I have a Hayward Sp0583sl pool light and put it a new led color changing bulb while getting the pool set back up.

Idk where it went or what happened, but the screw that holds the light fixture into the niche, came up missing.

I put in a screw that fit perfectly to keep it in place, but do I really need to spend $20.00 for a replacement screw? The price I found, which I’m not even sure will fit lol

What are the screws actually “called” or referred to as?

& can I find one locally home depot/lowes possibly?

& I see the screw I used temporarily is already starting to rust. Will it be ok until I get a replacement or should I pull the light out and leave it on deck until I get it.

Oh and will any brand of light fixture screw work on it? Or do I need to be 100% certain I get a Hayward one as opposed to Pentair or whatever?

Pool was built last year and I’ve noticed a fine separation between the cantilever concrete coping and the liner track. That I assume is expected but in some areas it’s wider and separated like in the pic below. Is this expected to see if there is movement with the pool deck or does this indicate a problem? I’m contacting the pool builder this week to see what they say but wanted to ask here as well.

I'm back! I think it's time to replace my Dolphin Nautilus Plus pool cleaner. A couple of years back, I was having issues with the cord tangling, and rather than purchase a new cleaner, I ordered an after-market cord, which was OK. However, that cord is now tangling.

I purchased the cleaner new in October 2017, so I've gotten my money's worth. It still works well; I just don't have the patience to deal with the cord and don't want to go the replacing the cord route again.

I like the cleaner; they still make it, but with WiFi, which I don't think I'd ever use (I wonder if I can get it cheaper without the WiFi). But before I pull the trigger on another Nautilus Plus, I decided to research and see if there's anything better out there. My AI assistant came back with these units ranked from best to "worst":
1 - Dolphin Nautilus CC Supreme
2 - Aiper Sucba S1 Pro
3 - Dolphin Explorer E50
4- Beatbot AquaSense Pro

I did look at the Aqua Products EVO 604 and it looks cool, but similar to the Nautilus.

Does anyone have any thoughts on any of these over another Nautilus Plus? I do like the cordless option, but it's not something you must have over a cord.

Thanks for any input you provide!

Here in the Phoenix area I am no longer finding the higher strength acid and the 14% is priced at nearly $16 gall., compared to the $18-$19 I had been paying for the 34%.
Are they hoping people don't read the labels? Is this the same in other parts and when or if will the higher strength become available?

Anyone have experience with stuff like this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DR2TFCHY
?

I have the opportunity to get enough of these for free. Just wondering if anyone has any experience with this stuff.

Hello. I recently installed a Zodiac M6 Elite. I also installed a valve to switch from the skimmer to the dedicated port on my pool. I've got everything functioning as expected and I currently have it setup to show on the feature tab. However, I'd like to be able to prevent the pool motor from going above a certain flow (24gpm) when that feature is enabled to prevent too much flow through the cleaner and damaging it. Most likely to happen is for someone in my family turning on the water feature, which runs at 55gpm, or Pool High, which runs at 60gpm. I will certainly try to train my family not to turn those on when the cleaner is enabled, but is there a more bulletproof way of setting it up in the configuration? I've read through the manual several times and have went through all screens of the ScreenLogic Configurator and nothing is jumping out as a way to do this.

Wazzup, about to build a deck for AGP. I can’t find a straight answer in regards as to where to install decking. Most common answer has been below with a small gap for winter cover. I’m worried about the coping getting damaged. Just looking for ideas/thoughts etc. also I’m starting construction in the morning. Any immediate answers are appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Ok
Pool is finally drained, scrubbed with pool brush & rinsed.

Trying to decide if I should attempt to
1.) Power Wash
2.) Acid Wash
3.) Stain treatment I have Aquadex 50 stain off, plaster white & brihte and pool chlorine liquid bleach & Muriatic acid. I know not to mix them up just listing options I have lol

Idk how old the pool surface is but we’ve had it for 13 years. I attached some pics of pool. There are multiple spots from tablets being thrown in by fiancé when I was out of town.

There’s a little plaster damage around the step area but that’s it. No other cracking or chipping. The plaster has stains or discoloration on it that we’d like to get rid of if possible.

I dont want to risk damaging the pool and I guess we can live with the discoloration if it could be harmful to do any type of treatment due to age or condition of it currently.

Thoughts? Questions?

I have a 4 year old Pentair Prowler 930, which is the same as a Maytronics active. During the week I noticed it would turn on, go backwards about 3 feet then stop.

I tried troubleshooting last night and it seemed to be the cheap plastic gears that connected the motor to the wheel were going bad. This morning I took it to the local pool store (Pinch a penny) who is a Maytronics dealer. They were helpful and replaced the gears and one of the wheels, for under $25. It was a great deal since the $3 parts all had $15+ shipping so would have cost me a whole lot more to DIY.

Unfortunately, when I put it in the pool it didn't move at all. Back to the pool store I go and they figured out the wheel had changed and was getting hung up on the cosmetic cover. They removed it and everything turned as it should have, then they did the out of water self diagnostics. It powered on and then perpetually ran backwards, never switching to forwards, nor sensing it was out of the water. Their diagnosis is that it needs a new $500 motor. That seems silly to spend on a 4 year old unit with the original power cord which appears to be cracking and aging.

What say you TFP?
1. Any thoughts on the robot issue? Is it really the motor issue if its not switching forward? I plan to finish up yard work and then grab a drink, tools, and take the thing apart and see if I can see anything obviously wrong. Maybe I'll be able to get lucky, but not likely unless its just dumb luck.

2. If I do need a new one, there seems to be a huge price difference in cleaners and some newer brands on the market. Pinch a Penny has a cordless Polaris for $1,100. If I have to spend that then so be it, but in my quick research Walmart has a few Aiper models for $400-$700 and Amazon has the Wybot C2 for under $500. I'll do some research later tonight assuming I'm not successful in #1 but figured I would ask here and see if these unfamiliar to me brands are just as good as the Polaris/Maytronics ones.

been trying to download pool math on my pc it continues say download is not available at this time was able to download on my phone. Not sure if I am doing something wrong. any help would be great thank you in advance.

I’m reaching out for your expert guidance regarding issues we’re facing with our in-ground swimming pool. We live outside the U.S. and are unable to arrange for an in-person inspection, but we’d greatly appreciate your remote assistance or insights.

Pool Construction:​

• Reinforced with steel bars
• Built using gunnite cement
• Final coating is aggregate pool finish containing river pebbles combined with portland cement-based pigmented plaster

Current Problems Observed:​

1. The pool coating has started to soften and deteriorate—it can be peeled off easily by scratching it.
2. Brown iron-like stains are coming through the coating and are now visible on the pool walls.
3. Minor surface cracks have also developed in the coating.

We suspect this may be due to age, water chemistry, or deeper waterproofing or rebar-related issues. We're attaching photos and a short video to better illustrate the condition.

Our Request:​

Could you kindly advise us on the following:

• What could be the root cause of this deterioration?
• Are we dealing with a surface-level finish problem or potential structural/rebar corrosion?
• What is the recommended DIY repair method for this kind of damage?
• Do we need to strip all the cement coating?
• Advise which two component pool coating to use, as a cost efficient solution.
• Any steps to temporarily maintain or slow further damage before full renovation?

We’re open to all advice



Thank you very much in advance for your help and time. Looking forward to your recommendations!

Hi everyone,
Just wanted to get input as far as how often you test your water when you first open the pool and nobody’s swimming yet. Do you still do it daily even when it’s way too cold and it’s early spring? Just wondering. Thank you!

I have taken over pool maintenance at our house. I was following Clorox strip recommendations for a little over a week, was spending way too much money on chemicals without seeing the progress I wanted. I then started reading about SLAM on Trouble Free Pool. I started SLAM and have been using the Pool Math app since Friday night.

I still have the Clorox strips and have been using them (the legit kit is coming) as I realized the strips aren’t as accurate. The strips say my Free Chlorine is 10 and Total Chlorine is 0. Is that possible?

It’s pouring rain this morning but here are pictures I’ve taken.

Photos: 10 days ago (before starting Clorox strips/recommendations); 2 days ago (before starting SLAM/pool math app)

I am on day 15 of SLAM. The water has gone from dark green to blue/gray but I still cannot see maybe 8-9”. Began with CC of 6 and this morning it was .5. I’ve been testing the FC every 2 hours from 8am to 10pm. Backwash when pressure rises to 7-8 (sits at 5) but it only rises after I’ve brushed or vacuumed. Brushing 2-3 times a day. Vacuum once a day. Added DE to the sand filter (made a slurry). I’ve had much larger pools and started with worse swamp and didn’t have this much trouble. What else can I do or check? Pics of day 2 and day 15.

TA 190
PH 7.2
CYA 40
FC 16
CC .5

Every year upon opening my pool, I usually have to add around 200 pounds of salt and 52 ounces of CYA. I am assuming I am loosing this all due to dilution over the winter months as we get plenty of rain year around here. My question is how can I only loose 52 ounces of CYA, when I am loosing 200 pounds of salt over winter… how does that work?

Sorry thought I had posted this in start up and closing

Which tests are adversely affected by very cold water (45 degrees?) I will not be opening my pool for at least another month, but I just want to see how my chems survived the winter. I suppose I could just let my Solo cup of pool water sit until it warms to room temp, but that would show patience... Don't want to damage my reputation!

Thanks!

I have a 13,500 gallon pol with 500 gallon spa, SWG since it was new over 32 years ago. Last fall when I did the fall service the salt level was 3600. I have a whole house water softener using regular salt that also fill the pool Is the salt content of the soft water enough to raise the salt level that much?

Hi there.

Question - is the ice melt product good enough for the pool? This 10lb is a lot cheaper than 4lb Calcium Hardness at Walmart

CAS# Sodium Chloride 007647-14-5
CAS# Calcium Chloride 010043-52-4
CAS# Magnesium Chloride 007791-18-6-52-4

If this one is not perfect, which HD\Lowe's brand should I get?
Thanks!

I recently swapped out a failing T-15 cell on my Hayward Goldline Aqua Plus SWG with a T-3. My pool is 7500 gallons so the T-3 is appropriate. I changed the settings in Configuration to reflect the change. After installing, I’m getting the message in Diagnostic Menu “Chlorinator Off Percentage Met”. Incrementally I increase the percentage but message repeats, even when set to 100%. Also, testing doesn’t indicate chlorine is being produced or enough anyway, unless I run Super Chlorinate for 6 hours, therefore I do know the T-3 is functioning.
Can anyone offer and advise. I shouldn’t have to run in Super mode all the time.

Last year at startup, I had some difficulty with my IC-40 telling me the salt level was low and/or the water was too cold. I measured the SALT and it was 3200 (I have the TFT Salt Measurement Kit, very handy....)....At the time, I assumed the flow switch was going bad. Ultimately, the unit did produce CL all year long with SALT = 3600 and of course temps in the 75+ range. , so no replacement was attempted.....and at closing last fall I did a very light 20% acid/80% water cleaning before stowing the IC-40 for the winter.

Yesterday I installed my IC-40 and it ran seemingly OK for about one hour, during which time it reported the salt level was HIGH (Blinking GREEN SALT indicator), then ALL lights went off except for the COLD WATER RED indicator, which stayed solid RED. I ran the spa heater for an hour and the water went from +64F to +80F....RED COLD light stayed on. Having looked at similar issue threads on the TFP site, I purchased an aftermarket "flow sensor", which I believe should solve the problem. But it won't be here for a week. Very easy to replace.

In the meantime...I read some threads indicating that if you eliminate the connection to the 10K thermistor on the Flow Switch, it will "trick" the unit into thinking the Cold Water problem is solved....here is one that is most concise:
IC40 cold water light on but water is 86 degrees

So, I interpret this thread to tell me that: if I just disconnect (cut) the Green /White wires coming from the flow switch, this will disable the COLD water sensor and at least allow my unit to operate until the flow switch is replaced..... YES?

This thread also mentions IC-40 Version 3.1 for indicating Water Temp by pressing/holding the MORE button....my unit must be pre-3.1 as it will not go into the secondary measurement mode indicating the measured water temperature.

I was surprised at the variance in prices from $15 to more than $150 for this little flow sensor. That seems crazy....I assume and hope the aftermarket replacement unit will work the same as the expensive one.

What size PVC pipe do I use if I have 1"x 1/2" ....need to connect flow switch

I was "gifted" one of these from my neighbor who didn't want to mess with it anymore. He said it needed a new power supply, but I diagnosed the cable as being bad at the swivel. I thought cleaning the contacts would fix it, but there is something wrong inside the connector. I lose continuity in one wire when I wiggle the cord where it goes into the swivel connector with the brass strips. Does anyone have experience with the knock off 2 prong cords on Amazon? I saw some for 80-150ish. OEM is about half what this thing is worth. I am going to do a waterproof splice to make sure the robot runs before even spending that much on it.

I am not sure what happened, but over the last week of so my pool heat temp got set to 104 and I can’t change it. I am the only one who has ever used the control panel and I never set it past 85. I thought the panel might be locked, but the LOc doesn’t show when trying to change the temp. In fact the panel doesn’t respond to any input except it switches from current temp to set temp (104) when pressing the temp buttons. I switched off the breaker for a few hours but that didn’t help.

My back yard is blocked almost all the way around by a wall and fencing. It’s off the beaten path and the only people who go back there are the gardeners. Maybe someone messed with it, but I highly doubt it.

The odd thing is it does show the current temp and the low flow occasionally when the pump is set to low. But it works ok, in that the fan comes on followed by the compressor and it tries to reach 104. How water is coming out into the pool.

Any help would be appreciated. Thank you.

We think this liner was around 5-7 years old when we bought the house 3 years ago - so this is probably around season 8-10 or so for it. I decided to open the pool myself this year, and I found a very unpleasant surprise. There's a 24" wide tear just below where the liner meets the coping.

I have seen a few other threads prescribing a large patch with scrap liner which may be an option for me. What do you fine folks think? Is it time to replace? The liner has otherwise been fine aside from some mild discoloring. I'm just trying to decide if I patch and fill to complete opening or start getting quotes on a new liner.



Thanks in advance for any insights.

Have replaced my trusty Jandy pool lights 2.5 times in 10-years and I now have to replace half of them (four lights). Right now, every light is a JLU4C6W100 (6 watt). The pool looks great but I definitely have some dark spots. Since I have to replace some of the lights I want to consider 12W and 24W in a few spots. Can anyone quantify the difference in brightness from 6W to 12w to 24w? Any feedback or recommendations would be great. Thanks!

I’m getting down to finally getting my equipment installed. However I am concerned about the Intelliconnect wiring. Do I need to power the Line In? I saw this guy on you tube making jumpers. I thought that’s part of what the relays on unit does, power it! See this guys jumpers;

Login to view embedded media
appreciate any assistance. Installation does say anything about jumpers.

Hello!

My brother referred me to this site. He has a pool but I just a spa

Have I destroyed my booster pump? Polaris 280 is my cleaner. I inadvertently closed the water valve to my booster, but the Polaris was powered on. When discovered(within a day) water was coming out of the pump housing, like a leak, not gushing, but the motor was still running. After stopping the motor, I reopened the valve to allow water to flow like it should. The motor started up, but no pressure of water was causing the Polaris to move. (Side question: how was water coming out of the pump housing with the flow of water cut off?) What to do ?

Looking for expert advise on what caused my Pentair pump shaft to break. I've read a couple of other posts where this has happened, but those breaks were clean - almost looking as if they were cut on a lathe. That's not the case with mine. This pump is almost exactly 10 years old and ran 24 x 7 x 365 with the exception of servicing the pool. This last year, there would be air in the volute strainer but the pump was still pushing water. Turning the RPMs up on the pump would resolve this issue - at least temporarily. Because it was still moving water, even at the lower RPMs I wasn't concerned with the air in the strainer. That may have been a mistake.

Additionally, when I disassembled the pump side of things, I discovered I was missing the screws which hold the diffuser to the seal plate. The metal inserts in the seal plate were not there either. These parts were not found. No idea where they are. Having never been inside one of these pumps before, it wasn't until I was watching a video on replacing the seal that I realized these were missing.

I intend to rebuild this unit and have already purchased a well used motor with a nice shiny shaft. I found it on ebay and picked it up for $90 including shipping. I was planning to rebuild the pump side and had already purchased seals, diffuser, impeller along with bearings for the motor. I'll need a new seal plate, diffuser screws and the black piece of rubber that goes up against the motor on the shaft (not sure what this is called or of the part number). The last picture, shows an additional part needed, but that piece of metal that goes on the shaft up against the impeller. My intention is to disassemble the the motor I purchased, pull the rotor / shaft, replace the bearings and install into my motor housing.

As I stated when I started the post, I'm wanting to understand what caused this problem so I can prevent it in the future.

Thanks,

Tripp

I have an in-ground pool with an attached concrete spa, 4 jets, that is 27+ years old. It uses venturi air without a blower. Recently I started the spa and no air whatsoever comes out of the jets. My pool guy said their might be water in the air lines, so I lowered the level below the jets, hooked up a shop vac in reverse to pump air into the pvc inlet by the pool filter. This blew all the water out, but when I refilled it, still no air from the jets. I hooked up the shop vac again and started the spa, but when I did that, all the air, and a lot of it, comes out of a single jet. I even tried reducing the air pressure, and no matter what I do it only comes out of that one jet. If I remove the air pressure altogether, water starts flowing out of the air snorkel at the pool filter and there is no air at any jet.

I'm wondering if one or more of my air check vales are broken and the air lines are filled with water. Does that sound like what might be happening? And if so, is there any way to replace those check valves, or is my spa forever broken? Any other advice is greatly appreciated!