Good evening folks! Thank you for all for all of the help as always...

This year is a big year for us...we've had a vinyl liner pool that we put in ourselves the first few months of covid with the help of friends and family (cousin owns a construction company and i know a "pool guy"). But for 5 years now i've had a single speed pump, and a chlorine pool.

This year we're converting!

We are looking to open the pool and get the plumbing re-done at the same time as the opening...i dont want to open the pool using normal chlorine and chemicals...or am i overthinking it? Do i open the pool with the new SWG installed and just run normal water through it and balance it like normal at opening? then convert?

Or do i just open it and start dumping salt in (or it seems diamond water softener as a cheaper and equally effective alternative it seems).

Pool is 36,000 gallons. i cant' find a consistent recommendation on how much salt to start with but i thinks some math i did was around 26 40lb salt bags to start.

Thoughts on all of this would be great, thank you!

ps. installing a heater this year! Stoked about that...i think it'll really impact our use of the pool and how much we enjoy it here in CT. so a lot going on! Thanks!

Notice a small trickle of water today coming from the pool light junction box today. Looks like I’ve already lost a few inches of water over the past few days.

The junction box is 14-18” above the pool level. Trying to figure out why/how this happened and what I can do to stop it.

Searched the forum already and read things about plugging the top of the pipe. Any idea why it is now happening? Thanks for all the feedback and advice!

The Dolphin S400 is one of the top-of-line pool cleaner robot. It cost me around ~$1700 about 6 months ago. I was a bit hesitant to get a robot because I know that I have to run an extension cord and likely leave the robot next to the pool side full time unlike the pool side cleaners. 6 months later, the covered caddy and extension cord, as I have thought before, is an eye sore for my backyard/pool probably because for the last 15+ years, I've kept all equipment above the pool out of sight. But here is a shortlist of issues I have experienced with this specific pool cleaner robot:

1. The Fan Blade and Motor location: It takes 4 screws to take apart the cover for the fan to clean out debris like palm fibers and pine needles. Debris gets in there ALL the time. There is only a small opening to pull the debris out without unscrewing 4 screws and removing the fan cover which makes it very difficult and cumbersome. I suggest a re-engineering to make it easier to remove debris from the fan blades because it happens very often.

2. Suction and Opening: The opening for the suction is very slim and oak leaves could barely fit through. I get a few oak leaves and sand only after a 2 hour schedule despite an abandons of leaves and debris still in the pool. I see it roll over very small debris without sucking it up despite 2 brushes (front and back). I estimate that it only picks up 10% of the debris it rolls over. Additionally, the filter basket is small and can fit about 2 adult fist size inside. The good is that the filters are fine, and there are 2 of them inside.

3. Navigation Gizmo: It rolls back and forth, go straight for a short distance, stops just in front of an area full of debris and sand/dust, and backs up and goes somewhere else. I have been spent countless times and durations trying to learn the algorithms, but it does not make sense to me. Its movement is not smart at all and the result is inefficient when cleaning the pool for a 2 hour session. Also, you can only schedule 1 cleaning session per day. It may work for a 1 pass in a 15K pool. Compared to a pool side suction cleaner, I have a Pentair Krauly that appears to work much better than the S400 for less than half the price. The S400 can climb from 8ft depth to 4 ft, but it is slow.

4. The Tethering Cord: It needs AC power. The cord gets in the way of my Beatbot Iskimmer. I thought about the aesthetics, the power requirement, and having a caddy at the pool side. After 6 months, I prefer not to have it. If the robot was as effective or better than my pool side suction, I would live with it. However, I think there could be better solutions since I have no 120V power at the pool side (code issue), and I personally do not like extension cord and caddy always visible.

If you have a robot before, and it worked before, you may consider the S400 at $1700. However, if you have a pool side suction cleaner, I recommend sticking with that method of pool cleaning. And if you want some exercise once or twice a week, do the manual method. If you are like me, I like to use technology that actually "enables" me to clean my pool with less effort and time. I am sorry to say that the S400 does not live up to that requirement, and it will be on the resale market soon.

I put a new salt cell (Generic T-15) on my AquaPlus system. I'm getting "Chlorinator Off, No Cell Power" and "Check System, Cell Power 1" error messages. Read pretty much all the stuff here and elsewhere. Replaced the GLX-PCB-Pro mainboard with a new one. Changed the 20A fuse to 15A before starting up. Replaced Rectifiers. Transformer voltages seem fine. None of the mainboards appeared to have scorch marks or cold solder joints. I got the last new board to run for about 4 days and things seem fine. Now that board is giving me the errors. I also tried my old salt cell without luck.
I can't think of anything else at this point. I'm considering returning the mainboard and salt cell and trying yet again but I'm starting to have my doubts whether something else is going on. Any ideas?

We're doing a pool remodel and would like to add a baja shelf/sun ledge. I didn't realize there were so many different methods to build the ledge. Our pool is 20x40 and we wanted our ledge to be 9x8 in the shallow end. It would be approximately 3 ft tall. Our contractor said there are 3 options:
1. Use cinder blocks to build the wall (with rebar). Fill the ledge with our old concrete coping (smashed up). Cover with 6 inches of concrete on top.
2. Build wall using concrete mold (with rebar). Fill the ledge with gravel or our old concrete coping. Cover with concrete on top.
3. Build rebar cage. Fill with concrete.

Can you share your thoughts on these options? Thank you!

Hello all,

I'm still a relatively new pool owner, just have about 2 months under my belt so I'm still getting my bearings in some areas. Pool chemicals are balanced and stable though, and that's what matters. Anyway, I got tired of manually vacuuming the pool, and having the cartridge get clogged up often because of it. It was getting to the point that as I was vacuuming I could see debris coming out of the returns. Just frustrating. Maybe I'm doing something wrong or my cartridge isn't functioning properly. Or maybe that's just par for the course with vacuuming directly into the pump.

Enter the Scuba S1. After a lot of research, and mostly decent reviews of the product here I decided to pull the trigger. It arrived today, and the box was honestly pretty beat up. I was surprised because it came FedEx, and I ordered it directly from Aiper. Interior packaging was solid though, and the unit was unharmed. After a quick charge to full I threw it into the pool on auto mode. We all watched it work on the walls for a minute, and it appeared to be doing a fine job. It came up and scrubbed the tile line for probably 5 seconds before heading back down. Then we wanted to see it work the floor so I put it on floor only mode, and it instantly started picking up debris. The pool wasn't terribly dirty, I just vacuumed it this past weekend, but after running for about 2 hours I fished it out because it was getting dark and I was curious. It was showing a yellow light, so it used most of the battery. I was honestly pretty surprised at how much it picked up, especially all the sand you can see in the bottom left of the basket. I'll be picking up the ultra fine cloth filter when it gets released for this model, but I am very pleased with the first run, and more pleased that I'll be able to swim without cleaning the pool when the weekend comes around.

Tomorrow morning I'm going to drop it in on the eco mode, which is supposed to clean for 45 minutes every 48 hours and we'll see how well it maintains the pool. This weekend I'll send it on a walls mission when I have time to watch how it progresses.

Has anyone seen leaking from a 1 yr old Polaris PB4SQ main body? It is literally coming out of the main body, not a seam or joint. I am not sure if there is a rebuild kit or washers. Any recommendations or is 1 year the average life of Polaris Booster products? Any suggestions on a better quality booster pump to replace if that is the only solution?

Hi all,
I have attempted to read the Hayward heater help guide on his site and the troubleshooting document provided by Hayward, but I'd like a second opinion before I order more parts.

Based on the serial number, the heater was manufactured in January 2015. It came with the pool when we bought the house in 2021. It fired up okay this season about a week ago. It heated the pool, no problem. Then we got an "Sb" error code and couldn't get the keypad to do anything except flash the preset temperature. I read that Sb was a display failure code, which seemed consistent with what we were experiencing. After reading the troubleshooting documents, I ordered this from INYOpools: Hayward FDXLBKP1930 Bezel & Keypad Assembly, Universal H-Series Low Nox Heater - INYOPools.com

Hayward FDXLBKP1930 Bezel & Keypad Assembly
I connected it, and it didn't work. (On a side note, I tried to reconnect the old one and it wouldn't light up at all now, so that's a bit worrisome.)

Looking again at the troubleshooting flowchart (screenshot below), now I think I also need to buy a display, which is a separate thing on the page 20 referred to in the flowchart (screenshot below). I think I was assuming keypad and display were synonyms before.

So it looks like I should add IDXL2DB1930 to the bezel/keypad I just ordered to make this work. But what is the difference between ordering the separate display to go with my keypad and ordering FDXLBCP1250, as mentioned in the note above the parts list? Is FDXLBCP1250 everything I need in one -- display board, bezel, keypad? Does display board = control panel? Because the actual keypad I received when I ordered FDXLBKP1930 looks like this except it is shaped to fit on my heater and doesn't have that flap: Hayward Bezel and Keypad Assy with Door for Select Universal H-Series Low NOx Heaters - FDXLBKP1932 - INYOPools.com

Is the display board IDXL2DB1930 my next move here? It is concerning that I can't get the old display to light up at all now? I don't think I broke anything when unplugging it. Is it a problem that my new keypad looks different (different button placement) than the old one? Does that matter for display board compatibility?

Also, when shopping online for IDXL2DB1930, there is such a variety in pricing and even what that sku looks like (keypad included?). For instance, what is the difference between

Hayward Display Board Bezel IDXL2DB1930 - PoolSupply4Less

and

Hayward Universal H-Series Pool Heater Display PCB - IDXL2DB1930 Replaced by HDXFDSPB0001 - INYOPools.com

Thanks for any wisdom you can share?

I opened the pool about a month ago and everything has been fine. Today, before my daughter and I went for a swim, I connected the vacuum to the skimmer to give the floor a quick clean. At the end of our swim, we noticed that the returns were spitting out air intermittently. I stopped the pump. Opened the pump. Cleaned the basket. Backwashed the filter. Hours later, every few minutes or so, there will be a sputter.

Any ideas?

Opened the pool for the summer and first thing I tested was the CYA for SLAM.

As this test is my least favorite, I did it multiple times and it trended towards barely being able to see it past the 30 mark in the tube. (The solution was just at the top of the tube)

I added 1 gallon of LC to get started, brushed the pool and called it a day. What is the recommendation for the CYA so I can get started for SLAM. (I know i have to be at a minimum of 30)

Hi All!

I have inherited a Pentair Wisperflo WFE-2, 1/2 HP pump (Link) for the fountain (the fountain is about 660-700 Gal). There's no filter, just a pump, so keeping the water clear is a bit of a pain... I was thinking of plumbing in a sand filter after the pump, but I don't want to add a huge one, given the size of the fountain. Considering something like a 14" (which is already an overkill, but can't find anything smaller...) sand by Raypak (Link), but it has 29 PSI max working pressure, and according to Pentair support, the pump's working pressure is 40 PSI (well, they weren't too specific... they said "40-60 PSI", but after repeated inquiries, said that the "normal working pressure is 40 PSI").

Please advise.

Thank you!

Hello,
My pool company is coming to open my pool tomorrow for the first time since I built it last year. They recommended I add enough water so that they can start the filter when they arrive. When I opened up the cover the water is green…Is it time to panic, or can I do something immediately tomorrow to start getting the algae out? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!
Mike

Hi all
I can’t get my Polaris 280 to clean this side of the pool.

I swear I have tried every direction of the thrust. The Polaris refuses to go to the circled part of shallow end. Every time It is headed there It turns right. I have tried 9 o clock on the thrust. Nothing. Any other ideas?

Thanks all!
Louis

Disolve chlorine stabilizer. I tried boiling water, worm water, pool water, even acid, nothing disolves stabilizer (cyanuric acid) granules. Then i realized that the stabilizer attaches to chlorine in the pool so i added a little chlorine to a small amount of stabilizer and it disolved quickly.

Hi everyone, I have an older M600, and it looks like the cable has failed — the copper inside the swivel has corroded. I know the part I need is 9995899-DIY, but finding it at a reasonable price (or even finding it at all) has been tough. I’ve already reached out to Maytronics for support. I was wondering if anyone here has experience with these cleaners and, more specifically, if there’s an alternative part that might be compatible. It’s a 3-wire, 60-foot cable — would any other 3-wire cable work as a replacement?

Thanks in advance for any advice!

Can someone please help me out with the right way to configure the prologic?
My main equipment:
1 Pool Filter/Pump (Inground Cleaning System Caretaker99 that cycles and with one cycle returns to spa for overflow to pool)
1 Spa Filter/Pump - On AUX1 (This is supposed to be just for the spa but because of valve issue sometimes drains SPA to pool, and is what this thread is about)
1 StaRite 400k BTU Heater - This is a shared heater. (Never really use for the pool but is an option the way its plumbed)

My main issue is with this one valve that directs flow either to the Spa or to the Pool. It's a hayward actuator valve that is plugged into Valve4.

I want this valve (valve4) to turn ONLY when the Spa Filter/Pump is on, then when Spa Filter Pump is Off the valve needs to turn back to the original position.

Is this possible? Can someone please walk me through how to properly program it?
If its not possible using this actuator valve, then how?

I also have valve3 used with another actuator Valve. But this valve is set on a timer for changing suction to/from pool skimmer or pool bottom.
This one is set on a timer and has not been an issue at all.

I really wish i could add more actuator valves but this prologic board is VERY LIMITED.
It's a GLX-PCB-PRO (Pro-Logic System Board REV 4.47)
AQL-PS-8 Display (RF base software r3.00)

Long time listener, first time caller. Searched but have found no detailed answer yet. Hope someone can help. Pentair Racer (360228) stopped moving (5 years old, salt pool) Good pressure in the line, filters clean, no debris appears to be blocking line or wheels or gears. Took the top off of the cleaner and ran the pump. Prodigious quantity of water shoots out of the spot where the drive shaft passes out of the turbine housing. Normal water flow at tail and all other ports. Drive shaft does turn, although intermittently Took the turbine housing off. All looks cool in there. I see minor wear on drive shaft but not major. I guess I can try replacing the drive shaft/bearings but that's just kind of a guess at this point or just do the whole rebuild kit and see if that solves. Anyone else have/solve this problem? Many thanks!

Does anyone have any tips for how to calculate the volume of an irregular-shaped pool?

I've included a satellite image of it here. Here are rough measurements:

• 30' length from end-to-end (longest point)
• 10-13.5' across at the narrowest and widest points
• Shallow party pool - only about 3-5' deep
  • 3' deep on either end
  • Gradually slopes to 5' in the center

The previous pool guy estimated the volume between 15-17k gallons, but Pentair's calculator for an oblong pool (closest option) only estimates it at about 9400 gallons. All the curves and gradual slope from 3' to 5' and back to 3' are making this a particularly challenging math problem for me.

I keep hearing that if you can afford, go big and use at lower power. So, since this is a new investment, that's what I'm aiming for. Pool is roughly 20K gallons, so either are enough overkill.
I have a new pentair intelliflo 3 pump with relay, currently just on intermatic timer 24/7, using pump for schedule. No other fancy automation. I will probably wire the SWCG it up to the pump relay.

Core55 seems good, it takes up less room in the plumbing and doesn't need wall space, which I like. My equipment pad is pretty cramped. The dowside used to be the Core went in I guess 25% increments with only 4 settings, now they have 6 settings, so you can do 15%, 30%, 45%, 60%, 75%, 90%. I mean, I don't really need 5% increments or tighter, I don't see much advantage to that. The Core series seems much less common than the RJ. But I like it's all-in-one design, at least in theory. It only needs about 7" of space, but needs some above/below clearance.

RJ60, I see the RJ45 is hugely popular, I imagine there is not any downside to going the 60 other than slight price increase. The RJ45 needs 16" and another 4+ for the relay. I saw with the RJ that if you run at low GPM, you should invert it (so it flows --\_____/-- instead of --/`````\-- ). I also see there is a vertical space saving option, not sure how that would be affected by the extra low GPM though. With the RJ, you have a separate control panel, you have wiring from source to control panel, and from control panel to flow switch, and from control panel to cell. But you also have some cool information available, such as water temp, cell voltage, current, salinity.

Price - the same, or within a close enough range.
So, which would you go with? How useful are those pieces of info? Useful enough to outweigh the longer installation run?
Do you think there's any difference with regards to pump flow / efficiency? Any other pros or cons to weigh in on? Appreciate it!

I just opened my pool and started heating it up.
I was curious about how much heat energy I was getting on a clear sunny day. I asked Chat GPT to calculate the btu’s required to heat the water from 12C(54F) to 18C(64F) at 50gpm. It came up with 270,000 btu per hour. I’ve got ten 4x12 panels.

I asked Jandy about this, and they weren't interested in helping.

What is the correct positioning and orientation of the breather tube?

Should the end with the angled cut be on the top or bottom?

Should the angled cut face the pool (outlet) or the pump (inlet)?

How high relative to the top of the plates should the top of the tube be positioned?

What are the effects of that tube being a little too high or a little too low?

I realize this sounds stupid, but theres logic behind my question. Do i really need to have a bigger heater for a bigger pool. The heated water flow is restricted by the return jet regardless of the size of the pool. The heat pump heater can only heat the water to a design temperature as it flows and that flow is restricted by the pump pressure and the return jet. Any comments?

So I was looking through the B.P.t.B.L.C post the other day after someone had asked about a specific state, and I realized with 74 pages going back 9+ years, most of the detail in there was probably only of historic value, and it was really hard to find relevant information. So, being an engineer, I figured there might be a better way, and came up with the following based on that thread plus some basic digging around.

My thought is people can reply to the thread with updates, and I will update the table with the latest information and replace the image so that it's easy to find and reference.
Open to suggestions, comments, additional data, etc.

Hi TFP!

FYI, our pool build was completed in 2017.

I’ve been avoiding a number of repairs that seem/are above what I believe I’m capable of. I wanted to reach out and see if anyone could give me some tips so I’m not taken advantage of by the repair people who will be coming out next week. I’m going to post our other pool issues in separate posts.

SALT WATER GENERATOR (Pentair IC40 replaced under warranty about 5 years ago)

A few months ago I realized that our cell was not working. I clean the cell every few months. I checked it and and it was spanking clean. Then I realized that the “fuse?” in the upper right corner of was tripped (see attached photo). I reset it, started everything up and I heard a clicking sound from that area, then a pop, and it tripped.

The SWG breaker in the panel was fine but I still tripped that and reset it. The same thing happened with the “fuse” tripping.

I searched our TFP site, but the areas I would need to test/replace would be uncomfortable for me to service, so since then I just managed the pool as a chlorine pool.

A couple days ago I reconnected the salt cell resent the “fuse” and gave it a try once again. Same thing happened, however this time the ‘fuse” did not trip to the off position instead it seems frozen in the On position.

I contacted our local certified Pentair pool repair guys. We’ve have used them multiple times over the years for warranty work and their repair guy has been great. That is until when he came out 6 months ago to diagnose a light issue. Well, he gave me a bunch of Crud about what was wrong … So I have little trust in him now, AND he is the only guy the company sends out. I requested that the owner get involved, we’ll see if he shows up.

I see that the cost of a new IC40 has gone way up (over $1,400 and probably a few hundred more with their markup). My concern is that they will start with replacing the cell before looking at other things that may be the actual issue.

Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance.
York

Pool was well balanced last I tested. Cya was at 90 and a SWG was installed. I am hoping the CYA continues to drop so that I can run lower free chlorine and still sanitize the pool. I’m not sure at what rate the CYA is going to drop, but since I’ve been running chlorine tablets for so long, I do not own any conditioner. Once the CYA drops to a level that I want to maintain do I just put pucks in floaters to supplement the saltwater generator or do I actually add CYA conditioner using the sock method I’ve read about? If I need to add conditioner for A pull my size. How much should I have on hand?

I’ve run high free chlorine to compensate for my high CYA levels basically since I found this place very successfully. What would you consider the optimal CYA level for saltwater generator pool knowing that I’m offsite Monday through Friday.

I've been busting my shoulders leveling the edge my new resin pool will set on. My soil is so hard and compact that I have to soak it to chip it away to level. I just got delivery of my new pool. The bottom track the wall goes into is a flexible plastic and same for the connectors. I'm starting to think I might be fine if get my edge perfectly level and skip the pavers. What do you think?

Notes: I am in the PNW and I will be doing a 72" expandable liner for an 18'x52" pool.

Hello,

New pool owner here (via home purchase), just got our pool opened this week. Trying to get comfortable with the Screenlogic interface, and I apologize in advance for really dumb questions! Thought our system was busted at first, every time I would turn on the spa, lights, features, etc...it would turn off after 1 minute. Realized everything had egg timers set, ugh! App is very clunky - wouldn't let me put the timers down to zero at first without going up, but eventually everything seems to be functioning. What would be a good use for the egg timers?

I see there was a schedule previously set - is this something I should keep enabled? What is the point of it - to make sure the spa is getting filtered regularly?



I've figured out what most of the features do, but any idea what Pool high and Jet 1 Side are?



The pool has fountains on the pool sides and a spillway from the spa to pool. I'm sure a dumb question, but are those mostly for decorative purposes, or should I say run the spillway regularly so that water flows to the pool. Wasn't clear if those are something I should leave on all the time.

Any other tips or recommendations would be much appreciated! Been trying to read as much as possible to hopefully get to speed shortly

how should I aim my return jet? The skimmer is directly across from it.

Hello,
My Hayward SP3400VSP with the OMNI controller on top is really starting to scream. It still pumps and moves the water great, but pretty sure my neighbours are going to complain soon. I'm guessing the bearings are going.

Not sure if I can order/buy replacement bearings? If this is a repair I can do, or if I am better off just buying a new pump?

With that said, do I only need to buy a new motor? Or does everything need to be replaced including the OMNI controller? Would you have a recommendation for the new pump? I have done some reading and the Ecostar Pump I currently have is not thought of too highly.

Thank you,
Kmac12

We just opened our pool to brown water. Late March, we got a snow storm here in NE which carried a bunch of dust from TX and NM and left behind a sheet of thick brown sediment everywhere after the brown snow melted. I’m assuming much went through our mesh cover. You can see remains on the pool coping we haven’t cleaned yet. Power washing all of our decking was already quite the job. Anyway, water temp is 56 degrees and FC at .5. Cya tested at 35 and PH at 7.4 so I started a slam adding liquid chlorine to slam level. I tested my FC a half hour later to make sure the LC and my measurements were good and then I tested again an hour after that and the level had dropped by 1 so I raised up again to slam level.

My question is, do I just slam like normal and proceed to brush and backwash? Is testing every hour and a half good or overkill. I can’t even see the bottom of the pool which has never happened before so it makes it hard to brush. Will the sand filter eventually filter this out? I also have our Aiper robot going and am going to see what the basket looks like when it’s done with its routine. Appreciate everyone’s time and advice.