Hello,

I have a few questions around my IO Board, Firmware, RS-485 and VFDs in general.

My current state:
I have a Intelli-Touch I7 IO Board Firmware Ver. 1060. My IntelliFLO VSF pump currently operates by the Control Panel and scheduled with the Indoor touchscreen. The IntelliFLO VSF pump itself is configured to operate at different speeds throughout the day. I was told by a pool tech that this particular IO Board was not compatible with the IntelliFLO VSF Pump, at least with the RS-485 comms from board to pump. I believe I have seen other threads here that prove otherwise.

IO Board
1. Do I have known compatibility problem, board # 520165 version 1060 and VSD Pumps.
2. If not, is a firmware update needed? Is it hard to get software & firmware to do so.
3. Does this require an expansion board for another comm port?

IntelliFLO VSF
1. Is there a front end software along with USB/Serial cable for the Pentair VSF pumps? I have configured many different industrial VFD brands so just wondering.
2. Do most Pool VFD controllers have open register table sets to read remotely poll, say Modbus-TCP? Does Pentair release their register tables?

General
1. Do i go down this worm hole or just upgrade my system?

I have an unusual problem. A few nights ago, my polaris was running and the flex tube disconnected while I was asleep and probably shot out a thousand gallons of water right at my pool control box. One one hand the water shooting at it made the pump eventually short out in the box and turn off to keep from emptying the whole pool. On the other hand when I went to run the pool the next day I fixed the flex pipe that disconnected but the display board was blinking. It allowed me to turn on the filter but the light, menu and aux buttons were not working. So I turned off everything, took it all apart allowed to dry. It didn't fix it. Then today after another day of drying I tried again and I hit the aux button and the display turned off. No luck after cleaning the board, now I'm wondering if there is anything I can do with this display board to possibly fix it. Anyone have any suggestions? Pictures of the board attached.

Help - A diagnostic challenge(with no unifying answer?)

History of present illness

1 Jandy Stealth pump (3 years after replacement of dead single speed original motor with 2 speed Century 2–2.5 hp) [edit - actually 1.5->2.2 hp] shows diminished volume, begins to make noise , then quits pumping but runs.
2 I replace the diffuser broken into two pieces, and things work well with full restoration of flow for a week
3 Wife notices fountain not working but polaris 280 slowly moving on bottom. Pump is off and hot.
4 Pump allowed to cool down and is restarted with normal function and no noise but pump starts to run hot (171 deg max) though pump doesn’t turn off.
5 Smell of burnt plastic or insulation noticed from Jandy Aqualink RS box.
6 Filter pump does not go into low speed mode though PDA shows in low speed mode
7 Polaris cleaner booster pump is on but does not respond to control board although light above button goes on and off when pressed
8 ON opening Aqualink controller box - 3yr old 2 speed relay is melted.




Questions


Pump temp and increased Amperage (171 deg, 9 amps using old RS clamp ammeter)
Is there a unifying defect ( excluding the owner)? or are there two bad relays (filter pump and cleaner pump)?
How do I rewire in the short term so I can use my chlorinator and not burn up my cleaner pump?


My short term (tomorrow) plan - I need chlorinator.

Keep stuff turned off at breaker box until -
Check pump and diffuser in case there is pump obstruction. Take it apart again?
Figure out how to test cleaner pump relay.
Figure out how to take old 2 speed relay out of path and still get power to filter pump.
Put switch(?) on cleaner so it won’t run all the time.
Order new 2 speed relay switch
Try to figure out why filter pump runs hot

I apologize for the length. Thanks for any input
David - Dallas

FC - 13.5
CC - 0.5
CYA - 70
PH - 7.4

I have neglected my pool for a couple weeks. Upon testing I had zero fc. I dumped 2 gallons of shock and I’ll be buying more tomorrow to do a proper slam. I have 2 questions.
1. Will the algae spots come up with less elbow grease once the fc is high ? As of right now it’s hard to scrum away.
2. My water is clear !!! How come my water never turns green when my pool gets away from me ?. It’s definitely loaded with algae on bottom

Maybe a dumb question...flow switch bad - no continuity when closed. So I twisted the wires on the phone plug and we're back. Why not just leave it that way?

Thanks!

Hi!
We are looking to purchase a new pool pump/filter system. We currently have a HydroTools Cartridge Filter system. We don't care if they are separate but we need a whole new system. Are variable speed options available or do we stick with a dual speed? Also, we are running on 115V. Our pool is 24x54 round. There are so many it is overwhelming. Thanks!

Hello,

I am attempting to replace my spa heater myself. I've done research and watched a lot of videos. The new heater came with cables that go from the element to the circuit board and says to replace the copper straps. There is one blue wire and one black wire. It doesn't say which goes where and I don't really see any marking on the board that differentiate. I'm thinking maybe it doesn't matter, but if that's the case, why are they different colors? Any input?

Part:

Balboa M-7 Heater Assembly 2" x 15" 5.5kw 240V w/ Mtg Studs & Sensors 58083​

I just started my second year in this house and the pool has been fine mechanically. Its about 15 years old and the pump motor was replaced before I arrived but never saw this until last Saturday. I switched the suction and return valves to use the spa (first time in about two months) and discovered the pressure gauge on the cartridge filter had jumped from about 12 to over 20, the above ground pipes vibrating and sound of turbulent water near the valve, and there was now a slight crack in the top of the filter housing. I shut off the pump and after replacing the lid on the filter started troubleshooting. In normal operation it appears fine - there are two return jets in the main pool and one in the elevated spa that generates a small waterfall. No vibration or unusual sound.

In spa mode the primary return valve directs all flow into 4 separate jets in the spa. As I slowly moved the valve the pressure started increasing after I passed the halfway point and vibration and turbulence showed up. I stopped moving the valve and checked the output of the 5 spa jets. There was a small, even flow from the 4 spa mode jets and a stronger flow from the main jet (all are the same diameter.) I move the return valve back to main pool mode and pressure returned to normal and vibration and sound disappeared.

I did open the return valve and there was no visible problem. I pushed a plumbers snake into the spa pipe and didn't run into anything in the first five feet. I figured the pipe took a sharp bend at that point and decided not to force it further.

Any ideas? I clean the filter about once a month so I had the system open since the last time we used the spa but nothing unusual happened then or otherwise since then.

I have an inground pool with an extreme mesh safety cover. For years, when closing the pool I would lower the water level to just below the skimmer before blowing everything out and placing a gizmo in the skimmer. Just recently got a replacement extreme mesh cover and the installer insisted on not lower the water level at all. He said the higher water level would provide support for when snow and ice weigh down the middle of the cover.

Which is the best method? If I leave the water level at normal height, what happens to all the water that gets in? It would surely reach the top before next spring?

I picked up a Betta solar skimmer to test out. Ideally I’d like to use that as more of a primary surface skimmer. My main drains and skimmer run through the same pipe so I can’t adjust suction there without slowing them both down it seems. I was reading that maybe adjusting the piece in the skimmer can redirect more suction to the main drains. Should this be done or does it cause pressure issues with pipes? How am I able to tell how much suction is diverted to the drains if I go that route? Do I need to adjust pump speed to account for less suction at the skimmer? Any Betta users with suggestions feel free to pass them along.

I had a liner pool for several years. Chemistry control seemed easy.

I now have a gunite pool with pebble finish, SWCG and infinity edge with bubblers. The pool is 31,000 gallons. I use a full taylor test kit.

We only run the bubblers when needed to reduce aeration.
We only run the infinity edge enough to keep the chemistry up with the pool AND when swimmers are present to keep from overflowing.

Here are the things I am curious about and am wondering what others are seeing:
1. I was told I would be putting acid in the pool forever. So far that seems to be the case. (~10 oz every other day in the summer) I have given up on achieving 7.5 and look more at 7.7 as a sustainable target. This could play into #3 below.
2. I seem to need to regularly add calcium to keep that up (~4x per year). I adjusted it to 250 about 60 days ago and now it is at 200.
3. I seem to have to add baking soda regularly to keep the alkalinity up. I adjusted it to 100 sixty days ago and now it is below 50.

We have had about 9" of rain in the last two months.

I have not added a lot of other details here that may be necessary in order to keep this post short.

Do others with a similar pool set up see similar things? IF so what are your solutions? It may be that I just have to test often and make adjustments more often. I generally test pH and Cl every other day or so. But sometimes I just pour a bit of acid in the pool and call it good.

I am sure there are lots of pictures on this site of fiberglass pools being lifted over houses, but I had never seen it in person until last week when my neighbors had one brought in. I was super impressed with the crane operation. It was a massive crane that took up the entire street. Two supporting semis that brought in weights for counterbalancing, plus the semi with the pool on it. I just thought that seeing pics of pools flying over houses never gets old so I'll share a few here. The last one is the view from my backyard as the UFO landed. My cat was very scared.

Hey all,

I'm a few days away to getting my pool re-plastered, got a few quotes and ended up choosing my current PB. Everything has been going well so far, but I read some issues that people had with plaster application and some people even getting shorted on materials. My PB is using someone else to plaster and I asked him to get me the number of batches/bags of plaster that will be used (we'll be using npt stonescapes mini pebbles). My PB assured me he's been using these guys for a while now and that they do a good job, I said I understand but still would like in detail what I'm paying for (I should have done this before I signed the contract in hindsight). His response was then "As many as we need to get the job done right".

Do PBs usually withhold the amount of plaster used from their customers? Or is this something something they should be sharing?

Thank you!

Hi All,
We are in the building process, and have gone with an aqua gray marble for coping and decking. I have been lurking around trying to find out the answer, and my gut is telling me to seal it - but figured I'd ask anyways. Our builder said it's "up to us" if we want to seal it, and that we would have to reseal it every year. Our backyard does not have any trees, but the other side of our fence line is basically a forest just waiting to trash our pool deck. I did read that someone sealed their deck (ours is very light in color) and that it turned their marble yellow. I want to avoid that at all costs. Any help is appreciated, thank you.

Picture attached. Can someone please inform me how this pool light fixture disconnects from the electrical going into the back, before I screw something up. I need to replace the metal ring around the niche because it is broken on the bottom where the clip on the light fits. As a result, the bottom of the light pops out of the niche. Can't remove or install a new ring as it won't fit over the fixture.

I’m thinking ahead for closing the pool. Each year I drop the water level down low enough so it’s below the returns. I always lower the water, blow them out, add pool antifreeze at the equipment pad and blow that through as well. Then plug them. The issue is that it’s about 16” of water as opposed to the 4” I need to get below the skimmers. Seems like such a waste. Is there a good way to thoroughly blow out the returns while they are still under water? They are non threaded so a duck plug/bungee plug will not work.

I finished this video in case anyone wants to know how to do this.

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How do I know which pipe is from the 2 floor drains and which is from the 2 skimmers? Also where should I set the valve?

My old Mastertemp 250 heater is being replaced tomorrow with a new one. Are there any differences between the old and new models that I should be aware of?
Or, has nothing really changed?

My husband decided to start lowering the water, to make for a quicker close when we were ready. Well, he forgot and the water went below the return. We have been away, and busy and it’s been neglected. I want to close it this weekend, and it’s very green. Better to close it and deal with it come spring, or pour a bunch of shock in and try to mix it around?

Everything has been put away, so any option to fix this without have it to reopen the pool, refill etc, would be amazing

Thanks for any advice!

This is my second (recently moved again) SW pool but the first time I am actually maintaining one.
We moved in a few weeks ago but the house was empty for several months before that so I am doing catch up with it.
I am ordering the salt water test kit today so I can provide better numbers as the only ones I have are from the pool store (yes I know).

The water has been clear but the pool is losing some water which is not totally surprising since its been 90+ degrees for the past 6 weeks with little rain. Probably about 1/4 inch a day. I checked the Aquarite panel and I have two warning lights. A solid yellow Inspect Cell light and a solid red for Check Salt.

The water results form the local pool store were as follows
TC 3
FC 3
Combine Chlorine 0
PH 8
Acid Demand 3 drops
ALK 110
Calcium 340
Stabilizer 20
TDS 4200
Salt 2800

I added a bag of salt but I am not adding anything else until I can test the water myself and determine if the numbers are accurate.

The prior owner had a pool guy who came by to give me a quick lesson on the equipment and suggested I remove the salt cell and take a look to see if it needed cleaning. Good guy, didn't try to sell me anything and said I could look up all the equipment on Youtube and I could maintain he pool myself for about 20 minutes a week time.

Pool store recommended 3 cups of Muriatic Acid and 4 pounds of stabilizer.

I am also surprised at the high level of TDS since I have been adding water to the pool.

Any suggestions or advice appreciated.

Ron

The fiberglass steps that I had installed with my pool build are not filled underneath fully but there are plastic supports. Should these be fully filled under any slight pressure on them and they should like they are stressing and cracking.

If anyone has the technical specifications of installation by Latham that would be super helpful.

I have a pipe running from a Jandy valve right after the pump to the pool that was installed to power a Rayvac. That cleaner is long gone but it was easier to just leave the pipe in place and blow it out for pool closing than to do anything about it.

I am about to replace the pump and now is the time to do something about this if I want. I can install a plug in the threaded end in the pool after blowing out the line and then cut and cap off the pipe at the equipment.

Any downside to this plan?

As we approach closing time I am considering some options. Last year I did the 18" below the return and capped the skimmer to prevent stuff from getting inside. This year I am wondering if I can just cap the skimmer and plug the return and leave the water level up? I am in WI so my concern is when it freezes that the ice will damage the skimmer and return. Is this actually an issue? Otherwise, what is the minimum water I can drain? I didn't like it being way low come spring and starting over with so much water balancing since our TA is really high out of the well. There was a surprising amount of evaporation as well. Confirmed no leaks this summer.

So I went to Leslie’s and had my water tested on my new 16x40 salt water pool. They said I needed the following Alkalinity up, hardness plus, instant conditioner plus, perfect weekly, Cal Chlor calcium chloride. All this added up to $400 and I'm wondering if all these chemicals are really needed. I'm new to pools and kind of had sticker shock when I heard the price of all of the chemicals needed. My results for my saltwater pool are the following

Free chlorine 1-4 0.15
Total chlorine within 0.2 of FAC 0.15
Ph 7.2-7.8 7.7
Total alkalinity 80-120 ppm 37
Calcium harness 200-400 12
Cyanuric acid 50-100 ppm 5
Iron 0-0.2 ppm 0
Copper 0-0.2 ppm 0
Phosphates 0-100 ppb 155
Salt 3000-4000 ppm 3250

I have a hayward 1 hp pump (powerflo LX). I'm assuming it is self priming but I don't fully understand what that means. If any air gets in the basket on the pump, usually it makes its way out, I think that means its self priming.

Anyhow, the whole above water level, below water level thing blows my mind, I might be due for a new pump so I want to fully understand it.

My pool is 1/2 underground to a little more than half underground (ground around isn't perfectly level. The pump is ground level, I have PVC that goes a foot underground, goes about 8 feet away, and comes back up. I believe the water line is above the pool pump by maybe 6 inches, maybe less.

Do I need a self priming pump? Can I get an inground pool pump that is not self priming?

New member, hopefully I can contribute in the future to the group!
In-ground pool with spill-over spa. All manual valves looking to upgrade to an Intellicenter when we resurface late 2023.

Hello everyone,
I am losing about 1/9 of inch of water per day. No cover and pool gets enough sunlight if there is. I called a pool company and they told me in our area should lose less than 1/16. I did bucket test and pool is not losing more water. Should l be worried? I called leak detection, they said if you lose less then 1/4, we won’t be able to find it. Thanks!