY repairs I guess. However, the dealers aren't exactly local to me (maybe 30 minutes?) and it's well out of warranty anyway so I'd probably want to do my own work as much as possible (it's just a little over 3 years old).

The guide just says "it might be the power cable, take it to a dealer and they'll test it". I'm an electrical engineer and pretty handy, has anyone tried testing the cable themselves? Are there any other steps I can take first before I drive it somewhere?

A new cable is $180! Pretty expensive for small gauge wire, but I guess it's 60' long and pretty fancy stuff, so $3/ft doesn't seem ridiculous.

My Hayward Variable speed pump has always had a minor leak at the 2"MPT outlet fitting. No matter what sealant I use, Teflon tape, T-2 Rector Seal, Blue Monster PVC/ABS thread sealant or any combination of them. I also replaced the 2" MPT fitting and it still leaks. Leaks at the same spot at the pump housing also no matter how loose or tight I crank the fitting. I've done 100's if not a 1000 different pipe thread joints at work over the years for heat exchangers running 150psi of hot glycol or Galden fluid and DI water. Never have I had a stubborn leak like this before. It has to be a deflective housing. So when I look up the parts diagram for the pump on a site like INyoPools and others, they show me the housing is SPX1600AA. But the description says that is a 1.5" inlet/outlet. Anyone know the correct part number for a 2" I/O housing for my pump? Not that I want to drop $300+ to fix this leak but I see no other way. I trust my plumbing connections.

Thanks in advance for anyone’s opinion on this. I have read some other threads on this topic, but I have added some additional info on my particular issue. Over the last month and only after a light overnight rain, the equipment breaker (newly installed 1 year ago) has tripped on 3 occasions when the Intermatic analog timer clicks the pool pump switch on the following morning. It has rained an additional 2-3 times without this happening, and the breaker has only tripped these three times each time after overnight rain. Each time I have closely examined breaker panel, timer box, wires, connections, motor power conduit, capacitor seal and connections - and no evidence water intrusion. Impeller axles moves freely. A pool electrician also found no evidence of water intrusion in those locations. Each time the breaker was reset with pump timer switch off and power to pool and Polaris timers run ok. But, when pump switch turned ON by either timer or manually, breaker trips after momentary about 1 -2 seconds of apparently normal running of pump. After waiting as little as 30 minutes, breaker reset, and timer or manual pump switch turn on now works and continues running normally. Total times Siemens breaker tripped - including times with me testing/retesting - about 7-8 times. Motor is Century Centurion B2854 with a run capacitor dated 2018. 30uFcapacitor tested at 29uFd with multimeter. The pool electrician wonders if it is the pool pump. The pool repair person wonders if it’s the (new 1 year ago) breaker. Any thoughts appreciated.

When we bought our house the pool already had a Hayward Aquarite SWG installed in it. We have had some bumps along the way with it, had to replace a control board once (~$400) and about 5 years ago had to replace the salt cell (not sure how old the cell was so it might have just been at the end of it's life). Then toward the end of the season last year I was getting some very wonky readings, low salt, then high salt, then normal, etc with no changes. Checked the cell it looked good, then when putting things away for the winter I found the plug for the cell where it plugs into the controller all burnt up. So it is looking like we are going to have to replace the whole system. Looking for recommendations, should I stay with Hayward, is there something better to consider out there? This is an in-ground 18x24 with deep end pool (Estimate 24k gallon) located in southern Michigan.

I have noticed over the past few weeks white crystals growing on the chrome surfaces of my lights. When you brush them off you can see pitting of the surface. Any ideas what would be causing this? The only other metal surfaces in my pool are the stainless screws that hold down the drain cover and the stainless water bond in my skimmer. Neither of those have crystal growth. I don't see it on the white fiberglass, but it would be hard to see.

My water is decently balanced and has been for a while. 50 CYA, FC 5.0 / CC 0.5, pH 7.4, TA 90 (but was 110-130 for the past couple of months), CH 320. I haven't had any major upsets. I have been using a combination of trichlor tablets and liquid chlorine mainly to ensure I don't lost track of the chlorine as I am learning. I plan to move to only liquid chlorine within a couple of weeks. I use dry acid to lower pH as our fill water is close to 8.0. This a brand new fiberglass pool that was first filled around mid-February with municipal water. I do have some iron staining on the whole surface of the pool that I need to address. I believe it is from soil getting into the water during landscaping work. We have a decent amount of iron in our soil. I have not tested for metals but I did the VitC test and it got rid of the stain. I'm trying to think of any other clues you may need.

Thanks for your help.

I'm in need of yet another skimmer basket. My last two have gotten stuck and were destroyed when removing them. We have a few very large magnolia trees around us and on a windy day our basket can get full which causes a major suction issue and pulls the basket down and it gets stuck. When I'm talking stuck, I mean majorly stuck. It usually takes half an hour to get it out. Yesterday when destroying another basket I notice a lip around one portion of the skimmer housing itself, about 4-5 inches below the water line, which I'm hoping to find a basket with a wide enough on top that it'll sit on that lip and not be able to be pulled down when it gets full of leaves.

A quick measure this morning was about 9 inches in diameter but all the baskets I'm finding are 8in or less. Anyone know of larger baskets or where to find them?

The first basket we had was this one and it worked well but it still got stuck and as sturdy as it was, was a huge headache to get unstuck. I'm thinking I need at least 8.5-9in in diameter basket with a lip on it as well. Any recommendations?

I have a large shallow area with 3 channels that go to a huge landing. All are about 4" to 6" in depth. I want to clean it with a 25 micron bag. I can clean larger debris with a net. I've called, asked, but no one seems to have a good solution for under $500, or even $1000. Below are some things I have tried and researched:

1. Call Bottom Feeder. Great vacuum for 4" area. However, they don't make heads that is about 8" wide to clean my 12" and 24" wide channels. It's also about $1500 with the smallest micron bag of 57 or attach a 60 sf filter.
2. Someone suggest to brush and push it to the main pool area and let riptide do the job. Lot of labor to brush and pushing it out one channel sucks in the other channel. A lot of work for little result.
3. Riptide or hammerhead requires at least 12" depth.
4. I used a pondovac or similar. Hoses, electrical cables, tubes, weak suction, and stops every 30 seconds is time consuming and too may parts to setup and carry. The other end drains out into a 25 micron bag.
5. Pool side/skimmer suction hose. Hoses requiring water filled to work, and it would just suck it right into my filter. Don't want that either.
6. Pool Blaster: Portable, but requires 12" depth. No go.
7. I looked and tried the Kokido xtrovac 200. It's tiny and was similar to using a handheld vacuum on a whole primary bedroom floor. They have the kokido 410 which looks promising, but I don't know if it will do 4" shallow area. Also, the smallest micron bag is 250 microns.

If I may ask you to put on your engineering cap, please make suggestions on what is the most efficient, cost effective way get the best and quickest result in cleaning the shallow area. I want something portable with a re-sizeable head to do 18" or 8" wide. I want something powerful like the bottom feeder (I think around 18 gallons/minute) and do small debris that could be heavy like a small pebble) and run off a 12v lifepo4 battery like the riptide. I want something that can connect to standard pool pole. I'll provide the manual labor as long as it provide quick results.

For reference, the tile is 16x16. The length of the steps is almost 40 ft long.