Hello everyone. My name is Joel. Im new to this forum and I absolutely Hate buying anything from a pool store. I think they are criminals without a mask! I understand that people have to make a living. Anyways i like to do anything i can do to save money, im not cheap, buy i like getting it done myself. If it breaks then i know who to blame!!

@bradgray I’m in the market to automate my system and really only care about automating SWG, deck jets, and pump. I am between the Easytouch 8 and the new Intellicenter Lite. As someone new to this, my PB said I should start with Easytouch and then eventually add to this. I do have each piece of equipment on a dedicated breaker on my main house panel and the equipment pad is just switches. Equipment: Pentair SuperFlo VSP, Pentair Bioshield, Clean and Clear filter, and a Raypack pool heater. I also have a dedicated vacuum line and line for deck jets. Could you help me understand what these system could offer and why one would be better than the other? I see your post and read differences on Pentair’s website but only see an interface difference and maybe the fact that the Intellicenter doesn’t have the load center. Also, what kind of price difference would you expect for each unit? TIA

I recently noticed a message on my OmniLogic control app telling me that I need to apply a critical over the air update. This would be the first I have ever done, as all the others have been handled by my equipment technician when he was already out doing something else. I backed up the system to USB as instructed, and after turning the system back on I pressed the alarm button. The update was not there, and it said there were no alarms, and no firmware to update. I am still getting the message on the app on my phone. Did anyone out there running OmniLogic notice this message and actually install the firmware? Can you tell me what the MSP version is? I am 4.4.1xxxxxxx.

Thanks for any help anyone can provide.

Hi. I have searched long and hard, called Hayward (useless) trying to get the owners manual for my Blue Essence Salt Chlorine Generator system. All I got was a cryptic 2 page pdf from them. I can't seem to find it anywhere but want to learn the system, readings, etc. I can't believe this is so hard to find.

Can anyone help?? Thank you!!!

I'm preparing to have new plaster installed so I have been researching it.

I tested my water at the hose and it's:
PH: 9.65
TA: 70
CH: 40

My understanding is that this water would be extremely aggressive towards new paster. So I want to use the bicarb startup method advocated here.

However all of the examples I've seen assume combined TA and CH of the fill water start off around 200 to 250ppm. Mine is only 110ppm combined.

So I'm wondering if my fill water is just too far out of spec for the bicarb method to be utilized. If that's the case I'm guessing my only other option would be to have pretreated water trucked in.

Thank you for your time,
Joseph

So we started this process last summer. Took weeks to get PB to put together a decent contract and I’m not even sure it was. Then problems, delays beginning with layout in Feb. Now because of his poor planning there is not enough deck space for a stand alone spa, so we are considering converting an existing area of the pool to a very small semi circle 3 person spa. Right now pool has rebar. So he’s charging me $13,000 for this. Truthfully, I’d like to fire him and have someone else finish but lord what a challenge that would be. So he sends me a vague change order saying he’ll install a jacuzzi for $13,000. Not many details included. So I asked for more details and he sends this. Should there not be a specification of how many jets and what kind? Also, what else is missing in this? Really $13,000 due to his FU (we were detailed and anal about the layout because it was being done before we did an addition and we wanted to make sure there was room, but he just came and laid out the pool without using the plans of measurements and then we had issues with the grotto having enough room and he pulled out 5 of our very expensive trees without asking) and he sends yet another crappy contract that lacks information. Please look it over and let me know what’s missing. Thank you.

Hello,

I have run into some strange behavior with my ET and pump that I haven't been able to solve.

I run 2 schedules, the second one is to ensure my heat pump doesn't turn on during the night (my electricity isn't time of use)

POOL - 45 GPM 12 hrs (VSF)
AUX 3 - 24 GPM 12 hrs (VSF)

The POOL schedule runs fine and the ET says "AUTO". Pump status I believe said normal. Pump display reads display not active.

The AUX schedule will not run, even though the ET will clearly light up and switch to AUX 3. The pump completely shuts off - no flow, no display. The pump light on the ET does NOT turn on and when I check the pump status on ET it says "NO COMM".
Both schedules ran fine until about 4 days ago and the evening one mysteriously stopped working.

I ran the ET self test and it failed with code "14".

I've already shut off the breaker, re-energized and reset multiple times to no avail. Any ideas?

Thank you

We are having some palm trees being removed. The contractor tried to protect the pool with a screen tarp but still by the afternoon there was a lot of organic matter in the pool and it turned green in a few hours. Do I need to partially drain and replace the water to reduce dissolved solids before starting the SLAM?

I replaced the front control panel which quit working. It was not cooling. Now with the part replaced the heater will turn on but not the chiller. I use the chiller more than the heater. Is there some programming I need to do? Any advice appreciated as I am stuck...

ORIGINAL

REPLACEMENT

Hey TFP forum, this is my first post. Just finishing up my first full season of owning a pool. I'm very grateful for TFP Pool School, and all the great resources. Outside some hiccups opening the pool before I knew about TFP, I've had a fantastic season with completely clear water. I test daily for pH, FC, and the others periodically. My pH level seems to find equilibrium at 7.9-8.0, no matter what I do. During the 24hrs around chlorination, it will spike up to 8.1-8.2, but heads back down after that. Even when I use pH reducers (i.e. dry acid/sodium bisulfate) to try to lower it, it generally spikes back up slowly over 36 hours from dry acid addition. I was puzzled by this, so started testing borate levels. The prior pool owner used a pool combo product weekly, "Shimmer" (47.6% Cal Hypo, 20% Sodium tetraborate pentahydrate, 32.4% other, see: Simple Salt Shimmer), and tested at pool stores. I suspect I might have higher borate levels, ~ 100pm, given Taylor test strips. The same test strips tested my non-pool tap water at 15pm, which should basically be 0ppm.

Questions:
1) Should I be concerned about my pH stability around 8.0?
2) Is my borate level of any concern?
3) Is it important to find a more accurate borate test?
* Per TFP articles...
a) "mannitol test for borates has been developed by some creative members. It is a bit complex and you can read about it here."
b) "commercial Borate Alkalinity Test Kit is available...."
4) I will drain about 25% of the pool water (i.e. 1 ft) when closing the pool at end of season. This should reduce borates by about 25%. Any reason to drain more than this?

Today's Tests:
FC: 4, pH: 7.9, TA: 90, CH: 265, CYA: 40, TEMP: 81F, Borates: 100ppm (rough approximate, as at end of Taylor test strip spectrum). Water description: Clear

Sources/What I've Read:
PH - Further Reading
Borates in pool - Further Reading

Like the title says, my pool is going green. I've been struggling with algae this summer since life has given me bigger priorities and I haven't had the energy to take care of it.

Temperatures are dropping next week. I'm thinking about closing in the next 2 weeks. I have a mesh pool cover and I assume that's why my pool is green whenever I open it in the Spring. Is it safe to just close it now? Or should I get the water clean before I close, even though it'll be green when I open?

Thanks!

Second pic is 9/5 @ 7:30pm

Top Pic is 9/7 @ 4:30pm

I’m wondering if this is regular evaporation or do I have a problem ?

There has been zero rain and it’s been record breaking hot the last few days have been 94F and higher.

Having an issue with pentair system. Able to log in remotely and see things, unable to have an effect on the actual system. from the panel i'm able to change modes and have the valves turn, but no changes with the pumps. the pump settings in the panel appear to be correct when it comes to correctly identifying the pumps. neither pump has communication to the panel. both stopped communicating after or shortly after replacing the salt circuit board, which did restore power to the swcg. I didn't do the work myself, but i am here to try to diagnose it. If you have any ideas or suggestions start throwing them my way. the one thing i haven't considered because i don't know how is to reset the eeorp or
however it's spelt in the panel.
Easy touch 8 panel.

Here's the story. 12 year old heater, Hayward 400,000 gas. Works ok but he says it's bad, and needs replacing. Whatever, my question is this? I NEVER heat my pool, frankly, it gets very little use as my kids are grown, and they prefer the beach. My pool has an attached 500 gal spa that I do use the heater for. Pool is 40k gallons, gets a ton of sun and temps hovers around 78 without heat.

Should I get another 400,000 or could I go lower btu to save $$$ as I just heat the spa? Would a lower btu cause issues? thx

Hi!
My old centurion pump hums on startup but will not start.
I opened the capacitor cover after doing some research here and the Capacitor seems dead based on my testing, ohms don't move when touching terminals.

It's well rusted, can anyone here help me ID this one and get a match?
I'm probably going up upgrade the whole pad's equipment so I don;t want to replace the whole motor now if this will give it a bit more life.

Photos attached.

Thanks!

Hi
I'm trying to set up spillover mode on my Jandy Aqualink RS4.
Currently the spa runs once a day but just recycles the water from the spa to the filter and back to the spa (normal spa mode) I'd like spillover set to run 2x a day to keep the water in both at the same FC/PH.
I've been reading through everything I can to try to understand what I should do.
I get that I need to switch the Dip #3 to on - currently it is off- see photo. However, aux3 is currently being used for the spa light and I don't have any spare aux.
Any advice would be appreciated.

Hello all, I am upgrading my omnilogic pool controller from version 4.0.0 to version 4.8.1. I placed the upgrade file in the root of a SanDisk 16 GB USB drive as instructed as I was not able to download via the internet. When I enter service mode and select "Upgrade from USB" I do not see an option to upgrade the MSP. This photo shows my only options



And here is what my omnilogic controller shows as my current configuration.




Does anyone familiar with this Hayward upgrade know why the MSP would not be available for upgrade?

Mike

Good Morning! We had our pool put in last summer...over the course of the year the coping has gotten worse and worse looking, what can we advise our builder to do this time so we don't have these results? It's like its stained or a poor quality pre cast concrete....would you suggest a different material? Different sort of moisture block or grout?
For the plaster we did regular plaster - it looked bad right after install - so the builder offered to acid wash. It made it worse. It now has terrible pitting - and looks bleached out. We are going with a pebble product by Adams pools - any advice on what to advise builder of prior, what to look for, and what to do besides brush? I ask since our builder does not have any sort of project manager overseeing the job, so it's on me.....

We've made progress. The PB we like sent us a proposal back. Feedback is appreciated.



WE WILL PROVIDE THE FOLLOWING:

• All work to be done in accordance with the National Spa and Pool Institutes Specifications as well as all applicable local codes.
• General Liability Insurance during construction
• Layout in accordance with approved plan.
• All permits and calls for necessary inspections.

POOL SPECIFICATIONS:

Dimensions: 32 ft. x 17.5 ft. x 19.5
Inside Perimeter 103 sq. ft.
Surface Area: 540 sq. ft.
Approximate Volume: 21,000 gallons
Depth: 4.0 ft to 6.0 ft
Steps: One set per plan
Benches / swim outs: 20 lineal ft.
Lights: (3) LED Globrite color pool lights
Tile: Per owner’s selection
($5.50 per sq ft allowance included)
Coping: Pre cast salt damage resistant coping or poured in place concrete with approved finish and edge design or approved equal per owners’ selection
Water features: Raised beams / Retaining walls with 4 scuppers / sheers (Water feature style to be determines)
Other: Umbrella sleeves, volley ball sleeves

SPA SPECIFICATIONS:

Dimensions: 8 ft. x 6 ft. inside dimensions, 18 inches height
Controls: Pentair Easy Touch with wireless controls or Screen logic controls with smart phone application optional
Jets: Six Waterway therapeutic jets
Light: (1) LED Globrite color light
Heater: Pentair 400,000 BTU gas
Drain: Dual anti vortex drains
Coping: Lueder limestone or approved equal.
Blower: 1 HP Air Silencer Blower
EQUIPMENT SUMMARY

Pumps (1) Pentair Inteliflo variable speed for pool/spa
& water features
(1) 1.0 HP Whisper flow water feature pump
Filter: (1) Pentair 60 DE w/ multiport valve
Water Treatment: Pentair IC60 and In Line Automatic Chlorinator as back up.
Pool Cleanerentair racer with booster pump or equal
Heater: 400,000 BTU Pentair Master Temp
Skimmers: (2) in pool with customer pour lids
Auto fill: Pool miser with anti siphon devise and over flow drain pipe. Not warrantied against freezing
Lights: (3) LED Globrite color lights in pool and (1) light in spa
Drains (2) anti vortex in pool and two in spa
Controls: Pentair Easy Touch 8 with wireless remote or Screen Logic remote for smart phone.
Equipment Pad: All equipment is set on a concrete pad.
Maintenance Equipment: Wall brush, net and telescoping pole
Start-Up Chemicals: Included

DEMOLITION

Removal and disposal of approximately 300 sq. ft. existing concrete.

EXCAVATION

Backhoe / Bobcat: All dirt or rock excavation, bagging and haul- off included in the pool base price. Rock excavation of access is included

Forming: Excavation to include all forming of pool and included elements, i.e. beams walls water features and decks.

POOL BUILDER accepts no liability and assumes no responsibility for landscaping, sprinklers or any other fixture replacement due to completion and alteration of existing property due to contracted project. “Owner” assumes all liability to complete landscape after the pool and associated projects or items are complete unless stated specifically in the contract.


STEEL

• 1/2” Rebar tied on 10” Centers with a four bar beam and additional bars at all high stress areas if required. Structural engineer to be consulted as needed for any additional requirements.

GUNITE

• Dry Gunite per industry standard, Water and Quality Controlled at Job Site
• Minimum floor and Wall Thickness of 8”-10” (12” when out of ground)

PLUMBING

• All plumbing with schedule 40 PVC 2” plumbing to skimmers, spa, main drains and water features. Larger plumbing may be required for extended plumbing runs.
• Separate main drain and skimmer lines with independent valves.
• Independently plumbed suction lines for water features
• Two Pool Main Drains (anti-vortex type)
• Skimmers (qty. 2) with equalizer intakes
• Gas line and hook up of heater included.
• Area Drains in decks as required. Down spouts drains to be included

ELECTRIC

• Bonding by Electric Code (#8 copper wire)
• Hook Up of Under Water Lights, Timers and Pool Pump
• Includes all circuit Breakers, GFCI, Etc. 1 YR. warranty on GFCI breakers
• Freeze control

DECKS

• 247 sq. ft. travertine pavers set on compacted road base and mortar base per owner’s selection or equal. Reinforced containment walls (+/- 3 ft. ft. ht.) and footings for columns.
• Existing concrete to remain to receive matching travertine pavers with mortar base.
• Install sleeves under decks for irrigation and electrical as required.
• Area drains as required.
• Hand and guard railings to code included.

FENCING

• Approximately 15 ft. wood fence and equipment screen and gate to code.

RETAINING WALL

• Retaining wall shall be constructed with matching stone beyond pool raised beam toward gate as required.

PLASTER

· Level 1-2 pebble finish per owner’s selection included.

PATIO COVER

20 ft x 19 ft Patio cover with matching shingles to house. Ceiling board to me tongue and groove or approved equal painted or stained per owner’s selection. All trim and columns panted to match house.

Hard spots provide and wired for ceiling fans and lights as directed by owner. Light fixtures to be supplied by owner. Installation of lights or appliances included.


WARRANTIES

· Lifetime Structural Warranty on the Pool Shell To Hold Water
· Pool and equipment 36 months bumper to bumper.
· Tile, coping, plaster, pool sweep 3 years.
· All Pentair Equipment 3 years parts and labor
· 3 year workmanship warranty on all items.

ADDITIONS:

· All State and Local taxes included
· Building Permits and HOA Architectural Review approvals included.
· Licensed structural engineer consultation and design as required.
· Clean up construction site of all pool construction related items.
· Pool School / Customer orientation
· One month Pool cleaning and chemical service included

We've always joked about getting a pool heater but hubs is seriously thinking about it now. Please tell me where to even start. We have a very simple setup - variable speed pump, sand filter, 1 main drain, 1 skimmer, 2 returns. No spa, SWG, fountains, or anything else. It would have to be a propane heater because we do not have natural gas service in our area and our electric is too expensive for a heat pump type. Pool is about 24,000 gallons. I'm fairly confident Mr. V can do the work himself but I need to start putting together a budget.

I live in the south and deice in the winter is not normally needed yet alone right now. What are some good brands to order to put in my pool to raise the ch? I have one bag left over(Vaporizer) from my time in Maine but it only has about 10% calcium chloride and 90% sodium chloride. I assume this would not raise ch much with that ratio.

Hi guys,

Quick question for you:

When operating my Hayward heater in Bypass mode and using my Omnilogic controller, which temperature reading is the heater using to determine if the pool is at temp (and to turn the heater on/off)? Is the controller just a thermostat but the heater determines the temp and turns on/off accordingly?

It seems that the temperature reading between my Omni sensor (installed just after the filter pump) and my heater sensor is 1-2 degrees different (heater shows a touch higher) and it would appear that the Omnilogic controller thinks it is still heating, while the heater knows it is at temp and then shuts down.

Thanks!
Andrew

Yep we all know this iPhone app is the worst but it WAS working until I got the inspect cell error. I cleared the error on the panel but it’s still showing on the app. Holding the plus button does nothing and all other menu buttons are frozen until error is cleared.

Anyone deal with this before?

FC 16
TC .5
PH - 8.0
AKALINITY - 50
CYA - unknown, probably low or none, out of test samples liquid
Filter on for 3 days in a row now, pool is still green after I came back from a week’s vacation trip.

Hi everyone, I looked through the forums and online but couldn't find much info and I was hoping you could help. I have 4 pentair magicstream laminars in my salt water pool and 3 of the 4 have LED lights that seem to have stopped working. The laminars still work great, but the LED lights no longer work. Is there any way to repair the laminars or swap out parts to fix them? I mentioned it to a pool company but they didnt really want to be involved, saying it would be over $1k each and that they would have to rip them out and replace everything including the wiring and that it was not really worth it (they didnt even look at them). In the one post I was able to find online I found someone saying that they got a replacement orifice kit and that fixed their light but I couldnt find much info on what that does, seem like that only controls the bubbles in the stream to make the light brighter. Anyway, any help would be appreciated, seems a bit crazy to replace each laminar when only the LED seems to be faulty (in some it's completely dead, in others it seems to be dead sometimes but then works for a few minutes before dying again)

The o-rings on my Pentair diverter valves wear out in about 6 months and then start leaking profusely. When the pool was first built, I seem to remember the original o-rings lasted about 2 years.

So, either the replacements I purchased from Captain O-rings aren't the best quality, or I'm installing them wrong, or my expectations exceed reality.
Before installing the new O-rings, I thoroughly clean the valve stem and housing, cover everything with fresh silicon lube, insert the 2 new O-rings along with a plastic spacer between them.

Any suggestions where to purchase quality O-rings, other than from Pentair that charges $6 per O-ring?

Thanks

Hi everyone,

New pool owner here. It's an older pool with two skimmers and two returns. No bottom drains. Vinyl liner. Plastic stairs. Hayward DE filter (recently back washed, pressure good), old Hayward single speed pump, and a Hayward chlorinator.

I was having an algae problem and wasn't getting long lasting results from the pool store products. Overall the pool was very clear and clean aside from the occasional green algae on the walls or stairs. I used the test sticks but they're effectively useless.

Received my TF-Pro Test Kit and started testing the water. Found the pH to be very low (not measurable with kit) and the TA to be 0 . CYA 100 or higher. My assumption is that the low pH and the high CYA was caused by the 3" chlorine pucks (trichloro?). I'm told the rain is also a bit acidic here as well. I've since switched to liquid chlorine (HDX 10%).

I remedied pH and TA with soda ash and borax. Switched off the chlorinator.

My current readings are:
FC 8.0
CC 1.0
pH 7.2
TA 70
CYA 100+
CH 100

While the numbers except from CYA seem pretty good... The pool now has very slight green/yellow with brown steps. Seems like it could be metals or organic. It does not brush off. Attached are a couple pictures. You can see the stairs and the differences in a "clean" and a "dirty" spot of vinyl.

I'm in the Northeast and the leaves are coming so I will be closing the pool within the next month. I hired someone to come out, they will follow the typical procedure. Lowering the pool water level and dilution over the fall/winter/spring will hopefully bring my CYA back in line. If not I will correct upon opening. My only unknown here is that I have a safety cover that appears mostly solid, but has a mesh center line that goes the length of the cover. I'll keep any debris off the pool cover so it doesn't break down into the pool. I'll keep the water level below that mesh for the duration it is closed with a submersible pump I'll add.

With all that said, a couple questions:

• What could be causing the brown stairs and dirty looking vinyl? Is it just excess metals?
• Knowing I have a partial mesh cover, should I add anything in particular to try to make my opening easier?

We got a new pool and it was up and running for Memorial Day. Our pool project manager taught us the basics which really screwed us up. He told us to load the chlorinator with do dichlor tabs. (Do they make tabs without CYA?) During the early days he came over often and checked levels and chlorine was always 0 so he’d load the tabs up again and told us to do the same. In a few months we had CYA of 116! Chlorine dissipates in 3 days and drops to 0. Leslie’s pool told us to get the tabs out of the pool and use the granulated calcium hypochlorite 73% and to dump in 2 16oz bags every 3-4 days. Still chlorine is back to zero by day 4. A family member steered me to this website. In the meantime I’m dumping 1 1lb bag of the above mentioned chlorine ever other day until I figure out what to do. It’s also worth noting that despite our pool manager saying new pools require a lot of acid, our ph was 7.4 everyday for the first few months so we never added muriatic acid on a regular basis until about a month ago. He never told us a thing about CYA. Water is clear and I don’t see algae. I’m keeping the ph at 7.4-7.6 and alkalinity has been 80-100 all summer pretty much. How can I stop the chlorine from being depleted?

I have an existing rebar-reinforced concrete patio. I just had an inground fiberglass swim spa installed in the yard beside the patio. All my previous inground pools and spas were surrounded by concrete and the concrete contractor took care of any bonding requirements. Because I already have concrete, I’ve decided to do a composite deck around the spa so it doesn’t look like my backyard is paved.

So, here is my question:

Do I need to at all factor in that concrete patio to any bonding considerations for the spa and its equipment?

Thanks in advance!
~Andrea