We opened on Friday, woohoo! It was also our first year doing it ourselves. Easy peasy. I am SO thankful to TFP - opened to a fabulous pool. Just dirty from the copious amount of dogs that walk on our mesh cover. No hand vac, just using Fred the robot and brushing down the walls.

-Upon open, day 0
-Day 1
-Day 2


First chem results:


Pups enjoying the pool being open for biz!
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Not in the pool, but worth telling LOL
Yesterday afternoon I was cooking dinner with the wife while the kids were taking a class in the living room. They have a maths and science tutor every Wednesday afternoon... anyway, the lady is this very disciplined, old style, retired teacher (she is great though, my kids are loving her classes and she came very well recommended, but yeah she is strict!) we found her through this Canadian company called StudyPug.

So I sit down with the kids for the end of the class, the online science tutor is going through her last exercises with the kids and suddenly a young man appears behind her, he just passes by walking in the background drinking something and out of nowhere BELCHES so loud that the neighbors probably heard that!!!
Oh my goodness the poor woman was EMBARRASSED.

She suddenly said "pardon my son's manners please, he forgets I'm working in the living room"... HAHAHAHA
seriously, I feel bad for any science tutor (actually any tutor or person working online and dealing with family's behavior and forgetting they are trying to earn a living!) BUT OMG HAHAHAHA ,,, I had to finish the session quickly because the kids couldn't stop laughing and I couldn't keep on holding it!!!

I tried because that woman is so serious, really, and she is such a good teacher, BUT MY LORD HAHAHAHAHAHAHA... that was funny.

Any funny random thing happened to you lately?

Good day,

I'm new to this forum and the TFP world. First time pool owner as well. I need help understanding what's going on with my water chemistry. A little background first:

Pool - Fiberglass - 7800 gallons aprox.
SWG - Hayward AquaRite - Chlorine output 1.45lbs/24hrs - Desired Output % is at 80% (PB instructed me not to change it)
Pool test kit - Taylor K2006 C
PB half cleaned the pool for the first time (after being green for 2 months) on 3/11/2022. He added salt, 2 jugs of Muriatic Acid (no idea what %) and some powder that turned the pool back to blue within hours. He did no test whatsoever.

Back to the issue. Yesterday, I used my Taylor K2006 for the first time, multiple times to make sure I didn't miss anything. Got the following readings:

3/15/2022

FC - 0.4
CC - Between 0.2 - 0.4
pH - 8
TA - 90
CH - 90
CYA - "Non detectable" meaning I could see the black dot at all times. No cloudiness whatsoever.
SWG displayed 3000 in the afternoon when I performed the test. I know future tests need to be done later in the evening or at night, except CYA. If I'm mistaken please let me know. I'm a rookie.

After I got my results, I was ready to come here and ask for help to balance the water, but my PB cleaning guy came over to finish cleaning the pool, and he added TWO jugs of muriatic acid to the pool. No questions asked. No test performed. He also when to the SWG panel and the reading was 2700, so he dumped half a bag of salt to the pool.

Today, I went ahead and did another test to see what the 2 jugs of MA did to the water chemistry. This is where is gets interesting:

3/16/2022

FC - 0, it wouldn't turn pink, no matter how much more I added. There were clumps at the bottom.
CC - nothing
pH - bellow 7, incredibly yellow. I lost count how many drops of base demand I added to get something in between 7.2 and 7.4. Blurry picture for reference:



TA - wouldn't turn green
CYA - non detectable
SWG now reads 3400

I repeated the tests multiple times, speechless. I don't know what is going on, why my PB decided my pool needed 2 additional jugs of MA.

What should I do? I turned the Super Chlorinate ON today. Still at 80%. I understand I need to add CYA to help with Chlorine loss, and I now have to bump the pH. But I'm lost.

Thanks a lot

I have a 13,000g pool and typically spend about $250 per year on liquid chlorine. Probably closer to $350 this coming year. I was quoted $1450 to convert to Pentair ic30, and I might need an $800 cell every 5 years thereafter plus a bunch of salt each year. 40# bags of salt seem more of a pita than 1 gallon jugs of chlorine. I don't see a payback unless I'm missing something.

*bonus points because this is the ‘coffee bar’

I recently purchased a house with an indoor pool (in the Seattle area), and am trying to research what it would take to convert it to a salt water system, or ideally a magnesium/potassium system (and to be clear, magnesium chloride, not the magnesium sulfate of Epsom salts). Lots of places call that a mineral pool, but then we run into the problem that there are two types of sanitization systems referred to that one. One being the potassium/magnesium chloride systems, and the other being silver/copper/zinc or whatever type systems like the Frog system - and I'm definitely talking about the former.

I've read through every post that mentions magnesium, and see a few threads that started this conversation, but usually they taper off very quickly (started by people like me who then stop responding), or are from about a decade ago, and centered more around a couple of products being sold in Australia rather than thoughts on how to do this.

First, the reason I want to convert to salt or magnesium is that pretty much everyone in my family is prone to skin irritation, and are struggling with our chlorine-sanitized pool. It definitely gets worse the higher the chlorine levels go, but even when I've dropped them to ~1, there are still some issues. On the other hand, whenever we've had the chance to swim in a salt water pool all of us have loved it - easier on the eyes, the skin, and the hair. And I do understand that there's chlorine in a salt water pool - but our experience has been pretty clear cut on this one. While my interest in the magnesium pools falls under the "I read on the internet that...", my desire to avoid an exclusively-chlorine based system is based on how our bodies have reacted to salt water and chlorine-sanitized pools.

As to why I'm looking at Magnesium/Potassium in lieu of sodium, there are a couple of reasons. The primary reason is that I think my existing pool would fall apart if I switched to sodium chloride. I have a metal ladder, and aluminum coping. The coping is pretty old (I don't think the previous owners changed it out when the redid the pool in 2002, so it might be original, going back ~40 years), and at least one section is seriously corroded. To the point that I am trying to get someone to replace it, but it's a struggle to find anyone to either give me a quote, or who has availability before the end of 2023. So at the moment I'm focused on triage and buying some time. I've had a few people talk about the level of bonding and grounding, implying that it's likely inadequate for conversion to salt water. And finally, we're limping along on a very old heater, I think maybe from the 80s, that's still going, but I'd imagine the heat exchanger is paper thin by now, and probably wouldn't tolerate much more stress to it. I have seen repeated references to the corrosive effects of magnesium/potassium being ~an order of magnitude less than sodium. Of course now that I'm writing a post I cannot find those references, but I swear I read them.

And second, I'm kind of a little bit sold on the benefits of submersion in magnesium - not to the 'cures cancer, baldness, infertility, political infighting, and disrespectful children' level that places like MagnaPool try to sell. But along the lines of Epsom salts, with helping to calm nerves and relax muscles (another joyful issue faced by my wife and myself), and to hydrate skin. My wife loves being in the pool, but the effect it has on her skin and hair kind of sucks. The less stressful the water, the longer she'll stay in, the happier she'll be, and the happier I'll be.

So right, maybe that's enough background. On to a couple of questions.

First, am I an idiot who is missing something big here? I can find a few people and stores in the US advocating for this, but not many. It just doesn't seem to be a thing here, and I'm not entirely sure why.

Second, how do I convert the pool? Clearly I'd need to start with removing the chlorine tablets, and installing a chlorine generator. Also, at least some of the things I've read insist that my current cartridge filter wouldn't be adequate, and that I'd need to replace it with a glass-media filter. I think I've found places to buy magnesium chloride and potassium chloride in bulk. I just haven't been able to find a guide on how to do this. Plenty of companies offering to help do so, primarily in Australia but also one in the sunbelt, and another that makes it as far north as Portland, but that doesn't really help me. It's hard to pony up the money to get help with the pool when it involves airfare, room, and board. I imagine my heater will explode an hour after I do this, because reasons, but then it might explode before I hit "post" anyway. And since it's been 2 months trying to get a quote to replace it out of local companies, then this whole issue would go fallow for a couple of years, or until I get the courage to replace the heater myself.

And third, how do I maintain it? Are there strips that would detect the magnesium and/or potassium levels? Would I need to test those independently? Otherwise, I think I just maintain it as a salt water pool.

Anyway, and suggestions or thoughts? I'd love to hear them.

EDIT: You will find a simplified and standardized version of this chart at Pool School, Chlorine / CYA Chart.

Chlorine/CYA Chart by Chemgeek

FC = Free Chlorine in parts-per-million (ppm)
CYA = Cyanuric Acid in parts-per-million (ppm)

CYA ........... Min FC³ ..... Target FC ...... Yel/Mstrd Min ...... Shock FC ..... Yel/MstrdShock
0 ................. 0.07¹ ........... 0.11¹ ................ 0.15¹ .................. 0.64¹ .............. 1.50¹
10 ............... 0.8¹ ............. 1.2¹ .................. 1.6¹ .................... 4.5 .................. 7.1
20 ............... 1.5¹ ............. 2.4 .................... 3.1 ..................... 8.3 ................ 12.7
30 ............... 2.2 ............... 3.5 .................... 4.6 ................... 12.2 ................ 18.2
40 ............... 2.9 ............... 4.6 .................... 6.1 ................... 16.0 ................ 23.8
50 ............... 3.7 ............... 5.7 .................... 7.5 ................... 19.8 ................ 29.4²
60 ............... 4.4 ............... 6.8 .................... 9.0 ................... 23.7 ................ 34.9²
70 ............... 5.1 ............... 8.0 .................. 10.5 ................... 27.5² ............... 40.5²
80 ............... 5.8 ............... 9.1 .................. 12.0 ................... 31.4² ............... 46.1²
90 ............... 6.6 ............. 10.2 .................. 13.5 ................... 35.2² ............... 51.7²
100 ............. 7.3 ............. 11.4 .................. 14.9 ................... 39.1² ............... 57.3²
120 ............. 8.7 ............. 13.6 .................. 17.9 ................... 46.7² ............... 68.4<sup>2

1</sup>A minimum FC level is needed as a "reserve" for usage so in practice at least 2 ppm FC is required even at low CYA levels. The table above shows the amount needed for disinfecting chlorine for equivalent killing power (rates), but does not take into account the amount needed in reserve to prevent getting used up as this varies by pool.

²The shock levels shown have equivalent disinfecting chlorine amounts (in a column) but at high CYA levels it may be impractical to use such high FC levels. A partial drain/refill to lower the CYA level is usually what is needed or one can shock at a lower level but will take longer to kill the algae.

³Most saltwater chlorine generator (SWG) pools appear to prevent algae at a minimum FC level of 4.5% of the CYA level as compared with the roughly 7.5% of the CYA level shown in the "Min FC" column for manually dosed pools.

NOTE: A reasonable approximation to the above table is the following:
.... "Min FC" is 7.5% of the CYA level
.... "Target FC" is 11.5% of the CYA level
.... "Yel/Mstrd Min" is 15% of the CYA level
.... "Shock FC" is 40% of the CYA level
.... "Yel/MstrdShock" is 60% of the CYA level.
Since chlorine is more effective at lower pH, it is normally recommended to lower the pH before shocking at a high FC level, especially for yellow/mustard algae where lowering the pH to 7.2 before shocking at the above levels is best (and remember that the pH test will not be valid during shocking due to high FC levels).

ACKNOWLEDGMENT: The original chlorine/CYA chart was developed by Ben Powell and is shown here based mostly on experience plus some conversations with chemists. With the help of users at The Pool Forum and this forum, we expanded the chart to include yellow/mustard algae and I made the chart consistent with chemical theory.

Just so everyone is aware the refill kits for the TFP test kits are currently on sale here. Hope it helps, mine is on the way already....looking forward to see what I can do better my second year with my permanent AGP (upgrade from Intex that died of COVID...)

Hi all, we are getting quotes now to redo all of the pool plumbing including all new pump, filter, swg, etc.

Existing equipment is definitely older and we’ve been having problems with low pressure and priming in the pump. I’ve been greasing and replacing all orings in hopes to help the pump prime but it appears i cant get any suction anyone. Not sure, maybe the pump ran dry to long.

So….how long can we go without a pump? If i keep moving around water as best i can with the pole/brush and keep chlorine high, can we limp along for a while? Or should i be looking for a used pump? Not sure how long until we can actually start the real replacement of the equipment.

Hey all,
I am am pretty new here and I believe I may have done something to close my pool that caused it to leak and empty.
I woke up this morning after a very very strong wind storm overnight to see my pool cover 2/3 into my pool and water all over my grass/yard. I tried to see what was going on inside by the pool cover is still on (i don't want to remove it just yet based on the responses here). I can see on a couple of he wall panels that its caved in and around the edge of one side of the pool i see a large amount of fine sand (likely the base of the pool).
What should I do here? Should i remove the cover to reduce the strain on the upper portion of the pool (the pool cover has about 3-4 inches of water/ice on top)? And i could then see inside what is going on?
Obviously the liner has a leak or its pull from the top?
The temps warmed up over the last couple of days (live in Chicago) put next week is due to get back down to freezing again.
Any thoughts or recommendations here so i can attempt to keep the pool intact as much as possible?
Thanks again for your help!

In case anyone is considering some new yard and pool features-

Costco has their 12x16 Steel Roof Sun Shelters on sale ($500 Off) for $2199.
You have to order online only though.

Maddie

Pool was finished in December. Mid 80s today and sunny so we decided to invite some people over for a early season pool party. We have only used the spa until today.

Thankful to everyone on this site for the guidance and help from pool maintenance to self installing a new SWG. Excited to show off the backyard and finally get in the pool!

Helping my in-laws with a conversion (10+ years of Baquacil) after progressively worsening white mold problems at pool opening. We started in early April. Pool was crystal clear after a month. Filter sand was changed but we can’t reach a sustainable chlorine level. Add enough chlorine nightly to reach 15 ppm and have 0 ppm the following day. Recently learned the impact CDX has on conversion.

Weighing options:

1. partial mid season drain
2. persevere with high chlorine use and drain post season
3. In-laws are in their 80’s and may just fill the pool in

I did a test to gather more info in hopes of nudging me in a direction. I scaled their pool down to a 5 gal bucket using their water and applied nightly chlorine to 15 ppm. I lost 50% daily which is much better than their 100% daily demand. At that rate, waiting post season would be manageable but I can’t explain why there is a difference. My speculation is that the white latex like bio-film in the plumbing is causing the difference in Cl demand between bucket and pool.

Just curious what others thoughts on this might be.

Got my RJ 45 installed and working today, it’s generating chlorine just fine at 60 deg water.

It’s 3x oversized so I am going to start off at 10% since I am running the pump 17 hours a day at 1500 rpm and see where that takes me

Thank you TFP!!
I started maintaining my pool last December with absolutely no experience. After going through the pool school and ordering the TF100 test kit and purchasing the suggested chemicals I was able to maintain the pool with absolutely no problems. I test the water weekly and with the help of the chemical calculator, I add the minor chemical adjustments and the water is perfect. Thanks again for such a great website.

Sincerely,

Rick

All of my suggested "wait" issues are now over with the builder. I've been filled for a little over 1-month. Yesterday's test was through Leslie's and still to get a more complete test kit for myself. My question is whether I should still wait on CH to increase, or should I increase it at this stage? CH has been increasing. This test was about 10ppm CH higher than last week's. Here's all my starting points per:

pH = 7.8
Alk = 131
Cya = 29
FAC = 1.1
TAC = 1.6
CH = 128
TDS = 600
Pho = 980
FE = 0.1
CU = 0.2

Hey TFP – I'm closing on our first house in Austin, TX next week and we lucked out in winning a house with an (older) pool in the backyard. We know we'll be taking on a pool renovation project within the next 3-5 years, but there are a few things that need to be replaced sooner than that. Would love to hear ideas and recommendations for how we can get the best value when we replace some of the equipment in the near term.

Filter: OLD Pentair FNS Plus DE filter. Currently leaking DE into the pool, so this is the top priority to replace. I've always had cartridge filters on the pools my family had growing up, so probably going in that direction.
Pump: Relatively new Pentair Intelliflo variable-speed pump. Currently used as the timer. Seems in good shape per our pool inspector.
Cleaner: Polaris 360 that looks brand new. No booster pump, so it seems to be just hanging out in the deep end. Planning on pulling it out of the pool and selling it on FB Marketplace as soon as we move in. I'l be using the money to offset a new Dolphin robot cleaner.
SWCG: Hayward SwimPure Plus Electronic Chlorine Generator

Will the Dolphin be able to suck up the DE filter media that's currently collecting in areas at the bottom of the pool? From what I've been reading, the DE is likely just cycling back into the pool after a manual vacuum it or if the Polaris manages to suck any of it up.

I've been lurking here for years as an aspiring pool owner, and I'm really looking forward to geeking out over all things pool maintenance with y'all in the years to come!

Very excited! I got my TF-100 kit and ran all the test today -- what an improvement over the junk my pool start-up guy left me! I'm curious to know what y'all think of my results and if any action to be taken. I'm in So Cal climate, so pretty moderate.

FC 3.0
PH 7.8
TA 120
CH 450
CYA 90

I still have a pool guy since pool is only a few months old. He uses liquid chlorine. We have a floater in there now with one tablet.

By comparison in November my numbers were:
FC 12.9
PH 7.4
TA 45
CH 260
CYA 104

So... overall I think my water has improved? But any recommendations or should I let my current water ride?

Thanks!!

Hello.
I bought this: TF-Pro *Salt with Smart Stir-for pools with SWG

I'm really trying to understand how to use it but I'm feeling pretty stupid here reading all this stuff. Ugh. I was hoping someone could answer my specific questions below.

The extra smart stir thing is supposed to come with:
1. Stirrer
2. Stir Bar
3. 40ml Samples Tube

Q1. I think the Stirrer is the thing that takes the 4 AA batteries. But I don't know if it's working? If I hit either the Right or Left button, the unit lights up, but it doesn't "do" anything... what is it supposed to do, vibrate or something?
Q2. What is the Stir Bar, I'm assuming its the tiny blue shovel-like thing, correct? (it reads "0.05g #2235 Hold Above Line")
Q3. What is the 40ml samples tube? I'm assuming it's the other tube that *ISN'T* labeled as "Chlorine Only", correct?
Q4. For the Chlorine Drop Test , step 2 says to "Add one scoop of the R-0870 powder". Okay, but scoop using what? I assume using that tiny blue shovel-like thing (which might also be the Stir Bar?), correct?
Q5. There's a small white plastic piece (shaped like a "+" sign) in an electrostatic bag. What is this for?
Q6. Am I supposed to rinse/wash off the tubes and stir things after each use?
Q7. If I do a chlorine test, do I -have- to do another/different test before acting on the results of that test? (for example, if I don't know my pH, TA, CH, or CYA, should I do -NOTHING- regardless of my chlorine test until I also test the others?) I know they all sort of work together and one might affect the other, I'm just learning slowly here and nervous about screwing up these tests and it's taking me a long time to grasp this stuff.

Sorry for the ignorance, try not to laugh too hard. I'm going to have a lot more questions, but I just need those answered for now.

I'm mainly just trying to get familiar with running a Chlorine drop test for FC and CC, and TC.

Thanks.

Greetings. I'm in the Arizona desert and am not new to pool water chemistry. We've recently moved and have experienced one summer in our new house.

We have a smallish sized play pool, 4', 6', 5' deep. I have no idea how many gallons it is.

I do know the pool water is old and probably filled with CYA, and thus, no amount of chlorine or SLAMing will clear up the algae.

We are totally draining the pool, as I type this. With that being said, last summer, I was unable to find liquid chlorine in Peoria. I had to use pucks. Ugh. I'm going to make a trip to Lowe's shortly for chemicals.

When balancing fresh water, should I add CYA at all if I intend to use the awful chlorine pucks?

This tutorial is geared toward the traditional grid-style DE filters. If you have a cartridge-style DE filter, you may want to switch over to JoyfulNoise's QuadDE Tutorial.


When DE filters are backwashed, not all of the DE/fiber cellulose (henceforth, the term DE will be used to refer to both) is removed from the filter. If owners are not aware of this, they may add too much DE back into the filter, reducing performance and eventually clogging it up as can be seen in this extreme case.


TFP recommends backwashing when the pressure rises 20-25% over the clean filter and then recharging the filter with ~80% of the manufacturer’s recommended amount of DE. TFP also recommends disassembling the filter for a thorough cleaning once a year to inspect for problems and to ensure peak performance. This tutorial will walk you through the process of taking a typical DE filter apart for cleaning and then reassembling and recharging the filter. This will not address the bump-type or cartridge-type DE filters. A Hayward DE6020 filter is used in this example.

Step 1: Backwash the filter. This is done by turning off the pump and turning your backwash valve (plunger or mutli-valve) to the backwash setting. Turn the pump back on until the filter sight-glass looks clear. It is usually good to alternate between backwash and rinse (or filter if you have a plunger) a few times to remove as much DE as possible. Be sure to turn the pump off when changing the valve setting. See HERE for more information. In this tutorial, I chose to skip this step so that I could throw the DE in the garbage instead of spraying it around the yard. Note, some setups may include a DE separation tank that will capture the DE before the water comes out.

Step 2: Be Safe. Turn off the pump and ensure the timer or automation system will not be able to turn it back on unexpectedly while the filter is disassembled.

Step 3: Draining the filter. Open the Air Release Valve on the top of the filter to allow the water to drain out of the filter for a few minutes. You may also want to remove the drain plug (using a screwdriver in my case) on the bottom of the filter to allow the water to drain out of the bottom of the tank.


Step 4: Opening the filter. Loosen the nut holding the filter clamp, remove the clamp, and lift off the lid to reveal the mess. Some people may spray off the grids while still in the filter bottom and let some of the DE drain out the bottom. Or even remove the top manifold and take the grids out separately. I chose to lift everything out together … which was heavy because like mentioned previously, I did not backwash so that I could put most of the DE in the garbage and not around my yard. Also note that the o-ring on the stand pipe can make it difficult to lift the manifold out.


Step 5: Disassembling the grids. Remove the nut off the top of the manifold to allow disassembly. You will likely need to lay the assembly down so that you can hold the long bolt on the bottom and take the nut and washer off the top. Once the nut is removed, stand the assembly back up and lift off the manifold.


Step 6: Cleaning the grids. Lift out one grid at a time and spray them off with a garden hose (no pressure washers). I grabbed the larger chunks of DE and threw them in the garbage. Note that you should turn the grids upside down with the pipe on the bottom so that the grids can more easily drain while you are spraying them off.


Here you can see half the grids removed, the large clumps of DE remaining (clean this up so it does not blow around when it dries out), and all the nice clean grids (note the shorter/narrower grid on the right).


At this point it may be desired to soak the grids in soap and/or an acid bath if they feel stiff from calcium build-up and do not let the water drain out quickly. My grids are only a year old and in good shape so this was not needed. See HERE for more information about soaking your grids.

Step 7: Cleaning the rest. Spray off the bottom rack, top manifold, lower filter case, upper filter case and clamp. Inspect the air vent hose on the top of the manifold for damage. Remove the large o-ring from the lower case and wipe down the mating surface on both halves of the filter case. I found kind of a tacky mess that was very difficult to remove. I believe this is because the lube I used was Teflon-based, I may switch to Silicone-based lube which I hear is easier to work with. Also wipe down the seat for the clamp and the clamp itself to remove any dirt or debris that may have accumulated.


Step 8: Assembling the grids. This can be frustrating at first, but now only takes me a few minutes. I prefer to put the grids back together in the upright position; although I hear others prefer to do it upside down … to each their own. You will want to have all the grids within reach before you start so the assembly does not fall over (I spent more time getting these pictures than putting it together )

Start with the narrow grid. Locate it so that the side with the most curve is on the inside and sits in the corner slot just opposite the opening in the bottom rack. The outside will stop just into the opening in the rack and should be in the 2nd groove in from the outside. (Updated picture above showing short grid placement courtesy of member cardano, thanks) Next grab another grid and place it in the next inside corner slot CCW and around the outside of the short grid, ending just to the outside of the first grid. Continue this process by placing the grids in the next open slot and making sure the outside edge is sitting in the next open grove on the outside of the bottom rack.


Now place the top manifold on the grids with the opening marked “short element here” on the short grid ensuring the center bolt is in the middle hole. I work my way around the grids gently moving the grid pipes into place. With light pressure you can keep the first grids engaged in the manifold while you work your way around nudging things into place. Once the manifold is seated, place the washer and nut back on the center bolt (you may have to reach inside to lift it up to get the nut started). Then lay the assembly down and snug up the nut (DO NOT tighten this down too much or you can damage the grids ... just snug it up )


Step 9: Lube it up. Wipe down the large filter o-ring, the stand pipe o-ring, and the drain plug o-ring. Then apply a generous amount of Teflon or Silicone-based grease to all and set them into place. I also wiped down the manifold sleeve that fits on the stand pipe and rubbed some grease inside as well.


Step 10: Closing the filter. Set the grid assembly back into the filter ensuring that the manifold slips over the o-ring on the stand pipe. Place the top of the filter back over the grids on the filter o-ring. Wrap the clamp around the two halves of the filter and start to hand tighten the brass nut. I have found the best way to tighten this clamp and not risk breaking the nut is to alternate tightening the nut and gently tapping around the clamp with a rubber mallet (or use a regular hammer and a block of wood). If you alternate 4-5 times, it actually takes very little force on the nut to get it tightened to spec; whereas if you do not tap the clamp into place and just try to force it on only using the nut, you are very likely to break or strip the brass nut.


Step 11: Recharging the filter. Put the required amount of DE or cellulose fiber into a bucket and then fill it with water. This was my first time using the fiber and based on things I had read, I did not use the entire amount listed on the package. The bag said to use 15 cups for my 60 sqft filter, I chose to try 12 cups which is roughly half the 3 pound bag.


I stick my hand in the bucket to break up any clumps and mix it into a slurry. Remove the skimmer lid, the skimmer basket (note my rock that is BIGGER than the hole in the bottom of the skimmer to keep the basket from floating), and the float diverter (space ship looking thing). Go back to the equipment pad, make sure the air release valve is still open on the filter, turn on the pump on high speed and wait for the air to be purged from the filter. When water sprays out, close the air release valve and turn the pump back off.


I remix the bucket of DE into a slurry and rinse my hand in the skimmer. Then turn the pump back on and immediately start to slowly pour the slurry into the skimmer, scooping up pool water as required to get all the DE out of the bucket. After a couple minutes, I usually crack the air release valve back open to make sure all the air is gone and then note the pressure reading on the gauge (note my new 2.5” liquid filled pressure gauge from tftestkits). You will want to write this value down somewhere so that you will know when the pressure rises 20-25% over this clean pressure and it is time for either backwashing or re-cleaning the filter.


Step 12: Bask in your triumph. Grab your favorite tasty beverage and lounge in the shade or go for a swim knowing that your DE filter is now working at peak performance

Got the pool started up yesterday. Kids got home and seen the pool was full and got in. Builder said it was OK.

I just did my anitial testing off to get the chemicals i need and looking forward to having a beautiful clear pool.

Hello TFP Community! Glad I found this site (I think I saw it recommended after reading countless forums on reddit about pools), as there is a lot of knowledge and valuable advice on here. I don’t have anything listed in signature yet, because I am still working towards getting one haha. I’m located in Fredericksburg VA. Currently on a waiting list with the PB to have a consultation – estimated to be another 12 weeks. I’ve never had a pool, but always wanted one. When we moved into our house about 5 years ago, having a few PB come and give me quotes was one of the first things I did. It didn’t pan out back then, but hoping to move forward soon. At any rate, I have quite a bit of time before I even talk to the PB initially, so Im trying to spend the time now on researching, learning, and making some decisions (where possible).

First question – If I am looking or advice on several topics (i.e covers, SWG, sand vs cartridge, etc), is it recommended I list each topic in its own thread and not combine multiple topics into thread?

Second question – Here is what I am planning on, and what I still need to figure out/research more. Any thoughts as to what else I need to add to my research list? Thank you in advance!

Feel like I am decided on…

• Fiberglass
• Rectangle shape
• SWG
• Solar Cover – likely the cheaper bubble type, probably just plan to replace every season, and will look at adding grommets or whatever they are called to prevent water build up on top of it
• Having a reel for the solar cover, still looking at different brands but have a seen a few where they have wheels on 1 or both sides. My plan would be to try and move the reel to under the deck when not in use depending on how much of hassle it is to move it.
• Winterizing Pool – will likely use a company to do the opening and closing, at least in beginning, until I get comfortable to do it.
• Do the maintenance in between opening and closing on my own
• Using safety cover during winterization period
• Cartridge Filtering – will target something that has more capability than I actually need
• Good test kit – I see either TF-100 or Taylor K-2006C are highly recommended here
• Heating
• Vacuum robot
• Multi speed pump
• Making sure the PB has a good process to follow for filling in with gravel backfill and also a sump pipe or some other means to reduce ground water if needed

I still need to figure out/research…

• Specific Fiberglass model - Im not too picky, but will need to talk to PB on the pricing differences first
• Type of SWG
• Type of Solar Cover brand
• Type of cartridge filter
• Type of heat - Gas vs electric vs both, and once decided, then what model(s)?
• Type of safety cover - solid vs mesh vs solid with mesh panel, and then what model?
  • If going with solid, then maybe will plan to have 2 pumps (1 as backup in case it breaks suddenly in middle of heavy rains)
• Research for what chemicals to have on hand
• Type of Vacuum robot
• Type of pump
• Timers for heat, pump, SWG?
• Proper way to test chemicals (seen thing about testing some chemicals in a certain way with back to sun or something LOL)
• Research on the order to add chemicals (may vary depending on what is off in my pool)
• Handrail options – I would prefer not to have one, but I hear FG pools may be slippery. Not sure if that is just if you have an algae problem, or even if water is perfect
• Know how to SLAM and check for overnight chlorine loss test – just in case needing to do it suddenly
• Identifying a planned maintenance schedule – how often and what I will check, how often and what I will clean
• Pre planning – i.e where exactly in yard will pool go, maybe cut down some more trees, how many amps do I have free, where is the natural gas hook up, any wires of concern buried under, etc
• Where will pool equipment be placed – possibly have options that is further away in year near/behind/in a shed or closer to where pool is (which is right next to house) that is under deck/next to patio
• How should a FB SWG pool be winterized and when? Will plan to use a company to do it, but want to understand this better so I am comfortable with what they are doing as right and also what I should be checking and how often during winterization
• If using safety cover that has anchors, try to have cover and supplies ready for PB to maybe do it after build if possible.
• Hardscaping – what to use for decking and coping. Keep in mind SWG will be used, so use materials that handle this best

My wife and I bought a house at the end of December that had a pool put in last summer. The previous owners had a pool service "maintain" the pool. When I first tested the water on December 28th, this is what I had to work with:
FC - 16.0
pH - 8.0+
TA - 240
CYA - 0

Thanks to all the nice people here at TFP, I worked every day to get these numbers balanced and I finally got there yesterday. Anticipating this, I turned the heater (Pentair heat pump) on four days ago and today my wife and I jumped in the pool for the first time! The water was 87 degrees and the air was 80. Marginal air temps for swimming but we just floated around and relaxed after working in the yard for several hours and getting overheated. We're looking forward to spring - but I'm not looking forward to my next electric bill

Thank you TFP members for all your great help and advice! I've learned a LOT over the last two months.

I think we are the anomaly. We are in Southern California and we are 9 weeks in from initial dig day. We should have pebble and water in by the end of next week, so looks like 10 solid weeks. I was promised 8-10 weeks with no delays and we did run into a one week delay for our marble coping we chose. But speaking to some neighbors they are more than double the time and far behind. How long is your project taking and where are you located?

Good morning TFP!
Well, the pool is done, and now it's all mine... Salt went in on Thursday, so it's officially my responsibility to manage the water (of course I was keeping tabs on it before).

Before I go nuts adding stuff to the water, would someone check my work?
Today's readings:
FC: 1.5
CC: 0
pH: 8.4 (it was beyond the 8.2 color)
TA: 70
CH: 250
CYA: 30
Salt: 2600
CSI: 0.38

Prior to this, the PB was using tabs to chlorinate. Most of the numbers have remained pretty stable, apart from FC dropping and the new pH jump, wish I assume is related to the salt. At this point, do I just need to add some muriatic and see what next week shows? Would 64oz be appropriate? Anything else I should add? Dry CYA?

I'm stoked!! Looking forward to setting it up this weekend.


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I’ve tried multiple Dolphin demo units as well as two Polaris units
@Newdude

the only Dolphin that worked well in my opinion was the M400 (in my pool), it cleared the 4 bottom drains with ease and did a good thoroughly cleaning (but I was NOT a fan of the cartridge system) nor did it do a great job at tile line regardless of handle position.

Got the M600 and wow - by far, hands down the best of any model I’ve tried. It got stuck on main drains yes, but each and every time it worked itself off never requiring me to manually pull it off (took about 30 seconds for it to remove itself) think it used the side jets.

it climbs walls, and the waterline - not even the M400 did this consistent of a job on the waterline and I love the left/right jets that come on to make it move sideways along the waterline

it stayed tight against the wall both going up as well as going down not pulling off and drifting down and did a great job covering all areas of the pool -

yes, a few bells and whistles that you might not need but the function and effectiveness is hands down the best I’ve tested (on my pool)

wanted to share - I have a few video clips but can only upload images

I recently found myself hunting for the best price on a pool part I needed. I found what I wanted on a site I had never used or even heard of before. So, ya know, orange flag. Best price? Never heard 'a ya? What's the catch? So I tested the water by writing to them with a question about the part. That question was answered same day! I think within an hour or two. Well, sort of. The answer was (paraphrasing): "We don't know, but we'll find out." NOT computer generated.

I figured that was the end of that. But a day or two later she had the answer. I pressed her further, requesting a picture of the actual part before they shipped it, to avoid an unnecessary return. She came up with that, too, in a timely manner. (Who does that?!?)

So I green-lighted the purchase and ordered online. That was followed by a welcome barrage of emails notifying me of every step of the order process. I'm sure some of those were computer generated, but there were several messages that definitely came from customer service staff that were monitoring the sale. They were following up on the original inquiry. Who does THAT!!!??

They ended up shipping the part the same day I ordered it, which was Wednesday. I'm holding the part in my hand, (two days later!!), even though I checked the cheapest shipping option.

The part was exactly what I wanted, as depicted in the photo they sent me.

Any customer service is hard to come by these days. Great customer service is, well, great! And they beat the next cheapest price by about 12%, and were significantly cheaper than many other sources. Give them a look see the next time you need a pool part.

Maybe this will help someone...

Sticking my arm elbow deep into 50 degree water every week was getting Really Old. Was beginning to dread testing the water weekly...or at all for that matter.

Introducing T-Man's life hack # 42.5!

Lowes (or Home Depot) light bulb changer kit https://www.lowes.com/pd/Bayco-11-ft-Steel-and-Plastic-Light-Bulb-Changer/1005185 is Perfect for holding a pool store collection bottle! I can get a sample from 5-6 feet down without getting wet at all!

Now my saturdays are sunny again once more...even if I cant get in the pool just yet.