Last winter, the wind managed to blow off the winter cover on my pool, dumping all the "tea" from the cover into the pool. We decided not to empty the pool because we had a particularly cold and long winter (for our region). I removed the cover and drained the pool finally and the mucky water has left a brown/yellow ring around the pool. Any suggestions for cleaning? Would a bleach or ammonia-based household chemical be damaging? I'm concerned about weakening the liner, but also about getting those chemicals completely out of the pool so they will not interfere with the water chemistry when i fill it up again.

This is an Intex liner, slightly faded from the sun after the 5 years it's been in service. I can take some pictures for you, but I think you can imagine the damage :-(

New liner is being ordered this week for my in ground pool. If anyone recalls, it split in the fall last year and we got a pool company onboard to change it now that the season is upon us. So, here's my question...

What brand of pool liner to get? We've been looking at Latham, Merlin, and Legacy (Imperial). Does it really matter what brand? Any tips for my first time liner replacement (I'm not installing it)?

As always, thank you for the advice!

Hi pleased to be a new member !! Looks like a great place for me to get good advice

I have a 10ft diameter Cowboy pool with Mastertemp 125. It’s coming up to 4 years old, and I’m starting to get HLS errors as the pool approaches 90deg, for the last couple of degrees. It does eventually get there.

I just replaced the pressure, and 3 sensors on the manifold. It’s better, but still giving HLS just before reaching set temperature of 90deg.

Any advice welcome …

Having doing my own testing from TFTestkits. When I start up my pool do I still need a opening kit from a pool store or do I just start testing and get my levels normalized? Hope that makes sense.

Hi all,

This morning, I realised that my IntelliFlo pump wasn't running. I checked the app for my IntelliConnect and saw the pump disabled. I enabled it and all good again.

Then I checked my notifications in the app and I see multiple errors, at this time all inactive:

Date Time Error
11/04/2025 20:03 IntelliFlo Disabled Mode
11/04/2025 19:58 IntelliFlo Communication Error
11/04/2025 05:41 IntelliFlo Communication Error
10/04/2025 00:00 IntelliFlo Communication Error
10/04/2025 12:39 IntelliFlo Communication Error
10/04/2025 03:15 IntelliFlo Communication Error
10/04/2025 00:14 IntelliFlo Communication Error
09/04/2025 22:20 IntelliFlo Communication Error
09/04/2025 21:07 IntelliFlo Communication Error
09/04/2025 17:26 IntelliFlo Communication Error
09/04/2025 14:31 IntelliFlo Communication Error
09/04/2025 08:18 IntelliFlo Communication Error
09/04/2025 01:54 IntelliFlo Communication Error
08/04/2025 20:04 IntelliFlo Disabled Mode
08/04/2025 19:59 IntelliFlo Communication Error
08/04/2025 16:01 IntelliFlo Communication Error
08/04/2025 01:11 IntelliFlo Communication Error
06/04/2025 14:37 IntelliFlo Communication Error
06/04/2025 06:45 IntelliFlo Communication Error

So I guess my pump went inactive yesterday evening.

I checked the cable between the pump and the Intelliconnect and it looks intact and well connected.

Any suggestions what I should do / check?

Thanks,
B.

Hello, had a 2HP Hayward Super Pump installed and there is an ooze coming from one of the connection points. Anyone know what this is, cause, and potential solution?

Just got a house that has a metal 24' AGP with standard returns. I've owned intex pool vacs and know they work great for this type of application so I bought another one. We'll they've redesigned the vac slightly. The hose is one piece and has proprietary fittings on each end (still about 1 1/4" hose). The original blue return fitting-to-hose adapter is now a pretty beefy grey 3". I am gonna flip this house and don't want to re-do all the PVC and was hoping someone knew of the 3" proprietary Intex return adapter to a standard 1.5" hayward style return. As it is I'm thinking I'm gonna have to epoxy something up but would prefer not to. Does anyone think a 1.5" male to barbed fitting would work?

I have an above ground pool that had all flexible piping, and I'm replacing with pvc. The guy that assembled our pool used a ton of silicone/caulk to seal all the fittings. When trying to remove the current fitting from the bottom of the skimmer basket, about 1/2" worth of the threaded portion broke off and is stuck on the threads inside the basket. I cannot budge it and I can't get any leverage on it whatsoever due to the flexible nature of the stainless steel panel/skimmer and the weird location of the broken piece.

Does anybody have any tips or things I could try to get this pieece out of here? I started to try to snip it and break it out in pieces, but I don't want to ruin the threads.

Picture attached.. Not the best view but this is from the top down, you can see the little piece stuck on the threads at the bottom.

My filter is leaking at the middle junction. I've cleaned the O-ring and lubricated it, made sure top and bottom of the housings are nice and clean and posi-loc ring is on perfectly. Why is it still leaking?

Good day, I apologize in advance for the language, I will most likely use the wrong terms. I used this chemical in the pool (link). The tiles started to fall off and I drained the water - the tiles continued to fall off during cleaning, upon examination it turned out that all my "putty" simply disappeared (see photo), and the layer behind the tile holding it began to crumble. I would like to know if I can restore this tile without buying a new one - I collect it and store it. I bought new putty and a means for holding the tile, I would be extremely grateful for a video example of how to do this. I understand that I am a beginner and ask a lot, in turn, I can share my experience of how I did it and what I encountered and contribute to the Internet and the forum. I took several photos of the pool and while I was doing them, some more fell off. Thank you

Moved from HERE

Debslemm said:

Works like magic! I have brown stains on steps every year when we open the pool. I dump vitamin c tablets on the steps, let them sit for a little, rub them over the surface with my hands or sock or sponge and wowza! Sparkling white steps! Doing this for 22 years!

Click to expand...

May I ask what type of tablets you are using? I am looking at getting some from Walmart but there must be 20 different kinds.
thanks

Hello Pool Warriors! - Hoping to get some direction from anyone that is familiar with Intelliconnect and hooking up the wiring for my Pentair Intelliflo VS Pump ( model # 354605), Pentair IC40 chlorinator, Tropical Heat Pump and SR Smith Treo LED Light System. (Must haves are the pump, chlorinator and heat pump).

Here are pics of my setup and wiring thus far. However, doesn't seem to be connecting and working on the Pentair App. So I want to make sure my connections are solid first...Any pics/examples of other's Intelliconnect setups would be extremely helpful!

Thanks!
Chad

We had our pool professionally opened 4 days ago and while the water is no longer green, it’s still very cloudy. We just bought this house so this is all new to us. Can anyone look at our test results and help with what we need to do to get the water clear?

For reference, it’s a saltwater pool (with a SWG) and about 25,000 gallons. We used a Taylor K-2006 test kit.

FC - 0.8 ppm
CC - 0
pH - 7.2
TA - 60
CH - 110
CYA - 0

Question: Is the standard white pipe sealant paste still the best option for sealing PVC fittings, or is there something better?
Hi folks! I’m back with my annual random pool question. Last year, I noticed some leakage around the PVC fittings going into and out of my filter housing. It looks like they were originally sealed with the typical white pipe sealant paste.
Before I open the pool this year, I want to clean up those fittings and reseal them. I'm assuming this is just regular maintenance that needs to be done periodically.
So, should I stick with the white paste, or is there a better product out there these days? Thanks in advance!

Edit to say I have a "paper" filter element as opposed to sand. The filer housing is one of those large R2D2 looking things.

Moved from old thread HERE

having the exact same problem will try creating a new user

I'm 79 retired Plumbing Contractor. I have owned ingrown gunnite pools of my own for over 40 yes 40 years. I had to turned the maintenance over to a local pool company. Like alot of pool owners as kids get older the pool gets less use. Easier to care for and maintain. But sooner or later something new creeps up you need advise on. Thanks Roy

Just wanted to say I'm new to the forum. I have a pop up pool as I call them its a 6500gallon intex pool I got 2 yrs ago. Guess it's my starter pool til I can afford a real one. Hoping for some friendly advice

I have a small pool under 10,000 gallons (good enough til I can afford a bigger one). A year ago I purchased a large hayward de filter with pump & chlorine feeder that is way above what would be considered i guess the right size for my pool. Filter needs a few parts like sight glass, plug for pump (it was direct connect so has no plug end) & i think 1 more part. Before I go looking & buying parts I wondered if too much filtration is a bad thing? The filter on the pool currently is just awful my fish tank filter would do a better job.

Got this no-brand pump I need to test out. Mainly I have two questions:

1. What parts do I need to install this? I think I need the below. Pipe image below so you can see what fits snugly into the adapter (but only into the inner half of it; see attached video in zip file).

• https://www.amazon.com/Spears-Fitting-Adapter-Schedule-Barbed/dp/B008I4CWZQ (1.5 inch variety) x 2
• https://www.amazon.com/4607-1-1-Degree-Elbow-Schedule/dp/B007Q2FXY8/ x 1

2. How exactly does the provided (came with pump) black adapter seal against the integral receiving pipe of the basket chamber? Does it just create a watertight seal due to the smooth plastic surfaces being compressed against each other? Video attached in zip file.




Pipe that fits:


Overview:

I was able to get 19 seasons out of a Jandy Lite 2 heater w/o a single service call. I had to clean out the pressure stat port a few times (blocked) but that was it.
Looking for a new unit, something in the 400k BTU range. My pool is 100k liters. The Jandy had its own control system that operated the pump, a very handy feature that seems to be missing on may available unit these days. Pool is SW but not sure if that matters as I got almost 2 decades out of the Lite 2 with copper.
The one unit that has caught my eye is the RayPakAvia NiTek. also the Hayward which has a 3 yr warranty (no control system).

Thoughts??

Hey Guys,

New to the forum. I am looking for a rebar and gunite crew that would service Boise, Idaho. I am a new owner/builder and am currently building my own home. I hear some crews travel if needed?

Any help appreciated!

Sage Hickam

Hi All - here’s to another pool season, if it ever stops raining and gets warm enough here in Pgh.

Anyhow, another little speed bump encountered and wanted to get some input.

Salt Pool Jump System, Board is an 8’ True Tread.
Somehow, the jig is slightly off center. The bolts aren’t bent, it’s just 1/4 inch cockeyed to the right. Thx concrete guys.

The front left bolt is 45” from pool wall and the front right bolt is 45 1/4” back.
The back bolts are the same 1/4” deviation.

So when I put the fiberglass stand over the bolts it doesn’t face dead center to the pool, it points 1/4” right, just like the jig does.

My first thought was to just enlarge the holes in the base just enough so that it can face straight.

I reached out to SR SMITH and told them the situation. They said that they had base molds last year where the holes are drilled not matching up with jigs, and that they’d send me a new base.

I said no no, you’re not understanding what I just explained, I said the jig is what is slightly off center, not the holes. I said that I put the base over the holes two at a time on all sides and all sides of the jig, and they fit each time. That it’s not the base.

I said can I just enlarge the holes a bit so the base sits square to the pool. They said oh no, you can’t do that, we’ll send you the epoxy kit and you’ll have to drill 4 new holes.

In the meantime, I reached out to a few pool people around here and they said nonsense, you can enlarge bore in the base a little larger so they fit over all of the bolts and the base will be square to the pool.

I think I could live with the diving board pointing 1/4 inch to the right but I’d really like it to be straight.

My handyman, who is extremely knowledgeable about seemingly everything related to construction, AND is super meticulous about everything he does, also said that the hikes in the base can be slightly enlarged so the base fits square to the pool.

I get it as to why SR Smith would not say that this is possible to do, legally, but I would imagine off the record they’d say it’s perfectly fine.

Moreover, I feel like a jig in concrete would be a little stronger than 4 newly drilled bolts epoxied in, even though SR Smith said that it’s just as strong.

Anyone do anything like this as far as tweaks to make this work? Or any other anecdotal stories making other pool-related equipment work?

So I went out to check my levels and darn near zero reading on chlorine. Though maybe my reagent was bad so I took a sample to the pool store and same result. I cleaned my SWG a couple weeks ago and it looked fine. Salt level is 3300 and one of my returns spits out little bubbles when the SWG is "on" (tested this theory by turning it off and the bubbles stop). Don't the bubbles mean it's working? Any other way to test it? Thanks!!

My cleaner is acting up again and stops after moving about a foot forward. I cleaned up the impeller area and tested but the diverter doesn’t move freely manually when tested like it does at 2:06 in this video https://youtu.be/eTMeGg3eQtQ when everything is turned off.
I must be doing something wrong. Any suggestions?

Edited for clarity.

Pool install in progress. Still in process of leveling ground, but hope to be ready for the actual install this weekend....
I have watched several videos, read the instructions, etc - and still have some basic questions.
I purchased Foam Cove forms for the pool, and would like to know the best way to fit them properly (not completely opposed to eating the money for them if a clay/dirt cove is better for longevity - but i have them

From what i have read, and i understand the reasoning - you do NOT want a cove made of sand due to inherent instability and can not compact/form it like you can georgia red clay or dirt
With that said - i am a little confused - if there is a 2 inch sand base - and foam cove on top of that, is that not almost the same as a 'sand cove' Like this image :


It seems that the sand would wash out from under it.....
So this may be a better alternative :


But that option really reduces the effective size / height of the foam cove

So i thought of a 3rd alternative :

Which seems to address both concerns (at least in my mind)

My first question is - WHAT IS THE RIGHT WAY TO DO THIS (Assuming using the foam)?
If the answer is 'throw the foam away and use dirt' then i am OK with that - will just be a lesson learned

My next question is - with ALL Of the above images - I am losing 2 inches of depth to the sand (assuming 2 inches is the proper/desired depth of sand)
can i dish out the bottom 2 inches (evenly) and fill that with sand (Except about 1 foot around edges) and fill that with sand back to level and get the depth back?

Also i have read differing opinions on actually dishing out a deeper cup in the middle (leaving about 3 feet around edges at level) - maybe an additional 6-12 inches deep - to have a slightly deeper area in middle of pool
I do have an 'overlap' liner with the extra material (25 gauge)
Regardless of preference and additional work, are there any real downsides (or potential upsides) to having a slightly dished center assuming the liner is capable and compatible?

And FINAL question - i have about an 8 - 9 inch grade i am having to dig out (i am digging down, not filling in) - once this is done it seems there will be a 'gutter' around the pool that is a low spot for water - any mitigation for this or steps i should take on the OUTSIDE of the pool once the area is leveled?

Thanks for any help/advice - everything i have read on this site has been quality information and i have learned a lot over the last couple weeks just browsing the forums

Location - Central Georgia

-Lee

Hello. I’m new to the forum and looking forward to getting some honest advice. I have had a 25,000 litre above ground pool since 2020. But it has been a struggle with me breaking heaters. The first heater went after two years (heat exchanger) and they warrantied the heater and then installed a new one which lasted one season (combustion issue) and then blew again. They warrantied another heater and this one blew in a year too (again combustion issue). Now I have a fourth heater going into my fifth season that has never been used yet. My water chemistry has been good and I test regularly. Salt levels are no higher than 3100, the PH is always in the normal range, chlorine is usually on the low side 1-2 ppm and I did struggle with phosphates creeping up because we back to a ravine. When it gets around 700 I use no phosphate and it clears up. My question is this, are these heaters breaking down because I have a salt pool? As I’m considering switching to chlorine and installing Clear Blue system as I can’t keep breaking these heaters. Can anyone help with some knowledge here. Thank you.

It’s about 20+ years old. It’s worse near the deep end. I like the look but it’s hot and flaking off all around the pool. What’s the cheapest route to fix? Can we wait a few years and do liner at the same time ? It’s a kidney pool so the cover tracks would have to come up to too replace .

We have a pool installed in 2023 with a Cover Pools cover. We often come to find the pool dirty and the cleaner has not been running. When going to the web-based aqua link system setup- Cover Pools icon, the cleaner will have an X to the right. So that the cleaner will not run with the cover is closed. First problem - sometimes the cover is open and the system thinks it’s closed. second problem - we want the cleaner to run regardless of pool cover position. Little worms and bugs get through the crack. I make the changes and then mysteriously I find the setting back to the X beside cleaner again. We do not have a pool cleaner company. It’s only my husband and I with the code. The pool builder company can operate remotely. We have asked numerous times if they are making the changes and they say no. Is there a batch update that is making it default back???

If anyone can tell me how to troubleshoot why the cover position is not always in sync with the app, perhaps I could consider using some of the fancy communication available between the cover and aqua link. But at this point, we don’t understand why they need to communicate with each other! Pic of how we find the setting when the cleaner didn’t operate.

We have been Coverstar owners on another property for 12 years. And never had any problems. The Coverstar cover is not in communication with the Jandy app!

Good Day,
I've been a long-time user of these forums primarily for help with chemistry questions for my 16x40 fiberglass inground pool (Imagine Pools, "Illusion" model) and greatly appreciate all the help I've received. I recently tried to replace a burned-out Pentair GloBrite LED bulb (P/N: 602055) with a Jandy LED Nicheless bulb (P/N: JLU4C12W100P) as I've read from several sites that it's a compatible replacement (and is hopefully much more reliable). However, I've run into a problem with securing the new bulb in the niche. The Pentair bulb has a "camlock" mechanism (in light gray in the picture) at the back for the bulb and a white face-seal gasket. The Jandy has "normal" threads at the front of the bulb and the niche has no way to "engage" these threads. While I can get the Janey bulb to sit flush in the Niche, I can't see a way to secure it. So, I have some questions:

* Is there an adapter kit available and, if so, could someone let me know the appropriate part number?
* Is it "okay" to just pull the bulb flush, essentially securing it with the wire at the junction box back by the controller (this seems like a bad idea to me)?
* Should I install the white gasket from the Pentair bulb onto to Jandy bulb (although I don't know how to get it tight against the back of the Niche)?
* Is it okay to just let water leak into the PVC conduit run (this also seems like a bad idea)?
* Is it possible (or recommended) to replace the niche in the pool (also seems problematic)?
* Did I just learn a $400 lesson on not doing enough research before buying the Jandy bulb?

I'm open to other ideas and suggestions as well. Thank you for any help anyone can provide and thank you again for being such a great resource for pool owners!

--
Bryan
SE Wisconsin Pool Owner