I've got a leak from the water outlet inside my heat pump. It's not broken PVC as far as I can tell, just the seal where the PVC pipe meets the tank where the water is heated. What can I use to seal the connection from the pipe to the tank that will actually work?
I've seen older threads with caked on silicone that looked pretty bad. Some said epoxy wouldn't hold well on an outlet pipe. What's the right fix, and are there specific products you would recommend?

Hello, could anyone please advise on a good lubricant for a peristaltic pump hose (the one between the rollers) ? I am using a Seko pump with a Pharmed BPT (TPE) hose for acid injection. I've seen conflicting information online: some sites mention not to use silicon-based lubricants, some say to use pure silicon grease, and others recommend glycerin or water based options, etc.

what do you guys typically use for this ? will the typical Jack 327 Pool gasket Lube damage those TPE hoses ?

Also, if I need a specific one, can you guys recommend a brand / website where you can buy a small amount? I found some places that specifically sell peristaltic hose lubricant but they only sell that the bucket...

Thanks!

Hello I have an aqua trol it’s firmware is a 1.45 it does not have a way to change salt cell My daughter bought me a new cell for mine was dues after 7 seasons was a t5. But she bought a t9 for my birthday Problem is there is no way to change cell size and we passed the time of return any ideas what I can do

Hey all,

I’m having a hard time finding out videos on how to install this upgrade kit to an existing S3 set up. Looking at the installation manual I can tell most of the stuff is very simple…except the lights.

My pool lights are currently hooked up to a Hayward Colorlogic controller, how do I transfer control to my new Omni board so I can control them remotely? All the electrical work has been done, breakers, transformer, etc since all that had to be done before hand when the pool builder set up the ColorLogic controller, just need to run the appropriate wires so that the lights are controlled by the Omni upgrade board instead of the ColorLogic controller on the wall. I’ve attached a few pics of my whole set up for reference…

Thanks y’all!

V

I found TFP near the end of last year. I'm SO excited to open today and implement all I have learned. I'm having the equipment professionally opened today, but they are not touching my chemicals. I switched companies to one that doesn't monkey with that side of things.

We're opening a little earlier than normal to be clean and ready to go for a gathering in two weeks.

Get to be a little chemist checking all my levels soon!

I love my 3900 Sport but recently the feed hose has been disconnecting from the vacuum tube / feed pipe assembly. I have replaced the feeder hose connector but still having this issue. The feed pipe looks like in good shape with no visible cracks / chips / defects and the factory o-ring is still in place.

Whenever, I connect the feed hose to the Polaris 3900 Sport, it no longer “clicks” and does not make a good connection.

What could be the issue? How can I remedy this?

I've had billowing in my new vinyl pool several times and have chosen to let the water table subside. It turned out well—everything returned to form. This last storm (once in a generation, though I've heard that before) has produced floating vinyl beyond my imagination. See the picture below.

Should I be patient and let the water find its own way out? I suppose this will require some looking after to manage the potential for wrinkles. OR start pumping some, if not all, of the water from behind, again with brushing of wrinkles, etc. Thoughts anyone? @Dirk?

McLeod

This issue is driving me crazy. The Jandy LXI400N heater was working fine. Now, turning it on for the first time this season, it won't work. The heater motor starts up and runs for a long time. Finally, after quite a while you hear a click inside, which I assume is the heater calling for gas? Nothing happens. It eventually shuts down and gives off an ignition fault code. It never lights off at all.
I called in an "authorized" repairman. He put a gauge on the unit somewhere inside. The gauge shows gas pressure to spec, but when the heater calls for gas the pressure drops to below spec. He says that there is a problem with the gas supply. I called in a plumber who checked the gas supply and he says it's just fine.
I then called in a repairman from another place to look at the heater. He said it needed a new igniter. He put one in. No change at all. He put the same gauge on the unit that the other guy did and got the same result. He says it's a gas supply issue. I then called in yet another separate plumber. He says there is no issue at all with the gas supply. Arrrggghhhh!
I then called in a THIRD different heater repairman. He's not sure what's wrong. He believes it's the internal solenoid controlled gas valve, which he believes has an internal regulator on it that he believes is faulty. He wants to install a new one and see what happens. That's all well and good except the darned valve is $500!! If it doesn't fix it I'm out $500 and still have an inoperative heater.
Do any of you out there have any ideas on what could be happening here?? I'm about to pull out what little hair I have left.

Hi, one of my Jandy 2 way valve cracked over the winter and sprung a leak. I managed to get the old one off but have trouble figuring out how to put the new one on. As you can see in the picture, there are valves next to it which does not provide much wiggle room tonout the valve in. Any suggestions how to get it in there? I can use a couple of unions but wanted a uniform look if possible.

Also, I am opening the pool because I will be away for a couple of weeks and don’t want a geeen surprise. Is it safe to plug the pressure side with a freeze plug? I don’t need this like for now as it’s for the steps. It looks like it’s working but wanted to make sure it won’t blow out since I’m away.

Thanks.

Recently purchased a Scuba S1 and have been pretty happy with it. The only problem is I get extremely fine silt/sand left behind. I'm assuming this is too small for the 180micron filter basket it comes with. I'm not aware nor could find any replacement baskets so I'm thinking of getting 50 micron filter sheets (like what a fish tank uses, I think they call it polishing filter) and lining the inside of the basket with it. I was curious if anyone else has attempted this before regardless of the make of their pool robot?

we are replacing our 20 year old liner this May. We like a specific pattern but i'm told that it only comes with this embossed "pearluster" finish that, while looking nice, can make keeping it clean harder as it tends to trap dirt/debris.
We have a dolphin robot vacuum and i check the water balance probably every other day or so. I've been doing all my own pool maintenance for two years on it now, but i am using a pool company to install the new liner.

Does anyone have any experience with these kinds of liners? Is it a nightmare to keep clean? Not a big deal? just trying to gauge it before we commit to a final choice.



Thinking about the Sea Stone Marble which is only available with that specific kind of embossed finish

Hi Everyone,

I need some help. I am planning on replacing my existing Booster Pump a Pentair Boost Rite (LA-MS05). The pool store recommended the Pentair LA01N. I have read the various thread on robot vs booster and not ready to make that switch yet. I also read this thread Booster Pumps - Further Reading.

Now I am trying to find a good price on the unit and also open to other options. PoolPlaza.com came up in my search and they had 2 units with different manufacturer SKUs with a price difference of $120.

• LA01N-DUP --> $449
• EC-LA01N --> $569

Here are my questions:

• It seems like the same unit, but curious if anyone knows what the difference between the units?
• I am looking for recommendations on the best site to order the booster pump from?

Thanks,
ktr32

Looking for your valued input on our in progress gunite pool renovation in frost thaw climate Central NJ. The demolition of our former cantilevered concrete decking is complete and this week the PB will begin on removing tile and get to starting the renovation work.
In trying to understand the materials that will be used (reading the TDS). In phone discussion it does not appear that the PB is aware of the TCNA EJ171 Movement Joint guidelines for exterior applications for ceramic and stone, the location and the frequency of these soft joints are called for every 8 ft to 12ft depending on the materials and environmental conditions. We HAD for 21 years tile that never came off the pool (including through this weeks jackhammering!) and back then with the cantilevered deck and NO coping - we had no soft joints in the tile. Now wondering since we will have 12X24x1.5 inch thick granite coping and will be using a 6X6 THROUGH BODY Porcelain water line tile on this renovation, should I be pushing the PB to put in the soft joints if it hasn't been their practice? If I am understanding properly the "soft joint" would be a 100% silicone material and would be in the TILE and then Up through the granite coping stone, too. IS this something to insist on or is it something to go not have and then down the road IF there is cracking, deal with later (not preferable). Not sure if we are allowed to mention product brand names here so want to be respectful. THANK You all in advance
Picture of pool to be redone below so you can see the raised wall of tile too.

So basically I replaced both my old regular pump and my cartridge filter for a variable speed pump and a DE filter. I ended up draining the pool(22,000 gallons) and refilled the pool yesterday and today. The pool guy came over and turned on the pump for the first time and set it running to 5 hours because he needed to add the DE powder to the skimmer to complete the installation of the DE filter.

Anyway, he didn't show me how to program the pump so I decided to just watch a bunch of YouTube videos on how to set the RPM, time, and duration for all 3 programs or 2 if I just want 2 different speeds each day.

I guess my question is, what numbers do people generally set their RPMs? My pool is pretty small at only 22,000 gallons. Do you guys use all 3 programs, just 2 different programs or just 1 program for the whole day? I'm currently looking to get a new pool vacuum to run during the middle of the day while I'm at work so I imagine the pump would need more speed for vacuum to run right?

I'm adding some powder conditioner and chlorine tomorrow morning so I'm thinking I might need to run the pump pretty high right? What's a good RPM for when I'm adding conditioner and chemicals?

Hi all, I’ve been a pool owner for the last year and I’ve learned a ton from this forum. Currently reopening for the Spring after some neglect during the winter (maybe I didn’t learn a ton? ) and I’ve got some stubborn Rear algae that I cannot seem to get rid of.

I’ve been shocking the pool for the last few days and brushing every day and it’s gotten a LITTLE better but it’s still there. Kinda at my wits end and could use some advice. Do I continue to trust the process and keep the shock going?

Water is clear and CYA was last measured (4/6) at 60 and I’ve been keeping the FC at ~24. I recently discovered the Mustard Algae Shock on this forum, so today, I attempted to keep the FC around 35.

Any tips are greatly appreciated!

Hello TFP peeps! Been a member of this site since 2022 I believe and have always valued the feedback. It’s Spring time and I’m in North Texas. We have had a few dust storms from West Texas blown into our area in the past month or so and I’d like to think that the red looking dirt in my pool is just that…red dirt. I’m really not sure what else it could be but I can brush the heck out of the pool, clean the filter out after a few brushes, and this stuff still returns. Chlorine has been fine at 8+ with CYA or 50-69. All other values are normal. I really don’t think it’s anything else besides red dirt that has continued to blow in but I’m open to other thoughts and would appreciate them greatly.

Hello…getting ready to do the upgrade from Prologic to Omni Pl and would like to extend the Omni PL controller cable would someone who has done this controller cable extension post the link where I can buy cable and connectors. The cable that came with the kit is 24awg with six(6) connectors

Thanks

After removing the broken valve actuator for the solar heater and replacing the leaking seals in the valve, I noticed the Pentair Solar Touch display is blank. I read on another thread about blowing the fuse when the actuator gets wet. Which it was. The fuse was tested and needs replacing. I have tried 4 stores looking for the 1.5 A fuse to replace it, but no luck. Any suggestions out there for finding the correct fuse for this panel?? Thanks! The fuse is very small. The diameter is .200" and 3/4" long.

Can someone please help me understand what each of these do? We need a new swg and maybe pump and want to do the install ourselves if possible. We also replaced the pool lights a year or two ago (my dad did this) and now the light doesn't work so it must be wired incorrectly.

Filter Pump button definitely turns on the filter pump, Aux 1 turns on polaris vacuum, Aux 2 turns on the tall thing and make the spa bubble, Aux 3 made a jandy actuator valve move, Aux 4 made a clicking noise but I couldn't determine if anything else happened, Aux 5,6,7 make no noise. I do have more pictures if needed.

Hi,
I’m having the following issue: when my pool pump cuts off, my actuator is not shutting off, therefore not closing the valve.
I just installed a new actuator thinking that would resolve the issue. I don’t understand why this is happening. It never used to be this way. Help! My house closing is in 3 weeks and I need a functioning pool.

Hello. First time question asker.
We are going to buy a new pool pump. We are planning on buying a Pentair IntelliFlo3 3.0 hp. We are not sure if we need to buy one with a touch screen or without. Any one on here have regrets about not buying touchscreen ?

My pool has the skimmer and bottom drain connected and there is a pressure compensation bypass created by a skimmer venturi. If I understand this correct from a pool builder in the area. Very atypical in his words but he has seen this before. Result... no suction in the suction port for the suction-side cleaner (brand new Polaris Maxx). There is no option to manually connect to skimmer. In other words the main pump is not connectible to the suction side cleaner.


Option B?.... Can I add a small cartridge or even sand filter to the wayerfall.pump and plug into the waterfall pickup in the pool? If so, any suggestions? My WF is a Pentair Dynamo Punp on a Century 1.0HP single speed motor.

Option C?.... if Option B is a bad idea or not going to work, is there a single unit (all in one) that has a pump and filter that i can use as needed to clean and then put away when not needed? Like above ground equipment? If so, any suggestions?

Trying to avoid adding another 1000 for a robot on top of the 550 i already paid for the Polaris Maxx. Which I can't give away for 300 even though it's brand new.

I replaced a very old Kreepy Krauly with a Polaris 280 and the 280 had such a small vacuum opening, the oak leaves just plugged it up easily. So I went back to the 25 year old Kreepy Krauly with a larger mouth opening, and it still worked ok. But its wheel rubber is wearing down and it struggles due to age. Can anyone recommend a reasonable side pressure crawling cleaner with a wide mouth and large bag like my old Kreepy Krauly. Does the current Kreepy Krauly have the same mouth and bag size design? I have a rough pebble bottom with odd stairs and places to get trapped. So in an ideal world, it would have a large mouth, large bag and 4 wheel drive. The Pentair 280 had 3 wheel drive and did not work well and got stuck frequently. Ideas, opinions?

My pool was built 4 years ago. It was filled then and hasn't been completely drained since. It's an in-ground, (from my estimate) 11000 gallons, pebble finish, with a SWG and a DE filter. Up until recently I was just using the home depot test kit and adding acid when necessary to decrease pH and adding salt when the SWG reported a low amount. Now I have a K-2006 test kit and a subscription to the pool math app, and I have been properly checking everything and trying to do things right.

My current levels are:
5.8ppm FC
pH of 7.8
80ppm TA
70ppm CYA
Calcium Hardness of 1100ppm

My calcium hardness is through the roof. After some reading of TFP and the K-2006 manual I did the various versions of the CH test to make sure I was getting an accurate reading. My sample is turning purple and then blue, but it never turns back to pink so I think that's correct.

So, now I'm thinking I need to drain and refill. That might be slightly overkill just for the hardness, but we also had very bad wildfires here in the Los Angeles area (as you may have seen on the news) and that left a LOT of ash in my pool. Now I worried about heavy metals and other toxic junk that may have come from the ash that I don't want to be swimming in.

My question is, what should I do while the pool is drained? Should I have it acid washed? I've heard lots of mixed things about this and I'm leaning toward not doing it. If not acid wash should I clean it some other way? Is there anything I should inspect while the pool is drained?

When I do refill I'm going to use part city water and part water from my home softener. I tested the water from the city using the same CH test and I got 320ppm, so with about 2000 gallons from my softener I'm thinking to dropping that down to about 260ppm which will give plenty of room for the level to rise with evaporation.

Thanks in advance.

TL;DR
4 year old pool, 11000 gallons, pebble finish, SWG
Hasn't been drained since it was built
Calcium hardness is very high, 1100ppm
Lots of ash from wild fires
Thinking about draining and refilling
Should I drain and refill?
If so, what should I do while the pool is empty?

I have been a pool owner and self-maintainer for over 20 years, but we recently moved into a new house with a pool. My old equipment was Pentair with a Hayward SCG and I was very familiar with that setup. This house has all Jandy equipment, including AquaLink and a AquaPure 1400 SWG. It has been cool recently in SoCal and I had not run a water test in about 3 weeks. I ran one a few days ago and got zero FC. All of the other water parameters looks pretty good, at least those that would affect FC generation (CYA = 60, pH=7.3, NaCl=3800, TA=55). I also took a water sample directly from one of the returns using a small hose and also got zero FC. I have cleaned the cell.

There are no error codes on the panel at all. It shows active flow, 80% chlorine production, and 3700ppm salt. After reading several threads here and elsewhere, I ran some voltage tests at the cell and got less than 1 VDC. When I test the voltage at the board, I get 8.4 VDC with the chlorine production set at 100%. I have read that these values are supposed to be 22 to 28 VDC.

Any ideas what is going on? I called Jandy tech support, and once I told them there were no error codes, they couldn't help anymore, as I am not a contractor or pool professional.

Looking forward to perusing the forums. Grew up with pools, managed pools in my younger years but I've been out of the game for twenty years and now have a house with a pool and the newer technology. This will be my first summer trying to manage this things and have already found a wealth of information on the site. Here's to everyone having a healthy and safe 2025 pool season!

My IntelliChlor IC60 has been running for 6 years, and now with about 20% life remaining.

Last week it showed error message "Clean Salt Cell" and one green light was blinking. Did cleaning with diluted muriatic acid, but the error message remains.

Is there a way to reset the error message on this machine?

Is there a different brand but cheaper with identical form and factor, so I can just drop in to replace without changing existing plumbing? This thing now costs nearly 2x of what I paid 6 years ago.

Thanks!

Looking for any recommendations on what to do here. So in the process of changing my igniter on my Max Etherm 333 the metal around the igniter failed. As you can see in the photo there is now a small maybe quarter inch gap allowing heat to escape. The heater is working now but i'm afraid this heat could damage the wires above. The pool repair man said due to the labor involved in changing the plate he'd rather not deal with it but recommended maybe some high temp silicone. Any thoughts.

Hello All,
I am in need of a new pump for the upcoming season. My old pump was a Hayward Power Max, 1.5hp, single speed. The pool is above ground, 33' round ~33,000 gallons.
I had no problem with the Hayward for quite a few years until it started screaming and just gave up. Ran it maybe 12 hours per day. The line to the pump is 120ac on a 20amp.
I need some help as I know I am getting to the point of analysis paralysis. I would like to put in a vs pump to reduce the costs, electric is insane here, but the vs pumps all seem to be made for inground pools. Can I use an in ground pump?
Another item is that I would like to install a small solar system this spring. This of course raises the question of having enough flow.

Overall, I am happy with a 1.5hp provided it can run the pool and the solar system. I would also love to knock some of those electric costs.

Pray tell, what are your thoughts? Really appreciate it.

Steve

I don't come here often, but I have lost my wireless connection to control my pool. I can log in to the app remotely, but none of the info populates and I cannot control anything. I have tried resetting and the basic fixes. Any other ideas?