Hi Everyone,

I'm relatively new to pools (moved in a few months ago) so hoping you can point me in the right direction. The pool is quite old, as is the sand filter however the pump & chlorinator are only a few years old.

I recently bought a suction cleaner (Kreepy Krauly VTX-7) so I could leave it running overnight as our robot cleaner only does 1 hour cycles. The cleaner works well however significantly reduces the water flowing through the pump.

Tonight I cleaned the pump's filter basket as a few leaves were in there from the vacuum. Once the pump starts again, a cloud of what looks like sand is pumped through the return jet for about 30 seconds and then runs clear - however the cloud has now covered my whole pool (see photos). This is the second time it has happened - thought I would repeat the clean of the pump basket to see if it was related.

Hoping to get ideas on what may be the trouble... doesn't make the pool look great and takes a very long time to clear again. Could the filter be broken and causing sand to escape in the pool? I find it odd the sand stops coming from the return jet after about 30 sec (when the pump is back up to full flow after being off).

Any ideas appreciated!

Thank you

EDIT:
Found a couple of similar threads after posting so will try a backwash before opening the basket next time - Dirty Water Through Jets ONLY After Cleaning The Pump Basket

Well, Spring. If you're in the Southern Hemisphere, that is.

Hello to all at TFP!

I originally came across TFP about five years ago after buying our house that came with a pool. Too expensive to remove, so I begrudgingly accepted it and actually started to have a bit of fun working out what did what, but was relying on a pool shop for tests. Just before I decided to get a testing kit, I broke many bones and the pool was left to the pool shop to look after.

Over time, I've started to get a bit frustrated with how some things are being done to the pool. Just recently, it's been drained and repainted - wow what a difference - for what I assume was the first time since it was originally built. It's looking amazing and only in hindsight can I say it was a depressing, grey hole in the ground that was probably sucking all the fun out of owning a pool.

The new look has reignited my interest in DIY-ing the pool care. I've ordered myself a Taylor K-2006C test kit and am looking forward to giving it a red hot crack. Not to mention freeing myself of the pool shop.

See ya around.

Want to winterize my pool but the only way I’ve seen it done is watching professionals blow air into the pump which goes out to the jets, main, and skimmer. Want to do it myself and I’ve heard a Shop Vac is the way to go, but how do I hook a Shop Vac hose up to the pump?

Hey guys new to the forum and have already read a lot of good content on the forum. I am in the planning phase right now and haven't even gone out for quotes yet for the build. I would love to get feedback from you guys on pool equipment. If you were starting from scratch building a brand-new saltwater pool, what equipment would you put in? Parameters for the conversation- in ground, 15,000 gallons, salt water, hot tub, looking to cool in the summer as I am in Houston,Tx. Thanks in advance for the feedback.

Hello all, I have an 18’ round above ground chlorine pool. Vinyl and a cartridge filter. I use either stabilized trichlor tabs or calhypo powder. My CYA went over 100 so I have switched to calhypo powder for the summer. I am pretty confused as the local pool shops all give differing info on how to manage chemicals. My son is immune compromised so a clean safe pool is vital. I’m stressing myself out trying to keep this thing figured out.

jseyfert3 said:

MPS is an oxidizer but not a sanitizer. Chlorine is both an oxidizer and a sanitizer. Oxidizing is breaking down waste like sweat and skin oils. Sanitizing is making sure bacteria and the like can't grow. So basically MPS can be used to break down bather waste but you need some chlorine or bromine too as a sanitizer since MPS cannot do that job.

The advantage to MPS after a soak compared to adding bleach is that it can break down the waste without producing CC's. So if you are having an issue with CC buildup from using only chlorine, the use of MPS immediately after using the tub to break down bather waste can be an advantage here. However after the MPS has had a chance to break down waste you must add and maintain an adequate level of FC to ensure a sanitary hot tub.

Click to expand...

Would it be prudent to add some bleach to maintain/restor FC levels while adding MPS after a soak? Or is that counter intuitive?

I am trying to locate a stock cover for a 16x28 inground pool with center steps off the end. The steps are standard 4’x8’ plastic steps.

Question 1: does anyone sell these stock or are they all custom?

Question 2: could I just set a 16x32 cover over the pool and it sits in the concrete around the steps?

Thank you!

I'm looking to have some plumbing work done to remove the DEL AOP system, Tab Feeder, and Pool Tiger our PB installed. I'm considering adding an SWG at the same time, since it will be more efficient to have it all done at once. But, I'm a little hesitant for the following reasons. I'm wondering if anyone has any thoughts on this that might help me decide whether to go for it with the SWG or just keep doing what I'm doing with LC, which is working well.

FYI the SWG that would be installed would be the Hayward Aquarite AQR940 (which uses the TCELL940) - based on all the research I've done this seems like really my best option unless I want to change automation platforms.

Reasons I'm hesitant to add the SWG:

1. CH levels -- from what I'm reading here, I would want my CH levels to be under 450 with an SWG. I have struggled to keep mine under 600 (currently 625). I plan to do another water replacement once the water temperature goes down enough for me to do this in place, but even if I replace half my water it'll bring me down just under 400, and with fill water at 150 it builds over time. I've been doing OK keeping CSI in check even with high CH levels. Does this work the same with an SWG or is the CH going to be an issue even if I keep CSI in check?
2. Winterization -- we leave our pool open all year. We do get some freezing temps but last year did ok by heating the water, covering the equipment, and keeping water flowing when it got cold. Does the SWG add any additional risk in the winter, or is it just about the same risk as all the other equipment?
3. Changing more than one variable at once seems riskier. Things are going well with my current system using LC. Deleting the AOP and just continuing with LC seems less disruptive and fewer unknowns. That said, everyone here always raves about SWGs so it seems like the way to go eventually and, if so, it would be more efficient to do it now.

My 2-wheel pool cleaner stops every minute or so and then starts up again. In the last few months I have replaced the rear skirts and the turbine/vanes. It was doing a great job after the skirts were replaced until the vanes got jammed up and no longer stayed on the turbine. It’s working okay but not as good as it used to and just stops once in awhile. It seems to be part of the “timed routine”. I am looking at replacing the shafts but am not sure if that’s the problem or if I did something wrong putting it back together after installing the turbine. It looks right but anything’s possible. Has anyone else had this issue? Thank you!

Chris
22K gal, IG Plaster w/waterfall, Pentair Intelliflo VS 3hp
Hayward Poolvergnuegen Cleaner & Filter Cartridge

Hi, My name is Douglas, grew up in FLA with a pool, but I was just slave labor for my parents to vacuum the pool. They tricked me into thinking that was a 'treat'. haha Anyway, 45 years ladder and contractors are just finishing up on our fiberglass pool. Of course, they insisted it was level, but once it was full of water, the truth came out. Looks like we are going to attempt to hide their issue with waterline tile. Gosh I hope that works. So ******. Anyway, new to chemicals and all that stuff, so taking a 'plunge' into a new area to learn. Thank you

Hello. I am trying to close my pool for the winter. I slightly confused on how the pause the expansion plugs. I have aColeman24 by 52. I am trying to plug the holes and there are 2 long rubber pieces on the outside that are attach to the pool. How do I plug those holes. I need help

Okay. So I have another problem. I really appreciate y'all's help! I seem to have lost the drain cap with the hexagon on the other side when I closed the pool last fall. I know I can order a new one, but I'm trying to get all this old equipment out so I can put in the new pool and equipment.

Is there a other way to creatively remove the plug that's inside the drain hole? I've seen some people call it a lateral, but what I'm seeing online, laterals are different. So I'm just calling it the internal screw-in drain plug.

Me again. I've been searching and reading for a few hours now. I *think* I might understand how to do the ground prep.

I am putting up an Intex Ultra XTR.

We had a previous pool, so we already have the level spot, and the previous owners put sand down and nothing else. I did rake the sand to level it (it had some wavy spots) and now I'm wondering what else.

If I understand correctly, I need to put down the included ground tarp and then something like a Gorilla pad over that.

Then I need 4" thick pavers dug into the ground to about 1/4" above ground level for the legs.

Do I put anything on the pavers to help the legs not slide off?

I can put the Gorilla pad over the edges of the pavers to prevent tearing the pool.

I'm still unclear on the back filling. We have a hole that ranges from 6" deep to about 2' deep. How do I keep the dirt from settling and resting on the side of the pool?

Y'all are great and have been a huge help!

Hello
Just joined today and was recommended to post my chems in this forum.

Anyway, I had my pool installed/first filled about 1 year ago (Oct-Nov '22 for sure). Just after it was installed we moved cross country (Dec '22) for work and then just came back here in Aug. As you can imagine nothing was done to the pool for about 8-10 months. Luckily for us, nothing happened to the pool, and the water was as clear as day 1. Of course, my chems are all over the place so I'm trying to bring it back in line. The pool itself is 12,000gal, pebble, in-ground cleaning, salt water, and heat pump. My current (09/22/2023) chem levels per Leslie's are: FC-0.06ppm, TC-0.07ppm, pH-8.2, TA-129ppm, Calcium Hardness-26ppm, CYA-54ppm, Phosphates-621ppb, Salt-3496ppm. I just did the first filter cleaning ever 2 weeks ago and there was a ton of plant matter in the filter and of course the sediment on the bottom. I just took the salt cell out today to clean it but it is very clean, with no buildup of any kind. I keep the pool @ 85*F with the heat pump if it matters. My current schedule is running the vs pump @ 3000rpm from 8 pm to 12 am, and then it drops down to 2000rpm until 6 am when it shuts off. There is also a mechanical timer that I guess is for the salt cell. But I took the tabs off of it because I didn't understand why I needed it—anyway, just looking for some info from a larger knowledge pool than just Leslie's. Any help would be awesome.

I just found the welcome kit from the builder and used the Taylor 7way test strips they provided. Chems as of now seem to be:
FC-0-1
TC-0.5
pH-6.8-7.2
TA-80-120
TH-200
CYA-40-70

I'll also add that I added some 30% muriatic per Leslie's test.

edit: a word

I pulled out 4 anchors that had seized.

1. How should I install the new anchors into the holes in the concrete? I want it to be secure, but not so permanent that I cannot remove it if it seizes again. Would hot glue work?

2. Is there a style of anchors I should buy that is more reliable and less likely to seize?

I had a yellow algae problem. I was advised to add shock and algecide. Now the Chlorine and Bromine (combined in my test kit) are sky high and so is the pH. I can add muriatic acid to adjust the pH down,but with the high Cl and Br when will it be safe for swimmers?

I am closing my pool and notice dirt particles coming from my returns. Long short 3 of my grids have small holes. I plan to try to make a repair and use a t shirt and crazy glue it over the less than 2" hole's. this is a temporary repair of course unless it works real well.

Any suggestions?

Long term do I get new grids or replace my Pentair FNS® PlusFiberglass D.E.Filter that's been in service since 2006?

I have a Hayward SwimPure Extreme salt generator that is just under 5 years old. Cell was clean but I wasn’t getting any chlorine. Had a service guy come by who checked the board and said that it looked like cell needs replacing. He was trying to steer me towards replacing whole system. Should I just get a replacement cell? Any reason I couldn’t replace that myself?

Howdy,

Has anyone seen this type of feature before? I experienced this in Prague a while back and it was very nice.

The bottom of the pool is shaped like a lounge chair with bubblers spaced a few inches apart shooting air/water straight up. When you sit down, the shape of the concrete makes you sit like you're in a lounge chair and the bubblers float you off of the surface. You don't slide off the bubblers and you can move a bit if another part of your body needs bubbles/massage. It seats three (or four small people) and the sides have arm rests, just like a couch.

Wife and I are looking to build a pool this year and were are in the design phase.

• Wondering if this is possible by a pool builder (Houston area)
• If so, what would the cost be?
• Would it need it's own pump?
• We're thinking that this would take the place of the sun deck.
• - Chairs would not need to be bought as the pool bottom itself is the chair.
• I'm still trying to guess the depth, maybe 15 inches below surface.
• Anything we're missing on this?

Any input would be appreciated.

The pictures are of the same pool but it's been refinished evidently. The lady on the right has her knees up to her chest in the picture. If you saw the movie Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019) then you saw the hotel this pool is located in. The building used to be the Central Bank Building and the entire basement is a pool/sauna/spa/steam room. It's really nice.

Hi Folks:

Prepping for my close on Monday. I've got a 32K gallon gunite in ground pool. I see from the "How to close an unground pool" sticky that they recommend SLAMing the pool a few days before and also getting most of the chemistry dialed in with PH "between 7.4 and 7.6".

I've got a gunite pool. Right now by PH is a bit high....8.2ish. But when I'm in pool math and current water temps of 60 degrees the CSI is balanced almost perfectly. Lowering the temp to the 50s or 40s is still balanced.

If I model lowering the PH to 7.4 the CSI drops with the "potential to become corrosive."

So my question is how important is PH when you close? Poolmath seems to think higher is better with colder temps.

Hello all. We have a 15 x 24' above-ground pool in NY. I am not the greatest when it comes to balancing my water chemicals. I use a floating chlorinator with the chlorine tab in it. I occasionally use baking soda powder when needed by pouring the powder into a bucket adding water mixing then spilling that bucket into the pool around the perimeter while the filter is on. That is really all I do besides adding in some clarifier every now and then. The pool looks crystal clear BUT the particulars like hardness and whatever else there is MAY NOT be GREAT. I backwash and brush and all the cleaning is done by me. I am pretty OCD BUT I am not the best at chemistry. I was looking on a site and they said they sell an item called pH Free and Clear that you add to the chlorinator and that is all you need to keep the pool crystal clear. An alternative product is Arm and Hammer Clear Balance which is less costly. Some sites said that BOTH of these products are ONLY baking soda. If that is the case what I am purchasing from Costo in the form of powder is better economically and does the same trick. is this TRUE? Please advise me on this. With all the chemicals that are available- pH bounce or increase to pH decrease to soda ash to calcium hardness etc- one can go broke with all this. One site said that the only chemicals needed for a pool are Chlorine, baking Soda and Chlorine Stabilizer(CYA)- BUT what product is CYA(chlorine stabilizer and when would you need it? As it is I almost rarely use Regular shock- I use a shock called GREENOUT. I use that and baking soda and the clarifier every now and then- is this OK??

I also vacuum the pool with my old robot - does OK. and also do it manually myself with the pole and the vacuum head at the end.

as mentioned I use a floating chlorinator with 2 tablets of chlorine in it.-as you can see by my attachments- I use BOTH- stabilized AND NON stabilized chlorine tablets AND the GREENOUT--which says
is a shock treatment and super chlorinator. is this combo OK- and if it is a super chlorinator- should I use "Fewer chlorine tablets floating weekly- to lower that chlorine level? I am trying to figure this out I want to prevent using or having to add CYA at all- and not have to have the problem of draining the pool etc if I add too much. What do you guys recommend? There can be a few scenarios I guess
1) Use the chlorine tablets WITH CYA stabilizer already in them and use REGULAR shock(NOT the GREENOUT version shock-which is super chlorinated)
2) use the GREENOUT ONLY with much FEWER chlorine tablets-(BUT which type- the combo tabs or the NON stabilized chlorine tablets.
Over the last few years- my pool has been CRYSTAL clear- by using JUST GREENOUT and chlorine tablets so if that is the case why should I change? I very rarely have had to use a clarifier to make the pool clear except when I open the pool at the beginning of the season. If I use the GREENOUT shock- what version of chlorine tablets would you suggest I use?

And can I save money by using Clorox bleach as my shock instead of the commercial bag shocks- since this has NO algicide in it like GREENOUT or POWER SHOCK(and how much would be needed for a 15 ' x 24' oval above ground pool)- which one site said I should not use regularly(only at closing of pool?) So many questions?

I guess that is all I have at this point- I will attach some pics so you can see my pol (before and after opening to see how it looks. Thank you
I tried to attach more pics BUT it said the attachment was too large-(how do I fix that?) So this pic is of the NON stabilized chlorine tabs in my floating chlorinator and the other no pic is called SLOW Tbas- which one should I use REGULARLY?

Thanks to all

My (ancient) solar pool controller has a 24V output to open/close a Jandy valve to direct the water to the solar panels when the sensors for pool/air show heat is available. 3-wire output - common, and a line to open and close the valve. I put my VOM on the terminals and confirmed it is sending 24-30 VAC to one or the other line as the valve opens and closes. My goal is to tap the RS-485 leads from the Whisperflo onto the valve terminals to direct it to go to higher speed when solar panels is open and lower speed when panel is closed. Has anyone tried such a thing before?? The Whisperflo manual implies this is doable, just wanted to know if anyone has ever tried it before. My only glitch is that during the 3 seconds when the valve is in motion it I read current in both lines, then when the valve comes to rest position the 'unused' line powers down to 0 V and the 'used' line maintains the current. Not sure how the Whisperflo would interpret getting signals on 2 channels.

Hi all, as stated in the title I'm a new guy located in Phoenix, AZ. Specifically, West Valley, west of the White Tanks if this would help with diagnosis. Anyway, I had my pool installed/first filled about 1 year ago (Oct-Nov '22 for sure). Just after it was installed we moved cross country (Dec '22) for work and then just came back here in Aug. As you can imagine nothing was done to the pool for about 8-10 months. Luckily for us, nothing happened to the pool, and the water was as clear as day 1. Of course, my chems are all over the place so I'm trying to bring it back in line. The pool itself is 12,000gal, pebble, in-ground cleaning, salt water, and heat pump. My current (09/22/2023) chem levels per Leslie's are: FC-0.06ppm, TC-0.07ppm, pH-8.2, TA-129ppm, Calcium Hardness-26ppm, CYA-54ppm, Phosphates-621ppb, Salt-3496ppm. I just did the first filter cleaning ever 2 weeks ago and there was a ton of plant matter in the filter and of course the sediment on the bottom. I just took the salt cell out today to clean it but it is very clean, with no buildup of any kind. I keep the pool @ 85*F with the heat pump if it matters My current schedule is running the vs pump @ 3000rpm from 8 pm to 12 am, and then it drops down to 2000rpm until 6 am when it shuts off. There is also a mechanical timer that I guess is for the salt cell. But I took the tabs off of it because I didn't understand why I needed it—anyway, just looking for some info from a larger knowledge pool than just Leslie's. Any help would be awesome.

Aquafysh|ELF08 Pro Cordless Swimming Pool Robot Cleaner
I have an underground pool and I am looking for a cost-effective robotic pool cleaner.
I found this one, I really like this yellow color & tank design

My system was consistently giving me a cold water error message turning off the chlorine generator.
After a little research, I bought a flow sensor through Amazon (the Luxvoko that says it is compatible with the ic 40.
The wire colors didn’t match(blue and white instead of black and yellow , red and green matched), but I found a picture and wired it according to that.
Now the cold water error is gone, but I’m getting a reading that the salt level is 0 .on the Intellichlor, in the salt group, the low light is a solid red. When I run a diagnostic through the control panel, it reads 0 now (the salt level is probably 3300 or so… Defintely not extremely low.

Did I wire the new replacement switch wrong, or the little clip connectors not work? Or could it be a bad switch?

I currently have an older Hayward SP2302VSP, seems it cannot be adding to a wireless controller. Thinking about replacing it to something I can remotely controll the speed or if anything at least being able to turn it on and off remote.

Any suggestions on what's out there that won't break the bank? Seems pool pumps has doubled in price in recent years.

Came home from a week vacation to find my chlorine level reduced to zero. No algae forming yet fortunately, so resorting to liquid chlorine.

My RJ45+ is a year old, and salt cell cleaned recently. Red “low salt” light was on but salt is around 3800ppm. Turned it off and then on, and that trouble light went away, but as you can hear and see in the videos, sounds like there is a short, and the low salt light is flickering.

Has anyone else had this problem, or have any thoughts on it? I called Circupool but got a recording their office is closed, 1:15 PM on a Tuesday, 8/22/23.

Cant seem to figure out how to upload video off iPhone. Only showing photos as an option.

I replaced this Multiport valve ( the old one lasted probly 10 years. Anyway, over the last several months there seems to be an air leak on the sand filter outlet side. When the valve is set to filter there is an audible "buzz" is the only way I can describe it. After several pump cycles air builds up in the sand filter and when the pump turns off the air pressure pushes back through the inlet lines to the pump and it sometimes takes a long time to reprime the pump and start pumping. If I run the water to any of the other valve outlets (recirc, waste, etc) there is none of the buzz. If I bleed the air pressure off the sand filter it runs fine for a few cycles. I've checked the star seal on the valve plate and it seem fine. The sealing surfaces inside the valve body seem clean and smooth. What do you think ???

An observation to try and crowdsource experiences and pinpoint where the IC bug is.

My house occasionally has the electric power blip off and on. It is an immediate power drop and right back on. I am right between two or more grid feeds and when the utility switches feeds or a storm hits one feed I get the power blip on the grid switchover. I have UPS batteries on equipment I don't want to reboot during the power drop.

When the power blips the IC wireless link freezes and to get it back I need to power the IC down, wait a minute, and power it up.

I had the Engenus WiFi bridge that Pentair was shipping with the early IC. And the thought was the Engenus box was the problem to losing the wireless link. So I replaced the Engenus Wifi link with the 900MHZ wireless link.

The 900MHZ link freezes the same with a quick power blip. And I have tried disconnecting both sides of the 900MZ link to power it down and reset them. That does not bring the link back operational.

It takes a power down of the IC and a reboot and then wireless is restored.

I now believe IC is not fully rebooting after the quick power blip and its embedded wireless server crashes while the rest of the system operates after the power blip.

I am now thinking about how I can force a reboot of the IC without the wireless link or put the IC power on a UPS battery.

Anyone else seeing this behavior after a power blip?

A pool “expert” was trying to get my spa to work and left me with the “Theme error“ message. Rebooting does not get rid of it. Any ideas?