ajw22 said:

Aquacal is good. So is Built Right or Gulfstream.

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I'm looking for great ROI on a heat pump. It seemed like Aquacal was ahead of the game but others have caught up. Thoughts?

I completely understand the Heat Pump limitations -- not looking for folks saying they don't work. I have the electricity to support a heat pump and want the pool "swim ready" more often. Thanks.

Great. Glad it went well for you. Mine took a day or so for the control unit to start syncing with the cloud for the app to work remotely. After that it’s been smooth sailing. I actually use the WiFi more than I thought I would.

And yes, they're supposed to be "right-side-up," where the text is reading left to right. But you can't just rotate it in place, you'd have to reconfigure the plumbing to honor the flow arrow. If you post a pic with more of your pad showing, we might be able to suggest an easy fix, maybe even a DIY one.

Nikilyn said:

Does this say it still has 80% of its life? That seems strange after 4 years.

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As @Newdude points out, this is not explained well enough in the manual. But I take it to mean you've used at least 80% of the cell's life. Or somewhere between 80-99%. As I mentioned, I would start thinking about a replacement, and keep whatever is left in the old one as a backup. You'd use the new one while it is under warranty.

More importantly, I can't imagine the price of this thing going down any time soon (read: not ever), and might be one of the many products that are going to have a huge price increase in the next few months (just my opinion). They might also be subject to supply-chain issues, which might mean not being able to get one right away after your current one poops out. For all those reasons, if it were me, I'd buy one right now.

Or think of it this way. An SWG has all the chlorine it can produce "stored" inside. But unlike liquid chlorine, it doesn't degrade in a few months. You'd be buying your future chlorine at today's prices. Sure, it's speculation, but, IMO, I think it's a sound investment, one that potentially could have a really great ROI.

Great choice.

jballer said:

Think I can get there by loading my inline feeder with pucks? I usually chlorinate with 10% bleach from Home Depot, but inherited a bucket full of pucks with the pool and held onto them for the CYA.

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No. If you are worried about the heater, the quickest way to kill a heater is a puck chlorinator. I don't care if you have a check valve.
I would recommend that you get an SWG and replace the puck chlorinator. Will be much cheaper to chlorinate.

jballer said:

I pre-dilute pouring 4oz into a cup of 12oz pool water, then pour that in front of a return that pushes across the deep end. Just didn't know if I should worry about it eating up the exchanger while it's circulating at a higher concentration.

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We recommend reducing the number of times you handle MA. It is safer to do it once. Less risk. Just lower the jug down to the pool surface, allow it to "float" on the surface. This will support it so that you are bearing the weight, then just pour out "about 4 ounces." No need to be precise. You will get good at pouring out 4oz, once and done. In front of a return, pool buffering is so quick, it will never get to the heater. Your chlorinator is 100,000x more likely to damage your heater.

1poolman1 said:

Solar valves have a check valve, yes. Could water eventually get to the panels with just a hole? Depends on the pump and water speed and the distance the water has to be lifted. If you have a VSP running slowly it wouldn't likely happen. If it does, it won't leak at the VRV as they close on pressure, they are just a check valve that opens on vacuum.
In Winter, with the isolation valves closed water can't get to the panels. In the Summer it matters very little as they would not likely ever fill completely. Its been done that way for as many decades as I have done pools, well before VSPs were used, with no issues I am aware of. Even with a single-speed pump I don't recall ever seeing the panels fill if there was a hole in the diverter. The supply pipe, yes. The panels, no.
And, I have seen many systems that used Jandy and Hayward solar controller kits that came with standard valve, no hole, that work just fine. Only Pentair/Compool kits came with that type of valve and only Pentair makes them today.
Variable-speed pumps, with their slow water during filtration (if set properly), change everything about the system.
If it makes you more comfortable, get a valve with the check valve in it and be good, won't hurt anything. If you don't you may be second-guessing yourself and then your pool won't be Troublefree.

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Got the pentair valve and I am not sure why they squeeze down the port? May end up returning it and going with the jandy with a hole drilled for better flow.

Waiting on a call back from the pool store. Their retail is $90 for a new diverter, plus a new union for the filter ($60 on line) if it is bad. So hope they decide to replace on their dime.
The plug did finally do the job, and has stopped the air from that really big leak.

Found my other small air leak issue, after a complete tear down and check of the filter air relief, as well as the band seal to no avail. A new, last fall, 2-way had a crack in the inlet side of the housing. No water out, but plenty of air in. Well, a little water out - found it by turning the valve with the pump running. At one spot, there was a tiny squirt out of the side. I gooped it up with lots of JB Weld, and that resolved the air issue. "Tis the one on the far right, of the six in a row, if you care to refer back to the picture.
But, will have to puzzle out the very tight fit needed to cut it out and put in a new....

And BTW - the 3-way on line was only $37.....@#$%^& Pool Store markups!

PoolStored said:

Yeah, too low. I also think your CYA is really low for TX, after SLAM, raise your CYA to 60.

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Yeah it was closer to 60 when I started out, and I didn't mind it during the colder months when FC held easily. Think I can get there by loading my inline feeder with pucks? I usually chlorinate with 10% bleach from Home Depot, but inherited a bucket full of pucks with the pool and held onto them for the CYA.

PoolStored said:

Don't be afraid of MA. Be respectful. Wear eye protection, pour slowly in front of a return. If you get some on you, just dunk in the pool. No worries.

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Thanks - I have gotten more comfortable with it. I pre-dilute pouring 4oz into a cup of 12oz pool water, then pour that in front of a return that pushes across the deep end. Just didn't know if I should worry about it eating up the exchanger while it's circulating at a higher concentration.

After much consideration i decided to go with the Hayward 2.7HP VSP.
Too many mixed reviews about the Calimar. And from what i've read it comes with a 1 year warranty that never gets honoured.

I've just had too many times where i tried to save some $ and because of that it just ended up costing me more in the end.
Better to just bite the bullet now then regret i didn't later.
Also the price of the Calimar almost doubled from 3 years ago, for the exact same pump. (not from tariffs they doubled the price over a year ago)
I figure it should have went down not up. Like all technology does when it ages. Unless it's some new improved model, which its not.
To me looks like they are taking advantage of these regulations around VSPs (gouging?). And thats a huge turn off for me.

While the Hayward has always been crazy expensive. No gouging. Just always overpriced. But thats Hayward...
At least they honour their warranties. And convenient because i can just get it from a local pool store. And if it needs service, it's on file there.

Thanks all!!!

Do you have your kit?
If so, best thing would be to fill it up and start the SLAM process. Link-->SLAM Process

I was mistaken about the valve#.
Valve4 is actually usable for me.
Its Valve3 that is not.

Either way, i am going to disconnect that valve from prologic, and make it auto turn on when the Spa pump is on and auto turn off when the Spa pump is off.
By using a current sensor, relays, and a transformer.

I have had an instance where that valve caused the heater to think the Spa was running and heated my entire pool for 24 hours. And my 250G LP tank was almost empty from that.
Need to make sure that never happens again.

If you are unhappy with the heat your spa gets from the Rheem heater, talk to your builder. Electric spa heaters are rarely used. They don't have the BTU capacity to heat a spa rapidly like a gas heater, especially in the northern latitudes.

- That's in the works

What automation controls do you have?

Main Pool Pump (activates heater - but manually set on heater)
Slide -> Actuator in middle back of picture - pulls form pool (after pump/before filter)
Spa -> Activate Spa Pump (activates Rheem heater - but manually set on heater)
Spillway -> Turns the actuator to the left, allow water to flow from (presumably) deep skimmer to the spa lines instead of to the pool lines

When you turn on SPA mode the pump should suction from the spa and return to the spa. There should be no flow from the pool suction or returns. I have no diea what the flow is from the marked picture you posted.

I turn on spa, it activates the spa pump -> flow detected on heater (rheem) so heat turns on -> clean and clear filter -> spa return. I do not understand how... if I have the spa drain on, spa on, how it's overflowing i'd assume it's closed loop there.

Maybe actuator not closing all the way? Not sure.


In SPILLWAY mode the pump should suction from the pool and return to the spa. I have npo diea how your system does that.
Actuator flips to the left from deep skimmer, instead of deep skimmer to pool it goes deep skimmer to spa

ajw22 said:

Note the OP is in Thailand.

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Try TR pool, 72 ขนอม 13, Khanom District, Nakhon Si Thammarat 80210, Thailand +66 94 215 2595 It's close by...

Also if you get to Koh Samui, I know boat ride...there are several stores that show Calcium available. Might call them?
POOL MART SAMUI

Let us know what you figure out...

jballer said:

maintain FC ≥ 3 (with occasional dropoffs)

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Yeah, too low. I also think your CYA is really low for TX, after SLAM, raise your CYA to 60.

jballer said:

Muriatic acid freaks me out!

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Don't be afraid of MA. Be respectful. Wear eye protection, pour slowly in front of a return. If you get some on you, just dunk in the pool. No worries.

PoolStored said:

It is the one product I buy from the pool store. Too many impurities in snow melt and other products. Well worth the few $$.

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Note the OP is in Thailand.

If you are unhappy with the heat your spa gets from the Rheem heater, talk to your builder. Electric spa heaters are rarely used. They don't have the BTU capacity to heat a spa rapidly like a gas heater, especially in the northern latitudes.

What automation controls do you have?

When you turn on SPA mode the pump should suction from the spa and return to the spa. There should be no flow from the pool suction or returns. I have no diea what the flow is from the marked picture you posted.

In SPILLWAY mode the pump should suction from the pool and return to the spa. I have npo diea how your system does that.

Thanks for the feedback!

PoolStored said:

Please post a full set of test results.

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Whoops -
FC 4.8
CC ≤0.2
pH 7.7
TA 80
CYA 30
CH 575
Temp 79F
CSI 0.32

ajw22 said:

Any indication your heater is scaled up?

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PoolStored said:

Why do you think you need to descale. Have you seen scale?

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I have no reason to suspect heater scaling, aside from some waterline buildup, and the fact that my domestic water fixtures and tankless heaters get mineral scale. The heater's manual mentions annual maintenance and exchanger cleaning; I had assumed that included descaling.

ajw22 said:

Post pics of the spa leak areas if you want to discuss repairs.

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Here you can see the buildup and moisture in the coping and flagstone adjacent to the spillway, along with some mineral buildup at the waterline.

PoolStored said:

Get some chlorinated water on the spillover.

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As you can see in this more recent pic, neither the growth nor the moisture is quite so bad as when I started. But I don't think I've fully addressed it. All I've done is scrub it, maintain FC ≥ 3 (with occasional dropoffs), and lower the pump speed. (I run it 24x7, but keep it quite low.)

ajw22 said:

Can your pool pass a Overnight Chlorine Loss Test? If not you need to follow the SLAM Process.

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I'll probably SLAM again now that we're back in the hot season. I lost track of how quickly I was losing FC and hit 0 in one of my tests.

PoolStored said:

If you get your CH down and run your CSI negative, it should not scale.

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Thanks, I'll target a lower CSI and prioritize a water change.

PoolStored said:

What chemicals are you concerned about and where are you adding?

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Muriatic acid freaks me out!

Get a long piece of a rod or even a coat hanger and put a bend in it to hook under and pull it up. Rod that you can bend will be better than a coat hanger. Most hardware stored have various rods available.