Tlawrence said:

Did you ever come to any resolution on this issue? I am having the exact same issue. Is it the light? Did you have to replace it to resolve the issue?

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Hi…I’m in Alpharetta too and having same issue. What did you find out or do?

DonFant said:

They are sepereratly wrapped, heavy Guage, but separate.

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For reference, the bond wire isn’t supposed to be wrapped. The purpose of it is to be in electrical contact with the dirt and the surrounding environment and be a specific depth below ground. You can leave the existing wire in the conduit and use it for pipe tracing later down the line if you leave one end accessible.

HermanTX said:

The weir on the skimmer inlet is there for a specific purpose which is to create better skimmer action. It also keeps debris in the skimmer when the pump is off. It is your option to remove it.

Suggest you continue to clean the seating area for the pump cover and lube the oring every month (as a minimum).
Also since you wish to run the pump less than 24/7, just bleed any air from the filter.

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Thanks, Herman,
I'll take your advice about the frequent o-ring lubing/cleaning. I will try to do that monthly or more often and of course clean the basket at that time too.

I have the weir installed at the moment with plenty of water in the pool. With this weir, if the pool gets even slightly below half full at the poolside skimmer opening, then during the high speed of priming a vortex appears in the skimmer with air getting sucked in and causing loss of priming at the pump. If I keep the weir, I will have to keep a close eye on water levels. The vortex doesn't form without the weir unless the water is VERY low.

My other (related) concern now is that I may have a leak in the pool, despite the fact that it was replastered only 5 months ago. If it turns out there is a leak, I will probably remove the weir so I don't hurt the pump with accidental continuous air introduction when I'm not watching. Today I have started following the level of the pool over 24 hours. We'll see how much it drops.

Welcome to TFP.
There are multiple things to be done but most importantly is do not listen to the pool store rep as their goal is to sell products which may or may not help.

Low flow and low salt -
low flow likely implies that the filter is clogged and there is insufficient flow to activate the flow switch. What type of filter do you have? Need mfg. And model. The worst case is that the flow switch on the SWCG is broken but since you have algae, it is most likely due to a clogged filter.

Low salt - means what it implies but the only way to know is to test the pool water for salt level. Do not add salt unless you first test for salt and know what you have to add. However that is the least of your issues now.

Since you have algae, you need to address that first. There is a process we call SLAM Process. You require your own test kit to test for FC (free chlorine) levels and CYA (stabilizer level).
The first thing to do is to purchase liquid chlorine (Walmart or Home Depot are 2 places that carry it). Buy at least 10 gals to start.
What size pool volume?

The SLAM process can take a couple of days or a week or more - it just depends how bad it is.
Can you post a photo of your pool so we can see?

Suggest you purchase a recommended test kit. You can get it in a couple of days. Also, get a kit that has Salt testing with it as you will need that.
Test Kits Compared

We are here to help - the SLAM works. Many members have come here just like you and have been successful. However it does require you to test your own pool water, be diligent in testing and using liquid chlorine to kill all algae.

Grayman43 said:

It’s just wow that water keeps gushing out after the pool is turned off and the lid is off.

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I don't have experience with above ground pools, but as @TinFoilHat alluded, water will always find it's way from higher points to lower places, so I imagine most above ground pool owners have the same issue when servicing the pump. My first thought would be to put a stopper in the skimmer when servicing, better yet a valve for when extended servicing required. Would need one in the return as well, or a check valve.

Grayman43 said:

I have a Pool that was not getting much suction at the skimmer

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If you're not getting much suction at the skimmer then you're probably getting much output at the pool return ports either. That could be due to any number of things. The pump could be losing prime, the filter could be clogged, there could be some other obstruction anywhere in the path (valved off, stuck check valve in the return, etc), or the pump could be defective. You could eliminate the return path by placing a hose directly from the pump back to the pool as a test. Some air in the pump basket is normal but you need to determine whether the pump is achieving prime. If the pump struggles to gain prime (ie tons of air in the inlet basket), it could be the pump lid gasket. If not the lid gasket, air might be getting in through a fitting between the skimmer and the pump. Hope that helps.

phonedave said:

Looks really nice. Are you planning on fastening the pump to the slab. I have my pump on a small slab, and I have tried to bolt it down a number of ways. I have to be able to remove it at the end of the season however. Nothing seems to last through the fastening and removal cycles. If I don't bolt it down, it vibrates. I have resorted to just shimming the base now.

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Interesting, i never put my pump away.
I did when I had small intex ones but not this big one.
I cover the whole shebang with a tarp after winterizing. If i had a shed like Brian I wouldn’t even do that.

1poolman1 said:

Not sure what the third hole is, but the two with the yellow circles appear to be the sumps with side ports to connect the two together as main drains are required to be split and then connect under the surface to the single suction pipe that goes to the pump. Here's an example of a Hayward (upside down):
View attachment 642552

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Yes that's it. I vacuumed out the debris and water and it appears those are plugged from the underside, BUT... 5 min after vacuuming, those underside plugs were already filled with water so that pretty much confirms they are leaking when they spa is full and ground water is getting in when the spa is drained. See Pic (The 3rd hole is for a water feature I can screw in, non factor) No idea how I'd get those sealed up since they are plugged from the underside. Any ideas? When the spa is full, it loses a good amount overnight. I've replaced all the check valves and tested all the returns, light, etc... (dye tests and plugged) so this is definitely the source of a leak.

Get more sand or spread out what you have to make bigger - the tops of the pavers should be flush with the sand base - you may need to sink the pavers in the ground some to accomplish this.
Synopsis- the pool bottom and paver tops should all be the same level

Gsax5260 said:

is this study still available

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Yes

Some new progress shots from today

a quick search shows:
18’ bestway $449 at Sam’s club
18’ coleman $499 at Wally World
If you go much bigger you may need to upgrade your pump

Looks kinda like they are also the same on Coleman’s

NOPE! Go for it

If the top rails you bought aren’t returnable you can sell them yourself on eBay.
It does say that they will fit with 16’ or 18’ if you go with the same model and they could be spares

TwinsPool said:

I'll also try removing the floating weir (I'll see if I actually need it), since it appears to be somewhat restrictive also.

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The weir on the skimmer inlet is there for a specific purpose which is to create better skimmer action. It also keeps debris in the skimmer when the pump is off. It is your option to remove it.

Suggest you continue to clean the seating area for the pump cover and lube the oring every month (as a minimum).
Also since you wish to run the pump less than 24/7, just bleed any air from the filter.

Gnarbrah said:

OK - went out and did the test again twice. Best I can tell chlorine was around 5. The drops come out a little fast on this new bottle for some reason so I have to be very deliberate.

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Do the test again. Wipe the tip of the reagent with a wet paper towel before you use it. It will remove any static charge that is reducing the drop size. This happens every now and then.

OK - went out and did the test again twice. Best I can tell chlorine was around 5. The drops come out a little fast on this new bottle for some reason so I have to be very deliberate.
Will test again first thing in the morning.

It’s bad… I had to take a day break because I was so upset. Moved my daughter home from college. I went outside and flipped it up right. I need maybe 3-4 new T-connects, and probably an additional 2 arms. At this point I might just scrap it, sell it for parts, and get a new and bigger one! Am I nuts???