Mostly as an experiment, I have taken on one residential client. They have a 35,000 gallon vinal lined, unheated, uncovered backyard pool in central Mississippi. They have been chlorinating it nilly-willy by tossing trichlor tablets into their skimmers. Their CYA is presently at 67 so they don't need any more of that. I currently have them on liquid chlorine because that is something I use in all of my commercial pools and understand. I am trying to decide on an ideal long-term chlorination strategy and am leaning towards an erosion feeder using Calcium Hypochlorite tablets (no CYA onboard) with an occasional splash of liquid chlorine to bring things up to target.

Anyone have opinions or suggestions for a better strategy? I have a water guru Sense 2 installed to keep tabs on things.

Over the past couple of seasons, I've noticed a gradual discoloration on our white fiberglass steps (pool is about 14 years old). It is very mild yellow/tan - definitely nowhere near as bad as some of the pics others have posted on here. Last season I tested it with vitamin C and it whitened right up again, so I'm figuring the iron level in the water has been gradually building up (the staining came back again this year). I'm thinking of doing an AA treatment in the next couple of weeks before it is time to close the pool.

Two questions that may be dumb:
1. Will using Jack's Purple by itself have any effect in my mild case without having first done the ascorbic acid treatment? I assume not, but just wanted to confirm.
2. As to what ascorbic acid to use, is this Vitamin C powder appropriate or is not all AA equal? Amazon.com

Thanks in advance!

I tested my fill water a few minutes ago, and for the first time, the tap water. My fill water does not run through my softener or filter. That said, when I tested the fill water, I got a CH of 50, which is about what I suspected, as we have fairly soft water. However, when I test my tap water which goes through my filter and softener, after I put R-0011 solution in the vile, it immediately turned blue.

Question: I have to guess that since Red indicates the presence of calcium, if it turns blue when the R-0011 solution is added, there is a minimum threshold for that solution to detect calcium. If so, what is that threshold? Doesn't impact anything other than a better understanding of the tests I am using.

Here are my Tap results:
Chlorine: 1
PH: 8.04
TA: 160
Calcium: N/A(?)

Fill Water:
PH: 8.03
TA: 160
Calcium: 50

I'll put this here, as although not a beginner, it seems appropriate....

So, in anticipation of perhaps needing a SLAM after a 3 week trip this summer, I stocked up on 3 cases of liquid chlorine. Haven't used a drop since (Salt generator). I may dump a gallon or two in at closing. How "good" will it be next spring? I anticipate needing to do a SLAM at opening, but wondering if I will just be adding salt, rather than Cl, by then? A question I never had to consider before, given the large amounts of liquid I used to go through.....
It will be stored in a shed, in sub-zero conditions, for most of the time.

Hello!

We had a pool installed last year (installation time lapse), and I’m going to close it myself this year. I looked through other posts, but it seems like my pool is slightly different than what’s covered by the boiler plate closing posts.

Specifically, our installer told us that when we close, a) we don’t need to drain the pool past the skimmers because they installed skimmer guards that somehow allows the pool to drain if it gets past to a certain point (not really sure how this works) and b) we don’t need to clear the lines because they used expandable piping that won’t crack (you can see it in the install video).

With that being said, I linked the video of them closing our pool last year, and a picture of the closing supplies they supplied (I still have the stoppers and skimmer floatation devices). At this point, I’m pretty confident I know what to do, but I (and rightfully – my wife) think we should go off more than this video, and therefore are reaching out to you experts.

Here’s what I’ve observed (and the order in which I would complete it).

1. Do not drain any water

1. Shut-off pump

1. Drain filter housing

1. Disassemble filter housing

1. Remove filters

1. Dump antifreeze into pump

1. Reassemble filter housing (without filters)

1. Do nothing with skimmer or drain valves (I.e., remain open)

1. Install return stoppers

1. Remove skimmer baskets and install skimmer guards

1. Dump shock, two bottles of winter stain out, and copper winterizer into the deep end (off camera)

1. Turn off main power to pump

So I humbly ask you experts, am I generally on track with the steps above? Seems straightforward to me. Also, how does everyone feel about this process? The pool came out pretty clean at the beginning of the season, and they are a pretty successful company locally, so I imagine that just because the process is unique doesn’t mean it’s wrong. I guess the one thing I am apprehensive about is the shock, since no thread I've read here advises for it (SLAM fam forever).

Anyways, reassurance or words of wisdom are much appreciated.

Thanks!

Hello. I installed a Calimar 3HP VSP pump and am trying to set the priming speed and duration. I have the updated controller for use with automation (CMARVSPIB). The pump runs just fine, however it primes at 3400rpm for 5 minutes every time it starts (manual or schedule). I haven't yet connected the automation. I'm using the schedule in the pump controller. The manual says to, (after letting the water drain from the pump)
"Turn on the pump and switch to Manual mode to test Priming by operating SPEED1. Take note of the time that the water filled the PUMP HOUSING, then stop the pump. Restart the pump to set the SPEED1/Priming duration."
So that's what I did, and of course, nothing changed. I've talked with the seller (PoolSupplyUnlimited) who referred me to the sales email at Calimar. I received a reply from Calimar with the section of the manual with the priming instructions above, which didn't help. I asked Calimar for more specific steps (like do I disconnect power too?), but they went dark. Is this like setting the clock, where you have a few minutes to set speed 1 after initial powerup (or long press some keys to enter "pump prime mode)? I have speed 1 set with the correct speed and duration for priming, but the pump still runs 3400rpm 5 minutes at each startup. Does anyone here know the specific steps to set the Calimar pump priming speed and duration with the automation controller? Thanks.

Hey guys, if you take good care of your pool. Meaning the filter is optimal, the chemicals are balanced.... then should you see yellow build-up if you miss brushing for just one day? I know this probably isn't exact science, and most likely everybody is YMMV. If I miss brushing for just one day, I start to see yellow build-up, it's not obvious. But if I look for it, I can see some, and if I brush it away, you can see the yellow dirt move in the water. If I miss brushing consecutive days, then it gets more obvious. Is this normal, do you guys have to brush every day?

Good Morning,

I am swapping out my Hayward pool pumps today - unfortunately, the 18 gauge wires do not transfer over easily.

There’s a red and white pair that was on my 3200 so that went to “data-combus”. Red went to #7, and white went to #8.

The new pump doesn’t have anything that looks similar to that in the connections.

Any ideas?

Howdy y’all. First, thank you so much for all the advice you have given. It has been invaluable for us first time pool owners.
I have a 38,000 gal in-ground pool in the Texas heat that is heavily treed. My chemicals remain stable, but the cost of chlorine is killing me. I would like to install a swg, but need some advice where to install it. I’ve been looking at the Circupool Core 55, but am open to suggestions.
I’ve attached a drawing of the plumbing, and know the chlorinator needs to attach after the heater. There is a T (bypass that I don’t understand) before the heater intake that has a valve, and I’m trying to determine if it should go in that spot or directly after the heater. That goes to the hot tub which overflows into the pool, but I’ve read here that is not a great location.
I hope I have provided enough information, and any advise would be greatly appreciated!

We just installed a new Hayward pump and sand filter 22-in and I'm wondering what the proper flow rate should be for the back wash. It's much lower than the jacuzzi brand prior. Could there be a problem when I installed the laterals if done incorrectly

If you know, you know.

I’m looking for a leak and was re checking the screws on the skimmer box and jets. One split. Can I replace this under water or is this something I need to drop water level to replace.

So you think this causes a leak ?

I just bought an 18 foot summer waves premium frame pool. It is stated on the box of 6600 gallons. I really dont want to drain and fill every season. What can i do to protect the pool and leave it up in the western pa winters? I was thinking about putting styrofoam in between the legs and drain it a little below the openings for the filter. Then put a huge tarp over it. The instructions say in weather under 32 degrees to take it down. What are some opinions here? Thanks

I have had a Polaris 180 for 17 years and it has served me well. I replaced the pressure pump a few years back. It looks as if I may be replacing the Polaris 180 with the newer Polaris 280. My question is, will I also have to change out the pressure pump or will the old pump provide what is needed for the newer Polaris 280 model? As an aside, I would consider a different pool cleaner if it provided better value and capabilities versus the Polaris 280. I just have more experience with the Polaris product. Thanks in advance for any help provided. Jim

I am troubleshooting some of my paramount valet (old style 4 pin) popup cleaners.

After replacing the gear module a few still didn’t work. I got the pro tool to unscrew the ring and was able to remove the retaining ring. It was on very tight. I think when they put pebble tech in the pool epoxy got in the popup holes.

So the popup is not coming out with the ring gone. I know these should be free moving with the ring removed. A few other sin the pool I had to remove the ring and wiggle to get it unstuck and now they work.

But this one is on GOOD. I’ve banged it with a rubber mallet on the top or glancing blows, tried to pry with a screwdriver from the sides, hammer and screwdriver from the side.

Any ideas how to dislodge this bugger? I took a chunk off the top already trying to get it out.

I’ve had my swg up since Saturday and based on pool math I had it generating 1 ppm my typical loss, I did increase it yesterday when I lost 2.25 ppm. I still been adding LC daily to get it to 7.5 and I was hoping the swg would sustain my loss, but it’s not. I just checked it again and I’m down 1.25 ppm should be my typical loss without a swg.. how do I know if it’s actually generating? The lights are all good on it. I do see the bubbles coming out the returns so idk.

Hi all -

I am super excited to have found this forum and hope you guys can help me out!

We have been in this house for about a year and a half. Up until this past July we had pool service, but they did not/would not fix any of the equipment. Basically, they were dumping chlorine every time they came. Then wanted to start charging us more for the chemicals, but did not (or possibly could not) want to fix the equipment. We got rid of them and called around to try to find someone knowledgeable and reasonable for help with the equipment, as well as pool service. In the meantime, my pool turned green. My husband is busy with his brother (cancer) and I have been tasked with trying to turn our pool back to blue. I have the Taylor TF-100 test kit (received on Sept 19). Before this I received test results from either Leslie or Pinch A penny Pool. I have been trying to SLAM this pool for the last 2 week with no results. I am not sure of the pool size but we were told by Leslie that it was about 40000 gallons, in ground, gunite pool.

Yesterday, the filters were cleaned and then this morning, I did the FC and Ph test and this is what it was:
.5 -chlorine
7.5 ph

I added 2.5 gallons of liquid chlorine this morning, but then noticed, that it looks like the pool is not running. I tried to turn it on service mode, but none of the buttons will light up. We did have some folks come to try to 'fix' the equipment (back in August and then disappeared on us) and since then, my remotes don't work, so I have to go outside to do it manually, but it looks like it is not working overall.

Please let me know what information I need to post to have help on the equipment (I think it is all Jandy) OR if there is anyone in the Houston area that can refer a knowledgeable, reliable technician/service person, please pass the contact info.

I am at my wit's end, I keep buying and dumping liquid chlorine and if the filtration system doesn't work, it is all for nothing. And we are not able to enjoy our pool now that the weather is more tolerable!

This is the first season I've been responsible for my pool maintenance and I could not have done it without the help of this forum and site so thank you! I've been able to keep all my levels practically perfect and my pool has been sparkling all season (thank you liquid bleach!)...that is until the quacks arrived!

Short Version:
I have black algae covering the bottom of the pool. If i drain the pool completely and power wash it followed by cleaning the filter (cartridge - which I'll soak in muriatic acid) and slam once refilled, do we think that's sufficient?

DuckTales Edition:
Everything was great until a family of four wild ducks decided to relocate from our lake to the pool because they were having problems securing their clutch. Amazingly, with a lot of extra work and chlorine, I was still able to maintain proper levels and clarity. After several months, they were successful in hatching their clutch. Even with 8 extra ducklings floating around all was well, though I basically became a full time pool boy (probably the only benefit of being on strike all summer). Once the ducklings reached maturity, the sh*t hit the fan...literally. It was a good fight, but I've lost. As a result, we're building a pond with a bog system and will relocate the flock there. The black algae has taken over the bottom so my game plan once the pond is complete is to drain the pool completely, power wash and brush, clean the cartridge filter and slam once refilled. Any other suggestions?

And yes, all future animal guests will be referred to the pond! Thank you!

I've been scouring the threads on here regarding these lights. I have the 1 1/2 inch lights and they are now out of warranty. I have contacted Hayward and they told me to suck it. I did see some posts about another company and another about a new design from Hayward but I never actually saw a definitive answer. Is there a different company's light that will fit into the 1.5" conduit and will it work with my 300watt transformer and light controller? Does Hayward have a new design? Has anyone used it? Lastly, can someone tell me how these broken ones come out? I took cover off, but have not been able to get the light out. Do I have to disconnect the light at the transformer, tie a tag line to it and pull it all the way thru, or is it simply a bulb replacement? Hoping I can get some insight into this. I think I am going to leave it alone and try and tackle in the spring. Thanks everyone.

Hello
I just made a trip to a pool store as I didn’t find a good chlorine elsewhere. They offered me free pool test and the result came out that my phosphate is way high above the standard range. They asked me to use a phosphate remover chemical they sell, but I wanted to first check in this forum on so we really test phosphate ? My TF100 pool doesn’t even perform phosphate test and I read some pages on this website saying phosphate is only a concern if my FC/CYA ratio is not maintained and water is cloudy. I have none of those issues. Needing some guidance here. Thanks in adv.

Hello,

Pretty simple issue, but having no luck finding anything on the internet for my model by way of a manual or guide to get this going. As the title says, I have a Hayward HP31204T heat pump and it is integrated into my Hayward Omnilogic (OmniPL) system. In the app, I am unable to adjust the temperature for the pool higher than 86 degrees, however on the physical unit I am able to go as high as 104. The guides I have found for newer models indicate you have to select the mode button to go into standby and then press the temperature up & down buttons at the same time to set the max temperature for either the pool or spa mode, but my unit doesn't have a mode button, so I have no idea what the process is. I also am not sure this is an issue with the physical unit as I am able to adjust it there without an issue, but rather with the app since that is where I am capped out at 86 degrees for a temperature setting.

For troubleshooting purposes, I am running the latest 4.8 version of the firmware on the OmniPL system and the app is fully updated as well. Additionally, the heat pump is fully recognized and functional with the app, it's just this temperature cap setting I am having an issue with. I would appreciate any suggestions.

Thanks in advance,

Father Figure

Ace 1/2 HP 4080 gph Aluminum Vertical Float Switch AC Sump Pump is on sale for $29.99 Ace 1/2 HP 4080 gph Aluminum Vertical Float Switch AC Sump Pump - Ace Hardware​

Is this something good to have incase of a pump failure?

I’ve read utility pumps are favorable over these but is this decent to have?

The float valve wouldn’t be suited for complete draining but to move water or for a partial drain is this a good deal?

Is aluminum ok in the pool?

Hello everyone.

I just closed on a house with a pool, but won't be able to take possession for a month (rent back). I don't know who has been maintaining the pool so far but it looks very well kept. Of course being here I would like to take over the maintenance myself . I have been learning as much as I can before doing so.

One of the first things I want to do is convert the pool to salt. I have a TF-Pro Salt Kit and was able to get some water from the pool during the inspection. I logged the result into Pool Math to establish a baseline for how they had it. The results were,

FC = 1.5
CC = .5
pH = 7.5
TA
CH
CYA = 30
Salt = 1000
Water temp.

I know those really are meaningless because there isn't anything I can do about them at this point, just thought I would put them up. I am including photos of the pool and the pad. As you can imagine I am going to have some questions about the plumbing .

I am very glad to be here!

Hello, I have the Pentair SuperFlo VS and my PB installed 2” plumbing on both return and suction sides. However, he reduced the pipe down to 1.5” for the last 2 feet. Would this cause restriction of water flow? I ask because when I use the vacuum port he installed and turn my pump to “clean” mode (about 3200 to 3400 RPM) I seem to experience cavitation and the pump looks like it’s not getting enough water to run properly. So, my workaround has been to keep the skimmer slightly open but this makes it more difficult to vacuum. Would replacing the 2 ft of reduced PVC make a difference? I’ve also checked everything around pump for air leaks and there do not seem to be any.

This community has been so helpful in my pool journey so far. I’ve been managing my pool for about a month now and what I’ve learned here has been so valuable.

My fiberglass pool was drained last week by a pool company and a new gel coat was applied to the fiberglass.

It took about 1.5 days to refill the pool and now I’m trying to get all the chemicals situated.

CYA
————
First thing I did was put 2lb of stabilizer/CYA in the skimmer basket. I poured the granules straight in and they dissolved fairly quickly. I tested the CYA level 2 days later and still don’t have any CYA detectable on my test kit at 30ppm (as low as it goes).

1. Is this because I need to wait a week to get an accurate reading? I added an extra 1lb today because the PoolMath app said I needed 3lbs total for my 12,000 gallon pool.

2. Next time I’ll use the sock method. I got intimidated when I took an old sock out there and tried to aim the bag of stabilizer into the sock. Then I realized this site may be talking about a special kind of sock you buy at a pool store. What kind of sock can I use next time that would be wide enough to easily pour the stabilizer into?

FC
————
I’ve been adding liquid chlorine each day to maintain the level recommended in the PoolMath app but it’s getting soaked up by the sun so I’m hoping the CYA kicks in soon.

pH
——
This one tested at 7.6 which I’m pleased with.
1. Nothing to do here, right? I have Muriatic acid ready to go whenever I need it.

TA
——
This one tested at 100, a bit over the recommendation.

1. Since 90 is the high end target, should I just leave it at 100 and let it drop when I put Muriatic acid in next or go ahead and try to drop it now?

CH
——-
This is the one that has me confused. The water is brand new and my CH on 2 different tests is 100-120.

1. Is it ok to have low CH since the water is new or do I need to immediately increase it?
2. When I look in the PoolMath app, it tells me I need 26lbs of Calcium Chloride to increase it to 350ppm. That sounded like a lot and made me think I was doing something wrong. Do I need to go buy this much calcium chloride and put it in the pool?

—-
Thank you so much for any help you can give!

Blessings!

I just added a Jandy APUREM unit and a PLC1400 cell. The first 24 hours I ran it at 50%, and when I checked the FC it was at 3. I bumped it up to 70%, and now 24 hours later, it is at 3.5. It seems like I should have more than that. I'm running the pump 12 hours a day at 2400 RPM (Max 3450). Salt is at 3200ppm. Although my pool builder said my pool is 13K gallons, I suspect it is closer to 18-19K gallons due to how much chlorine or salt I've had to add to get correct numbers in the past. Anyhow, I'm hesitant to bump it up to 100% as to keep its life longer. Higher RPM, longer pump time, or cell running at 100%, what do you all suggest?

Thanks!

Hi All - Happy Friday! See attached photos. I noticed this recently in my deep end ... doesn't seem to be anywhere beyond this one area. Honestly can't tell you how long it's been there, but pool is a year old. Doesn't go away with brushing. My test from this morning is below and this is approx what my chemicals have been all year.

I don't think it's algae, but any idea what it might be? Closing pool within the next few weeks so want to address it now (if I need to). Thanks in advance!

FC - 9
TA - 70
CYA - 80
pH - 7.8
CH - 400
Salt - 3800
CSI - (0.09)

Okay, so I was about to begin SLAM on the pool, because it is very green. I did the tests using the TF-100 kit. I originally got the following test results:

6.5 FC
0.5 CC
7.5 pH
30 TA (Which I may have messed that test up, only using 10mL for sample, instead of 25mL)
200 CH
80 CYA

I used the CYA Chlorine chart and determined I needed about 4 gallons of 10% bleach to get where I needed. So I added the 4 gallons, and let it run for about 2 hours. My next test results were:

27.0 FC
0.5 CC
8.2 pH
100 TA (Definitely correct sample amount)
200 CH
140 CYA (Using diluted test procedure)

I know I'm supposed to drain the pool and refill some to bring the CYA down, but I'm a little concerned because I filled a smaller 4000 gallon pool last summer with my well water, and it instantly oxidized when I went to add chlorine, due to the metals in my well water. Now I have since gotten a water purification system for the house, so I feel a little better knowing that maybe some of those metals may be removed, but I'm a little timid about filling with well water. That is of course the only option, as I'm just trying to clear the pool up to close it for the winter.

Can someone give me some advice as to what steps they think I need to take to get myself in position to have a successful SLAM? Thanks in advance!!!!

I need to replace three Jandy nicheless lights that failed early (don’t show colors correctly anymore).

Do I need to drain the pool below the light level to avoid water flooding into the conduit? One of these is pretty deep…

About a year ago I replaced our DE filter grids (Jandy DEV60 filter). A few weeks back I replaced the entire filter, due to a crack, with an identical Jandy DEV60 filter. I'd like to re-use the old DE filter grids as the new grids go bad. Any advice on how to store the old DE filters (wrap in plastic, leave unwrapped, store inside, store in outside shed, etc)?