I'm making some changes to my pools pad plumbing. I'm adding a flow meter and an anode to the pool. Both are 2". Is it wrong for me to just go with 2" pipe the rest of the way to the heater inlet instead of having two reducers on each of these? At the outlet of the heater, its going to be a 2" check valve then back to 1.5" pipe.

My spa height is about 2 feet above ground and when I clean the filter by shutting off the system, closing the intake valves, and removing the filter housing... The water continues to flow back from the spa through the heater and into the bottom filter housing. Its not a huge problem, but with water that continues to flow back into the bottom, it makes it hard to fully clean out the housing. I was thinking about putting something between the filter and the heater and was curious if I should use a ball valve or check valve and if a check valve, which type? TIA

I'm having what I think are check valve problems - the spa is draining while the pool is off. I've changed the valve on the left, and the valve on the right is facing sideways so I've left that alone. The problem is still there. It looks like I've had this issue before in this forum but never got confirmation if the valve on the right is facing the right way or is it intentionally sideways?

I have a Jandy Aqualink RS controller with an indoor remote panel, spa side remote and iAqualink to allow remote access via a browser.

My equipment consists of:
* Main pump: Jandy VS PlusHP Model VSPHP270AUT
* Water feature pump: Jandy Model FHPM1.5
* Heater: Jandy Model JXI400N
* Salt Controller: Jandy AquaPure Model APUREM
* Chemical feeder: Hanna Instruments Model BL100-20

Currently each piece of equipment is on it's own relay, but the power for the heater, salt cell and chemical feeder are fed by the filter pump relay, so they only have power if the main pump is running.

My understanding is that since the main filter, heater and salt controller all have RS-485 control wires, they should have constant power (no relay) so the RS controller can control them. Is that correct?

One drawback I see with this setup is that I lose the ability to control these devices through the buttons on the panel when in service/timeout mode. Maybe I should keep them connected to the relays, but have the relays always powered on?

Looking for help understanding the correct way to wire the panel, or if there are multiple "correct" ways, the pros/cons of them.

I have an inground pool the skimmer is cemented in the ground. The top adjusting collar broke. I bought a replacement (spx1096ax adjusting collar) the only problem is I can figure out how to remove the old collar down in the concrete. Is the only way to remove the old one is to break it apart? The adjustment collar is pretty much the form for the cement it is literally cemented in.

I am going to change it my filter sand this year. My question is, should I change it before opening or after? Is it better to get the bad stuff out of the pool with the old sand, or use the new sand that 'should' catch more stuff?

The pool at the home we bought less than a year ago has an attached spa with spillover design. We don’t use spa mode regularly. It recently hit me that relying on just pool mode/the spillover might not provide enough filtration for the water in the spa.

Am I overthinking this, or is there a preferred way to handle spa filtration?

Should I be setting my automation to run in spa mode (sans heating) for a set amount of time each day? Is it better to partially open the drain valve so that the spa and pool drains are used simultaneously for an extended period of time? Should I brush the spa separately and run spa mode for a while immediately after?

Seems like any of those would be effective, but are they necessary and is one, or some other approach, the best practice?

Thanks!

Started my SLAM process yesterday and my SPA area has completely cleared up (the SPA water spills into the pool). The primary pool area seems to be getting less green (was murky green before). My question is how often should I be backwashing or completely changing my DE media? I did it once already today since the PSI on my pump went from 12 to 20. After cleaning and adding new DE, the pump registered 8 psi and is slowly climbing back past 15 PSI.

I do notice the return jets from both the spa and pool area are not as strong as I remember them to be. Not sure if that is related to the PSI increase.

TIA for any tips!

I have installed 2 new Nidec Neptune NPTQ165 's from Amazon. Both boards failed immediately by locking into Remote Mode. Following the instructions in the manual and from technical support did not solve the problem. These have been a huge waste of my time and left me with a stagnant pool. I wanted these to work as the UI looks much nicer than the Century single button control. I found threads on reddit and elsewhere where multiple others had the same problem. Inyo only sells the 2.7hp version of this motor. I wonder why? I have a Century EVQ165 on order.

I have a C5030 filter system, and I need to replace the 4 cartidges inside. I have found a couple options on Amazon that are significantly cheaper than OEM cartridges. They do have good reviews, but I'm nervous because I recently replaced the DEX2422Z2 seal with a non-OEM part, and it needed to be replaced within a couple months.

So, would y'all recommend OEM filter cartridges, or would a non-OEM be okay for this part?

Thanks!

Hi All,

Had a leak over winter so needless to say lost approx 10-15k gallons of my 33k gallon pool. Have not done a salt test, but would expect majority of salt gone. My RJ60+ is giving me a No Flow light though. Could that be because of the low salt levels? I would expect it to read Low Salt. I know no one can diagnose my exact problem (may flow switch is bad), but wondering if a very low salt reading would produce a No Flow error.

Hi everyone,

Since we moved into our new home two years ago, we've had a pool - and the whole family absolutely loves it!
We're not pool experts by any means, so we're hoping to tap into the collective wisdom of this community to help us keep our pool in great shape year after year.

Thanks in advance for all your tips and tricks - we really appreciate it!

Hi, this is my first post. We bought a house with a pool about a year and a half ago. We kept the company that serviced the pool for the previous owners. I am thinking about moving away form the service and maintaining the pool myself...that is how I ended up here.

We are having an issue with a Leyland tree that looks to be dying in our yard. It is directly behind the pool and I think it could be related to the overflow drain, which appears to either dump the water at it's base or the pipe may run below it and could have been damaged. We recently did a backyard project. OUr landscaping company thinks that the pool salt water could be killing it.

Yesterday I took a hose and ran water through the drain but could not find where the water came out. So a few questions as I don't know how the overflow works really.

Is the drain attached to the main plumbing system for the other pool components? Or is it just a simple pipe that runs and dumps the water some where below the level of the pool drain?

Should I be able to see where the pipe terminates or could it just be somewhere in the ground?

There is a valve under a green over that you can see in the picture attached. That is in perfect alignment to the overflow drain in pool. It is also next to the auto fill float valve. Which one is it tied to?

The pool was built in 2017 and the Leylands are very tall, as you can see in the pictures. The Lelyand turning brown started happening after we moved in.

Any help or guidance on what I can do would be much appreciated.

Thanks

For now, it's a small leak. Maybe 8 weeks ago, I started noticing there was air in the system (lots of bubbles) when the pump started up but I didn't see a leak. My pump is about 9 years old (motor spec pic was taken in Dec 2015) and it's still working fine but I can finally see where it's leaking. I'm not sure if it's actually the pump motor itself or at the connection to the next piece. I don't know the correct names of all the pieces parts. I went to YouTube to see what it would take for me to replace the pump motor and it looks doable...with y'all's help! Does anything other than the pump motor typically need to be changed when changing the pump motor? What is the name of the part with the metal band around it with a handle? Is that white piece between the pump motor and the big, flat round part made out of concrete? This is the YouTube video I watched about how to change the pump motor:
Login to view embedded media . I found a couple of motors that look like mine on Amazon in the range of $200 but I haven't done any other online shopping yet. Looking for any advice and warnings. Let me know if you want additional photos. This pump does everything we need so not looking to install anything different.

I have a Bestway pool and want to add a skimmer. The cheap wall hanging one Bestway has is a joke. Can anyone recommend a good in line skimmer I can use for a Bestway pool.

So when opening our pool for the first time and every time I open the cover iam get alot of these and they are alive. I get them on our deck also. Anyone know what they are and how to get rid of them.

I have a client that recently treated the pool with copper algacide and the pool is now green. I tried metal free and it's still this color. What else could I use?

Our local pool stores (PaP, Leslie's) do not seem to carry much equipment for AGP's. Need a wide mouth 18-hole skimmer gasket for Hayward skimmer. Our first one came with the pool.
Can I get a recommendation on where to order online? Thanks in advance!

We've been using 3" tablets for years, and very excited for all of the potential benefits of a SWG system. Less so with the cons: cleaning cell w/muriatic acid, equipment damage and staining of concrete coping & decking. All things I feel like we don't need to deal with currently. Can anyone speak to their experience with these drawbacks, perhaps in my climate area?

Happy Spring to all my fellow pool owners! We are taking advantage of the weather and replace our abg liner. Just spent a lot of time pulling Torpedo grass roots out of the woven ground pad. We treat the ground & perimeter, and will while changing liner. Looking for a recommendation for a non-woven, puncture proof ground 'tarp' that can be placed on the sand, under the pad & liner. Thanks so much!
GeminiSq

Every owner of an IntelliChlor knows, or should know, how to check Usage Hours. Like this, from the owner manual:

IntelliChlor SCG Usage Hours Meter
The IntelliChlor® SCG provides a built-in cell “usage hours” meter that reports how many hours IntelliChlor has been operating. The IntelliChlor SCG is designed to operate for approximately 10,000 hours before replacement is needed or roughly five (5) years of average use.
To access the system status mode:

1. Press and hold the MORE button for three (3) seconds until the lights scroll across the unit.
2. One (1) of the five (5) Sanitizer Output LED indicators (20%, 40%, 60%, 80% and 100%) will be lit,
   indicating the hours of usage. The Output LEDs are as follows:
   • 2000 hours (20% LED on)
   • 4000 hours (40% LED on)
   • 6000 hours (60% LED on)
   • 8000 hours (80% LED on)
   • 10,000 hours (100% LED on)

But I always seem to struggle with how Pentair manuals and instructions are written.

I performed the test, and I just got one LED (20%). I think that means I have only used 2000 hours (or 20%) of my IC. Not that I only have 20% life left. And that I still have ~8000 hours of chlorine generation to look forward to. Correct?

Put another way, if I ever see all the LEDs lit up (100%), that is signaling at, or near, end-of-life.

==============
Sidebar: If I had such an Hours Meter, my brain would surely be showing five LEDs...

I am new to above ground pool ownership. My skimmer hose came loose from my pool and water drained out to below the skimmer hose attached to the pool. I have an intex above ground pool 12 X 24 ultra XTR pool with the salt water system. Should I be concerned that my pump and filter system is damaged? Thanks

I'm hoping you guys can help me here, I've recently purchased a Pentair Intelliflo3 VSF pump as well as a Bayrol Automatic PH/CL WIFI doser.

Myself and my electrician are unable to wire the doser to the pump, so that the doser stops when the pumps off and there's no flow of water.

Before purchasing the Pentair pump the old pumps timer was on an analogue panel in the pool room, but the new pump is now app based and the timer is therefore done on the app.

Anyone know either of these pieces of equipment and can give some advice on how to get them to talk to each other through the wiring?!

Cheers,

James

I'm planning to have my concrete pool deck sandblasted which I understand will make a mess in the pool. They recommend vacuuming the pool afterwards, but I have a pressure side cleaner (a Polaris 360) and from what I can tell pool vacuums tend to be suction side. Is there a vacuum solution for a pressure side pool setup?

Thanks!

Recently replaced the previous owner's corrugated piping with all rigid, seeing it as an opportunity to try my hand at learning something new as well as add a couple of new features - a convenient way to vacuum to waste and an external heater bypass. I'll be getting the old heater swapped out next week, at which point the plumber will finalize the hookup (I don't mess with gas lines).

Happy to report no leaks. But looking back on it, I do see a couple of things I wish I had done better in terms of placement/alignment of piping. But alas, I didn't expect the first time to go all that well. Much respect to those who do this stuff daily and do it well. I am sore all over.

I welcome feedback as I'm sure I missed the mark some best practices, but it's a chance to learn.

PSA - Ive never heard of POOLBIDS in Tomball Texas, but my bank let me know they tried to charge my debit card for 763$- Twice So be on the lookout

I googled them and there is no info available about POOLBIDS and they don't have a website.

EDIT: Apparently as per the comments below, this company may be circupool or related to them.

I am building my first pool, signed the contract today. I live in the Panhandle of Florida. The pool will be 13' x 26' salt water, gunite pool. I have a feeling I will be spending a lot of time on the site as I know completely nothing about pool maintenance. I know I will ask a lot of stupid questions question, so in advanced please be kind and patient.

Ok, have been lurking and reading a lot. Pretty sure I have had a mustard algae issue. I am on about day 8 of SLAM. I have passed the OCLT test once- 2 nights ago. Am using the 2006C kit from Taylor.

My CYA is @ 40 and I’ve maintained FC over 16 for a while. I even had a few days at MA slam level.

After passing, I then cleaned my main light out thereafter (contained a lot of hard, black “chips” and a rusty powder). CC went up and loss went up.

I think I am back on track to pass OCLT again. Hopefully soon. I am running as of writing 915p at about 21 FC.

So my issue is this - I’m still seeing very small amounts of something in a certain spot. The same spot. But, I don’t see this stuff when I run my bubbler on a slightly open setting. I am not sure what I’m seeing is algae even. It may be dust, pollen, or heck even sand from my concrete decking. But it seems to me that the added circulation from the bubbler is not letting this stuff settle.

My water is clear as can be aside from this one small thing. CC has stayed good aside from the post-light cleaning.

So, I guess I’m trying to justify passing all three phases of slam with this context ….. thoughts on whether I’m good? I pass the “no visible” part (assuming it’s algae) with the bubbler on. Should I just leave it on?

I’ve cleaned main drains, behind light, and have scrubbed weir doors to extent I can.

Also, not sure I’ve seen any literature on cleaning a Brilliant Wonders bubbler or Hayward accent lights - but I am not sure either of those have niches to clean so I’ve not messed with them….any ideas to contrary ?

It is time to start getting things cleaned up and my dogs have made a mess of my white pool coping! Does anyone have a good suggestion of how to treat ground in dirt before pressure washing?

I have a new pool with auto cover by CoverPools. About 6 months old. Same oil slick on top when I open the cover. Same pump as photos in start of thread.

Something I did notice is when I shocked the pool and left the cover open for 2-3 days was that when I closed the cover again the top seemed slimy. My best guess is rolled up wet with pollen from spring, bacteria or mold or something thrived in that moist rolled up cover.

I used pool brush, hose, and pump to scrub the top of the cover, opening 10' at a time.

Long story short, I think a few days of wet rolled cover produces some of that oily substance.

I am trying closing every night and may clean the top again, this time with dawn dish soap to see if I can solve this.

Interestes in opinions on my theory.