I have a 3 year old pool in Phoenix. I recently noticed a crack in the foundation of the pool decking. Not sure how much I should be worrying about it or what to do about it.

Any ideas?

Purchased a home in Inverness, FL. Pool was number two item on shopping checklist (cycling paths was #1). Twelve year old traditional pump and weekly pool guy chlorine setup. That's gonna change ASAP! Can't wait to get started. Hope there's tech geeks in the group. THANK YOU for all the great work done here before I arrived.

Just curious if anyone has had their fiberglass pool repaired or is a fiberglass repair person.

I had mine fixed this week and im still concerned that it was not gelcoated correctly. I will try to get a picture added asap.

the middle of the repair seems to match better than the ring. anyways it looks better than a crack but im not happy right now

Hey All- I think I have successfully fixed my Dolphin S200 that stopped moving a couple weeks ago. The problem was wear on the spindles of some of the gears in the transmission attached to the drive motor. It got bad enough that the gears would get jammed when the robot transitioned from forwards to backwards. Since you can't get parts for these (at a reasonable price anyway) I Macgyvered my own fix using a little bit of brass tubing. I made a blog post about it with details and pictures that hopefully some of you will find helpful if you are facing the same problem. (Moderators- I hope my link is allowed. It isn't a commercial blog and I have no ads and make no money from it, this just seemed easier than trying to upload all the pictures and instructions here)

In the past 3-4 months been getting these “black spots” on floor.Never had them in the last 20 years.Converted pool to salt about a year ago.Won’t come up with scrubbing chlorine tabs on them.Was going to try Vit C tabs and see what happens.Will try and include pics .

Just replace a malfunctioning salt chlorinator. Free chlorine readings remain nil.

Large kidney shaped in ground. Approx 30k gallons.
salt level approx 3500ppm.
CYA 30-40
hardness 400-500
alkalinity 150.
Ph 7.5.

I assumed I had a high chlorine demand and the new salt generator wasn’t able to overcome alone. (Not chlorine lock b/c the CYA is not high). So…i put in 12 gallons of liquid shock (12.5%) last night. This morning when i tested the free chlorine level was barely reading…still less than 1ppm.

here’s another conundrum…I’ve battled low CYA all year as well. I’ve added several pounds of granular CYA. It failed to budge the CYA, so I decided to add liquid CYA. I’ve added 4 gallons of liquid CYA and it only raised to 30-40 (previously unmeasurable).


Does anyone have any ideas? What am I doing wrong?

Hi, new here. I've been reading the forums here for a few days after finding this place on Google, thought I'd sign up and ask my question.



After looking at several different pools of all shapes and sizes, I decided to go with the Coleman 26 x 12 x 52 oval pool. I already have a spot in the backyard that I've been working on.



Now here's where it starts becoming a problem. I live in Las Vegas, we have some of the hardest dirt in the western US. It's called caliche, and it's basically on par with concrete. I've done my best with a pickaxe to loosen the dirt up, there's an ungodly amount if rocks mixed up in the dirt, it's been a nightmare trying to separate it from the dirt, but I've done a pretty good job with two different rake sizes.



There's quite a few valleys and peaks in the ground, getting it level is going to be a real chore. I've decided to build it up rather than dig the whole area out like some others have suggested, because it's literally impossible to dig this kind of ground up without a jackhammer.



This is my first time with any kind of above ground pool, so any suggestions would greatly be appreciated.



Thanks!

First time pool owner. 10k gallon kidney pool completed in 7 weeks from dig to pump powered up. Very impressed with builder. Going to be a salt water pool. Plaster has another 10 or so days to cure before commissioning the chlorine generator. Pretty excited with the pool, even the maintenance because I can jump in as soon as I’m finished.

Hello! We just installed a complete DIY 33,000 gallon 40 x 20 IG. My husband is a contractor/remodeler by trade and do all the work himself. It’s been a labor of love and a long process for various reasons but we’re super stoked to finally have our dream come true!

We owned a house with an inground for about 5 years but it came with the home and was straight chlorine. This new salt generator is all new to us. So we’re grateful to have a place to learn more about how to best take care of our new investment. Thanks to all who are a part of this forum!

Tired of screen logic 2 every time there’s a storm it gets my interface module hooked up in the house to the modem. This is a $500 part that I’ve had to change at least 4 times in 3 years , what a weak link in the system. Please help !! What do people do about lightning strikes near the pool pump and equipment??

Hi All,

This is my first post here, since discovering TFP earlier this year. We recently installed an in ground 10,000 gallon FG pool, and have been doing my best to maintain it the TFP way… now. For the first about month, I didn’t know about TFP so it was maintained it to a lower 1-3 ppm of FC. I have been using the Taylor K2006 for testing. These are my recent levels from this morning at 6am:

FC - 5.5
CC - Detectable, but under 0.5
pH - 7.6
TA - 100
CH - 250
CYA - 50

The problem is that last night I performed the OCLT. At 9 pm last night, my FC was 8.5. I know for a time last week my FC levels would have dropped below my recommend 4-8 ppm levels, since I was away and not as much liquid chlorine was added. I don’t know by how much, or for how long. Liquid chlorine was added daily, but probably not enough.

Everything is else seems normal. Water is totally clear, with no signs of algae growth. Zero organic material visible on the walls and floor when I brush/vacuum. ph slowly creeps up, and I lower it via muriatic acid occasionally.

I suspect a (hopefully short) SLAM is in order to stop the chlorine loss and “reset” back to square one, but I wanted to get some input before I proceeded.

Thanks!!!

My pool was finished in 2021. After 3 seasons of dealing with LC, I just had an SWG installed. Vacations were just a pain to keep it from turning green (in the middle of a SLAM right now ....).

My question is if it is really necessary to seal the stone around my pool, especially the Lueder Stone (which looks like just limestone) coping? I have read all the threads that, general consensus, it is the water that destroys rock, not the salt as most LC pools are close in salinity anyways. However, when I searched specifically for Leuder, there were a few 10+ year old threads that said it was a bad idea to have Leuder by a pool. Not sure if anything has been learned since then. Would especially love to hear from others with Leuder around their pool on how it has held up?

Thanks.

Glad to meet anyone here! I’m retired, love my pool but between the cottonwood flying in ,constant rain and now leaves -I’m getting tired of the pool cleaning. I’m dreaming wishing there was a cheap fix for a pool dome. Lol

I lose about 4" of water every day. I have done all the obvious tests -- dye test, bucket test, closing off pipes, skimmer test. The pool water has now fallen about a foot below where it usually should be and, for the most part, stabilized. The walls are fiberglass. Is it possible to paint the pool with epoxy paint to slow down the leaky walls? If so, which paint would you recommend?

I have been in this forum since 2016 and have used a lot of info but never introduced our family. We are the Thompsons, we have 2 waterfalls and a 42 x 16 ft pool with 2 VS pumps both are 3 horsepower. We have a cartridge filter and SWG and LED lights. We really appreciate the help of TFP

Hey all! I'm new to pool maintenance and was wondering where you guys would start on fixing this problem. I know my CYA is very high and I'm not sure if the the reducer will work as I've seen mixed reviews on them. Open to all suggestions thanks

I hired a leak detection company that detected a leak in the return lines without specifying where the leak might be. Their solution is to run new returns coming close to 10k after tax.

I don't have this kind of money, and I also think it's unreasonable.

I have a rather obvious area where the water pools and causes the liner to bubble, I dug there and tunneled under the deck and found nothing.

Then I moved to the closer return, cut the deck and started digging. This pipe goes so deep and I think I'm close but it's getting more difficult to keep going deeper. And frankly a little less safe. Now I'm basically level with the pool ground and the pipe still goes down, I assume for another few inches but at this point I'm not sure. The ground seems to be flat at that point and I noticed a plastic film around the pipe I'm hoping that shows in the last picture.

Looking for advice on the best solution here and whether it's worth it to keep digging vs running new lines myself.

I started looking for robots, and most seem to recommend a Dolphin model. But I'm starting to get lost. There are a lot of models and it's hard to differentiate between them. For example, their site recommends either the Nautilus CC Plus or Triton PS Plus but I can't figure out what the main differences are.

I've got a 20k gallon kidney shaped pool and want something that will do the most cleaning with the least effort. I'll pay whatever I have to, but I don't want to pay for extra stuff I don't want or need.

Any recs or experiences are appreciated.

Hey y'all!

I just purchased an above ground pool - yay! Neither my husband and I are new to pools, so we *think* we know what to do once it gets installed. But we need some advice about the installation. The area of our yard that is sunniest and most level also has these exposed tree roots. The other place in our yard that has enough space is about a 5% grade. So either way, this isn't going to be an easy, straight-forward install.

I would have no problem losing a tree to get rid of these roots, but they are in the middle of 4 different trees, all the same size, so I have no idea which one(s) they go to. Anyone have any advice for dealing with them in another way so they don't damage the liner? I know what's entailed in installing on the grade, and that location is the least desirable for a few different reasons. (The grade, not getting much sun, being under a tree that drops 100 leaves if it feels the slightest hint of a breeze.) That being said, it was the location we initially planned on when we bought the pool so we knew what we were signing up for. But if anyone has any ideas that might make it possible to install where the roots are, it would be much appreciated!

Hello everyone! Our inground pool and spa combo are almost complete. I’m expecting to fill it for the first time in the next couple of weeks, and we are excited! Any tips and suggestions are most certainly welcome. We did have an SWG installed during the build. I’ll be sure to read the ABCs of pool chemistry and get up to speed. Any suggestions regarding pool water tester to purchase? I look forward to interacting with you and learning all about pool maintenance.

We have a circupool RJ-45 that we installed in 2019. Things have been ok until this season. The system will run a few weeks and then the Lo Salt/Cell Maintenance lights come on and stop chlorine production. We clean the cell and then get a few more weeks.

Yesterday after a week of no swimming, we discovered the pool was slightly cloudy and no chlorine (I’ve been checking levels about once a week). The lights are on again, we do another cleaning. Then this morning, the water is even cloudier and 0 chlorine still. I cleaned the cell again and I shocked the pool and checked my chemicals.

The Taylor salt reading is 3500 while the RJ-45 is showing an average of 2300. I added 4 bags of salt just to be safe. I then watched as I would turn the system off and about 3 min later lo salt would flash for a few seconds and then the cell maintenance light goes on and the unit stops production.

Do I need to wait longer for the salt to circulate? But also why would there be such a discrepancy in the readings? And if it’s just low salt, why is the cell maintenance light flashing? Would it be possible that we need to replace this after 3.5 seasons? We run the unit on 40% 24hr (no automation ) for roughly 3 months a year.

I have a pool motor that turns on but then turns off and trips the breaker. I replaced the capacitor but this did not fix the issue. I also reached inside and was able to freely spin the impeller.

So is there anything else I can do to fix it or is the motor need replacement?

Thanks for any help!

Hi all,
Thanks to the fervent support of the TFP community, we have met our $10,000 goal! We appreciate all the users in this thread hyping the campaign and sharing warm and fuzzy TFP anecdotes. Completion of this campaign reminds us that TFP is a resource that people can trust with their pool and with their donations. We do not take your generosity for granted. We will continue to improve TFP and hope that you continue to share your time with us.

For the second year in a row, this campaign has exceeded expectations by raising our goal in 15 days!! While our donation links are always available, going forward we would like to focus primarily on this recurring summer campaign to fund TFP each calendar year. The campaign will be the only time we ask for your donations.

TFP is the best pool owner's resource on the net thanks to the many members willing to help each other, share their knowledge, and continue to learn. Thank you for being a part of it!

-------

Pool owners helping pool owners.

This simple idea is what created Trouble Free Pool and what keeps it running more than 15 years later. If you have ever contributed your time to helping a fellow TFP user, or if you have contributed money to keep TFP online - THANK YOU for your generosity!

Last year we asked for donations from our community to secure our plans for 2023. The overwhelming response to the campaign reminded us how incredible the TFP community is! This year, our goal is to raise $10,000 by August 31st, 2023. These donations allow us to keep the website online through 2024, perform needed maintenance, and improve our resources for pool owners everywhere. This campaign is, and will always be, our only fundraising effort each year.

Click here to donate to Trouble Free Pool

TFP is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization, and donations from our users keep our forums and content free of advertisements. If TFP or our community has helped you through a swimming pool issue that could have been complicated and costly, please consider putting some of the money saved towards our 2024 Campaign so that we may continue helping other pool owners.

As a TFP supporter, you will receive discounts to online retailers, free TFP merchandise, and a recognition badge on our forums. As a new perk this year, pool cleaner manufacturer Aiper has offered us an exclusive discount code for all TFP supporters, old and new. This code is only active until the end of the 2024 Campaign on August 31st. Anyone who donates during this campaign will receive a 2024 Campaign Trophy to display proudly on their forums profile as well.

On behalf of the administration, we would like to again thank all of you who have donated to TFP.

Sarah and Nate Griesedieck
[email protected]

7 year old inground pool. Liner is faded and worn. (seems premature but who knows).

Need a replacement and getting so many conflicting stories.

* worth getting a thinker liner than 28 M?
* some contractors asking if I have a template? (I have no idea what that is)
* pricing about 6-8k? Seems reasonable?
* This one was very faded very quickly - one guy telling e its the chlorine level (saltwater pool) I have a maintenance guy - is that possible?
* Is this a good time to replace the light while the pool is drained?


I hate knowing zero about this thing.

Hello,
I just joined the forum due to abudance of the knowledge here...
I'm new to my pool, purchased the property a couple years ago.
Pool was installed in 2017, Pentair system.
I have a pool guy (through a company) who services the pool once a week.
He mentioned the salt water unit IC40 is end of life (6 years), and needs to be replaced.
He quoted me 1600 + labor.
I looked at pentair website, and under the list of the dealers I could get the unit for ~1k
I wonder if it's worth asking them to replace it vs I try it myself...

I appreciate any feedback regrading this task

Hi all! We had our pool built about four years ago and I just replaced my Jandy Truclear salt system. I was receiving a check cell error. And when I unscrewed the cell line from the power pack there were no pins left. They had corroded into the female end in the power pack. So I replaced everything. I just completed the removal and install and everything is working splendidly. However, I wanted to get to the bottom of what went wrong. I opened the old power pack and everything looked great except the piece where you plug in the salt cell. It is really corroded.
I have two questions; first did I do something wrong that I need to correct to keep the new power pack from corroding that piece and second; can I get just that piece cause it looks like that is all I would need to have a backup power pack.
Thanks for any advice.

Hi! I have noticed that no water is coming in through the inlet pipe to reach my glacier cooler. The pump seems to be working fine and The valves are open.

Hi
A few weeks ago my pool tech noted a swirl of blue color appeared after added chlorine and then some bicarb. Apparently it disappeared pretty quickly. After my swim last night I was q-tipping my ear canal and a blue color came off onto the qtip. My pool finish is blue and I'm worried its starting to come up. Is there a test I can run to confirm or deny this is happening? If so, is it hazardous?

Thanks,
TB

16000 gal vinyl liner pool, just had 2nd liner put in this spring after 15 years. Having problem keeping chlorine levels steady. Ph also creeps up after a few days. My alk is 121,,,CH a little low at 144...CYA steady at 45. I use liquid chlorine as the tabs raise the CYA over time. Never had this issue before once I got levels balanced at start up no issues thru the summer. Any ideas out there Problem is chlorine does not hold even for 24 hrs Ph climbs even though ALK is ok????

Hi all, my intellicenter2 app has been offline for 3 days. The usual unplug the receiver inside the house and plug it back in usually does the trick, but not this time.
I went out to the control system in the backyard to check the wifi connection. However, it’s not letting me. The screen says no Ethernet detected. It’s not giving me a wireless option. Help!