I was thinking about upgrading a very aged pool pump.
Currently i have a Hayward Super 2 with a 1.65hp motor.

I was looking at the Hayward W3SP3206VSP TriStar Variable-Speed Pool Pump with the 2.7 HP motor.
Its pricey...

Does anyone have any other recommendations?
Something that can work ok with a ProLogic controller.
Think right now my pumps are all wired for 240v.

I really don't care about name brand. I really value references from here more, even if its some offshoot brand i never heard of.

Believe it or not I lost the paper that tells you how to do the test. I feel dumb because I sent them all last year. Is there somewhere on the site for me to download it? I'm looking for it but if somebody can get me there quicker I'd appreciate it thanks
Michelle

In Phoenix and our water is very hard which means high CH. I’ve been lazy all winter about keeping logs but CH is nearing 1000 ppm. Phoenix CCR has fill water hardness anywhere from 150-350. Pool was just built, and filled, November 2023 so about a year and a half with the same water.

How high do you let CH go and keep CSI managed vs succumbing to the water exchange? I’d hate to have to do a water exchange every year but the calcium is out of control.

Hello all!

We have just moved into a house with a new 16x34 ft in-ground pool with a vinyl liner.
We live in Canada so there was significant amounts of snow and ice, so we could not fully examine the pool before buying the house. We knew that the vinyl liner was quite old, and needed to be replaced, yet we have some new unanticipated findings and are hoping to get advice.

Obviously, hindsight is 20:20, and I should have known better and should have put significantly more conditions on the house needing a properly functioning pool in the spring, yet I'm just trying to focus on the future and trying to get as much advice as possible.

THE PROBLEM - Vinyl liner, massive leak, wall heave:
The vinyl pool liner is also very brittle and has cracked and is floating in some areas. So certainly the liner needs to be replaced asap.

It sounds like there is a large patch on the deep end where an old main drain was patched over and probably not properly sealed. When I started vacuuming all the leaves, there is now a very substantial leak! The water level is decreasing by approximately 1 ft per day! Our sub-pump in our house has been going off every few hours because the water is draining into the collection reservoir.

The concrete pad is not connected to the pool or the coping and so the two are independent which apparently is more common in older pools? Two walls are starting to heave and is approximately 2" displaced forward from the concrete pad of the pool. Therefore, it's impossible to know when the wall has started to heave from the concrete pad above and if this is an ongoing issue as it could have occurred very recently or potentially has been stable for many, many years like this.

WHAT SHOULD I CONSIDER?
I guess now that we have noticed these issues it's easy for my mind to wander and think what else could be wrong with the pool.
There are some larger trees in our neighbor's yards and so with the numerous patches that have occurred over the years, I do wonder if potentially trees could be causing issues themselves.
Probably it is just the prior owners just patching things and not dealing with the issues as they came up.

SOLUTIONS?
We have three local pool companies coming out in the next two days and one company that is already come out and recommended that we replace the vinyl liner, which makes sense.
They also said because the concrete of the deck is not attached to the coping or the steel wall that the deck should be demolished and poured again and connected to bullnose coping. He said he would do this to add structure and support to the walls so they don't heave in more. Sound reasonable?
They also said they would put in braces and frames in the areas where it is heaved forward. I believe they were called x-frames but I can't recall the specifics. He did not give a price point on this as it depends what it looks like and how involved it will be.
Right now I have a quote as follows (in Canada): vinyl liner $7,500, remove and pour concrete $8,500, bullnosed coping $2,000, and then replacing the skimmer basket, and some odds and ends and the the total is $22k + whatever bracing is needed. The timeline would be 3 months away before they can do it.

QUESTIONS:
1) How dangerous and bad is it that the pool is going to be draining near the basement, and the sub pump is going off?

2) Once the water has completed draining out of the pool, depending on where the water table level is, would it be bad to rip out the very old and brittle vinyl liner and see what is behind it?
I'm very interested to see the bottom of the pool and so if the water table and water level does not allow me to fully access and visualize the bottom of the pool canI pump it off visualize it and then refill water back to the water table level or would that be dangerous for the structure of the pool?

3) There was also talk of demolishing the concrete deck, and then I could dig down by the seams where it is starting to heave to try to relieve some of the pressure until the work can actually be done.
Right now we have 2x6s bracing the pool, which can be seen in the photos. Does this look adequate or should I add more? Or do you think this is overkill?

4) How ridiculous would it be to just replace the vinyl liner and then follow along and see if the wall starts to move or heave at all in the future? (and thus not touch the concrete pad that is independent)

5) Would the bulnose coping provide enough structural support to prevent heaving in the future?
Should I be worried about the bulnose coping failing sometime in the future and then needing to replace the patio concrete again?

6) Also, how much is time of the essence in terms of fixing this? The prior quote is for September. We won't be moving into the house because of other renovations, so we wouldn't miss out on a pool season as we have our current house has pool, but I don't love the idea of having a completely empty pool sitting there for numerous months. Someone said they probably have availability in the next month or so. How much of a price premium should we be paying for this?

7) How much of this work do you think we could do by ourselves (as if it's just elbow grease a jackhammer, wheelbarrows, Etc I would be comfortable if we are bringing down the cost)?
Anything else that I should be asking the future pool people in terms of input and pricing and ideas?

Okay, that is probably way too many questions, but as you can tell, my mind has been racing, and I certainly would love any ideas for input or advice or what to be asking the other pool places.

Certainly, I can provide more information and clarification if needed.
I will take you along on this ride as I go through it.
Certainly a stressful and memorable ride, and hopefully not too ridiculously expensive.

Previous owners covered this with a sheet of vinyl and filled one in with calk. I’m on a mission to fix it. However, I scoured the Internet, looking for six screw return fittings and couldn’t find anything. They could be pretty old. Also, the inner part is cracked so I’m going to see if I can replace it

The outer dark ring is 8 inches in diameter. The inner jet is 1.5 inches.

Thanks in Advance!

Hello my name is Kelly. We live in Rockford IL. We have a 23k gallon in ground that opened 2 weeks ago. We got to jump in as a family a week ago while my step son was visiting on his spring break. I turned the heater off after he left and have been trying to get our CYA levels down. Opened at 300 currently at 225. Have drained a little and filled a little. Maybe 3 times total. I think the previous owners must have used only pucks. The app and pool school has been so helpful.

I've never had any problems with the remote connecting to the base station. However, recently I had to replace the water temperature sensor. Now the system is sensing the temperature just fine (so that now the heater is coming on like it should), but since then the remote says it cannot connect to the base station. Strangely though, if I switch from pool to spa, or to spillover, when it is taking the 30 seconds to switch valves the remove connects just like always. As soon as the filter kicks in, the remote can no longer connect to the base station. When I replaced the water temperature sensor it was only two simple wires and I didn't touch or change anything else. I've tried removing the new temp sensor but I still get the same behavior with the remote. I've also tried disconnecting the base station receiver and power cycling the entire system by shutting the breakers off for about 30 minutes. My first thought was that I needed to re-train the remote but it would not and obviously not needed since it will communicate while the valves are cycling.
Any ideas?

Ok, I’m new here, but have had my easy touch system since 2007. I have a whisper flow variable speed pump and a mastertemp 400 Heater. Finally got around to repairing my heater leak at the manifold, replace new heater board, and the heater won’t activate. No board power. I jumpered the firemen switch and got power to the heater board. Spa on /off, pool on/off. No error code but “Service System” LCD on. Tracing back to the easy touch panel, 27 watts on the green and yellow wires at the heater power port port on the easy touch control panel board. Diagnostic error code was 146 initially, however I located loose connections on the J20 green and yellow wires and tightened the connections. Self diagnostic read error code 46 now. I heard all three relays trip during the diagnostic. Circuit breakers aren’t thrown. I checked all the screw connections on the board, and also checked the relay connections which were snug. With circuit breakers off I used my volt ohm meter on the coil legs of every relay and read 300 ohms. So at this point I’m at a loss. My guess is I have a bad chip on the board or a bad board. What else can I check to narrow this down? Your help is appreciated. Attached are photos.

Hey TFP, I need some help from the experts! I opened my pool this past Saturday. Pool wasn’t very dirty but I did the SLAM process to get my water clear and algae free (or so I’m hoping). The water cleared up and I did pass the overnight chlorine loss test yesterday. There were no visible signs of algae so I stopped the SLAM. Now I’m having this black dirt/dust looking substance on my sun deck. I have attached photos for reference. The substance is easily brushed away but it comes back after a half day or so. I’m not able to pick it up as it dilutes into the water. Is this algae or something else?
Water test results as of tonight-
Free Chlorine - 14 (Still coming down from SLAM)
Combined Chlorine - Less than .5 (Hardly tinted pink with 10Ml sample)
PH - 7.4
Alkalinity - 100
Calcium Hardness - 200
CYA - 60
Temp 83 degrees

Thanks!

We just opened our saltwater pool Monday. The combine chlorine is 5.2 and the free chlorine is 1. The pool is about 27,500 gallons. Any advice on how I can adjust these readings?

First time poster/Long time reader of TFP and wanted to share my thoughts given everyone's help/info in the past.

- Why a robot? Was done w pressure-side cleaners. Replaced my Pentair Racer (3rd unit) and booster pump (4th unit in 5 years).
- Why this one? Was deciding between a corded Dolphin and cordless robot. Narrowed it to the Polaris version or this one. The 3-year full-replacement warranty was the easier option. And the price recently dropped as well.
- Why now? The pool has not been cleaned since the booster pump died in January. Sand/silt and larger debris has been accumulating and manually doing it was not working 100%.

I have a ~20x30 kidney shaped pool with rounded floors. Two steps and lounge ledge.
Updated the firmware (ver. 0.40) as soon as it came out of the box and charged it up.
The unit is hefty (23+ lbs) and took about 2 hours to fully charge (came w 60%).

The app was OK but not necessary to run. It does map a (very) rough image of your pool after the first time it does a full pass.
It took 3 hours to do a full wall/floor cleaning. The whole battery was spent and had to fishhook it out. The basket was filled and weighed about 4-5 lbs w debris/sand.
Charged it again and ran it the second day for a 2x pass on the floor only.

Final first impressions:
- The packaging was very nice and they spent good effort to make the unboxing experience nice.
- The access panel to the basket can seem flimsy. Doesn't have a firm 'click' to close.
- It is very solid and built but w the lexan plastic being shiny and new, you know it will get scuffed quick. Wish it was in a dull finish.
- It took two solid charges to fully clean a pool that had not been formally worked on 3 months. I expect regular use will make the job easier for Benny (that's his new nickname)
- The auto-drain for ballasts doesn't work if it runs out of charge. If it's at 0% and you plug into the base to recharge, it will auto-drain at that point. Keep that in mind. My garage got a nice puddle.
- For me, worth it for the $1100 special price. Daily charging will be a new thing but will keep the box for the first 30 days.

Feel free to ask any questions!

Hi all,

I posted this at the end of last season but posting again as I have a better view of what’s happening. The supply hose has detached from the sheer decent. It doesn’t look like anything is broken, but the glue failed. Suggestions on what type of glue/cement I should use to reattach?

TIA!

Our ‘25 pool open has been a doozy—we’ve had some years that the pool needed considerable “attention”, but this is our first full-on, Ogre inhabitable, swamp. I suspect ammonia because:
-The water had a rancid sewage smell.
-0 CYA, 0 FC (which is actually typical when we open)
-adding liquid CL (12.5%), looked like I had poured jugs of milk into the water.
-after adding CL, test showed little or no CL and VERY high CC:

(I’d never seen it that red and didn’t even bother counting the CC)
-The CL seemed to disappear VERY quickly (so much so, that I questioned the age of the CL, test reagents, and my sanity)
I would add 2 gallons and test 30 minutes later…0 CL

Here’s how I procededed:
I got the pool up to SLAM level (10 ppm) and held it there the best that I could.
By day 2, the water was milky blue and not CL holding overnight:

Day 3, (and probably 30 gallons of CL) it lost only 50% free chlorine overnight. For most of the day, I tested and treated the water diligently (every 15-30 minutes as the sun set).
Day 4, looks like progress!! 9.0 CL in the am, 1.5 CC
At this point, I addressed the 0 CYA by adding 5 pounds (sock method) aiming for a target of 30
That brings us to this morning.
CL 9.5
CC .5
ph 6.8
TA 70

After 24 hours, the CYA had dissolved. I took two readings; first one I’d call 10; 2nd was 30.
The pool is clearing but still cloudy:



At this point, I’m continuing the SLAM using 12 as the CL target.
ph was coming up (7.0) however I went ahead and added 2 pounds of Borax.
ph now reads 7.2, (but at a CL of 12 I don’t know if that’s accurate)

I haven’t vacuumed or backwashed yet, just brushed the walls and bottom a couple times per day.
Current test results:
CL 11
CC .5
ph 7.2
TA 70
CYA 30 (at room temp, but didn’t retest since this afternoon)
Water temp 58

Questions:
-am I going at this the right way?
-given water temp and the high CL, are my results reliable? (All fresh reagents except Alk)
-does this sound like ammonia was in the water?
I’m at a loss for why the pool was in this bad of shape. I didn’t add algaecide when I closed (and haven't in the past). There are no clumps of debris anywhere, but there was a layer of “dirt” everywhere on the bottom (an unusually large amount).
In my opinion, that layer of dirt is the outlier. We got hit by two big downpours in late Feb and early March. It actually made the news because our cars would end up covered in a film of blotchy reddish mud. They called it “mud raid” which blew north from Texas. Anybody heard about or know more about this?

Thanks!
Bill

Just sign a contract for a 16x36 rectangular pool. We debated freeform vs rectangular and based on the pictures, since the pool is smaller, a rectangular is a better look. The shallow end is 3ft and the deep end is 8 ft with a diving board. We are adding a shelf and bench as shown below.

My first two questions, We have a small shallow end starting at 3 feet. Should I start at 4feet to have a bigger shallow end?

Second, I been debating between ozone/chlorinate vs salt generator. I leading toward the saltsystem for ease even though it will void my coping warranty from the builder. Anything I should look out for in term of pool equipment that could rust easily? Like handrail, ladder or diving board? I assume stainless steel is fine.

All,
Using a new pool company this year for our community pool- 50k gallons. After opening Monday they tested free CL at 1.6 and combined CL at 13. They are recommending emptying pool and starting over or adding cloe to 100 lbs of shock. We weren't happy with previous company as pool was left with algae and high CYA that we tried to treat with bio product.
What would recommendation be here?,

My Pentair iChlor 30 cell has reached the end of its life span. I went to a new local pool supply shop to have him give me a price on a replacement.
This is my first time replacing one of these so he quoted me $1300 an then said I will need a new power unit as well because they both usually go bad at the same. So that was $1400 but then he began to introduce me to a generic system he carried right there in house and claimed it was better than Pentair and had a better warranty for only $1600?

Chlorinator1
T-Cell high current/salt chlorinator1
also instant and average salt number all over the place
need help new at a salt pool

Howdy. I live in a neighborhood where there is no natural gas lines. Of course, I can get propane delivered. Problem is where I would want the propane tank installed and the rules of filling a tank and location of this tank...there's a lot of nuance to my problem but long story long the easiest way for me to solve this problem is smaller tanks as certain rules don't apply to smaller tanks.

That said, my pool engineer buddy said that it might not work. The reason smaller tanks won't work is because there needs to be enough pressure for the fuel to combust and BTU and some other sciencey stuff that went over my head.

Therefore my question is, if I can get a free master temp heater 400 (convert it to LP) will a couple of 100 lb tanks work or will I need a larger tank? Or am I overthinking it?

The volute on my Polaris pump cracked the other day. Happened to be home when I saw the water spraying everywhere. Replaced and started up my 2.0 HP filter pump. Was having a little issue with getting a solid prime but it’s normally got a few bubbles blowing through my returns. After about 10-15 mins of semi-priming the pump just turned off. I checked the impeller and found no obstructions. I used a drain bladder while it was off to try and clear any other debris. Turned pump back on and it fired up with a not of trouble priming. Turned it back off after 30 seconds and filled the basket with water and tightened the lid. I stuck a drain bladder down a return line in one of my skimmers. Turned pump back on and it fired up. I was able to get a prime after a minute or two. Came back out a few mins later and prime was lost, but then I heard it catch again and it primed but blowing a lot of bubbles. A few mins later the pump cut off again. No visible leaks in my piping. I did notice the basket on the pump housing was whining a lot after it turned off. When I opened the cap the pressure released and it stopped.

The pump is about 6 years old. Is it overheating from not getting a prime or is it time for a new one?

Why does the ph climb from 7.2 to 8.0 in a week. I add muriatic acid to decrease to 7.2 and in a week or so it's right back up to 8.0. TA is 110 ppm. 15000 gallon in ground pebble tech in Tucson Az

I am in the process of re-plastering my salt-water pool and they've already done the demo removal. So my wife says "We never use the 10' deep end, we should have it made shallower". Hmm, great idea, but there's complications. I have a light at the deep end about 4' down so the depth there would be 5' with a linear grade up to the shallow 3' end. One problem would be the lighting. That one bulb, now down a foot off the bottom of the deep end, may not really light up that pretty flat bottom very well.

So, I'm thinking about alternatives - and I don't want to spend a fortune installing new lights into the walls. Twenty five years ago, I had a fiber-optic rope going around the rim which was routed about 20' away from the pool to a powerful light bulb that illuminated the rim of the pool with that rope through a color-wheel for effect. That rope deteriorated and so I pulled it out. Now I'm wondering if there's some simpler LED based solution that I could run tucked under the coping around the rim of the pool (circumference 94')? Obviously can't be 120vac, but the low voltage 24vdc LED strips have limited distance runs of 33'. So from the remotely located 24v transformer (bonded and GFCI), I plan to run 3 wire pairs to the pool to feed 3 LED strips glued under the edge! The 24vdc would also have limited current so there should be no problems there, right? I'd plan on getting a real electrician to do the work of course.

Comments and ideas requested.

I have a damaged 17 year-old concrete pool deck for a vinyl-lined pool. (Pic 1)


The area by the pool steps, which is a molded one-piece set of steps, is sinking (Pics 2, 3, 4) and there is a long crack running through several sections to the side of the pool. (Pic 5)





The steps also appear to have sunken an inch at the exit point (at the top of the steps; Pics 6, 7). Also, the coping by the steps has sunk and is experiencing misalignment. Hard to see in the photos.



Once contractor proposes a cantilever deck. They have told me they have done many cantilever pool decks but they are not a pool builder. The estimator didn’t think the steps were sinking when she visited during the pool season and water was lower. With the water higher, it looks obvious.

I asked how the cantilever deck is kept from shifting the pool wall with expansion and got this reply: “We use a bond-breaker material between the pool shell and the concrete to allow for proper movement as the concrete expands and contracts with temperature changes.” Case closed?

This made me wonder about the liner track. The coping seems to be directly on top of the track. (Pic 8) Not all tracks are like this apparently. Will bond-breaker material affect keeping the liner track in place? I'm also wondering if the track will get out of position when the coping is removed.


The proposals doesn't mention addressing why the area is sinking. Is it safe to assume it will stop? We bought the place in 2013 and it seems like the area has sunk more since then. Could water be seeping in at top of steps from spashing/waves and eroding the ground underneath?

Any advice appreciated.

Is there a proper way the clean the baskets. Pump on /off, skimmer valve open are closed, skimmer first filter second. Be great if I knew the sequin and procedure. Thank You in advance

Good morning all,

SOUTHERN NJ HERE. So I made the mistake of asking on a facebook group and that was more useless than anything, few good points made but other than that is was the people bashing what I want to do . Have been trying to get quotes for about a month for a May installation and due to their communication and info they provide I really liked Niagra Pools & Spas in Turnersville NJ. The 3 others I contacted either never contacted me back or once they did it was like phone tag to get ahold of them, not something I want to deal with during installation! Pricing from Niagra Pool quote are below, this is semi-in ground approximately 30":

$17,595 -Pool Package: 18' x 33' x 56" Sharkline* Oasis EAW (Extruded Aluminum Wall) pool, Liner, 1.5hp 120v variable speed pump and filter, skimmer, 1 return port, cover, and maintenance/cleaning kit
$1,100 - Salt chlorinator system w/salt
$350 - Wedding cake steps
$200 - Wall foam
$2,900 - Pool Installation
$22,145 total cost for pool

Site Work Quote:
$5,000 - Excavation and haul away of soil in addition to about 5 yards of fill that's in a pile at our property
$3,200 - Backfill of pool using excavated soil: will need to be moved by hand due to space

If your anything like me you probably pooped a bit with the number for site work lol, I will say the guy that came out to do a site visit told me moving dirt is expensive, not bashing them at all, labor aint cheap!! Highly considering doing the site work myself, pool guy told me that isn't an issue with any of their warranties and they will come out to check when it's done for right depth/level. Sunbelt was under $3,000 for a week rental of a 6 ton mini excavator, 7 yard Dump, and ground protection pads. Don't think it will take a week but quote that for worst case. Before anyone says it, I know this is around 70 yards of dirt, I know it's not easy, and as far as operating I dug the foundation for my garage (blue building in the pic) and my patio by myself for the most part, I'm no expert but I can operate, I own a transit and a laser level; just getting all that out there because that's what everyone wanted to comment on with the FB post .

With all that being said I had a few questions for additions and backfill

Backfill:
-Sandy soil in my area, good to just use what comes out of the hole for backfill?
-Recommend any barrier between ground and exterior of pool wall?
-Was also thinking pavers OR rubber mulch/river rock/pebbles 24" around pool

Install/Pool Add-ons:
-Liner pad OR Perlite on top of sand base
-Foam coving
-Additional return jet on far wall
-Hard pipe everything (would be extra for pool Co. to do
-Larger pump? is a 1.5hp good enough for 20k gallons?

Anything else that you would recommend is appreciated. We aren't rich but we aren't broke either lol. We are kind of doing the bare minimum for it this year with a small exterior entry step with plans of doing landscaping, lighting, larger entry deck/step, and some other add-ons NEXT season or winter since we are already doing some fencing this year during the install.

Thank you for the help! Site pics are attached, sorry they are crappy I was outside last night marking. And the yard will be spotless prior to starting! Have to move the wood pile and purge some out to the curb! Also, setbacks are correct and marked on the pics along with the pool shape. Out township requires 6' from p[roperty lines and we have a 20' utility easement on the far side.

Is there a "free" AND "paid" app or just free and pay to get unlimited logs? I've tried the app off and on (free) and can never get it to overwrite a log. I enter new values and it just defaults to 4 months ago. Needs to be an "edit" button. Back to Pool Logger I guess.

Hi All - Looking for some guidance and feedback from the group. I have a raised spa setup for continuous spillover into the pool. Since opening this season, though, the spa is not consistently spilling over and spa level is dropping an inch or so below the spillover level. It will spillover when the variable speed pump runs at its high speed setting (3200 RPM) a couple times a day, but not at its regular speeds (1700 and 2400 RPM) that run throughout the rest of the day/night.

I've reviewed other posts on valve setup for spillover, cleaned all filters, removed/re-installed all check valves and everything seems ok. All pump settings are unchanged from previous years where spillover worked as expected.

Pool equipment pad picture included for reference, with valves set for pool mode on the suction side. Return valve/actuator set halfway between pool and spa - which - historically enabled spillover.

Any suggestions on further troubleshooting that I might be able to do before I call the pool builder's service department?

Thanks!
Scott

Hello,

I am new here and not sure if Tfttestkits.net website is affiliated with this forum. I put my order for a TF 100 test kit more than a week ago, and my package has been lost and was never delivered. I have already filed an inquiry with USPS, but I was hoping to get a replacement from Tfttestkits. I have sent them emails, tried to call them and left a voicemail as well, but no one has gotten back to me in two days.

Has anyone else here have ordered from them and maybe have a better contact info?

Thank you,

Tasos

Hi Friends! I hope everyone had a lovely winter and getting geared up for POOL SEASON! I drug my little beauty out of the garage and got her all assembled. Seems I have some pool set-up amnesia as it took me longer to get this darn dang thing assembled this season.

I have 2 arms that were damaged last season (long story...) and I'd love to get some thoughts on what I can do this season to correct the damage before I fill'er up! I'll attach some pics - I'm thinking maybe some pool noodle could get in there and create a round surface for the weight of the pool vinyl to rest and remain straight. Very small amount of rain water in the pool so far - so now is the time to fix! I've checked Bestway website - replacement arms are out of stock. I've checked Amazon but not sure I trust the measurements.

I also want some guidance on paver placement as I begin the fill process. I have the little 5x5 stone squares this season, but I also know the legs might move a bit during the fill. So just general guidance would be greatly appreciated.

I'll have to dust off my trusty rust removal bucket, and my test kit. I cannot wait for a happy pool season! CHEERS!

This is our second above ground pool, first one being last summer. The first one was ruined (12×20 Coleman) because the cable for the cover ripped out one of the fittings after snow and rain pulled on it. Lesson learned.

Now, we have a Seaich 12x20 and I'm not seeing how the pump should be plumbed, as far as intake/outlet. It only has 2 holes for this....one up high and the other very low. Any idea which way to run the hoses? It came with a sand filter, if that helps.

Also, should we really put pavers under the u-shaped legs? We didn't on the previous pool and it really didn't seem to settle into the ground.

I have been unsuccessful at finding any information on the return eyeball style we have in our pool. Even a photo search on Google didn't provide any information. As you can see from the pictures, the returns have two tabs that look like they either have to be pushed towards the eye or away to release the eyeball. The tabs are not molded into the return so that you can use an eyeball removal tool. My pool guy tried it and a huge chunk of the eye broke off along with the tab.

Any help would be greatly appreciated in removing the ones remaining with the tabs and the ones that are broken and without tabs. Also, if I ever get them out, I'm assuming this will be a three piece return where I can just replace the insides with a new eyeball?

Thanks!