Background info: 26k gallon gunite/pebbletec pool that is almost 3 years old. I’ve always done the maintenance, following the TFP guidelines. Pentair cartridge filter that I clean regularly, SWCG running to spec and I maintain FC between a low of 4 and a high of 7. I’m usually falling in the 5-6 ppm range. I keep the pH between 7.6-7.8 by testing and adding acid regularly. Alkalinity is within spec but my calcium hardness has slowly risen steadily since we installed the pool 3 years ago, currently around 650 ppm.

In the summer, I keep the temp at 86 degrees with solar heating.

Ok, so the pool was quite cloudy last summer and I attributed this to algae. I SLAM’d the pool at the end of the season and got more diligent watching the pH, and the water was CRYSTAL clear all winter. As we started to use the pool again in June, I noticed that the cloudiness issue was beginning to reappear, and it seemed to coincide with the increasing temperature, not necessarily use. This summer, I been testing the FC nearly every day and it’s consistently in the 5-6 ppm range. As such, I am inclined to think this is not an algae problem.

The cloudiness isn’t terrible, but it’s obvious and the best way I can describe it is the way the Taylor CYA test liquid looks when you first start to add that to the final sample. Like, I can see toys at the bottom of the pool just fine, but it is obviously cloudy and it bugs me.

I’ve never tested phosphate, someone told me that is the culprit (I don’t believe him). I’ve also been told it’s the high calcium, but I see friends’ pools in the neighborhood that have higher calcium than mine, and they are totally clear. I don’t think I have calcium precipitating out of solution or anything like that, at this pH.

I did use the Clorox brand water clarifier at the start of the summer, when I first began to notice the issue, and it helped (for a few days). I don’t like adding stuff to the water, but I’m tempted to try that again. But if the cloudiness is due to some sort of gunk getting in the pool.. it just seems strange that it only happens in the summer. There is less debris in my backyard this time of year.

Any other ideas what it could be? Does the anecdotal correlation to increased water temperature set off any alarm bells in your head? What am I missing?

Before i go full crazy/over kill, looking for some direction/suggestions...

I have a 13500G in ground pool, with a single speed 3/4HP, Jandy CS150 Filter, and a Jandy TruClear SWG. have a plain Intermatic panel 40A panel with transformer for the 2 lights. It works well, and in the 3 years we've had the pool, i've really just replaced the filter, and cleaned the SWG Cell 2x. pH continuously climbs to above 8, but (thanks to the forum) is "normal" for SWG, and add a quart of muriatic almost weekly. Once a week (or so) brush it down, empty the baskets, and hose down the filter, and the Dorado keeps it fairly clean (when it's not choking on Mango leaves/seeds). It does like getting stuck on the corner of the steps. If i had valve control, i could probably close the valve, let it fall, and then resume...would probably just program a "stop" every few hours and have the happen automatically...

I'm not sure i can control the JVA's the way i'm thinking, as per the manual they seem to be "locked" into certain functions, but maybe (hopefully) I'm wrong...

I'm thinking of doing this in a few stages (don't have $15k to dump at once):
- Stage 1 - ($2k) is to get the iQ904-P, get 1 JVA (assuming i can drain on demand) , Connect lights, and get basic control. Or maybe get the IQ904-PS (which includes 2 JVAs)
- Stage 2 - ($3k) Variable Speed Pump (What to get?) & replace the other 3 valves & JVA's (Drain, skimmer, cleaner) i have so that i can control remotely.
- Stage 3 - ($2k?) add the TruDose pump w/Acid Tank...not sure the TruClear i have works with this
- Stage 4 - ($5k) Add Heat/Chill Pump. (The pool is way too warm in summer so the chiller will be doing major duty i think, and for the heat just need to take the edge off for our "winters")

TIA,
Carlos

Hello fellow pool owners! I have a 18000 gallon gunite/plaster pool with a Jandy cv460 pump. I’m a long time pool owner in prior homes but no expert. I cannot seem to get my pump pressure to stay lower than 25 psi. I have changed the filters, new breather tube, checked the diverter and the pool chemicals are good! I would appreciate any thoughts or ideas I could check. Thanks

Hi: I have a Taylor K2005-C test kit. I have trouble with the disappearing black dot when testing for the presence of CYA. Is there a better way to test for this pool element?

Thank you.

I have what I hope is an easy question re programming my iAqualink 3.0.

I have a Jandy VSP ePump, 600-3450 rpm. Filtration schedule set to run at 2000 most of the day with two periods of 2800 rpm to help with skimming. All of this works fine.

We have "water features" (spa overflow, scupper) powered off the same pump. When we're enjoying the pool, we like to have the water features turned up for aesthetic purposes. I set up a One Touch scene which, when activated, increases the pump speed to full 3450.

For some reason, when I turn the "water feature" scene off, the pump doesn’t return to filtration mode but simply turns off. I have to manually turn the filter pump back on, and if I forget, there’s no water filtration until I notice the water isn’t circulating and manually turn it back on.

FWIW, when I turn on the "water feature" setting, both the "water feature" one-touch icon and the filter pump icon are lit. When I turn off the water feature setting, the filter pump icon turns off as well.

Behavior is the same whether I manually turn off the water feature or have a timer turn it off automatically.

Is there any way to have the system return to filtration mode when the one-touch scene is turned off?

Thanks.

Greetings from NE Florida. Have been a first time pool owner since late 2020 (bought a home with a pool). Pool is a 9000 gallon cement pool with a pebbletec like finish. Have been through a heat exchanger replacement, salt cell replacement and cartridge filter replacement and now facing a pool pump replacement. The joys of pool ownership !!

I am doing a new pool build in Queen Creek (Southeast Phoenix), Its a 16 x 32 roman style, 6 ft deep in the middle, with a baja step - no spa. I used BYOP .net based in Mesa, worked with Roy for design and John for equipment. Made a few changes along the design path with no extra charges. They are not cheap, but do a great job, are responsive and the design went through City permitting first time, no issues.

The challenge has been getting responses from Subs. I would send emails and never get responses. It ended up being better to call them, but then maybe a 40% response rate. Once I found a Sub I felt was qualified (I have done hands-on commercial electrical and plumbing work as part of my career for 30 years) getting his recommendation for the other trades provided the best results. The subs all know each other and work jobs together.

So far I have the following scheduled:
Layout 12/27
Excavation 12/28
Plumbing 1/4
Rebar Tentative 1/6
Electrical TBD -
Shotcrete - TBD

The challenge as others have said is Shotcrete. Prices are about the same ($13K - $310/Yd) but none of the contractors will provide even a tentative date util after inspection. I know the phoenix area has a concrete shortage due to all the commercial construction, but it makes it tough to schedule.

Does anyone on the Forum have recent experience with a Shotcrete company you could recommend?

Thank you,

Bob

Hey All,
So I have gone down the SWG rabbit hole and have learned a lot here... However I am still at a loss on what SWG to buy, so I am looking for some guidance. I am a new pool owner, the house a purchased has an 18,000 gal in-ground pool that is currently using chlorine tablets in an automatic chlorinator. I want to change over to salt water, the previous owner used pool chemicals from a pool store and I would like to not do that and have a more DIY approach. Can you all help lead me in the right direction? I will be installing it myself. Thanks!

Hi all,

I am working to design a new pool and I am trying to decide on lights. I am going to go with Pentair equipment, so I am trying to pick between the Pentair IntelliBrite vs GloBrite vs MicroBrite. I just can't seem to find a good source to compare these lights. Does anyone have a good source for more education on these (besides Pentair's website, which is relatively sparse)?

I have read that the GloBrites use a proprietary niche, which makes many people dislike them, so I am currently leaning away from these (which is what the PB I am most interested in so far has as their default lights). For IntelliBrite versus MicroBrite, the obvious difference appears to be the size of the bulb, but I'm not sure what to do with this information. Should I be looking at X number of IntelliBrite vs Y number of MicroBrite vs some mix of both types? For reference, the design we are working with is a freeform pool that is 45' x 26', with depths of 4' for about half of the pool, then grading down to a 7' deep end.

Good day TFP Team!

This is my first post however; I have been a member long enough to adopt the TFP way. This marks my full season and to have truly adopted it. My pool has never been more clear and has never been such little work. I have learned a tremendous amount from all of the contributors here and wish I had found this forum long before I was "pool stored" many times.

A high level estimate now has me spending approximately $100/year versus $500/year in needless chemicals.

I am now in the process of converting some neighbors and family to TFP. There was lots of interest at the last BBQ.

Thanks again!

Pool temp 92. Water sprinkling from fountain at bottom of stream: 91. It's powered from hose bib on pump.

I guess I need to see my fountain GPM to see how long that takes to lower my 30k gallons a single degree.

But really.. I'll probably only run this at night/morning when the temperature difference is bigger. Was a cheap experiment either way. Thanks TFP.

Good morning,
I have a dolphin M5 that has an issue. One sides drive motor will not go backwards.
1) in one direction it travels straight and both tracks spin.
2) in the opposite direction only one track spins
3) the corresponding turn only works in one direction
4) this happens whether you are in auto mode or remote control mode

Obviously this makes the unit perform marginally at best. Does anyone have any ideas or thoughts on potential root cause and fixes?

Thanks,
Jon

Have had a Dorado for a few years now. Other than replacing the skirt seal, and pulling large leaves, Mango seeds, and a few small branches, it does well. Time to replace the skirt seal again, and since I was on here looking for other stuff, figured I'd ask. We have an oak, and a Mango tree. The oak leaves float, while the mango leaves sink almost instantly. The Dorado seems to do ok, but will eventually get stuck a few times a week. Mostly leaves will get sucked up and end up in the filter basket. In early spring, i will easily scoop out 2-3 full nets of leaves several times a week...in addition to emptying the filter basket every other day.

Wondering if anything else can handle large leaves any better? WIsh there was a "leaf disposal unit" to shred them up...

I have a suction side port, so would prefer to use, but if one of those robotic ones will get less stuck, then i may look into, but based on a few other comments I've read, seems that the baskets are fairly small.

Lately it likes to get stuck on the last step, and doesn't move (the flapper "bites" into the corner) until the pump turns off, and then falls to bottom, and starts moving in the morning...

TIA,

Carlos.

During these hot summer days, I'm often topping off the water my pool every day or two and adding liquid chlorine and muriatic acid daily. Since the addition of any of the above requires time to thoroughly mix and since most people would add chemicals after the day of swimming is done, I'm wondering how you Texans (and pool owners in other HOT climates) manage your daily additions and allow for ample mixing time to test and show accurate results of pool chemistry.

Would you top off at the beginning of the day, test after swimming in the evening, add MA or Chlorine first (? - has it been determined that adding liquid chlorine DOES NOT have an effect on pH), allow the chemicals to mix for a certain period of time and then test to get an accurate assessment of chemical balance and CSI?

Thanks!

So I went on vacation and I assume within a couple of days of returning my flow sensor got chewed through. Chlorine was at .05. No green or visible algae, but I'm sure it's there. I repaired it and set it to super chlorinate until I could pick up some liquid chlorine (sodium hypochlorite 12.5%). I've been putting 3 gallons in my 14,000 gallon above ground and it's going through it in a few hours. The problem I have now is that it is lowering the Ph and has since I installed it this year. I was under the impression it would raise the ph, but I've only had to add ph+ the entire summer. Does this sound right?

To expand on the chlorine, the pool is 92 due to the heatwave. The SWG should be making 2lbs a day on top of the 5 gallons of liquid I put in. Am I just going through a natural process to fix the problem or is something else going on?

Cyanuric acid less than 30
alkalinity 9
ph 7

I have a heyward 1HP pump for an 18ft AGP. In a recent issue with my xfinity line, the tech said there is voltage at my ground wire in my main panel. Circuit by circuit , the voltage only went away when my pump was unplugged. So, the pump is giving off voltage on its ground, which is effecting (when plugged in) the hazardous condition at the ground wire that fried my coax line from xfinity. I wonder if anyone has knowledge of this occurring in a pump, who repairs this? Is heyward going to help?

My brother bought the Aiper Seagull Pro cordless and gave me his old Dolphin Premier. The Dolphin still does a great job. Our pool is a big rectangle with a 2nd step baja to one side and hidden stairs. The Dolphin manages to get to everything. We had pretty big thunderstorms in the desert last night and the pool was a mess. Pristine by lunch.

I just replaced my T-cell 15 Turbo cell with a new T-cell 15. When the system begins to run I get this message, "Chlorinator Off High Salt/Amps." Then later in the messages I get, "Check System High Salt/Amps." I checked the instant salt reading and it is 4800, which I know is way too high. I took a water sample to the local pool store and they said my salt is 2800.

I already drained a foot off my pool and added fresh water.

is the system reading the slat level correctly? Should I add more fresh water?

HI:

We just purchased a home with the attached pool controls but am unable to figure out how to only heat the spa and not drain it or heat the pool. Any assitance is greatly appreciated.

Controls include
Pool Main Drain, Cleaner, Skimmer, Spa Main Drain
Spa Return, Pool Return, Return

Thank you so much.

My OCP just asked me to update to Firmware 2.017.
Now my filter pump will not turn on.

Pump: Pentair Intelliflo VF pump 011012.
The display on the pump says: Display Not Active, which is normal.
If I put the panel into Service mode, I can operate the pump normally, using the pump panel.

If I roll back the firmware to 1.067, the pump works fine.

I do hear a quiet "click" on the pump panel about every 30 seconds. Any ideas?

I have a 17 year old sta-rite 400 that has never had a problem. We’re in Texas so we haven’t asked much of it. Recently got a service light and the panel light indicates AFS. I shorted the switch and it turned the light off, blew in in the intake tube and that turned the light off too so it doesn’t seem to be the switch. The blower makes no noise at all at any point. Doesn’t even hum. No rat nests and all the wires seem intact. All the signs seem to point to a dead blower motor - anything else I should check?

We have owned our pool for a bit over 20 years. Recently finished upgrading all our equipment - variable vs constant speed pump, cartridge vs sand filter, added a heat pump and converted to SWG for sanitization. Our water has never been clearer. In the process of learning how to care for a saltwater pool, I discovered TFP. So far I like what I've read and like the approach. Have always felt the process of keeping the water balanced was too complicated and have recently begun to question the test results and advice I get from the local pool supply store. I've always had a problem with high CYA and now understand the culprit is the chlorine tabs I've been using and not once did the store tell me I should try liquid chlorine or some other method. We have an automated cover for child safety and to prevent evaporation and cooling in our high desert environment and keep the pool covered when it is not in use. Partially draining and refilling the pool several times a season isn't a good practice here in a low water environment. My neighbor was the one who recommended the SWG and I couldn't be happier. Now I'm in the process of expanding my water testing knowledge and capabilities, so I can do all of the water testing myself as I've come to realize store personnel really aren't trained well and their procedures are a sloppy, giving me increasingly variable results with levels going from high to low week to week. Looking forward to learning more here and hopefully keeping the water clear and saving some coin along the way.

I have a DE filter that I have had acid washed every year. when I first put it in the start of the season it goes for about 4 weeks before I have to backwash due to pressure rising. Then every two weeks for about 3 cycles and then 1 week and now the pressure is rising before 1 week is up. I replaced the multiport valve at the end of 2021 and thats the only thing I can thing of that is causing this as it has happened the last 2 seasons. Maybe its not backwashing well enough. I have inquired with multiple pool people and no one knows why this is happening. Have even opened up the de filter midway thru the season and its not dirty. its a mystery? Someone said to bump the filter but this DE filter doesnt have a bump handle so not sure if it is possible to do and if so how? I dont have an algae issue and keep the pool highly chlorinated and have a nature 2 cartridge. My guess is that the de is not really cleaning off the grids well when back washing but I never had this issue before last year. any help would.be appreciated.

My contractor laid out this soil all around the pool and the patio. It’s very red compared to the soil I originally had in my backyard, but he is saying this is sandy loam and I should be able to grow grass on it. Does this look right? I am wondering if this is clay and not sandy loam. I am in Texas where we have some major problems with foundation shifting due to clay type soil problems

I really thought I had a login already, but if I did I seem to have lost it. So I'm creating an account now. Love this site! It taught me a lot when we first into our house with a pool in 2010 as I didn't grow up with one, but my wife did. First and foremost it taught me how to make sure our very blonde kids don't end up with green hair. That's something we've avoided in our pool from day one, thanks to this site and something that I was able to stop happening when our kids went into relatives pools when I passed on some tips that I learned here. I live in Markham, Ontario, Canada. Have a roughly 16x35 80,000L in-ground pool. Have been replacing equipment as it fails, the most recent being our original Raypak 255 WG-N heater which failed a few weeks ago. From the point we moved in the thermostat didn't work, so we used it as a manual on/off switch. Current equipment: Raypak Avia 264 heater (2023) model P-R264A-EN-C., Hayward Sand Filter (2019), 1.0 HP Jacuzzi Magnum 1000 Pump with a Century 186085 single speed motor that is wired 115VAC, if I'm reading the date code in the serial number correctly it is from 1996 and lastly an inline chlorinator SaniKing Perform-Max Pool Sanitizer. That's the low down on what we're currently using.

First off a big thank you to this site. This place and the pool calculator app have saved me tons of money and frustrations.

Alright, Im at my mother in laws place and her in ground pool (approx 1600 gal) is basically a swamp. We don't have anything here to test the pool. A leslie pool store is near buy. I'm leaving in about 24hrs. Now, Im taking an educated guess and going with the not much can be done option. If anyone has a hail marry to toss out I am all ears.

What I did do.
I cleaned out her DE Filter (it looked like the swamp thing), added DE, adjusted PH to 7.2 and have dumped 5 gal liquid chlorine into the pool and asked her to brush as much as she can and back flush often.

She lives in the Fort Worth, TX area and needs help with the pool for a few months. What is an expected price to pay for a pool guy? Does anyone have leads on a pool guy in the area? Her last pool guy took the money and ran.

Sorry for the ramble. Basically does anyone have a good pool guy that can help out an old retired lady or some kind go magic to send over? The other route I am debating is asking her neighbor if he's willing to become a pool guy, buy him a TF Pro test kit and pay the guy.

Thanks for any and all help or advice.

Texas Splash said:

That's what we figured. We see it here from time to time. But thank goodness no one was nearby. As you can see, mixing some chemicals is extremely dangerous. But stick around and let us help you understand how to manage your pool. All you need is a proper test kit and some basic knowledge like the link below.

By the way, not sure what type of equipment you have since your signature is not updated. But if you have a sand or DE filter with a mulitport valve, you can run it on recirculate to keep water moving. Stop using any tabs and just use liquid chlorine. Less side effects anyway.

Pool Care Basics Archives

Your one-stop shop for all things TFP to include: ABCs of Water Chemistry, Recommended Chemicals/Levels, Test Kits, Troubleshooting, and much more!

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How do you clean up a mess like this once it happens?

I just made the same mistake, and don't know what to do to clean it up

I tested TA with my TFT-pro kit. It is 40. Pool Math says I need to add 13 lbs baking soda.

What is the best way to do that?

I’ve seen some comments in threads about pH - but I haven’t seen straightforward instructions anywhere.

Help would be much appreciated.

Anyone have any ideas? Thought it was just gunk but brushing didn't remove it. Pool is clear and chemicals are fine. I have a heat pump if that matters.
FC 6
CYA 70
CH 250
TA 80
PH 7.8
Salt says 4000 on my swg

Hi
I am new to the forum and pool ownership.
No idea how old our pool is, the pump was made in 2015, but the pool seems older than that.
I see this algae spot under the spillover wall of our spa, which I can clean up with bleach and a brush, but why is it growing there and how do I fix that?
Is there anything I can use to seal those cracks? I dont see any cracks inside the spa, but water is coming from somewhere.
After reading several similar posts here on TFP I am going to look closer at the spa interior, but the spa level doesn't drop enough to notice overnight and in the off season the spa seems to hold water fine.
Curious about your thoughts and experience.
Thanks!