CSI pointing to 100+ TA

Hello all, first I want to say thank you for the huge amount of knowledge and help I've received here already.

I'm currently dialing in my 15,000 gallon plaster pool after installing a SWG, draining due to CYA levels over 200 from previous owner, and refilling. My fill water tests as:
pH 8.2
TA 120
CH 125
Salt 600

After adding a bit too much salt, 8lbs of Calcium Chloride, and ratcheting the TA down via MA and aeration, my current levels are:
pH 7.6
FC 6
CC 0
TA 90
CYA 70
CH 250
Salt 4400
Borates 0
Temp 76

I'm still working to get CH up to 500. I live in Phoenix, AZ where we have little rain, high evaporation, and frequent top-ups. Since the fill water already has 125 CH, would you agree that 500 is a good target?

I'm also planning to add Borates to 50ppm tomorrow. In the Why and How thread, it says to "adjust your TA level toward the low end of the appropriate range for your pool type". It then links to a recommended levels chart that doesn't exist any longer. Going by the PoolMath app, this would be in the 50-60 range.

I don't mind doing the MA and aeration dance a few more times to get there, but playing with various levels of each chemical in the CSI page of the PoolMath app make it seem like my TA should be 100+. This is a great deal higher than all the TA recommendations I've seen around here and in the PoolMath app, so I wanted to get a sanity check and see if that's normal or if I'm missing something else before proceeding.

With the levels above, the CSI is calculated at -0.36. Changing the CH to my target of 500 and entering 50 for Borates (leaving TA at 90) raises the CSI to -0.11. If 500 is agreeable for CH, all the chemicals seem to be in good range and the only one I'd prefer to play with is TA. To get my CSI to 0, I need to enter 109 for TA.

TLDR: Does CH 500 and TA 110 sound reasonable?

Pool Renovation

I have an 18x36 gunite pool that need a 'renovation' - it hasn't been opened for many years. I am being told by a pool guy that I should clean and marble dust the pool. Is it common to 're-gunite' the pool first, then marble dust it? Is marble dust done instead of a 're-gunite? How often does a pool need to be 're-gunited'? Any guess as to the cost for 1-'re-gunite' and 2- marble dust? Thanks in advance, guys!

Help identifying a stain

This stain has been present since shortly after the pool was built (a little over a year ago). I’ve never had algae problems. It hasn’t gotten bigger or smaller over time.

I’ve tried to scrub it off but go nowhere. It may be hard to see but it is on the plastic jet as well as the plaster. I did take some very fine wet sandpaper and get it off the plastic jet but it came back.

The picture may not accurately portray the color. The best way to describe it is a rust color.

Any help would be appreciated.

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Results from very first test.

I decided to move away from pool store testings a few weeks ago.

Just popped the first test cherry using the
TF-Pro kit😄
I’ll list some of the info and my initial thoughts here.
Appreciate your input and recommendations. Apologies in advanced for typos or incorrect technical info.
Btw, the pool is Pool is clear right now.

FC =3.5
CYA =50
PH=8.2
TA=100
My thoughts on initial results:
Need to add acid (19 oz) according to pool math. Then aerate
Add 42 ounces of dry stabilizer to reach 75 CYA target.

Questions:
Based on the TFP table I should be at 5-10 Free chlorine at the recommended ~75 CYA.
Meaning I need to increase the salt system chlorine output ?
Do I have this right ?

Where so YOU buy or what product do you use for cya (I used to buy stuff from Pinch a penny.

Any other recommendations based on this info ?
THANJ YOU ALL!!

Problems after pump motor swap

My original pump motor burned up and, being in Florida, the sun faded the label so it was unreadable. I could make out that there was a “2” in the HP field, but I couldn’t tell if there was anything before that number, so it could be 1/2, 1 1/2, or 2. I took the motor to my local Pinch-a-Penny to see if they could identify it and they said it was most likely a 1HP but didn’t specify full-rated vs up-rated. I reached out to Inyo and they recommended choosing a pump that matched the impeller rating. Looking at the part number on the impeller it was rated for a ½ to 3/4 motor.

My pool is a rectangle, no water features, no heater, nothing special, with a cartridge filter. It’s about 18,000 gallons. 2 returns, 1 skimmer, and 1 bottom drain.

I went with the recommendation and got a 1HP motor, but it leaked and had cavitation issues. I was also hesitant because of the impeller rating. I could stop the leak after replacing seals a couple of times so I decided to return that pump and step down to a 3/4HP pump and upgrade the impeller and diffuser to ones that were rated at 3/4.

Now, the pump doesn’t leak but it does run for a few minutes, shuts off for a few minutes, and repeats the cycle, I assume because of thermal overload. I checked the wiring, confirmed that the line output is ~118V and made sure the motor was set to 115 (as opposed to 220V). The motor definitely gets very warm but not so hot that I can’t keep my hand on it. Maybe that’s the intentional design on the thermal protection.

My question is how can I figure out what the problem is? The original motor ran perfectly fine until it burned up, but it was likely the original motor and was 10+ years old. No other changes or modifications were made so it seems like the pump is working too hard? My first thought was to go back to a 1HP motor, but the pressure on the filter gauge with the original motor was around 8PSI and now, with the 3/4HP motor, it stays around 12-15PSI with a clean filter. So it would seem to be that going bigger might increase the pressure, which may or may not be OK. The original impeller being rated for ½ to 3/4 gives me pause too as it seems that a ½ HP motor may be undersized and would have to work that much harder to move the water. At the same time, since I’ve upgraded the impeller and diffuser to match the current motor, wouldn’t that mean that it’s not a flow rate issue?

FWIW, there are also small air bubbles that are coming out of the furthest return jet (none out of the closest one). I’ve turned the valves from the drain and skimmer to see if maybe one of them has some kind of obstruction but none of them made any noticeable change to the bubbles (ideally they would go away when the offending line was closed.

Do you guys have any ideas or recommendations on what to look at next or things to try? I’m almost to a point where I call a service tech but I was unexpectedly laid off so I’m trying to do anything and everything I can do myself before calling them and having to out out the money.

New Pool Build - North Dallas

Pool specs:
Pool Perimeter 104'
Length 31' Width 21' Pool Sq.Ft, 743
Depth 3'6"- 5'- 4"
Pool Gallons 14,634

Spa specs:
Spa Perimeter 30' Length 7'6" Width 7'6" Spa Sq.Ft, 56
Depth 3'6"
Spa Gallons 683

Equipment
Pentair Intellicenter P/S i5 - W/Salt IC40
Pentair IntelliFlo3 VSF
Polaris Robotic Cleaner Freedom Cordless Robotic Cleaner
Pentair 520 C/C Filter
Pentair Transformer - 300w Pentair
Pentair MicroBrite Light W/Clear Water Stop – 3 lights
Pentair Skimmer – 2 each
Pentair Master Temp 400 Heater - NG

Pool Plumbing
Includes: 5 - 2" returns, 2 - 2" dedicated skimmers, and 2.5" main drain.

Spa Plumbing
Includes: 3" main drain, 2.5" return line, 2" air-line, 1.5" fountain, 6 - 1.5" spa jets.

There will be 2 sheer descents on the raised wall.
I’m considering doing a 4-5-4 depth rather than 3.5-5-4.
We decided to not do the tanning ledge and plan to carry the steps all the way to the spa.
We are also planning to install a deck mounted basketball hoop on the end opposite of the stairs.
Looking for any suggestions or feedback.

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SLAM help & super high phosphates

I’ve got a 14,500 gallon fiberglass pool that is typically salt, but we’ve let to put the generator back on. We just took off the mesh safety cover two days ago and the pool was completely green as expected. I have the recommended testing kit recommended here and found the ph high, so I put muriatic acid in to lower it enough to SLAM. I added 8 gallons of liquid chlorine and the pool cleared up within hours. It’s still cloudy, but clear. The CYA level is not even 10. My husband went to buy stabilizer today and wanted to check my numbers with the local mom and pop pool store. They said cya was 15, but phosphates are 1200. They said use Orenda PS-10000 before doing anything else. I’ve been adhering to advice on TFP and I know phosphates aren’t really important. However, I wanted to touch base with you all to see if you would treat for phosphates and also if you would adjust the cya first? Chlorine is still where it should be. Thank you!

Reel Weights

My reel for my solar cover scoots across the deck when I try to unroll the cover. Over the years, I prevented this by placing a bag of play sand on the legs at each end of the reel. The sand works great at keeping the reel in place. The issue is that the UV from the sun degrades the bag and it eventually splits and spills sand on the deck. Some of the solutions I've looked into. I could use a canvas bag to hold the sand but it will get wet and moldy and eventually rot.

I could use polypropylene bags that are used in flood control. Most of the ones I see have 1600 hours of UV protection but I see a lot of comments that they won't last that long. I know polypropylene is damaged easily by UV and it's the stabilizers in the product that protect it. I could use polyester canopy bags. Polyester also degrades in UV but many of them come with PVC coatings to help them last longer in the sun. I found a few nylon canopy bags that are UV resistant.

My preference is to use a bag to drape over the legs. The hard plastic coated canopy weights are less practical in how that would fit over the legs. I'm also not going the use cinder blocks or any type of metal weight.

Any recommendations or other ideas?

Adding Diatomaceous Earth to a sand filter

Hi,

We recently bought a house that has an above ground pool. It has been 10+ years since I have owned a pool.

The pool was not in operation during at least the 2024 season. I have no clue of how long the sand has been in the filter, so I am going to replace it. I have been reading that it would be beneficial to add Diatomaceous Earth.

The pool is a round 18 x 52". I believe I read on the filter that it requires 100 pounds of sand. How much Diatomaceous Earth would I add, and how do I add it?

Thank you so much!

Non Pentair Intellichlor

Has anyone used any of the direct replacement units for the Intellichlor? Four years ago, I paid $800 for one; they are now around $1,200—crazy. I've looked at a couple of them, and the drawback is that they do not communicate with the system or the App. I'm thinking I can go out and look at the unit to save $400.

I would appreciate any feedback, and if you have used one nd liked it, the brand.

Is FAS-DPD really the best in chlorine testing in 2025?

Hi, opening a green pool (now just cloudy no green) for the summer, Thanks guys this forum has been really helpful.
I got the TF-100, and have been testing diligently to maintain SLAM.

Now I haven't done much chemistry since I was 16, but I'm wondering is FAS-DPD method really the best we have in 2025?
It really seems odd how much of the solution you need to use for high FC values (25 in my case for shock level).
I have to use 50 drops every time I test, several times a day for the past 7 days.
I'm a electrical engineer so maybe its counter-intuitive, but I would assume if something has a higher concentration, it would be easier to measure. However it seems the higher the FC, the more chemicals it takes to measure.

Do we have better methods of detection? Perhaps like the diode PH tester I also got from the tftestkits website?

Back up and running...SWG Question

Hello friends! I'm really happy to be back for another season!

Pool was opened up last week and I've been working on getting all of my levels dialed in. One general question I had is, and I know there isn't a de facto rule because there are so many factors, but... Assuming that all of my levels are "perfect" and looking at my pool specs, what percentage of output should I set my SWG at just to "maintain"? I run my pump at 3200rpm beginning at 7AM for 3 hours, then at 2400rpm for 10 hours, and then at 1500rpm for 9 hours overnight. My SWG can be at 2%, 4%, 6%, 8%, 10%, 20%, 40%, 60%, 80%, or 100% of output. I know that fluctuations will happen, but which output percentage would be a good start to maintain chlorine level, knowing that adjustments will still need to be made from time to time?

Thanks!

Aqua clarity bubbling on first dosage...

Not sure if this is normal or not. Did a full Ahhhsome purge about 3 weeks ago. Really cleaned up well. After about 48 hours and two wipe downs, there was no more gunk. Water was crystal clear, but I never had time to use the tub. The wife and I used the tub tonight and I pointed out how low the bubbles were and that is how they should look with fresh balanced water. We used the jets the entire time with no foam or bubbles. Got out, added my dichlor and 2oz of Aqua clarity with jets on high. Checked in 10 minutes later and the tub was bubbling like a bubble bath. scooped out what I could, let it sit for a bit and turned jets on again and I am back getting more bubbles.

Starting to regret using this as I wasn't having these bubbles before adding it. Is this normal? Will it go away?

Wheel skipping on a Proteus DX4

I was trying to revive an old post but it wouldn't let me so here is my experience fixing the wheel skipping issue on a Proteus DX4.
I've seen a few posts about it but I figure I add my own to the archive!
:swim:
I think the problem is sand getting stuck between the wheel and the white bearing mounted on the side. The sand becomes literal sandpaper and I'm talking 80 grit or more as it sanded the wheel to a paper thin wall as you can see in the photos. I replied on another post saying that it helps do a TIRE ROTATION when it first starts skipping to extend their life since it's generally the side with the gears that gets the most wear n tear.

I bought the Marina's pool spa and patio Wheel Kit and the gear drive motor.
I should've also purchased the active brush gear but it wasn't too bad so I'll get on my next order. The tracks are a bit stiff but still ok and it still climbs up the walls so I'm gonna hold off on that too. That will definitely be the next repair.

PXL_20250422_182113033.jpg

Old wheel sanded down so thin that you can even bend it by hand.
PXL_20250422_182853588.jpgPXL_20250422_182137577.jpg
and the new wheel and bearing!
PXL_20250422_182133879.jpg

Anyways, $40 later including shipping and its up and running once again! Hope this helps anyone out there.

Flooded heater - safe to try and turn on or no?

As previously mentioned, some of our pool equipment was under water for a period of time for Hurricane Helene.

I have not tried to turn on the propane heater again since this happened as someone said it might be dangerous. I'm not exactly sure where I heard that but I think we're either getting to the point where I'd like to either replace this thing or try to turn it on and see if it works. It was older anyway, so I wouldn't be surprised if it didn't work. However, if we could get another year out of it.....

I'm just not sure who told me it might be unsafe to try and turn on a flooded propane heater and whether that's any different than any other piece of electrical equipment.

Pool filter not working so well this season? Or maybe just an unusual load of fines in my pool

I'd made a post on the "Let's see your water..." thread, and I didn't want it to turn that thread into a discussion that was too focused on my pool, so I made this complimentary thread.

I don't think there's anything too crazy going on, but sharing in case others recognize a pattern and want to share their experience.

Quick (very) recap for those not wanting to read the other thread: My pool, after opening, looked pretty clear, but lots of sand/silt on the bottom. After I started adding water and vacuuming, etc, it got quite cloudy. My water was not too bad (levels-wise), and I had it in spec withing about 24 hours. Meanwhile, the cloudiness ... wasn't getting better very quickly. I think it was around day 4 that I decided to add some DE, but I added garden-variety DE (meaning, literally for gardens, not pools), which worked about as poorly as those of you in-the-know would expect. For those of you not in the know, make sure you don't do that; instead, read How to add DE to a sand filter. So, several cycles of backwashing and filtering later, and then adding the right type of DE, things are gradually getting better. It was almost 'decent' this morning before I went and did some manual vacuuming and then turned the robot loose. Post-robot, it's somewhat cloudy again (my robot, even with my custom-made 80-micron basket, does no good whatsoever with the sand we have out here). I knew the robot wouldn't collect it, but if I let it kick up the dust, maybe the filter will get some/a lot of it.

I am still a bit baffled why I had this problem at all, this year. It's not happened to me before. Hence, I will do an OCLT tonight just to be sure there's no organics in the pool.

For a few days, I toyed with converting to cartridge filter, but I just spent money (actually toward the end of last season, but swimming-wise, just 2-3 months ago) converting to SWG, and I'm reluctant to spend another bucket of money just yet.

I've been reading up on the failure modes of sand filters that have suffered winter damage.
  • Cracked casing - nope. No leaks, doesn't really have anything to do with my problem anyway.
  • Damaged Laterals - Don't think so. I am gradually getting the sand out of the pool. Not seeing plumes of sand from the return jet. Now I think of it though, I did on that first day... maybe I can't totally rule this out yet.
  • Damaged multiport valve - Don't think so. I do have a slight leak into the waste port, but very small, and it's not new this year. (I mean, my waste hose will accumulate a few cups of water between backwashes). I think if I had a real problem here, it would take the form of allowing water to bypass the filter, and if that were the case, I'd see plumes of white DE when I add it to the skimmer (or shortly after, rather.) That's not happening.
So... I think my filter is probably free of damage, though it may benefit from me washing the sand a bit, and being sure there are no channels. But again, no evidence of water bypassing the filtration (which I guess is what channeling would allow).

When I manually vacuumed earlier I noticed that when I was calling it done (as in, I was done, not the job!) had very little suction. I'd had a sock on my skimmer and it was quite clogged with what appeared as a fine brown sludge. Could easily have been fine sand and DE, but I suppose it could also be a muck of dead organics. After rinsing that out and putting it back, I noticed the back pressure on my filter was higher than usual, so I backwashed the filter again. Between the two steps, I think I got a lot of junk out of the pool, and I expect it will look much better tomorrow.

At this point, I think I'm just dealing with a surplus of very fine sand and the wrong DE that I added several days back. I haven't yet re-added the right DE since today's backwash. I may do that in a bit, or just let it idle for the day.

I feel like letting my suction side crawler (Wanda the whale) is the best way to deal with this, but she's not doing a good job of moving around the pool lately. I've got my eye on a Zodiac MX8 Elite, but, again, rather not spend the money :) I have some new feet for Wanda on the way - maybe that'll breathe new life into her!

Pool with vacuum port, how to use?

The pool builder left us a hose with a brush on one end that connects to the telescoping pole we use to brush the sides. But the hose doesn't connect to the port on the side of the inground pool. Both appear to be the same size. I originally thought that the suction would keep it in place but it doesn't. The pool company suggested connecting the hose inside the skimmer (but couldn't explain why we have a vacuum port). Is there some kind of adapter that would make this work?

Will Streamlining my pool plumbing increase efficiency

Hi,
My GPM for my pump was highly inefficient according to everyone I talked to, and upon doing research found that switching from 90 degree elbows to 90 degree SWEEP elbows should help, and re-plumbing to eliminate unnecessary 90 degree turns would also help. Before I began to re-do the plumbing, I counted 20 90 degree elbows. So today I ripped out all of my above ground plumbing and streamlined it, ended up with 13 - 90 degree SWEEP elbows and 2 - 90 degree elbows (I eliminated 5 elbows completely). As soon as I open up the pool in the next couple of weeks, I'll let you know how much more efficient the plumbing is. I have documented the number of Watts per GPM before I made the changes. I'll run the same test, hopefully it takes less Watts to run the same GPM. Any thoughts if this will work? I've attached the new plumbing photos.

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Pool Opening Issue

Hello, I have an above ground pool which I have been closing / opening for the past 7 years without issue. I drop the water level below the intake and cover the pool with a winter cover, take off the cover in the spring etc. The pool and liner were installed about 7 years ago.

This year upon taking off the winter cover I was left with a giant doughnut shaped Ice block and no water in the pool. There is obviously a hole in the bottom or very close to, based off what parts of the pool I can see I cannot locate any holes. I have been told that without any water in the pool the walls will collapse and this will be come a later issue. Currently the ice I'm sure is providing some support.

Do I just need to cut the liner away while the ice is still in the pool. I also have no experience in installing a pool or liner but fairly DYI handy.

Looking for some help on how to approach this?

Thanks

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That Ladder Saga

This was me a few months back: Stubborn Pool Ladder

I eventually got the ladder removed but it was completely destroyed. The anchors are ok though.

I think what the last person commented is what happened. I tightened the anchor wedge in too tight and it got out of round and wedged in there.

So here we are, I bought a new ladder and I'm in the process of opening the pool. This is year 4 of operating this pool and every time I remove the ladder big chunks of earth come out with it, stuck in the end of the tubes. I'm wondering if this contributed to the old ladder sinking too far, which is why I tightened the anchors.

I'm thinking about putting something down in the holes to act as a support for the pool ladder so the anchor wedges aren't carrying the whole load. I thought about pouring quick crete in it, but that could quickly become a disaster for this rookie. I could just backfill with more dirt but it would likely just come out when I remove the ladder in the fall. Putting some rock in there is what I was thinking. There's this fine rock that I used for a support base when I built a retaining wall. When it gets settled it doesn't move. I was considering this. Or drainage rock that also doesn't shift much.

Also I was thinking about this for the end of the tube. I was hoping to find a cap to prevent dirt from getting in the tube, but this also doubles as strengthening the tube against the anchor wedge. Tool, Pool Tool, Handrail Stabilizing Plug, Carbon Fiber, 1.875"

Thoughts?

TIA

SWG help

I’m running my SWG and can’t get keep the chlorine above 1ppm, even when I run super chlorinate. Chemistry is generally good but have high Calcium Hardness at around 700ppm (hard water, replacing the water slowly). Not sure what I’m doing but I can’t see how the chlorine is getting eaten so quickly if it is being produced.

TA 75
FC 1
CC 0
PH 7.8
CYA 50
CH 700
Salt 3650
Water temp 80
Borates 25

Cell is cleaned

Thanks in advance for help

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Need help understanding chlorine levels for SLAM.

My wife has been managing a slam on the pool and hot tub. She knows what she's doing with testing and adding chlorine.

Over the past few days, she's been testing chlorine multiple times a day and adding as needed, but we've been having trouble getting through the slam.

Over the past 24 hours, she's had to add a lot of chlorine to stay above slam levels in the spa. But when I got home tonight and did the test (multiple times including with reagents that I just bought), the FC is above 80! She had no reading even close to this. We were even able to confirm though our cameras the rough amount of the last chlorine added and there shouldn't be this big of a spike (from 20 to the 80+ I measured).

The slam on the pool is consistent between my measures and hers and is progressing as planned. It's only the spa that's an issue.

We did have 5 kids in the spa for a few hours on Thursday evening.

Is there such a thing as chlorine being locked up somehow and then all of a sudden showing up? Is it possible to get a high reading based on any other factors?

The chlorine was just purchased from the local pool shop and is the refillable liquid type.

What should be my next course of action? Should I be draining and refilling to lower FC quickly? Are there any other things that could go wrong?

I've been managing the pool over the past couple of years and very comfortable with testing and adding chemicals.

Not getting power to Mastertemp400

The control panel on my Pentair Mastertemp400 heater has stopped getting power. I’ve read other post trying to fix this myself, but I’m at a point where I don’t know what to check next. Any guidance would be much appreciated.

My system is about 15 years old and it’s a Pentair Easytouch control panel connected to a Mastertemp400 heater. We use the heater several times a week and it has been working fine for the last couple of years. I know that I have to have the spa on for the heater to get power. When I press the ‘spa’ button I no longer see “HEATER” displayed on my easy touch control panel and no lights light up on the heaters control panel.

Here is what I’ve done so far:

I checked the voltages on the heater and I’m getting 220VAC input and 28VAC out of the transformer. I checked the plugs to the control board and the 4-pin connector at J7 has 28VAC and the 5-pin connector at J1 has 0VAC (brd_vac.jpg attached). At this point I thought the control board was bad so I replaced it. The issue remained. Still no power. Next, I checked the wire between the easytouch control panel (J19) and the heaters firemans switch. I used a multimeter with audible continuity and verified that each screw post on J19 had continuity to the firemans switch post and they were not shorted together (fsw.jpg attached). What do I check next? I’m out of ideas.

Thanks,
-Mike

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Low pH and TA

Howdy TFP,

I am looking for advice on the attached test results. I opened my pool recently and my pH is 7.2 and TA is 30. Apparently the last time I measured TA was last summer and it was 50 at the time so has come down some. TFP recommends a TA of at least 50 so I am wondering if I should go ahead and raise it back up? I think I asked this last season when it was 50 as I was worried that was too low and some folks said to leave it alone since it was stable so that's where my confusion lies.

Also, you'll notice I measure borates as I added boric acid last season. I've lost around 20ppm since adding it last year and I want to bring it back up to 50ppm, will that potentially lower my pH and TA further?

Finally, I'd like to try a treatment of Ahh-some as my pool is very old and I've never tried it before. I am curious what kind of gunk it might clean out of the pipes. My water stays pretty clear but am curious if I would notice any change in clarity after a treatment. The instructions for it however state to adjust pH to 7.4-7.8 and TA to 80-120ppm. Presumably I should make those adjustments first?

Thanks,
Mike

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New pool owner need advice

New pool owner doing my opening for the first time. Using the TFP system added 4 gallons of liquid chlorine to my 10,000 gallon pool about 30hrs ago running pump the whole time to bring up my chlorine levels. Cartridge filter is new and was cleaned at 24hrs.

Still have green hue to water. Here’s my numbers from the TFP calculator using a Taylor K-2006 test kit. I’ve ordered a bromide test since my Taylor K-2006 kit doesn’t test for that. Not sure how to test for borate as shown on the TFP table.

What does the group recommend as next steps as pool maintenance is 100% new to me.

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Suddenly overwhelmed with my Spa

Hello everyone. Thanks for being a resource that gives me some hope… ha!

I have had a Sundance spa for 5 years. Every year I reopen in spring with fresh city water, filters, etc following a cleaning purge cycle of the water from winter. Next I typically add hardness, ph, alk, and chlorine and everything is good to go.

This year has been a totally different experience. I have now emptied and refilled twice with similar results. Everything is out of whack, and it seems the biggest issue is my local pool store says my phosphates are 958ppb and I have high metals (image included). The report says I need tons of new chemicals to fix $$$ and I just don’t know what to do and have lost confidence… pretty overwhelming.

Any advice? Thank you.

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Algae Help- New Pool Owners

We are first time pool owners and are struggling to completely clear our pool. I’m working on going through Pool School but I wanted to see if anyone could help with our current situation.

Is this dead algae or living algae? We had a pool service come out yesterday and within hours there were some cloudy build ups in the shallow and deep end. Now this is what our pool looks like this morning.

Any advice on how to completely clear it?

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