I just opened my new pool a month ago. I have a DE filter and the pressure keeps rising even after I backwash it. The circulation seems fine now but yesterday I backwashed it because there was almost no circulation. The pressure dropped below 10 yesterday but today it’s about 22. Backwashed again but pressure dropped only slightly

Hi, my name is Josh. I have owned my pool for about 5 years now. It is a free form gunite pool. I have been taking care of it myself since the beginning fumbling around I have somehow managed to keep it fairly good looking. I am here to better learn to maintain my pool.

Pentair Sand Dollar high rate sand filter appears to have small leak from bottom drain plug. It's dripp8ng one drop at a time. Just opened 10 days ago and tbh haven't had system leveled out yet re TC and FC. Salt wTer pool w intellichlor IC 60. My sister was too eager and had pool guy open when water temp too cold for acg to work. As soon as I started getting salt level close, we had days of rain, and sane thing is about to happen again in hr. I'm adding pool shock.now.
I'm concerned about drip fr bottom sand filter

New, never had an above ground pool my self. 16' Coleman pool with Intex filter system. Everything new to start with. Wife wanted Salt water so diving in head first for all this stuff. Out in West Texas so very much needed except all the wind. Thanks for having me here

I was hoping someone could help me out with my P825. I start it up and it goes forward just fine but powers off once it hits the wall.....every single time. I will move it and turn it around and it does it 100% of the time. I'm wondering if there is a short in the cord from the control unit to the cleaner, but wasn't sure how to go about taking it apart to check it out. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Hi everyone. Total novice here, albeit a motivated one!
I just moved into a new home which has an IG pool (not salt), having never owned a pool before I’m now learning the ins and outs of pool chemistry.
I read various threads that talk about potential issues with one chemical/balance due to another one being off, so I assumed there’s a priority to which reading you need to balance first in order to then address the others.
My question is, if multiple readings are off, in which order should I begin to adjust the main 7?

This is a general question as I don’t know what my test results are yet, I just ordered the recommended test kit yesterday. But if faced with everything out of wack, I’d like to know where to start

Thanks from the newbie!

I purchased a T-cell-9 from Amazon 18 months ago. Directly from Amazon as seller and shipper, not from a 3rd party. Paid the full retail price, same as any other place I looked at for pricing. 18 months later, the T-cell shows it has failed. I have tried cleaning with no success. I put in another older cell I had kept and it works fine. So pretty sure it is the Hayward cell. I had registered the cell with Hayward so contacted them for warranty. Their requirement is that I drive 90 minutes each way to the nearest service center. I am in San Jose, California. So not a tiny town. But only place they allow me to go is north of San Francisco which is over an hour in no traffic. With traffic, 90 minutes each way. They gave me names of closer places, but all required a >$100 fee to come out to test to cell, and even then, I would still have to deal with the drive up to the service center to deliver the bad cell. I escalated with Hayward and they would not budge.

So be aware that while Hayward provides a better warranty than after market T-cell suppliers, their warranty (at least for me) was worthless. I think Hayward T-cells are still better quality than aftermarket, but just be aware of their warranty difficulties.

I anticipate having to replace my Jandy 2HP single speed 8 year old PHPM2.0 pump.
I know they do not make them anymore and VS pumps are now the replacement standard.

I have a 30000gal pool that runs 12 hours a day.

My question: is new Jandy VS 1.85HP enough, or do I need 2.7HP pump? They are about $500-600 diff in price.

So I have been replacing my filters once a year.
After reading though, maybe I can make them last longer?
How often do you replace your filters?
Or can I just take them out, clean them, and get another year out of them if they are in decent shape?

Also, the price keeps going up on Amazon. Last year the ones I got were $180. Two weeks ago they were $200, and now they are $220 as of today. Crazy.

Where is everyone getting their filters?

Hi all have a small issue with the pump priming dry and will be replacing the lid gasket and the drain plugs for the pump basket. My next thought was the replace the gasket on the vari valve could that also be an issue and if the one below the correct replacement thanks

Hey, I'm in the process of installing a Intelliflo3 VSP with the I/O board attachment. I understand that there are 2 relays on the I/O board, 5A and 16A terminals.

I was wondering if it would be possible to connect the Circupool RJ60+ to one set of relays to act as a backup to the flow switch and ensure that the SWG is only on when the pump is on.

In addition, I was also hoping to connect my Hayward H400K btu NG heater to the other relay to be able to turn on/off the heater through the Pentair app? I understand that I won't be able to control the temp, but I wouldn't be interested in changing it. I'll manually set it to the desired temp, but would like the ability to turn on/off the heater remotely?

I read a prior post where someone mentioned that I would have connect the fireman switch to the relay, but I'm not too familiar with that concept.

Has anyone successfully done this before? Thanks in advance!

So I have a cartridge filter setup and currently have some heavy duty algae sludge issues and had been looking at using my old solar pump to make a portable vacuum to waste option... when I noticed this extra pipe with an on off valve that goes out to the drain, got me thinking if the previous owner actually had already had a 3 way installed to vacuum to waste and just never mentioned it. Is that what this is? If so would you just plug the pump power cord into the wall directly to bypass the filter and chlorinator?

Years ago, I upgraded my old Compool CP3800 control panel with the EasyTouch upgrade. I've also had issues with the EasyTouch board being sensitive to voltage spikes during storms, causing me to have to replace the upgrade board a couple of times. Even though I installed a surge protector in the control box as recommended on a couple of other posts in this forum, I sort of got into the habit of turning off the breakers to the pool if I knew we were expecting some of our famous North Central Texas spring storms with lightning. Such was the case this last weekend.

After the storms passed, I flipped the breakers back on to the pool controller. Nothing... This was not the infamous 'No Comm' issue I've experienced in the past, but a seemingly total lack of power to the equipment pad. Both the indoor control and EasyTouch displays were totally dead. I checked the outlet in the switch box at the equipment pad and found that I am getting power there, so it's not a bad breaker or a tripped GFCI outlet anywhere. I have not yet opened the Compool/EasyTouch control panel, but none of the little breakers on the transformer panel have tripped, so I suspect that the control panel transformer itself has gone bad. Is this a safe assumption, or is there something else that I can quickly check?

The weather has warmed up here, so I'm in a bit of a hurry to get things fixed before I wind up with a cement swamp due to no water circulation. Due to circumstances, it will be several days before I can even open things up to take voltage readings, etc.

Is there a lower-cost replacement transformer I could try, or would I have to get the entire module (most of the transformer part numbers I've found are for the full-blown EasyTouch panel, and not the form factor needed for the Compool upgrade enclosure).

It's just really odd that things did not come back online after having simply flipped the breakers back online after the storm...

I have a 4 year old maytronic active 30i and after the first clean of the season I noticed this. It’s on the front handle. I can’t remember it being an issue last year so not sure what it is nor if it matters. I tried googling pictures of it and even a parts breakdown doesn’t seem to help me figure out what it is. It did clean well on first clean of the season so at least I know that.

Any thoughts?

Edit: Currently planning to take this over as an owner contracted build, see post 19. The two threads were combined.

I haven't been able to contract my pool builder for over a week. Website is down, office number disconnected, no answer to emails, no answer to phone calls to general manage/owner nor the project manager.

I know there's a long process ahead for me to get this fixed. My question for the forum for now: Total estimate was ~124k. I've paid ~85k. 20x40 gunite pool with tanning ledge pump out, slide, diving board. Gunite and underground piping done and inspection passed. Trenches still open. Need electrical run, equipment, plaster, tile, deck etc. Comparing my % paid to the % of work completed: How much can I estimate I'm going to lose from all this? I'm hoping the number isn't as big as I'm thinking it'll be to help with the stress of it all.

Thanks

There’s a drain on the left, and the lower center piece has water pumping into the container when the pump is on. I thought it was an overfill drain, but that would be a huge waste of water?

Can anyone tell me what this is?

Hello all, just bought a house with a pool a couple of months ago, and finally got the pbv and plunger replaced on the autofill, so that it works. Upon inspection of my works, I found this- a drip from the top of the plunger. Is this normal, or is it broken? Given that it’s a 17.5k gallon pool, do I even care? Please let me know if/what I should do anything, or just be happy I don’t have to manually fill the pool anymore! Thanks!

Hello! Something that's been gnawing at me for a while: when you're doing water testing and adding drops looking for a color change (solution turning from green to red for example), at which point do you call it? When the solution has first changed and it's a very light shade of the target color? Or one or two more drops till the color is more saturated?

I have a Carving Sherlock 160 filter.

Filters are Pleatco PJ160.

They are 200$ Canadian.

How can I find alternative to these expensive filters.

THe hole in the middle is 6 inch, will any filter with 6 inch diameter do?

Hello everyone. I’m really hoping someone can help here. My power flow matrix 1.5 HP started tripping its GFCI outlet the other day. It was out of commission for a full day, then yesterday I removed the front plastic cover and was able to make it work again without really knowing what I did. It worked for another full day, then this morning it is immediately tripping the outlet again. The impeller turns freely. Not really sure how to go about troubleshooting this. It is the model without a capacitor, based on what I’ve seen online. It seems some people are able to rectify this issue by replacing the impeller shaft seal, which I’m not opposed to doing, but the previous owners of the house made it quite difficult to get the pump off the base because they put PVC pipe in place between the skimmer and pump without a union, so I think I’d have to cut the pipe to get it off. Is there anything I can do to troubleshoot the issue while the pump is still on its base? Or is it maybe possible to decouple the motor from the pump basket while it is still plumbed? Thank you.

Had many pools but this issue has me stumped.
I have gone and bought a whole new filter head for the sand barrel. Yet when I turn it onto filter I am getting waste gate open at a decent amount. I upgraded the pump to 2 HP and I am reusing the cotton ball filters I purchased last spring that worked wonders vs sand and they came clean in the wash. My buddy and I replumed but didn't change any sizes of pipe. I first replaced the gasket then replaced just the head with the handle to the gasket and today I received the entire head unit and it's still doing the same thing bypassing to waste while filtering as well.

I have been using Ahh!Some's products for purges on regular maintenance for a while now and really like it. I recently ran out and accidentally bought the Ahh!some product from Ahhnatural by mistake. I'm guessing it is a knockoff. Trying to decide if I should just throw it away or if I should try it to see how it works. Wanted to see if anyone has used the Ahhnatural product and how it worked compared to the original Ahh!Some. Thanks!

Pump is running 9am-6pm

What setting should I start on ?
Thanks

I'm struggling with a pool base for a vinyl liner pool. The contractor has spread the vermiculite pool-krete, but the surface is uneven, some areas very grainy some smooth. The biggest concern is that the pool-krete goes over plastic side panels in places, and in others has divets between wall and floor. Also the slopes are wavy across the width of the pool. Can you advise based on these pictures whether it is something to address before the liner drop? Is this normal? What is a good way to approach this issue, my 6 week project is on 6 months.

Installed a heat pump last fall. Just got my pool open last weekend water was 44 deg( 2 inchs of snow last weekend). Did my normal start up process a few lbs of cal hypo( I need calcium so this is my additional chlorine go to) and set swg to 20% (turn on heat pump as soon as I could). This year pool temp above 70 on day 2 after opening FC 1 and CC 3 OMG...... Set SWCG to 100% 24 hrs later FC 1 and CC 0 pool @ 78F. Went swimming in April total worth it but start up a bit trickier this year normal temps in the 50's for weeks. I know what to do next but just wanted to WARN people of the risk and dangers of heating your pool. Haha I love it felt like a hot tub slight breeze and air temp of 56F..... Also dont try to install and trim solar cover with 40 MPH wind gusts had to pull 3x 50 lb bags of sand out of the pool.

I got my annual refill from TF Test Kits, and took my first reading today. My FC reading came in at 12.5, which I recognized as out of the ordinary. I retested with last year's reagents, and got 7.5 (as expected). I had not added any chlorine or run my SWG since yesterday.

Repeated with both. Also used last year's 871 reagent with the new year's powder. Same result. I keep my reagents in a dark cabinet, inside, year-round.

Has anyone had a similar experience with the new year's reagents. The 871 reagent bottle looks different, for sure. Maybe it's susceptible to the static buildup?

Edit: just checked pH with R-0014 and got a valid reading of 7.2 (low bc of CYA addition).

I asked about this before, but I was focused on a temporary fix. Now I'm working on a permanent fix to be done after I close the pool (or before I open it in the spring) while the pipes are empty of water. The leak is at one of the elbows coming off of the actuator (the right one in the picture). When a pool guy came out a couple years ago and just glued it, he said if it leaks again, it would be necessary to raise that pipe up. I guess that's because you're not supposed to bury and connectors. I'm looking for suggestions from this group on how to route this to repair it. I have a plumber, not a pool plumber, that will do the work but I'd like to make sure I'm routing it, fixing it, the best, most appropriate way. I'll need to get the parts on site so having a good idea of how this needs to look will help me get the proper parts. For example, I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to get a new connector plate for under the actuator. I can certainly add pictures if there's something in particular you need to see. Thank you.

I am stumped. My spa drains back into the pool overnight down to the level of the jets. I have replaced the inline check valve (Flo Systems see-through valve) and the guts of both Jandy valves (suction and return). I can see the flapper inside the check valve pulsating and hear it making a glug glug glug noise. If I close the inline "spa bypass" valve the noise and glug glug glug stops, as does the pulsation of the flapper.

I initially suspected it was a defective flapper/check valve for the spa bypass since it was 20 years old. It is not spring loaded and I suspect just uses the pressure from the spa water to push the flapper against its seat. Rubber on the old flapper was shot and I thought for sure I had it fixed by simply replacing the ancient check valve. Nope.

I then ordered two new Jandy three way valves (also twenty years old) and replaced the valve guts (left the glue-together housings intact). Still losing water and still have glug glug glug with flapper pulsations. What am I missing here? Pretty simple system.

I read somewhere here that another guy found his salt cell causing oscillation in his check valve because the salt cell had its own check valve? My cell has been dead for years and I no longer have need for it. Should I just cut it out and run a straight piece of pipe?

Hi, my name is Michael, and since joining this site, I have always managed to search thru the various forums until finding the answer I needed. Until today...
I'm currently helping the widow of a dear friend who had a cardiovascular incident about a year ago while opening his pool, in which he subsequently drowned. Consequently, I am not very familiar with exactly how this pool is plumbed.
Their pool is a 20x40 freshwater, vinyl liner, in-ground pool without a heater.
Today, for whatever reason, the skimmer basket was stuck tight, taking me half an hour to free and remove it. Immediately after removing the basket, without realizing it, I knocked into the skimmer a Craftsman screwdriver, the type with a short blade and as well as a short handle. However, the handle is full size in diameter.
It wasn't until I went to put away my tools that I noticed it was missing and where it had to have gone.
None of the equipment skipped a beat in the time between the screwdriver disappearing and when I realized what had happened.
Where would be the most likely spot in the system to look for this screwdriver? And, if water is flowing thru the pump and filter as it should with the darn thing still inside somewhere, what are the risks to the system?
Thank you in advance!

Hey all, just upgraded my Aquarite S3 to the Omni option in order to use automation for its features. I got Hayward LED lights, a Tristar VSP 950 pump and Hayward EasyTemp heat pump.
Everything works fine when I use the main panel outside, but if I want to use the app or the web interface I get completely ignored. The app and web will always show an old setting from yesterday, no matter what settings I change on the main panel:

Filter Pump 80%.
Heat pump current temp 83 deg, target temp 85 deg.
Lights OFF

It doesnt matter if I change the settings on the app or on the website, they will go back to the values above, like its not communicating with the main equipment at all. If I change them on the main panel outside then they will work fine.

I've change my wifi network just to make sure that wasnt it. I can get from 50% to 70% signal strength on any of my networks from the main panel outside. The diagnostics of the wifi network always comes out satisfactory with green checkmarks. I restarted my router a couple of times. I also cut the power completely to everything at the brakers, no luck

Any input would be greatly appreciated!
V