New to pool ownership this year. Nightmare scenario getting installed over the past 3 years. Original pool builder went bankrupt. Got another to finish me up, almost as bad as the first builder. All done now, though, with a considerable amount of personal effort from the wife and me.

Hi Friends,
We got our new vinyl pool started up and we love it but our Pentair IC-40 SWG can’t seem to get above 3000. According to the manual we should be at 3600-4000 but we are at 2980. They already replaced the salt cell once and said the first one was “bad” but I’m beginning to wonder if it’s not installed correctly when I look at the manual. We do have a booster pump Polaris cleaner so that does apply. Am I crazy or did they not install this correctly per the manual? This is all Greek to me but I don’t see the booster pump being on its own return line and the salt cell looks like it is installed horizontally not vertically. It’s also quite close to the heater. We have one payment left to give them so if this needs to be fixed, now is our opportunity.

Hi All - I read and re-read this helpful article on my hot tub chemicals. Once I hit target CYA of 20-30ppm it says to switch from Dichlor to plain old bleach. It's not clear how much bleach I should be adding to maintain my FC.

I checked Pool Math and default for bleach shows 'Bleach Percentage' as 6 ... is this the standard for most bleach products (e.g., plain old Clorox Bleach)? If so, looks like 1oz of bleach will raise FC by ~1.

Is my understanding correct? Going to try to open my hot tub this weekend. Thank you!

This is my first year as a pool owner. Next week I have a company coming out to close our pool. And next spring, I'm scheduled to have my pool liner replaced.

Because I'm getting a new liner put in before next season, do I need to worry so much about keeping the pool water balanced and shocking it prior to when they come out to close it next week? Is there anything I need to do before then or can I just kinda let it go?

Latest test results:
pH: 7.5
TA: 110
FC: 4
CH: 125
CYA: 65

40x20ft 33K gal // in-ground vinyl // Pentair Superflo VS pump // 680 sqft cartridge filter

Thanks so much! You all are amazing!

I started the process to close my inground pool. I was letting the water drop with out adding any to keep the skimmer functioning. I decided to vacuum today and that was going fine. I was able to put the vacuum hose into the skimmer, I had a hose running in the skimmer to make sure it maintained good suction. All went well, finished vacuuming and got everything ready to back wash when I noticed that the motor and pump were running but there was no water going through the filter and back into the pool. Zero pressure. I shut everything off for a while and turned the pump back on and it was running but no water was going through the pump and filter. I had turned off the skimmer valve off because the water level was too low to keep the skimmer running without sucking air. I have been doing this for several days and just using the main drain to filter the pool water. Any way, with the skimmer valve turned off it would start pulling water from the skimmer until it would start sucking air because the water level was not high enough to keep it filled up. It is scaring me because the valve is turned off but the pump is still trying to pull water from the skimmer line. There is no water coming from the main drain at all. It was working fine until I finished vacuuming and then it just stopped. Any ideas?

Our pool is flooded in the last hurricane with salt levels in excess of 9000 after draining off 1/3 and replacing with fresh water. Tested via handheld. Drained off again 75%. Refilled with fresh water level by tester 2800. Activating system, called for cell inspection, and cleaning did both cannot reset by holding the diagnostic button for three seconds. Ran through the instructions for recalibration. It clicks and push the button five times and 100 comes up sometimes 200 comes up but the numbers don’t change. It is an aqua right Hayward installed mid 2018. power was cut to the system prior to the flooding. The control unit is at a level where it did not see water. Help ?

I did take a sample to the local pool store, and added alkalinity, increaser, shocked with chlorine and stabilizer.

Hello,

I'm trying to blow out my lines and need a little help. I have a blower hooked up to the skimmer line from the skimmer box side (threaded in). Here's the state of my system:

1. Water level below returns, side drain, and skimmer.
2. Cartridge filter removed
3. Drain valve closed
4. Floor drain closed
5. Blower hooked up to skimmer box (threaded in)

I was expecting the blower to be able to blow water all the way through the system and back out the return lines. Even when I opened up the pump, I couldn't feel any air flow. Is it possible that the bounce house blower I'm using does not have enough HP to push the water through?

I've read up on people doing this with shop vacs so I figured this would be enough. Appreciate your thoughts.

Hello,
We are planning on closing our pool mid-October and have used our autocover the past two winters. I have seen these safety covers on Amazon and have thought of getting one to save wear on the auto cover. Has anyone used any of these covers? They seem much cheaper than other places online and don’t want to throw money away if they aren’t worth it. We stil have anchors from an older cover we used to have so maybe they would fit a new cover. Here are a couple of the covers I have looked at.


Any input is appreciated.

Thanks!

My glass fencing has quite a few water marks. I thought that cleaning with my electric car polisher (see below) might makes things easier?



I also got some instructions from AI as follows:

Using an electric car polisher to clean a glass pool fence is an interesting idea. The key is to make sure that you're doing it safely and effectively. Here are some steps and precautions to consider:

1. **Check the Tool's IP Rating**: Before using any electric tool near water, ensure it has an appropriate IP (Ingress Protection) rating for the environment. Generally, electric car polishers aren't designed to be used around water, so there's a risk of electric shock.

2. **Select the Right Pad**: Use a soft, non-abrasive foam or microfiber pad to avoid scratching the glass.

3. **Cleaning Solution**: Instead of just water, consider using a mixture of water and a few drops of dish soap. This will help break down any dirt or grime more effectively. Alternatively, there are specific glass cleaning solutions available which might be more effective.

4. **Technique**:
* Wet the glass surface with the cleaning solution.
* Dab the polisher pad into the cleaning solution so it's damp but not dripping wet.
* Start the polisher at a low speed and gently work on the glass in an overlapping motion.
* Do not apply too much pressure; let the machine do the work.

5. **Safety Precautions**:
* Never immerse the polisher in water.
* Avoid splashing water onto the motor or electrical parts of the polisher.
* Wear rubber-soled shoes to minimize the risk of electric shock.
* Use a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) outlet to further reduce the risk of electric shock.

6. **Post-Cleaning**: After you've polished/cleaned the glass, rinse it with clean water and then use a squeegee or microfiber cloth to wipe off any residues and prevent streaks.

7. **Maintenance**: Always clean and dry your polisher and its pads after use to extend their lifespan and maintain effectiveness.

While using a car polisher can speed up the process and potentially give you a streak-free finish, always ensure safety first. If you're unsure, you might want to consider traditional methods like a squeegee and microfiber cloth for cleaning glass surfaces.

Click to expand...

Anyone have any thoughts if this is a good idea or a stupid idea?

I bought a house in the Palm Springs area with a pool. I paid years of maintenance, but NEVER went into the pool. It was too big, too deep, and too dirty. I had twice-weekly pool service but the trees in the adjoining property would drop leaves, flowers, and pollen even as the pool man was cleaning it. I kept it up because I didn’t know what to do with the pool, however, during Covid I drained the pool and it has since turned into a biology experiment with life ready to crawl out of the murky shallows. For three years I have been looked out onto my own primordial ecosystem waffling between filling it in (No! You can’t have a home in the desert without a pool, and it costs almost as much to fill it in) to renovating it (why put money into someone I didn’t use because it was too big, and too deep [the trees from the joining property is gone now]), to rebuilding it (what do you mean $250K for a new pool?).

Dear husband is no help. He was a proponent of filling in the pool (he doesn’t swim, he isn’t handy, and he agrees it is too big and too deep [dirty doesn’t bother him as much as it bothers me]). After three years we HAVE to decide what to do. I am leaning more towards a pool of some sort. I was excited to learn about fiberglass (lower maintenance, don’t have to resurface, fast installation), but no one here in the desert has one and pool service people don’t know how to maintain one. DH is still no help. After three years of listening to me waffling he just says do whatever you want.

I want a pool. I just don’t know what kind and I don’t know if will I regret getting one.

I am here to learn and become an informed pool owner. I would like a rectangular pool that is approximately 12X28 and 3-5 deep. My current concrete swamp is a Grecian shaped 16.5X36 and 9 feet deep (are there any home builders on this site? Could this be a basement for a guest house?). Beyond that, I am overwhelmed with finish, coping, cover, equipment, algae, raised edge, Cabo shelf, and tile.

I just got here so there are a lot of posts and threads I will need to catch up on. Thank you in advance to all you experts willing to share your insights. Hoping my decision for a pool won’t sink me!

Hey Everyone!

Just curious if there's any members in or near Ontario Canada that own Heat Pump Heaters, and what your operational costs look like vs Natural Gas Heaters (if you previously owned one). My gas heater is about 10 years old and I don't plan on replacing next season or anything, but in the event of a major failure and it's not worth fixing, I'm really leaning towards heat pump.

Our natural gas prices continue to rise, and I've seen some nasty gas bills this past summer. We like to keep our pool around 82-85 all season long so you can imagine my 250,000btu gas heater is getting a workout. We would consistently see gas bills of $400 or more per month. I'm curious what a typical heat pump owner is paying in hydro per month.

Thanks!

Been reading and lurking here for our consideration to convert to SWG system. Liquid Chlorine has gone thru the roof and is hard to even get late in the season. 32K Gal IG Pool. Seems fairly straightforward, but I have a few questions -

- We don't have a Variable Speed Pump. That should NOT be an issue, right? We run the pump (summer) 8 hours a day.
- We have an IG pool that is cement formed, but Sprayed on Fiberglass. Is a SWG system compatible with FIBERGLASS?
- I and pretty sure that the entire system is PVC. If ANY connection happens to be Copper , does that present a concern?

Thanks in advance. I'm sure I'll have additional questions as we proceed.

Hello All,
A service call on my 8 yr old Hayward Heater resulted in it getting red tagged and shut down. The tech said the CO levels hit 650ppm, and says the heat exchanger is likely 'clogged'. Says he can attempt to remove and service the heat exchanger, but recommends to just replace the whole heater.

I am by no means an expert, but to my understanding, the heat exchanger is a closed system full of water that sits above the burner. I am unclear how any failure of the heat exchanger could cause CO levels. Would it not more likely be related to a problem with the burners? The explanation given sounds more related to a home furnace where a cracked heat exchanger allows the air to mix

Not opposed to replacing the full unit, just want to ensure I am acting on good advice.

Heater is Natural Has, Pool is Salt.

Hi! I know there are many similar posts from this season and years past but I wanted to get feedback on my plan. I've opened my pool by myself before (with help from TFP), but never closed it. I'm nervous. A big shout out to Newdude, who has already talked me through some of the preliminary steps.

I have a 15x30 in-ground pool. One skimmer. Dual main drain. Three returns. Cartridge filter. SWG.

1) Balanced water. Add correct dose of polyquat 60, circulate.
2) Robot to get rid of debris
3) Drain pool water to four inches below returns. Remove skimmer basket and return eyeballs.
4) ?turn off power at circuit breaker
5) Turn valve to close off main drain, but open up skimmer
6) Use Cyclone blower with hose in skimmer- turn on until no more water through returns. (I have short hose and adapter)
7) Turn valve to close skimmer and open main drains
8) Cyclone on until no longer seeing bubbles from pool floor
9) While cyclone is still on, turn valve to close off main drain for air lock (do I turn this back to open skimmer or to closing inlet)
10) RV antifreeze in 3 returns. Plug returns. Antifreeze in skimmer (down skimmer hole and also in area that would house basket in summer).
11) Gizzmo in skimmer
12) Add extra empty bottles to skimmer to take up space? Add an empty bottle with a little antifreeze to place where weir door usually is (I heard about that on YouTube, might be silly)
13) Remove all plugs from equipment.
14) Cover pool (hopefully with my husband's help, as I almost fell into the pool when I opened it alone)

Questions:
a. Do I remove filter cartridges before step 4?
b. In other threads, I've read 'filter set to recirculate'. I don't know what that means. Is that something I have to do with cartridge filter?

Thanks so much for looking. I can take pictures of the equipment tomorrow if needed

I have a long run (~130 ft) to pull a globrite wire. I want to use lube to facilitate the pull.

A couple of questions:
- What lube should I use?
- How should I use it?

I've done a bit of research and this is what I found:

I see folks recommending Liquid Dawn, others some 3M product.

I was assuming that I have to drop it in the conduit from the junction box, and then add water so it "pushes" the lube towards the niche/pool?

My run goes down and then back up again towards the pool, so I probably need to seal the feeding side to make sure the lube is better pushed past the lower section?

But then if Liquid Dawn isn't this going to create soapsuds that will make a mess on the junction box side? How do I make sure it reaches the other end of the conduit on the pool side? Liquid Dawn is going to be very diluted once it gets there and it doesn't really have any color I could spot. Perhaps a viscosity check with the hand is all I need?

If using a "real wire puller lube" such as 3M, is it an issue if too much of it gets into the pool? Health or equipment dangers?

Should I start the pull without lube and only add the lube once I start needing to exert too much pulling force?

Sorry for what it sounds like dumb questions, but I'm not able to find these specific answers on the forum or even the internet at large (google/youtube, etc).

Thanks in advance!

Our Easytouch 8 board appears to be fried. Our pool guy came out and said we need a new transformer (Pentair 521082) and motherboard (Pentair 520657). I’m fairly handy and would like to try and do it myself. He wants $100 a hour to do it but said he thinks I could do it since I’ve done a lot of work on our pool myself already. It seems like an unhook, plug and play into new parts but don’t want to jack it up.

I can’t find a YouTube vid on how to do it. Do you guys have any links or info on easiest way to replace it other than take pictures of original and then switch it out?

And is there an order in which we should do it? Not sure if both are fried so thought I would replace transformer first and see if the original motherboard powered up but that might not be best method. Thank you all for your expertise! Love this forum!!

My next door neighbor is getting a pool installed and the water is scheduled to go in next Wednesday. In Ohio this is right in time to have to close the pool. My neighbor has always said I have the nicest water she has ever seen in a pool and wants me to help her with her water. (Thanks TFP!) I am happy to do this because she will become a TFP disciple and never get “pool stored.” The pool will have a SWG. i have the pool app so I can figure out amounts for her but what levels do I bring the chemistry too? Do I need to put enough CYA in to bring it to 60 or much less and then balance it in the spring? Do I put the salt in now or just bring the pool to Slam level and close it down? Just not sure what to do with new water when the pool will be closed soon. Any suggestions would be helpful. Thanks!

I am in the same boat, for some reason this year. We have had a lot of rain but i have tried to boost 3-4 times but the test results still show no chlorin. I shocked it today but not sure I want to use the shock method once a week.

Unit has been installed for 5 years, I have cleaned the cell which looks good, cables look good. Next steps would be the flow sensor?

Here are the test results from the pool company

Free Chlorine 0
pH 7.8
Alkalinity 133 ppm
Adjusted Alkalinity 122 ppm
Calcium Hardness 109 ppm
Cyanuric Acid 37 ppm
Total Iron 0 ppm
Copper 0 ppm
Phosphate 1890 ppb
Salt 2611 ppm

24 000 G pool

I'm a salt newbie! I used my SWG 3 days last season before we closed the pool just to see if it worked and this year I haven't used it yet - all done by LC so far. I cracked open the last bottle this weekend and figured lets get the pool ready for the SWG. I tested the salt using the Taylor salt water kit today and the first test indicated I had 1200 PPM and the second test indicated I had 1400 PPM ... the last time I tested for salt was in May and after fluctuating a couple of days it settled around 3000 PPM. Other than rain and possibly the pool discharging water from the skimmer no other water was added/removed - the pool is higher due to the rain but not enough to dilute the salt 1600 PPM.

Is it possible we lost that much salt due to rain? I was expecting to add 40 lbs of salt to raise it slightly due to dilution and/or water loss which I did but that's only 350 ish PPM, I have another 5-6 bags to go? This seems odd to me!

I'm visiting the site to inquire of other's input on a hot tub heating conversion approach. See signature or profile for other details.

Working on converting a 425 gallon CalSpa hottub 84x84x48 from electric heat (5.5 kW) to tankless water heater natural gas fired on recirculating closed loop to heat exchanger.

I'm hoping to find others that would understand the difficulty of setting up a typical condensing tankless water heater, to do a closed loop at about 6.5 GPM hot side flow. The target would be to use the tankless to manage a closed loop on demand at 145 deg. F. This should allow the target of 2 degrees per minute heating on the hottub side of the circuit (bath temp NTE 104 deg. F.).

Thanks to any of the experienced members who might have some input to the issues involved.

The problem appears to be making sure to include an expansion tank and pressure regulator to insure the heater isn't over-pressured or will shut down heater on a hot loop side rupture.

Additionally, there is concern of the minimum temperature delta on the heater side of the circuit. It seems tankless heaters don't want to see high temperature input water, (assumes well or municipal cold water coming in). The heater side of the loop would potentially see nearly a full set- point output temp coming back in the water inlet returning from the heat exchanger as the cold (pool) side exchanger temperature rises, (depending on the exchanger flow and efficiency). Most tankless want something like 20-34 degree F. delta in that respect. I assume this has to do with protecting the combustion exposure on the heater's internal heating circuit, from over-heating.

Tankless heaters typically have a self contained computer controller with limited user inputs. The design above likely requires the ability to deter unwanted shutdowns (such as inlet overtemp), but also create emergency or cycling shut downs to control the entire system if there is a tub or re-circulation issue.

Hopefully some of the contributors here have some experience or advisement on the approach.
Otherwise I might be stuck with using a more commercial "boiler" design intended for recirculated hot side loops, as in rapid hydronic heating or embedded floor heating.

Thank you again for any input. I'll gladly document the results here for the benefit of others.

So I totally cleaned out the Pentair DE filter last week for the first time, recharged with the recommended 6 pounds of DE and turned on the Dolphin the next day. The Dolphin filter had a lot of white sandy sediment in it, like in the photo, and this has continued all week through three more cycles. Is this normal? Does the DE have that much extra filler in it for packing purposes? Thanks.

Hello everyone. I have an in ground fiberglass pool that needs some refreshing. The blue color is fading in areas. The tile between the pool and cement needs help possible replacing and the mastic (I guess that is what it is) between the tile and cement also needs replacing. I am in the Charlotte NC area and am looking for companies that do this type of work. Any recommendations would be appreciated!!

Hi all,
Building a pool / spa in the Tampa area and ideally want to chill the pool in Summer. The pool builder suggests a heat / cool pump which requires 80A power and will be crazy expensive to run. I'm thinking of installing a Glacier pool chiller but the high humidity may not allow this. Any thoughts or experiences welcome. Thanks in advance

in ground pool, pebble finish, SWG.

Last weekend I noticed what seemed to be very fine dirt on the sides and bottom of the pool and then tested the water to see that the FC had fallen to only 1. I slammed the pool for 3 days, and then elevated to mustard algae shock level for my CYA (70). However, I then realized that I had not run all my accessories so I activated my open bowl fountains. These collect lots of organic matter, and the initial discharge from them was nasty. This introduction of more bad stuff brought more dusty material to the bottom and sides of the pool, so I have been trying to maintain the algae shock level.

I have disinfected any toys that go into the pool, removed the pool light to blow out its recess, have laundered all bathing suits and washed all towels.

I saw a 10ppm FC drop overnight (with pump running), and the same dusty stuff on the pool bottom & sides this morning, albeit a bit less. The water is definitely clearer, but I can't seem to get rid of the algae. I have been brushing a ton and maintaining my FC. Does the chlorine kill the algae on its own, or does the mechanical action of brushing stir it up and then the chlorine kills it? Does it "die" and then I need to vacuum the dusty debris out or will it fully clear up once its been killed?

Should I just keep at it, or do I need to try something else?

Thanks

I have a 19000-gallon inground vinyl pool with a automatic cover. It is covered except when swimming.
I added a swg last year. The ph tends to go down. I have to aerate every week or so. Do I need to raise my TA?

FC 7
PH 7.7 down to 7.4 then I aerate.
TA 120
CYA 50

The straps from our winter cover our leaving black marks on our stamped pad around our pool. We have our pool closed every season by the pool company that installed the pool. This will be our 3rd pool’s closing coming up. I wanted to reseal our concrete decking before we close this season but I need to get these marks out first. I have tried power washing these marks off with no luck. I also used mineral spirits and a wire brush but the marks/stains just seem to move out with the mineral spirits (pic below) Does anyone have this problem with their straps leaving marks on their decking? Any help in resolving my issue would be greatly appreciated!

I have a bestway 18ft round pool an planned to winterize until I was told ohios winter will only harm the liner so now I jeed to know how to store it. I have a Rubbermaid shed and a small concrete shed so I need to figure out what size tote or patio storage box or Xmas tree container that can hold the liner..please send links and information thanks.

Hello,

I have a Siemens LOGO starter kit with an additional analogue output module. My idea is to build the logic to run a small AGP with the ability to remotely monitor and, if needed, manually control it (web and remote HMI). This will be a new build including the pool.

I am going to be controlling a single phase to 3 phase VFD with the 0-10v output of the analogue module, with the VFD powering a 3 phase pool pump. The only other output at the moment will be to a SWCG (on/off).

Inputs will be temperature, pressure x2, pH and a combined (multiple types) Chlorine sensor. I need to get some more Analogue input modules for these.

I was wondering if anybody has used the LOGO system for such control and logic as described roughly above, and what their experience with it was like. I know that these systems are extensively for commercial and industrial water systems. The price of the modules etc however brings them into our reach.



Tony

I have an intellicenter with the I10D expansion board and it resets itself 2-3 times a week. It is resetting the date and time, so once the reset happens it starts back up but with the wrong time and date, therefore my schedules don't run accurately. Any ideas as to why the thing would reset itself? The panel is mounted on the west side of a shop and so the sun hits it most of the day, I was wondering if it could overheat and trip itself. I have never seen this so I was also wondering if it could be a faulty personality board.

UPDATE - We finally got started on this project. Link below to later post in the thread:


Builder: Aquaterra (best combination of bid+ experience +design aesthetic alignment)
—————————
Excavation - June 28 to July 8
Drilling piers - Unfortunately, drilling for concrete piers hit ground water at 9 feet, so had to redo the engineering and also switch to like 40 helical piers (increased cost +++, of course, also excavation cost of 2x).
Rough stub plumbing and electrical - July 16 to July 28
Rebar (double matte) - July 18 to July 27 - extended to August 2 to increase basin depths and then more work through august then to sept to work through new engineering certifications plus deal with cave-ins from excessive rain
Gunite 12" walls and floors - September 30
Gunite waterproofing and yard grading - October 4
Long gas lines run - Oct 9
Long plumbing and stub electrical, cut channel for acrylic panel - Oct 13
Acrylic panel installed - Oct 18
Electrical inspection - Oct 20
Basecrete application and begin feature wall and in step pad bases - Oct 20
Tile and Cabana framing - Nov-Dec
Deck framing and gravel done - Jan 2023
Drainage done and tied in - Jan 2023
Surge basin concrete cap done - Jan 2023
Footers poured - Jan 2023
Retaining wall excavation started - Jan 2023
Sport court excavation underway - rebar is next - Jan 2023
Sport court slab and retaining wall completed - Feb 2023
Waterproofing of feature wall and planters - Feb 2023
Deck in progress - Feb 2023
Mostly tile work - March 2023
- Feature wall tile in process
- In pool planters
- Fire pit surround tile
- Finish waterline tile
April 2023
- Grading, and more grading.
- Concrete pads formed up
- Rear steps roughed out
- Cabana step downs roughed in
- Infratech WD60 heaters and flush mounts boxed in (2 in cabana, 4 in existing patio)
- Existing patio demoed for new tongue and groove ceiling.
- Cabana cabinets roughed in
- Various tile work continues
May 2023
- concrete work, pads, and bases
- 24 foot water fall fixture
- stone step pads
- sport court installed
- stucco retaining and feature walls
July 2023
- pre plaster shell prep, cleaning and fittings
- landscaping started (beds, retaining walls, holly trees planted)
- irrigation almost done
- screening fences started
- cabana coming along finally (stucco in process, counters installed, and counter face tile done, t&g ceiling done, shade structure in fabrication)
- t&g ceiling done in existing patio
- plaster and acid wash
——————————

Howdy, y'all. We are are in DFW and we are bidding out our pool/backyard. I have been following this board intently as we finally finished design (fourth designer was the charm)

Sorry, I don't have render shots. I only have a screenshot of the plans and the video link ( Login to view embedded media ).

Advice, criticism and thoughts all solicited and welcome. We have one bid and it's pretty shocking (attached). We will be getting two more. Thoughts?