I hope someone can give me guidance. New pool installed in 2013.
Interface: AquaLink Touch
Model: RS-8 only
Aqualink REV R
CPU p/n E0260804.
IAqualink Web connect device iQ900.
PentairIntellibrite 5g Underwater Pool Color-Changing LED Light.
The color changing feature never worked from day 1. The lights usually lit up white.

The first photo attached shows the options for light control I have on my iAquaLink app. Note that it does not have a Pentair Intellibrite option.
The second photo is something I found as I was researching the issue on the web showing the option to click for Pentair Intellibrite.
I am assuming this is the reason for my issue.

Do I need to upgrade the CPU from REV R to a later version, or the iQ900 to a later version, or both?

I am nearing time to replace my second Blue Diamond pool robot. This has the foam rollers vs the paddle type. Prior to finding my second one, I tried a Dolphin S300, and had a terrible time getting my sides clean. I have a mountain pond-shaped pool with a vinyl liner, with curved soft-pack sides. With the S300, it seemed to skip around, leaving marks like dots and dashes. Now that the Blue Diamond (WaterTech) is long gone, I need something for my pool. Any tips? Seems the entire dolphin line has same tank tracks and paddle rollers. Thanks!

I typically maintain my fiberglass pool around 180 to 220. When took my first measurement after opening (and water well circulated), it was at 80... water temp at 61.

How much does water temperature impact the accuracy of calcium test? Would it be in solution greater at colder temp and precipitate out as gets warmer? Don't want to add excessive amounts of calcium to bring to my target level if the water temp will impact the reading.

I have been battling this for a while. From the pictures the pool get this brown dusting on the flat surfaces (steps, seats and in the bottom along the edges. I brush it and vacuum and it will stay gone for a day or so. Brushes very easy like a cloud of dust. At first I thought it was dirt for the rain. But we haven't had any rain in over a week. My numbers look good. Cleaned the cartridge filter the other day and wow!!! was it brown.
FC 6
TA 80
PH 7.4-7.5
CH 190-200
Salt 2900
I plan starting a OCLT tonite.
Am I on the right track.?

The Service Heater LED turned on for a few seconds the last time I fired up the heater (HTR 250 MASTERTEMP NA - 460732 - 2019), so I figure it's time to do some diagnostics and maintenance on the unit. I've search around a bit here, and come across some good info, and just wanted to actually join the community and make sure I have this all straight in my head...

I haven't tried to fire it up again since, but the troubleshooting section in the manual does say to pull the pull the control panel and look for diagnostic LEDs. Are those LEDs going to remain lit even though the Service Heater LED turned off (ie- does the board maintain error code state)? Or am I going to have to try to get the Service Heater LED to come back on? Does the heater need to be on or actively heating for the diagnostic LEDs to be on?

I am planning on taking the heater completely out of the loop so I can work on it and keep the pump and filter running. I got some unions, and I'll make a "U" shaped PVC piece, as I don't have heater bypass.
With the other side of those unions, I'll make some pieces to connect a submersible pump to and run some CLR (or MA if it's real bad) to descale the heat exchanger. The previous owners of the house did not keep the pool chems in balance, so I am aware this could lead to a full replacement of some of the heater parts if they are too far gone. I have seen some mention of removing a bypass valve when doing that, but I can't find anything concrete on that. Looking at the parts diagram, I see what's called out as a Manifold Bypass Valve, as well as a Thermal Regulator. Looks like I'd have to remove the whole Manifold to get to the bypass valve.

Are there any parts I should just order ahead of time?

I also recently rebuilt the pump- new seals, impeller, diffuser, mechanical bearing, pulled the motor apart and replaced the bearings, repainted the motor, etc.. I'm willing to do things right, and I have all the tools on hand to most anything necessary.

The pool is really green and I have been able to get it down to lighter shade but I just ordered the vacuum and was wondering if the reason there’s so much algae left is because I haven’t vacuumed it yet or if there’s another reason. The pump and filter all work pretty well but just making sure it’s just not having a vacuum and not something else

Pool is clear water temp is just below 50 degrees.

FC 9
Cc 1.5
TA 110
Salt 3400
PH 8.0 ( hard to test in the rain with zero sun)
Calcium 400
CYA 90 (also hard to test when it’s overcast but it’s about the same as last Sunday)

Other than drop the PH anything else to do ?

Folks,

I've been really busy with fine tuning the pool recently. We're going on vacation for 18 days (record for us). We have pool automation set up to use esp32 DIY controls... not anywhere as pretty and configurable as the Raspberry Pi solution others on here are using but I just don't have the time to work on that solution for at least a few months. I hope to then restart the Node JS project that many have been so helpful with especially @Katodude, @MyAZPool, and the guy that wrote most of the code who is also a member here (can't remember his id). In the meantime, my esp32 solution was quick, functional, and dirt cheap. Now I need to figure out how to get pH reasonably controlled while we're gone. I know I could do this with acid injection and even just get a pool service to add about a gallon every 3 days but I'd like to avoid both of those options. At a gallon every 3 days, I will require 3.7 pounds of CO2 every three says or say 1.3 # per day. This calculation makes some simplifying assumptions like no loss from off gasing and one mole of CO2 is ultimately equivalent to on mole of HCL. I can get a 50 # cylinder and that should last an entire month at least. I'm assuming in this calculation I get 100% conversion to carbonic acid. So here's a couple questions for the experts:

• Is 100% conversion reasonable to assume? @JoyfulNoise @JamesW any comments/suggestions
• from you on this?
• Seems like I'd be better off injecting down stream of my swg so I don't have too low pH that might remove catalyst on my swg generator, pump seals etc.. That's the last thing in the flow at the equipment pad. Does this make sense to you?
• Control should be pretty simple is there anything I'm missing on the web page below?

It only took a couple hours to get the code written using ChatGPT. The web page is printed below. I've set up a vpn that came with my old Orbi mesh wifi and it works great for me to access over the internet so I can intervene if needed.

Chris

Had the deck sanded and stained equal pool cleaning nightmare.

Not sure why some picks won’t upload, says they are too big. All off my phone on same settings. Any ideas ?

Thanks

Brand new to the forum. Have a pool with 2 intellibrite 120v 5g color lights #601002 in sync (single 120v supply) Came in search of some help. I've read a decent amount about the board going bad and figured I'd dig into it before I just replaced the whole assembly. I spoke with a pool repair guy who told me to check the 120v to 12v converter built-in to the epoxy molding in the back case of the fixture. When testing the red leads together coming from the transformer that clip onto the light board I have zero voltage AC. When I test each lead individually and ground to the can I show 11.4ish volts. I verified I do have 120v coming into the can, there is just enough supply wiring at the surface of the epoxy to probe the supplies. Not really sure where to go next. I'm to the point that I'm kinda sure the transformer has failed, I should be getting 12v AC through the two leads that feed the board correct? Also is this repairable if the transformer has failed? I can't find a part number for that. I have no way to send 12v AC to the light board to test it. Any advice appreciated.

I have two pools configured (main pool and hot tub). Have noticed when I change target value on one pool, that becomes the target value on the other. This is troublesome since I want to maintain certain levels in pool (CYA, TA, calcium) and have different values for hot tub.

Is this a bug that is due for an update?

My filter on my Polaris robot is too clogged to clean. It’s now my backup bot so I really don’t want to buy another filter. Is there a good way to clean?

Hey Everyone,

Im looking for some help on how to remove some staining around the entire pool on the first 8-10" below the tile line. I am semi new to pool ownership here as this will be our second season but I have done everything myself from the beginning. I recently reached out to the previous owner who told me the stain below the tile line appeared after the first winter. The pool is 14 years old and has never been refinished. The marcite is certainly starting to show some wear. A friend has mentioned doing an ascorbic acid treatment on it as he was thinking the stains were metal. Im starting to think the stains are organic so I wanted to get some opinions on what im looking at and how to tackle this and or if its even worth doing as acid bath treatment with such an old finish. I have attached two picture below. One you can see the stain line below the tile. The second you can see where it almost looks like a heavy cleaner of sort had dripped into the pool over winter and removed some of the finish. Both are discolored obviously. Perhaps its best to try a small portion somehow and see how it responds before moving onto the entire pool? Any suggestions for that? Thanks

I just got all my pool equipment installed. To my surprise, two of the jets weren’t working properly. The builder said I needed a booster for the suction line. I drained the spa down a bit, and realized the two jets do not have jets installed inside of the pipes. What are my options to make them work?

My pool has 2, four year old, dead Globrites. I am reluctant to replace with the same light with such bad reliability. Just saw the new Intellivibe lights. Will they fit the old Globrite niche? Or is there a better alternative. I know will need to add the controller to my Intellicenter panel. Also saw some Life-Bulb that claims compatibility and offer an undescripted “lifetime replacement program”. Does Anybody has experience with them.?

Please give me some advice!,

Just trying to get some better quality replacements.

Thanks!

we used the spa a couple days ago - no problems.

today, the OmniLogic App will not stay in "SPA" mode. Keeps reverting to Pool - IN THE APP.

But, the Spa valves have turned and the gas heater is working - even though the app is reporting the system in POOL mode.

I cycled power to the OmniLogic (reboot) and closed/re-opened the app several times.... no change. same behavior.

if i change to SPA mode in the app, about 30sec later it shifts back to pool mode.

App is latest, 5.1.40.


SMH.

I am tired of lugging gallons of chlorine from the store and am considering adding a swg to my pool.

I was quoted $2475 for a Pentair IC-40 installed (including salt). Does this price seem high? Also, will this pay for itself after a few years? Any other recommendations for 30k gallon pool?

Before I light these guys up on a review I would like to know what everyone thinks. This is my pool AFTER a $637 "de-winterization". This is how they left it. My pool was cleaned well before the winter and covered with a tarp. I think all these guys did was pull off the tarp ($137 charge) and let all the Crud go into the pool. There were 2 bricks holding a corner of the tarp and they let them fall in the pool and left them there. Then they said it was "a bad winter for debris" and would need multiple cleanings (for more money). On top of that they charged me crazy prices for all kinds of chemicals including chlorine tabs (I have a salt pool). I spent all weekend vacuuming this Crud to waste and the pool still looks so bad I can't see the bottom.

Alright, I was hoping not to have to make this post… as I have tried to follow all of the recommendations closely, but here’s the story.

I built a deck around my pool this spring and during the process the pump was unplugged to be moved and hard piped (for about 3.5 weeks). During that span I had a crazy algae bloom (there was already a small amount of algae from winter).

Fast foward to today… I have completed 2 weeks of slam method (as closely as I could) and my water doesn’t seem to want to clear. It is still slightly cloudy. I have ran the pump 24/7 for these two weeks.

Current test results using TFP PRO.

FC: 12
CC: 0.5
Ph: 7.5
TA: 70
CYA: 35

Over night drop test is 0.5

I have vacuumed and brushed regularly. And have been using skimmer socks. Backwash and rinse daily.

There doesn’t appear to be any more algae, so is it just a matter of continuing to run the pump until it clears? Or does anyone have any other suggestions?

Pics of deck progress for funsies.

HI y'all! My salt readings via Taylor drop kit have been very wacky past two months or so.

02/26/2025, Salt reading is at 2800 - a little low but no biggie, coming off the off-season
02/28/2025, I added one 40lb bag of salt to pool to bump it up and get ready for warmer weather (it's a small pool, 7000 gallons or so)
03/02/2025, Salt reading is at 3400 - about what I expect after adding a bag of salt, all good so far
04/01/2025, Salt reading is at 4600 - without having added any more salt!! wtf?
04/04/2025, Salt reading is at 4600 - same as last reading
04/09/2025, Salt reading is at 3800 - OK cool I guess
04/15/2025, went to pool store to test water just as a control although I don't log those numbers in my PoolMath. Salt reading from pool store is 4000 - ok whatever
04/18/2025, Salt reading is at 5600 - seriously, WTF??

How is my SALT reading increasing and so high without me having added salt?????

Additionally, my SWG doesn't seem to be keeping up with FC production. I will be taking it apart to clean and look for scale very soon, but a dirty SWG shouldn't affect salt readings, right?

Other new items: I've been using about 6oz of The Purple Stuff for iron staining weekly, along with the Culator Egg 4.0 in pump basket. This is after doing the ascorbic acid treatment months and months ago for iron staining, and having brought FC back up very slowly. That process was all said and done probably 2 months ago.

Here are my full readings as of 60 minutes ago and see my profile for full historical PoolMath readings and notes if you're so inclined.

FC: 0.5
CC: 0.0
pH: 7.5
TA: 60
CH: 210
CYA: 30
SALT: 5600 (!!!!!?????)
TEMP: 89

Thanks!! -Dave

i just switched from liquidator and chlorine to a swg please share some info such as salt bags to use when opening pool,, is stabilizer needed as in chlorine pool.,.etc..thanks to all

Hi all!
Hope you had a good winter.

I opened my pool recently, the algae wasn’t too bad actually. Water was still nice. Relatively clear. I thought I needed to Slam on every opening, So I started. It’s been 4 days and I seriously just can’t stop the spring time debris from falling into the pool. Annoying little organic matter everywhere. The water is crystal clear No algae. FC been north of 30 for my SLAM for a few days now. My overnight chlorine loss failing every time and I think it’s because of the debris fallling into the pool. Did I really even need to SLAM and do you think I should just stop my SLAM? Doubt It’s algae eating my chlorine, instead the organic matter falling into the pool.

Maybe I should stop It. Wait for the pollen to stop, and then assess once the debris stops falling and water can stay debris free?

Thanks again!!

Hello,

I have two 5-HP pumps on my pool that are wired for 30-amps at 220-volts. I bring the pumps in each winter and I'm tired of disconnecting them. I'd like to replace the wire with a 30-AMP waterproof plug. Has anyone done this and is it okay to do? I got the idea from my boat which has 30-amp plugs.

Thanks,

John

Hayward HeatPro In Ground Heat Pump HP21104T​

Started using my heater this season and noticed yellow insulation stuck to the fan grill. I looked around thinking a critter got in and didn't see anything...should have dug deeper. A few weeks later, I saw a rat and it ran into the water discharge pipe area. Ah, S%$t! Put out a bait block and next morning it was nearly all eaten. Today I removed the top and side and found something covering the compressor. A bit of reading later, it's called "compressor blanket". Its sole purpose is noise reduction...it's actual use, rodent nest. I pulled it out and the bottom of my heat pump is full of rat droppings and chewed up insulation. It's going to take some doing (and danger) to clean this. Don't see the dead rat, but there are a few spots of blood. I'm going to pull the entire unit out and take it to the driveway, lay it over (on the removed control panel area) and blast the stuff out (while being masked) with a garden hose. NO COMPRESSED AIR!!!! Rodent urine and droppings can be dangerous--sweeping and compressed air will aerosolize them for you to inhale. Think Hanta virus. Then I can get in and inspect every inch of every wire to find where they were chewed. If this didn't cost so much, I'd just replace it...it's that bad. Recommendation, take off the top grill and remove the compressor blanket before it becomes a nest. Use metal to seal around the water pipes and electrical whip to prevent entry.

I noticed yesterday that My Ichlor 30 SWG has a slow leak, measured at 4 oz per hour. It appears to be coming from underneath the small black housing that the temp sensor screws into. No signs of a leak at the sensor itself. My unit is almost 4 years old so out of warranty. Researching here and on Reddit, I've seen a few with the same issue, but no posted root cause or solutions (other than replacing the entire unit).

Has anyone had this problem and found an economical solution to the leak?

I’m planning to replace my single speed Hayward pump with a VS Intelliflo that I got for free.

The Intelliflo has 2” fittings vs the Hayward 1.5” - I already have pool unions to handle this. But, the Intelliflo inlet is a couple of inches higher and needs to be an inch closer to the closest suction line (the closest line is my main drain). I don’t think I will have enough room to fit it in and I don’t love the short straight run into the pump either way.

Any suggestions to handle this? I was thinking of cutting all three lines near the ground and bring the whole section back away from the pump and up as a single piece but that seems a little lazy. Another idea I have is to raise straight vertically and reroute the closest suction line with the others into a 4 way fitting but I think that will require all new valves and fittings. My last idea is to hire out the job but I would like to know how I want it done first!

Thanks!

Opened up my plunge pool it’s around 1500 gallons. Keep getting a soapy bubbly water. Checked water chemistry it’s fine. Pool also have a pool defender zinc anode that is leaking. Want to get rid of soapy water and wondering if pool defender anode is necessary for if I could just replace with pvc?

This is my first time opening my pool. The installer is coming to open it up in 4 days (replug salt water generator, remove plugs, etc) but they do not do the water chemistry, so I decided to do it myself.

I work from home so I can closely monitor it.

The pool is very dark green.

I am in Canada (Montreal) so we had to wait this late to open because spring came here late.

I have found good guides on here to open to a green pool but I have a few specific questions.

1) I do not have a vacuum to waste option. I have 2 filters (1 used from last year and 1 new).

I was thinking of using the used one for opening the pool and then using the new one for the rest of the season.

Will the filter be able to filter a green pool like this? If not, I have a shop vac, I also have a transfer pump (plug my regular hose on it to empty a bit the pool sometimes or to empty ponds).

Was also thinking of buying a cheap pump and creating a portable vacuum. Might be overkill haha.


2) my other question is:
Should I do a full test with my Taylor kit while the pool is green like this? Where do I start? When do I start testing?


Thanks!!

This is regarding the main, big o-ring. Not sure what its condition is, but if it looks ok, I will reuse it. I have this: https://www.amazon.com/3-ONE-Multi-Purpose-PTFE-Lubricant/dp/B00J25JDDY

Can I use that to lubricate it, or do I need silicone o-ring grease?

22k Gal in ground Gunnite pool.
TA - 90
PH - 7.5
FC - 5

2nd summer with pool and just dialing it in and starting to swim.


App is telling me I need to raise Ph as well as lower TA.

PH was 7.8 for a week and I kept slowly adding in muratic acid a couple times a week to try and get it down.

Just want to verify. I believe I need to add muratic acid and lower ph to 7.0-7.2 then aerate to increase Ph only. Assuming my water falls will help with this. Never had TA go out of balance last summer.