New pool owner here. This site is great...I appreciate all the information! Just purchased a house with a 10,500 gallon, SWG, pebble tech pool (along with a Taylor 2006C test kit). Just finished my first reading (was taking it to Leslie's while waiting for the kit to arrive). I THINK I'm ok with the results but the CH is a little low (kinda concerned with the amount that pool math is telling me to add).....I would appreciate some input from you just to make sure I am doing this right. Thanks so much!
FC - 6.4 (High)
CC- 0.2
PH - 8.0 (Just added 1 cup of muriatic acid to bing this down slightly)
TA - 120
CH - 280
CYA - 40
Salt - 3200

Hello, TFP members! Long time Houzz user here and I have appreciated that group there so much, all who pointed me to this group of folks to help us troubleshoot a new pool build in Minnesota. We just settled on our pool builder who has a good reputation and builds a lot of pools in the Midwest. Pool will be in-ground vinyl.

We have two kids, 7 and 3 1/2 who are the primary reason we are building this pool but my husband and I are both very excited about it as well. I have wanted an in-ground pool my entire life, in spite of the short season we enjoy here in Minnesota. We figure with a good heater and an auto cover we can use the pool from May to end of September.

I'm attaching our estimate here from our pool builder and I would very much appreciate any insight/advice as to what we need, don't need, may be forgetting, etc. I'm also attaching a photo of the back of our house. The pool will run longways, parallel to the back of the house and those lilac bushes you see along the lower deck will be removed and replaced with concrete for the pool deck. The steps you see coming down from the lower deck will be moved to the opposite side to allow easier access to the pool entry steps which will be on the swingset end of the yard. This is primarily going to be a family pool that we would love for our kids to enjoy for all of their childhood and for us as we get older and entertain our friends and family.

The size is not very negotiable as our yard is a bit narrow and long so it'll be 18x40. We are leaning toward chlorine, not SWG as for some reason our daughter's eczema seems to flare anytime she swims in a salt pool, though I do know chlorine is chlorine no matter how it gets into the pool. Maybe the pools she's swimming in are just not balanced.

Biggest desires: Slide for the kids! Thinking wedding cake steps that then transition into a long full-width bench running across the 18' width of the pool which is priced in the estimate. That would be one bench, not full end steps which we were told would eat into the useable space of the pool. We don't want a big concrete jungle in our backyard so we are aiming for 3' of concrete on the long 40' sides of the pool with a bigger pool deck on each end of the 18' width for a few lounge chairs, but again, trying not to do too much concrete. We like the green, natural look of our backyard. Love the look of the natural Hamptons style pools but in Minnesota the minimum for concrete along the edges is 3' for structural purposes. We have two large decks, one that sit close to ground level as you can see in the photo so that can also be utilized for eating, lounging, etc. We do know we will need a larger concrete pad for the slide and we are okay with that.

Thinking maybe deck jets for the nice sound, or are those overrated? How about lights? Undecided on depth, but we were thinking the pool would run shallow to deep with the max depth being 6'5" of water depth under the slide area.

Huge investment for us financially and one we have been considering carefully for years. Pools aren't inexpensive in this area, and we are very nervous we're going to get this wrong.

Let me know what we might be missing and thanks in advance!

I have a flow clear pool pump and it is not working the plug has a test and reset buttons and now they won’t work and a green light is coming on I have checked power and even plugged something else in to outlet to verify that it does indeed work so what does the green light mean that’s coming on now and it won’t work ?!!!

Good morning and thanks to all that assist on this great site! I am looking for some ideas on what to put in this run off spot that used to be Bermuda grass please. I am thinking about some gravel with stepping stones or maybe some smaller river rock. This is also the only way to get to that side of the yard and it’s 8’ X 4’. Thank you!

Hello. Just found this group and thought it could help us with our pool. We have a 12000 gallon salt water inground with a D. E. filter.

Has anyone had a situation where you have algae on the top of the cover? I think I may have that and it keeps introducing algae to the pool from opening and closing the cover. I've noticed a yellow-ish (more yellow than green) film at the outer edge of the water that pools up around the cover pump after it rains and the same film on the pump and drain hose. At first I thought it was pollen but now I'm second guessing. What's really odd is the same stuff seems to be showing up on the edges of the hot tub cover where it's sitting on the coping. That's another reason I just thought it was pollen and was seeping between the cover and coping with the rain water. So I'm going to assume it's algae and go after it. Any suggestions on a cleaner to use? Coverstar's website says to only use dishsoap but I'm nervous that won't do it and contemplated a low dosage of bleach and water (maybe 10:1 water to bleach). Any suggestions?

Hello. My pump has been getting louder and louder the past month. I noticed some pretty significant corrosion on the underbelly of the motor housing (pic 2)and a bit of a leak (1 dripped second) at the bottom of the black pump assembly. The pump is 7 years old. Should I replace the whole unit or is there an easy fix that would make more sense? Thank you.

25K gal, IG vinyl, Hayward Pro Series pump, sand filter, non-SWG, TF-100 Test Kit, Jandy JXi pool and spa heater

We really appreciate the wealth of knowledge we've seen here. We are first-time pool and inground spa owners. The build started just shy of 3 months ago. Pool and spa have been usable for about 5 weeks now.

Please start your own question in an new thread instead of asking in an old one. Thank You. Brushpup.

So, if I don't need one, what do I do to release air from the system? My filter basket on my pump (before my sand filter) has more air in it than it has water (the instructions and the lid both say that it should be filled with water and contain no air) and there doesn't appear to be anyway to release the air (except to have a very strong person remove the lid to the basket strainer and then tighten it back up before losing too much water), but the water flow is very low, the pressure is very low and it's pushing air bubbles back into the pool. We've loosened the lid to the basket strainer to release the air but it's back again, and this has happened a few times now. The manual says not to run it with air in there, but I have no way to release the air when my husband is traveling because I'm not strong enough to fight the very strong water flow from the pool.

bk406 said:

It doesnt have one. You dont need it. Just set the mulitport valve to filter and turn on the pump. Thats it.

Click to expand...

We put up 16x 48 intex ultra yesterday. Both plunger valves leak. Not from the hose or pool wall from from the top of the valve where you turn off and on. Under the gray part..if that makes sense. Is there a way to fix?

16x48 intex ultra with intex sand filter 2800

Hey guys. 1st pool. It’s the weekend and just filled pool after new liner but, it doesn’t seem as its filter. What do I need to do. We have a waterway variable speed pump. We haven’t added chemical yet I’m not feeling any water coming from the return. What am I doing weong

i just got a 5000 gallon pool and i dont know what chemicals to put in it and i need step by step info

We live in the KC metro area, and are about to get going on a pool project. We like the price point of the vinyl liner. We like the "quick" install and different shapes of the fiberglass.

Living in the midwest, we have blistering hot summers and bitterly cold winters.

I'd love to hear your pros and cons on Vinyl liner pool (polymer or steel) vs. Fiberglass.

Thanks in advance!

SK

Should the liner fit snug on the stairs? Also there is an obvious thicker line that should fit along the bottom of each step. Should there be anything that holds the liner in place across the bottom of each step? I am sure I have not worded this right. Just need some answers before I go to the company that installed the liner and steps. Thank you

This tube collects fine black debris in the bottom around the edges of the circle--it won't rinse out and I haven't come up with an easy way to remove it. Any ideas? Thanks

Guys - I'm being advised by Leslie's to partially drain and refill my pool. Apparently I have very high metals and very high Cyanuric acid. Is there anything I should be wary of? Is it a good thing to do?

Appreciate any thoughts, Thanks

Aquarite is reading 4800 salt level. Had water tested pool place says salt is at 3600. I had a bad salt cell, replaced my cell with an over sized Blue Works T-9 version. I had a t3. I have changed the cell type on the board, reset salt level etc... board is still reading high. I am at a loss.

Hello. I have a 17000 gallon chlorine pool just south of Houston, TX. Now that we are using the pool most days I am adding about 3 chlorine pucks to my inline chlorinator every week. Does this seem normal ? It keeps the chlorine level between 2-3 ppm and I use no other chemicals and all other areas are within range. but now the CYA is rising and my pool supply company says I need to use a liquid chlorine that does not have acid. Any suggestions ?

Hi all,

After 4 seasons running faithfully (aside from one cell change 2 years ago), my Circupool Core55 is incorrectly showing an error light of Low Temperature. The water is about 80* so it is not below the 68* threshold. I sent a message to Circupool but it’s a long holiday weekend and I don’t anticipate an answer for at least a few days so I thought I’d turn to the TFP family. I tried unplugging the unit a few times to no avail for a fix. Does anyone have any advice on troubleshooting? In the meantime I did turn up the output so that it would maintain more chlorine. I’m current at 5.5FC on a bright sunny day so it seems ok for now. Please help!

I cannot find the valve to shut off the telescoping pool fountain. It has been retracted to the bottom of the pool for the three years I owned it, and recently popped up to the surface when the pump went on. There is no valve anywhere to shut off the flow of water to it. It appears it may have been epoxied/glued into place at the bottom of pool, so perhaps that explains why it always stayed down (you could feel water pressure coming up from it when the pump was on, but it stayed down at bottom of pool and didn't telescope upwards).

Is "gluing" the head back down with putty or something similar recommended? I can't think of any other practical way of getting it to stay retracted down when the pump is on.

Attached is a picture of the type of fountain I'm describing, and the collar that is screwed in at the bottom of pool where the fountain telescopes out from.

New member here. I know it's customary to make an introduction so I hope it's in the right place.

I've got a small in ground liner pool. Roughly 8,500 gallons. Painted concrete deck in a screened enclosure.
I'm running a HotSpot Energy heater that scavenges heat from the AC unit. I love the heater as the pool was always cold being shaded by the house, screen and trees.

Looking forward to learning more.

It's been a while since I've posted as we've usually had good luck with the TFP methods for the last 7yrs.. This year we have been at it for 4 weeks or more now and at a near total standstill for a week or more. I work 12hr shifts so getting started it always hard as there are days that I can't retest/maintain. Usually once I have several days off in a row things start coming together but not this year. The water is still cloudy enough that we can barely see the pattern on the bottom of the pool. Last week we let the chlorine drop to 4 (not intentionally.. I just had to work a couple of days in a row) and rebalanced the ph/alk/cya. A couple days later, on Friday we decided to open up the sand filter and give it a wash out as we couldn't remember the last time we did it (probably at least 3yrs). It was, of course, terrible. We washed and washed until all the 'cloudiness' was gone from it but there were still little 'bits and pieces' but WAY less than before. We saw a slight improvement the next day (maybe??) but nothing since. We've run the filter 24/7 for a month or more. We've vacuumed and brushed a million times. I'm almost out of test kit supplies and I'm completely out of CYA testing chemicals so going off my last test plus some strips to give me a general idea (if it looks like 30 I always assume it's 40 to be on the safe side when going to the fc/cya chart). We are still losing more than 1 at night and hard to keep level maintained during the day. My gut tells me we need to change out the sand. Here are this morning's numbers...

pH 7.5
alk 70
FC 13
CC 1.5
cya 40

Thoughts before I fill it with concrete????

Not sure if it’s going to do any good but I like to tinker. I ran a temp air line off my shop compressor to the pool. Then built a little copper aerator I guess. It’s 3/4 type M with an air fitting, check valve to keep water from going back into my air line, then capped. I drilled 20 1/8th holes around the pipe. No idea if it’ll do any good but if it does I’ll probably rebuild it in pex A so I don’t have a copper pipe sitting on my plaster. Seems to be working pretty well and it looks pretty cool running.

Why? Mostly just because and the pool math app recommended dropping the pH to 7.0-7.2 then aerating to get the TA down and pH back up. And it seemed like a fun piddling around project. I’m a remodel contractor so I used what I had laying around.

It really confused my pups.

Yes I have a nightmare. Plaster sub did two terrible quartz jobs so now trying pebble. I guarantee they will throw the hose in and I won’t hear or see anyone again. Today was surprise plaster after weekly contact for a year. Yes they did a full chip out begrudgingly. Hoping for best result and going to try the Bicarb startup myself. I do have my TF test kit. Tested my fill water and here are my results
TA -150
CH - 200
PH - 7.2
Chlorine - 0

I am going to use to 5 gal bucket method and try to keep up with every 1000 gal. I am assuming they are doing an acid wash tomorrow then will fill. Least that is what they did with quartz jobs.

I will test water in pool again and walk thru the results. If I am doing right, if I used above readings for a 15k gal pool I would add 10 lbs of baking soda. Is my PH ok at 7.2? If I remember right pool fills in about 30 hours. We have terrible water pressure.

Any other advice? And I guess there is no chance we will get to use for 4 th of July. These 100+ temps looking at a cement hole have not been fun.

Thanks in advance for help and advise.

Our sand filter developed a pinhole leak last year and TFP educated me that it was no longer safe to use. I despise throwing our solar covers to the landfill every few years and found a friend who will reuse to cover old farm/junk he collects. So after some thought, got the hubby to cut the sand filter in half, drilled some holes, and voila -my tomatoe plants have a new home and are thriving! Now planning another planting for the top half!

Hello everyone,

I have a 13,000 gallon pool with a Hayward Aqua Plus SWG chorlination system and a t-9 cell.

I'm on year 5-6 of the salt cell so I image I will be replacing soon.

Questions:

1.) Some on this forum have suggested upgrading to a T15 cell and that the T9 is a bit undersized for my pool - is this true ?
2.) If I do upgrade to the T15 - is this just a screw it on type thing with a simple setting on the Aqua Plus to set to the T15 cell ?
3.) I have a horrible time getting the salt cell unscrewed sometimes. I make sure to put lube on the threads each time I take it off but one time it was so tight that I cracked the PVC screw and had to get the dreaded pool guys to come out and fix the pipe. Any suggestions about best ways to unscrew these things wtihout causing damage - is there a tool you all recommend ?

Thanks,

Karl

We are new pool owners 13x26 above ground SplashPool. Filled it in May and all went well until mid-June. Then the cotton fell which was quite a learning experience but next year we will be more prepared! Then we got our first algae bloom which, I’m sure was from our filter being full of cotton. My husband was ready to throw in chemicals. I followed everything I could read on here for shocking to a T (except that my CYA was too high bc even though I’d read on that I didn’t fully understand the relationship and the issue with too high CYA and when it was first turning green I was like add more and we didn’t do a partial drain we just added lots of chlorine ). Anyway, lots of chlorine and cleaning the filter and nothing else for 5 days, it was nearly clear and we had a planned vacation. I didn’t know how much chlorine to add while we were gone since I was just past the shock phase so I just gave the neighbor instructions based on what I thought would keep our chlorine level high enough until we could get home. Got out my test kit this morning and we are exactly where we should be and the pool is as clear as can be! My husband said “I can’t believe you did it!” Not that he doesn’t trust me, it’s just that everyone else was going on about adding chemicals and what we needed to do and I insisted we not do anything but follow your plan and he is thoroughly impressed. As am I! Luckily for us our neighbor 2 doors up told us about this site. So post one by me is simply a thank you to everyone who gave great advice on previous posts and told us to stay the course. I am such a novice but having this resource gives me lots of reassurance! And it was so helpful to have the actual test kit. I bought some strips just to use in between my kit readings but they are far from reliable. I know Can use them to know if I’m off base but I would have been in a world of hurt had I only followed those things! Thanks! Casey

Hi, my name is Steven. I would like to manage my own pool due to a few recent experiences that make me less trusting of pool maintenance companies. Education is a powerful tool that I want to gain through this forum. I own a 15,000 gal SWG pool with pebbletech flooring and use a Pentair system with a single speed pump.

I’m starting from zero knowledge but do have a biochem undergraduate degree. Lol I’m sure it’s the same, right?

So My pool cleaner has developed a very gummy film on the outside of the cord. Its a maytronics...
Its been gradually getting worse... I presume its the chlorine breaking down the rubber, but is there any way to clean this off? its incredibly frustrating.

Thank you much

Thanks to all of you at TFP, two years ago I took ownership of maintaining my own pool, and the water's never been better. All the information and wisdom shared here is much appreciated.

I have what I hope is a quick and easy question. Our Hayward vacuum-lock safety wall fitting (a.k.a., pool vacuum hose connector) has broken. I have a Hayward replacement part (pic attached) and I need to remove the broken fitting and install the new one.

Simple enough, right? However, I'm having trouble removing the old fitting. It won't budge, and before I start clamping tools to it and using serious force and leverage, I thought I'd pause and ask for advice here. Might it be reverse threaded? Is a thread sealant typically used when installing? Is this fitting somehow wedded to the plumbing?

I've done work on my own cars, and have used WD-40 and MAP torches to loosen stuck bolts; are there equivalent tricks that work for PVC plumbing?

Thank you guys!