Hey there! I am a small pool cleaning business owner for the greater Dayton area. I'm only in my 2nd season by myself in business but have 8 years in total in the industry now. Sadly some of that time I feel was partly wasted being brainwashed by a big chain pool store. Name starts with an "L". Ill let you guess which one lol. They gave me the basic knowledge on chemicals but when I noticed the pushing of certain ineffective methods and methodologies on customers I did my own research, started doing my own recommendations against our printouts. Funny how quick everyone was turning blue and clear quickly. Some within a couple weeks, some within 48hr. So I said, I could just start charging more then the 15.50 they were paying me as a store manager to go out and start doing it. I worked for another cleaner for a bit to get an idea of how he did things and get a feeling for everything and off I went. I have to say I'm doing pretty good in my area. I'm already becoming a major competitor in the clean up industry and its thanks to this websites simple and effective methods and it saves my customers money.

Our temps are going to be even more off the chart next week, but it's already crazy now. However, I heard Las Vegas is going to be 117-118 next week. We will get to 106-7 next week, but our humidity starts at 85-90%. The heat index was 120 degrees at 103 with 78% humidity...

Marty, what type of precautions do we need to take for these temps? If it's 115-118 and the sun is directly on your VSPump, can it take that type of heat while running? We are filling our pool so often now and going thru bleach like it's water too...

Any sage advice for our pools or material is greatly appreciated.

@mknauss

Hi everyone,

First thanks TFP members for all your precious comments/suggestions. I was running my pool only with those "awful" pucks for the last few years. Now I've found TFP and I made the switch to liquid chlorine instead. I do the daily checks for FC and PH and during the weekends I do the full check FC,CC,CYA and TA. Of course, I vaccuum and add water if need be. My tap water is very hard and is also considered alkaline. I alway use tap water to fill or top my pool up. My current TA is 200. pH this morning was about 7.6-7.7. CYA was 40 three weeks ago but we got a lot of hot and sunny days followed by some heavy rain days. CYA is now around 30. I'm assuming CYA is now lower because of rain water and/or tap water I added. I add on average 1.2L of liquid chlorine per day to keep a FC of about 5. Is that quantity normal ? My CYA was 40 so according to the FC/CYA chart my FC level should between 5-7 with a minimum of 3. Now my CYA has dropped to 30, FC level should be between 4-6 with a minimum of 2.
Here are my questions:
1) Should I try to bring my TA down from 200 to then recommended level of 50-90 ? That means adding muriatic acid so my pH goes from 7.6-7.7 to 7.2. In my case, I would need to add 0.6 liters of muriatic acid. That being said TA would only be lowered by 5.8 according to the Pool Math app. Going from TA 200 -> 100 would require me to do that process 17-18 times to reach an "acceptable" level. However, I would need to aerate my pool to bring my pH up to 7.6 before adding more acid. Does that make sense to you guys ?
2) Should I try to bring up my CYA from 30 to 40 or even 50 so my daily FC loss is less than the average 2ppm ? I have a solar cover on most of the time unless it is super hot.

Thanks again,

René

Hi All,

First time poster here…bought a home with a pool 2 months ago that had a old rusted Raypak 336A NG heater.

Last week I swapped out the broken heater for a new version of the same model.

I cannot figure out why I can’t get the pilot to light. I have a 1.5” gas line to the pad that delivers 7.5WC of pressure at the inlet (Raypak says minimum is 6).

Someone suggested I bleed the line to make sure I have fresh gas so I used the inlet test port to bleed for about 5 minutes. I smelled gas within one minute of bleeding so I feel like there is fresh gas coming to the supply valve.

When I set the temp to call for heat I hear the pilot valve open and the igniter sparks for the 60-90 seconds before triggering an error.

My heater has the Honeywell supply valve. I have not adjusted the supply valve because I cannot get the valve to open beyond the pilot stage.

Any help is greatly appreciated!

Hi all. I need an expert witness for a lawsuit against my former pool guy who destroyed my plaster with acid wash. I DREAD this. Like reallllly dread this. But this is what the courts do to us. They threaten that if we don't have experts, we'll lose. I don't agree, my case is not that complicated. It's pretty easy to prove. But I CANNOT afford to lose (altho nothing is a guarantee, for sure). Like many folks, I can't afford some high priced "subject matter expert". I need a pool guy, A REAL GUY who knows his stuff, not some stuffed shirt looking for a big payday. I'm located in south central NJ if that helps. Thank you!

Hi all...new pool owner here.

We have a Hayward system with a TCELL940 chlorinator. I keep getting the following message in my OmniLogic app: "Chlor Too Low Salt Chlorinator1". Currently it says 2000 ppm. However, we had the water tested at both Leslie's and Pinch-a-Penny and they are saying it is close to 4000 ppm.

The chlorinator diagnostics screen shows the following:
CELL TEMP = 88.3
INSTANT SALT = 1582 PPM
AVERAGE SALT = 2000 PPM
CELL CURRENT = 0.00 A
CELL TYPE = T-CELL-15
RELAY POLARITY = OFF
CELL VOLTAGE = 30.20 V

Any thoughts on why this is happening?

In the past, I have had a new build gunite pool with plaster finish and SWG. As expected, my pH was always on the rise and I controlled with muriatic acid.

Now my pool is vinyl with a SWG. I have jugs of MA anticipating the pH rise, but it just is not rising. It just stays at 7.8 all the time (although today it was 7.6, either due to rain or the fact I did the test in natural light. Usually I test inside early morning prior to sunrise). I have a sheer descent waterfall also, but I do not run it very often, maybe a couple times a week.

So what gives? I was expecting the SWG to increase the pH as it is supposed to do.

Is my TA right in a perfect balance not to cause a rise? My other thought is that my FC may be high possibly bleaching out the pH test.

I'm not unhappy with the results, just baffled.

Thanks.

FC = 9
ph = 7.6
TA = 60
CH = 110
CYA = 60
SALT = 3600
TEMP = 86.4
CSI = -.081

Hi pool folks

Moved into a house in February with a pool. We had an inspection but know no history of the pool itself except it’s fairly older (some asbestos on the deck). Since February, I’ve been bringing in pool samples every week and cleaning and balancing the water myself (it’s pretty fun).

A few weeks ago I noticed these spots. I was told to do two tests:

1. Rub the stains with a chlorine tablet. If the stains are removed, then it’s algae. This didn’t work.

2. Rub the stains with a vitamin C tablet. If the stains are removed, then it’s a mineral stain. This didn’t work either.

I was then told to try with a hard brush and elbow grease to remove the stains—and we tried our hardest and it didn’t work. The only solution that we tested was with a power hose but that took the plaster off of a test area. Whoops!

So I took my handy GoPro and took some shots. I was then told these are copper stains caused by possibly copper pipes, possibly older plaster, possibly having a higher pH (at times getting to 8.0 but I mitigated quickly), and possibly because I’ve been filling our water with a hose.

So a few questions:
1. What do you think this stain is? Pic attached with hand for size reference. If the vitamin C tablet didn’t remove the stain, then what could it be??
2. If it is copper, are there any other reasons why I’d have copper aside from what’s listed above?
3. How do you remove copper? I was told to use No Metal or Leslie’s Scale and Stain Remover, add a culator (I already have a larger one in since March but they should be good for 6 months and it’s only been 4). By the way, does an auto filler help with not adding copper to the pool?

Thanks in advance!

Last week I had some flakes with a TA of 80. I was advised here to drop it to 60. Did it and flakes disappeared. Great. But the TA just tested at 80 again! I have added water to the pool twice this week as zero rain and extremely hot. I just added acid to lower the Ph back to 7 and will get the TA back to 60.

Is this normal? Will I need to do this all the time? I rarely touched the TA before and only a bit of acid for the Ph. Am I doing something wrong with the balancing now? Is there something else I can do to get it more balanced?

Hello all.

Last year I bought bulk chlorine (12%) in 20 litre refillable containers from the local pool shop for around $1/litre, but this year the price has almost doubled. I've switched to buying 10.8% Aquarius liquid Pool Chlorine, in 3.6-Litre jugs from my local Canadian tire for $5.19 (on sale). I find the small jugs easier to pour, carry, and more convenient to purchase so I'm going to stick with them.

Here's my question: I measured out the complete contents and measured 4-L, not the 3.6L shown on the label. So I'm curious if it's 3.6 l + 10.8% = 3.99 litres?

I have one on order but while I am thinking through things, I want to make sure I am correctly accounting for how things currently run.

I have an electronic timer that sits between the electrical panel and all of the pool equipment. Basically, it allows my system to run every 30 minutes for 30 minutes or so (I think it is set to around 10 hours of runtime a day). So all of the equipment is switched on. Power is cut and once restored it all comes back to life, etc. My current SWG (that died) has a toggle on/off switch. Looking at the RJ60 it appears to be a button...

Question #1: If the RJ60 is on and running, and then say the power is cut (timer in this case), maybe a power outage in others, will it turn back on itself?

My piping area is small. It appears I might need to install it vertically.

Question #2: If I install it vertically, can it come right after a down 90? If not is there a minimum distance needed from the elbow to the cell? I will have to install the flow switch after the cell, but according to the manual, this should be fine.

Hey guys,

My e20 was throwing a track every few days, so bought new track. Well, low and behold it's not the tracks, but the wheel/axle has worn out more resulting in less tension to keep the track on. Sent email to Maytronics, but they have been limited in their "real" help. The last two fixes, I've had to come up on my own. Can't find the wheels on Amazon or InyoPools. Anyone else know good places to check?

Every week I consistently take my pool water sample and the tests results are always between 40% and 50 % even though I followed their recommendations. I keep buying their chemicals and they still don’t work. Yesterday they tried to sell me their accublue home system for $50 per month. I did not buy it because that’s not the solution to correct my pool water. Any suggestions?

The pool math app gives a number of percentages for adding cal hypo. Is this percentage assuming a one pound bag?

I have a box of Costco shock that have 1lb bags that are 56% cal hypo. While that specific percentage isn't listed in the app, it's close enough.

I'd like to use up the bags to maintain chlorine levels before switching exclusively to liquid chlorine.

I have a mineral cartridge that fits in my SWG unit. I don’t replace it because it’s expensive and I think I remember folks here don’t think they are necessary. I saw a video where a guy put copper plumbing fittings in his skimmer. Copper and silver are what are in my mineral cartridge. So, any thoughts in adding copper fittings in the skimmer or is it hogwash?

How do I know if this is pollen or mustard algae in my filter sock? I just got done slamming the pool a week ago to mustard algae level and now I’m doing my weekly slam, but wondering if I need to bring it back up to mustard algae levels again? FC is currently 16. TA 150, pH 7.2; CYA 40.Mustard algae

After @mknauss suggested that Pentair equipment would be easier for us to work on ourselves, our PB said no problem and changed all of our Jandy equipment to Pentair. This is the new list of what we will be installing in our 18x40 Vinyl-lined pool in SE Minnesota. Does this all look like quality equipment? Shallow end will be 3'6" water depth, to a 6'6" deep end. PB said our SWG system is set for double the gallons of our pool. Skimmers will be independently plumbed. He walked us through different robot vacuums and we decided to stick with the Polaris for now since it will have its own dedicated plumbing line and then if we want another vacuum later we can purchase separately.

Light(s): 3 spot niche less LED multi color
Filter: Pentair clean and clear 420 inc
Pump: Pentair intelliflo inc
Heater: Pentair mastertemp 250k
Skimmer(s): 2 widemouth inc
Return(s): 4 total inc
Floor Drain(s): 2 anti-vortex inc
Valving: Jandy individual inc
Water Purifier: Pentair intelliflo
Control System: p.d.a. wireless remote control (automation for lights, heater, etc) free w/ salt
Ladder(s): upgrade to 1 swimout corner bench
Handrail(s): Stainless inc
Slide: Typhoon plumbed with water line installed
Undertrack Autocover: Coverstar undertrack system
Automatic Cover Lid: Poured Walk on lid system
Pool Coping: Cantilever concrete coping forms (finishing by concrete provider)
Automatic Cleaner: Polaris 280t with booster pump (runs under autocover)
Misc: Walk on skimmer lids (concrete or stone) ($ 600.00)

We went out to our pool and the dolphin cleaner wasn’t working so my husband pushed the reset button on the GFCI and now nothing turns on. He bought a new GFCI and it shows the green light is on the GFCI but still the pump won’t turn on. We checked our breaker and it is on. We did turn the breaker off and on again. Still doesn’t work. We have a sand filter and timer hooked up to the GFCI. The reset button won’t work on the new GFCI not sure what to do next. Any suggestions. We did have bad storms here the last couple of days.

I'm trying to find a timer for my pump. I have a 2hp 110v 2 speed cartridge system by Aquapro. I know I won't be able to control speed with the pump and that's fine. I'm looking for a timer that is digital preferably and has multiple on/off cycles per day.

Had a pool person for the last 5 or so years, but they retired so i'm going to give it a go myself.
Got the taylor k-2006 kit and just did my first testing:
FC - 4.6ppm
CC - 0.2ppm
CYA - 85
PH - 8
TA - 130
CH - 350

Adjustments:
Acid Demand test, to bring the PH to 7.4 i should add 1.72pints+1.72Qts (around 82oz) of muriatic acid liquid or 6.9lbs dry acid.
Calcium Hardness, the Pool Math app says to add 225oz/14lbs of Calcium Chloride
TA says to lower ph to 7.0-7.2, so maybe up the acid....not sure how much though.
FC says to add 105oz of 10% Bleach (assuming its liquid chlorine 10%), i thought i wouldnt need to add any at 4.6ppm

Cya seems pretty high, looks like i'm going to be ditching using tablets and stick with liquid. App says draining/refilling would be needed. Hopefully its not bad enough to require that. If so, how much? We're in the hot months, so hopefully evap and refilling would be sufficient.

Any advice before i head to the pool store? Is the chlorox stuff any good? Seems to be the most cost efficient.

Hey y'all,

New pool owner. Love this site! It's been so helpful! Got our used pool up and running a few weeks ago. I went to try and vacuum for the first time but the vacuum head bristles are coming out of the vacuum head. The actual individual bristles are falling out. The head is one of those triangular weighted types. I know I can purchase replacement brushes but I figured I'll just purchase a new head. Is there much of a difference between vacuum heads? Was planning on purchasing the same one. Also, I know many here are using a robot. I'm not ready to go that route yet. Maybe after a few seasons as I learn about taking care of the pool. Right now gonna just go with the manual(read 15 year old teenager!)version.

Hi all thanks for taking the time to read my thread. I've been struggling all summer with my pool. I noticed that the filtering wasn't working as well even last year, so on a tip from a friend I changed the sand a month ago. We put in the correct sand and quantity per the manual (#20 sand and 200lbs) and carefully inspected the laterals, noticing no cracks/breaks. we've been seeing sand in the pool vac and the backwashing is clear despite running the filter 24/7. I added DE thinking the sand was too clean, but it would shoot right out of the pool returns and eventually pile up on the bottom of the pool. Today I reinspected the laterals and do not see any problems, leading me next to inspect the multiport valve. There are no cracks in the multiport that I can see. We replaced the spider gasket a few years ago based on tips on this forum. My system is very ancient, but it doesn't leak. Hopefully I can get a few more years out of her! Questions 1) someone in another thread said sand in the pool probably meant sand in the laterals. I did see some sand in the laterals, but the open ends of the laterals would of course have sand seep into them. Are they supposed to have some covering? 2) What am I looking for to determine if my multiport is functioning? I noticed sort of a gap in the head, but there are intentional holes through the unit. I'd rather not replaced it until I know with certainty that it is the problem. Please help!

*** This is a must read for anyone experiencing thrown tread or wheel issues on a Dolphin Explorer E20 ***

So my Explorer E20 is just 1mth out of warranty and was throwing a right tread every other week, which became everyday. Upon close inspection, the wheel tension would not allow the tread to stay on. My first instinct was that the tread had "stretched" out. Ordered new tread, same problem and not a tread issue. I'd never stopped to inspect the wheel tolerance on the axles, and finally determined...I need new wheels. No problem, I'm off to Amazon.

Oh No! No wheels for E20 on Amazon, or hardly anywhere else except Europe. Contact InyoPools, where I bought the unit, who did not have wheels and redirected me to Maytronics. Contact Maytronics and they don't sell parts. WTF? "They're on your website", I replied to the kind CSR. Sorry, those are dropped shipped from a parts wholesaler. "Ok, put me in touch with them", I asked. "Sorry, can't do that" said the CSR, "but I can give you a complimentary warranty repair, since your unit is just one month out of warranty. You'll be responsible for the shipping to us." Well, that's something at least. (BTW, Shipping was estimated to be about $40-$45, since they REQUIRED you to send the power cable, power supply, and filters, which drove the weight/size up). The main reason I did not send it in, was they were estimating a 3-6 week turnaround due to current work orders at their Duluth, GA facility. That's a long time without a cleaner.

So I called back INYOPools to see if they could help, since I buy a lot of my DIY Pool gear from them. Real nice guy on the phone, was stumped. Said he would contact his warehouse guys to see if they could order and get back to me. That was a couple of days ago. That night I'm pinging European stores, begging them to send wheels in the USA to me...sorry...but then something caught my eye....The Part#. At the bottom of the page was an explanation of the difference in part number from OEM. I could not find an Explorer E20 schematic part# reference, but now I had the part# 9983111. Search on that # and a couple of wholesalers pop up. Great! PoolWeb.com has what I need, $44 including shipping and it arrived via FedEx in 2days. For reference, the part number for Front Wheel is 9983111x and Rear Wheel is 9983015x (where x is the color...1=white, 4=turquoise, etc....). They only had grey in color, but the white hub cap covers most of it so no problem...OK...onto the repair

So I'm not going to go step by step in removing the wheels, but effectively the procedure is...1) Remove the tread, 2) Using a flat head screwdriver press in the tabs on wheel hub cap, 3) remove the stainless screw holding wheel to the axle bushing.



Same for rear wheel, but be careful removing the screw tab cover, as they look like they can break easy...



Look at the WEAR...OMG! The old is on the left and new is on the right. A difference of almost 5mm in 2yrs. That's crazy. Which says they are built to fail.



I decided that I didn't know what original tolerance on the rear and axle bushings, so I ordered all new. Turned out to be a good idea, as the rear had worn down about 1.34mm (Left old, Right new)



The axle bushings hadn't worn a lot relative to size, as most of the wear was on the wheels themselves, but they developed rough scratch areas, that were going to rub the new wheels, so I replaced them also to have smooth on smooth surface. They were like $2 each, so no problem there. ***Also, take your time working the bushings off, as they tend to get seated in over time. Use a screwdriver and work side to side, prying just a little each time, working it up, until they pop off. Make sure you only pry where the housing is more solid around the base and not on the protruding wheel plastic. See pics below. Pry too hard and you'll break the plastic housing.



Controversy HERE...I put a light film of silicone paste on my axle bushings before putting my wheels on. It won't last, but it may give me a few more months...Maybe? You do as you feel led. DO NOT USE VASELINE or any Petroleum based lubricant EVER. Whomever came up with that idea was lazy and didn't understand chemistry.

Reverse the procedure to put the new axle bushing, wheels, screws, hub caps, treads back on, and you're good to go. I'd show a pic, but can only upload 10pics. Anyway, it runs great and I'm back on track for the summer season.

Maytronics really needs to up their customer support game...Here's the latest tally (search for my name to get these posts)...
1) Told me you couldn't automate the turning on/off the E20 with an automated outlet...Wrong! Yes you can
2) Told me you couldn't install a swivel cable on an E20 to prevent tangling of power cord...Wrong! 2 prong $140 cable works great
3) Told me couldn't order wheels to repair E20 from Maytronics and had to send in for repair...Kinda Wrong, but yes you can if you have the right part numbers that Maytronics will not provide to you, because they are a "manufacturer" and not a parts supplier. WTF?

BIG SHOUTOUT to PoolWeb.com for having parts in stock (though part#'s and cross reference info could be better ) and provided FAST shipping.

Hope this helps someone and allows you to save the 5+ fiasco days of research that I got subjected to. Good Luck and Happy Summer...

Local Ocean State Job Lot has this on sale for $10/40lb. Anyone use or know anything about it? Looks like 99.1% or greater.

We just had our pool refinished with SGM DiamondBrite finish. As part of the refinishing, a separate company took care of the water chemistry for the first 2 weeks.

They are now pushing a "Winter Watch Protection" program on me at a rate of $160 a month. I am not going to do that, obviously, but aside from maintaining the usual levels, is there any special I need to be doing? I was given instructions about when I can start using robot/heater/wheeled vacuum heads again, but nothing specific about the water chemistry.

Why would I need a company to check my water levels all winter for $160 a month??

Salt 3864
Chlorine 0
PH 7.2
Alk 70
Calcium Hardness 400
CyA 35

20,000 Gallons. Salt, Dallas Texas

Green algae forming. Chlorine consistently 0
I assume the cell has died but I put it in a bucket of pool water and it bubbles, smokes and smells strongly of chlorine.

If the salt cell is working and the CYA is OK. what are some other reasons that my Chlorine might be 0?
I shock it and after a few days, it is back to 0
Pump runs ~8 hours a day.

Our diving board is showing signs of wear. It has a crack in it and we don't let anyone use it anymore. I think everything else is fine, just need to unbolt it and install a new one. The problem is, I am not sure where to get a new board.

Does anyone have any recommendations for just the board (no base)?

What thin set do you like for tile repair? What grout? I have used epoxy grout in the past. Seems to hold up well.

Glad to be back! I used to hang out here when I lived in a previous house that had a large, old pool with plenty of problems. We just purchased a new Sundance hot tub, so I'll be refreshing myself on the chemistry with the twist of warmer water. Thanks for having me.

I am having trouble with my DE filter. On Saturday I took my DE filter apart and cleaned the grids with a hose. When I did this there was a white grainy substance on top of the assembly (could be DE?). After cleaning the filter I put it back together and added DE through the skimmer. Yesterday my return jets were very weak. The pump is running at 3,000 and the filter pressure is good. The skimmer baskets and pump basket are all clear. The pool water is cloudy. Any ideas what could be causing this? Could there be excess DE in the pool that is causing the filter to clog quickly? That would explain the cloudy water as well.

Thanks!