Hello everyone - I have been reading through numerous TFP forfums for the last several weeks in anticipation of starting my own "pool journey." I welcome any and all thoughts and feedback on the information below (as well as responses to my questions). This will be my very first pool and, while I feel like I am at at least novice-level knowledge now after spending so much time on this site, I know I still have a lot to learn.

We have selected a PB and are currently waiting for the city permit to be issued. Once that is complete, we have been told that the dig can be scheduled within one to two weeks and then we would be off and running. Assuming this post gets some traction, I would love to keep providing updates/pictures/etc. as the process goes along.

GENERAL INFORMATION
Location: Dallas, Texas (Dallas proper)
Pool size: 35’ 6’’ x 14’ 6’’ (perimeter 100’)
Area: 515 sq. ft.
Gallons: ~18,500
Pool Profile: 3.5” x 6” x 6”
No spa
Pool finish (not finalized): “Smooth exposed Pebble Interior finish using a Base Color”

PLUMBING

• 2.5” or 3” suction lines based on pump size and distance requirements
• FIVE 1.5” directional water returns fed by a 2” header line.
• TWO pool skimmers with hydrodynamic weirs using a 2” suction line valved independently with a Jandy Neverlube valve
• Install 32” AquaStar Schedule 80 Virginia Graeme Baker Safety Act channel main drain

EQUIPMENT

• Jandy 580 Cartridge Filter
• 2.7 HP Jandy Variable Speed ePump VSSHP270AUT/JEP2.0 w/ extra-large basket (SEE QUESTION BELOW)
• Aquacal SQ166R Electric Heat Pump/Water Chiller
• A & A Automatic In-Floor Cleaning System with five-port water valve
• Jandy AquaPure salt-water chlorine system
• AquaStar ChemStar In-line Chlorinator Model # CH100
• Computer Controller - Jandy IQ904P for pool only
• Jandy Infinite Watercolor Nicheless 15W lights (THREE)
• Infinite Watercolor 300W transformer
• Concealed over-flow line to drain excess water
• Pool fill-line attached to skimmer and connected to hose bib with backflow prevention
• Jandy Infinite Watercolor Bubblers (THREE)
• 1 HP Jandy FloPro FHPM1.0 Pump (Booster Pump)

QUESTIONS

• After doing some of my own research, it seems like VSSHP270AUT Jandy ePump may be the prior generation of ePump, replaced by the VSSHP270DV2A (which is what is currently listed on Jandy’s website). My PB assures me that I will be getting only the “latest and greatest,” and I wanted to see if anyone had any knowledge about this.
• Our pool will have a LOT of leaves fall into it. Are there any changes to the build that I should make to account for this? Note that we do not want to do an auto cover, and I plan on manually covering it during the fall when most leaves come down, but we have several giant trees around the pool that inevitably shed leaves throughout the spring and summer months as well.
• Other than the added cost, is there any reason not to include an in-line chlorinator (given that we will have an SWG)? I’ve seen a lot of comments saying it is ultimately useless and unnecessary, but just curious as to whether it could independently cause issues.

I am most likely going to install Pentair equipment to upgrade my equipment. A pool contractor is suggesting that I go with an EasyTouch system instead of IntelliCenter because my needs are relatively simple.

I have read many threads on here about these systems and realize the EasyTouch is an older system and likely to be phased out. Additionally the IntelliCenter seems to have a better interface. It seems to me that a huge difference between them is that with IntelliCenter you connect through Pentair servers while with EasyTouch w/ScreenLogic you are connecting directly. Older threads from the early days of IntelliCenter had many complaints of the Pentair servers going down but it seems that is less frequent now.

Is this an issue that would influence the choice of one over the other? Does one provide more information than the other?

One turbine was hardly moving, other is moving fine and picking up debris as usual and all other moving parts are moving fine. It is the drive shaft which has white trapezoidal gears which drive the turbines.

I’m attempting to blow out my pool lines myself. I have my water level just below skimmer but all the return jets are still under water.

Question about blowing out the returns. I have 6 total returns in the pool and 3 valves controlling them
- one for the 2 returns in the steps
- one for the 2 returns in the deep end bench seat
- one for the 2 returns in the pool

The last time I watched the pool guy do it he plugged 3 of the returns, one in each return type (step/bench/pool) before blowing anything g out. Then when he went to blow them out he only had to plug the remaining one for each return type.

Should I follow the same approach, or just leave all returns unplugged and blow them all out and then plug all 6 of them?

My pool was plastered with Luna Quartz Pacific at the beginning of June. This is what my pool looked like. The PB came out and said this will clear up and I will love it. IF not they would do a Hot Start at the end of August to clear it up. No worries!
They just finished the Hot Start with little success. A Hot Start was dumping muriatic Acid in pool with a pump in pool circulating. They came out every day to brush. They then drained the Spa into the pool and did a acid bath on the spa. No change.


Here is the spa after the acid wash. The place that is circled is where he polished to see if that works. Looks Like polishing would bring out the right color and give me a smooth surface.
So at this point the PB is going to discuss our options. Looks like it is either polishing entire pool or a redo. This was a reno and I do not want another coat on top of this coat. I would have to insist on a chip out.
Should I go with the polish?

This leak just started. I can’t by hand unscrew the cap. Is this likely something I can fix?

This is our first full fall and winter after pool startup last winter. We don’t plan on officially closing our pool as we live in South Louisiana. I’m sure my kids will swim for a little while longer and we do plan on using the hot tub until it is just too cold outside. Question is, should my FC target change with dropping temps and less use? I know my SWG will need supplementing once water temps < 55ish, I plan on using liquid bleach or a small amount of trichlor tabs just to keep my FC at goal. My question is same as above, what should be my goal?

Any information is appreciated

The mount at the base of my Hayward Powerflo Matrix pool pump has a severe rust problem from leaky connections over the last couple of years. The pump is less than 4 years old, so I don't want to replace it. I have seen some "mounting feet" which screw into the base and the pump rests on it. However, they do not list my model SP15932STL, so I'm not sure it would work for mine or perhaps my model is too old to be listed. Has anyone purchased one of these for the above model? If so, did you have any issues?

I have a Caldera Makena Salt Spa being delivered for a home that I won't be at very much for the next year. It will be outdoors and covered. We might visit and use the spa every other month or so for a few days at a time. Once we are living there full time I plan to take care of it myself but until then I was thinking of hiring a company to perform maintenance.

I'm a spa newb and don't want to get talked into "over-servicing" it for the minimal use it will get but I also don't want to be too cheap about it.

What can I get away with as far as maintenance visits go if we are only using it a couple times a month? Can I get away with having them service it monthly and maybe I throw some shock in it before I leave each time or is monthly not enough?

For what it's worth it will have the Caldera "Spa Connect Kit" monitoring system connected to wifi so I can at least see current temperature, salt levels and run basic tests remotely.

So we are building a house and also having pool built along side of house. We are not moved in yet and pool people are still working on hardscape, so pool builder is having their person get water balanced and maintained at the moment.

I, however, have been reading as much info about pool upkeep and maintenance as possible anticipating the time when I will take over. They just got the salt in the pool and the SWG running. The pump has been running on a higher RPM so I wanted to see how low I could take the pump and still get adequate flow for SWG. I was expecting somewhere around 1300-1500 RPM’s as this is what I seem to see most say they run their variable speed pump at. I was not able to go below 1900 RPM’s. I would get a red light on the flow sensor any lower. So I’m thinking I’d at least have to run at or just over 2,000 RPM’s to make sure SWG is always getting good water flow.

Is this normal? I also read that having a heater would require higher RPM’s to get good flow. If this is true, is it also still true if heater to not on?

And something else, can a SWG cause tiny bubbles to come out of return lines? I had tiny bubbles coming from all three return lines today. This is the first day the SWG had been fully functional and I have definitely not noticed any bubbles prior to today. Pool guy had SWG in super chlorine mode.

I winterized the pool and put the 2" teflon plug at the bottom and dumped some antifreeze but to my surprise it's all gone with hours. I did it again and watched for ten minutes and no bubbles.. The plug is tight and I might get a rubber plug to see if that works better but I do not understand what this copper valve looking key is at the bottom. What is it? Any trouble shooting ideas while it's dry?

Hello!

I have a hayward heater that is showing CE when booting, then switches to SF quickly. I have read that it could be the temp sensor, but my temp sensor is plugged into my Prologic 4 system and is reading the correct temperature. It is my H250 that is showing the error. I was going to replace my temp sensor, but I don't know if that is a waste of time based on the CE error. Any advice would help!

Also, I tried to move my heater from "bo" mode back to manual to test if its the connection to the prologic, but the SF error won't let me do anything on the board.

Thanks!

BK

The cost of a Cyclone blower has kept me from buying one, but I saw one on Facebook marketplace for $115 and had to have it. There were some hoops: I was forced to join Facebook, which I had steadfastly refused do for all these years. Then, the buyer was a few states away and wouldn’t ship. But I knew it was meant to be when I found out they lived 15 minutes away from my brother. He bought it for me and shipped it for $20. After a trip to Lowe’s for an $8 connection piece, the satisfaction of creating a geyser in the main drain made it all worth it.

Hello all,

Looking for some advice here. Pool coping looked ok until we hosed it down after it got dirty 3 weeks after it was installed. When getting wet it looked like it was scaly or micro cracks until water eventually soaked inn then it was a solid color. Then after we had some rain the coping looks wet a week after. It seems dry just appears wet. We are not happy and trying to negotiate with pool builder on how to resolve it. I believe it needs to be ripped out and replaced. Has anyone see this before and know what happening here? Also what are your opinions on how to fix it.

Thank you for the Help!

I have seen a lot of posts about the cables being stuck but has anyone ever experienced a globrite that will not come out of the niche? I have turned it and turned it and it doesn’t seem to want to release from the niche. Any suggestions?

31.45% Muriatic acid…I’ve read the warnings. I was not prepared for how nasty this stuff was. My god.

I tried my best to not breath any in. Turned my head back away as I poured it and held my breath as long as possible. Still got a shot of it up the nose. Burned the nose like something I’ve never experienced.

I can see why people refuse to use it. Does anyone have a good respirator option that would be rated to safely pour this stuff without having to worry about it?

Hello everyone, so I just upgraded to a VSP pump, a jandy 2.7hp vs flo pro to be exact. My installer mentioned I can upgrade to the new aqualink automation, or he can add the speed set controller which is what I opted for. My question is if I want to turn my spa heater on I'd usually go to the wall mounted rs-6 and hit filter pump, then spa mode, since this new filter pump won't communicate directly with that wall unit, how to I turn the spa/heater on now? Thanks

I think I have this right, but I want to double-check. I'm connecting a compressor to the drain of a Haywood Super Pump. If I set the multiport to closed, it will block the air flow, forcing it back through the suction side so I can blow out the skimmer, etc. Is this good, or should I instead use an expanding plug inside the pump, blocking the return side, to avoid any slight chance of damaging the spider gasket?

Then, to blow out the returns, I can either use that same plug on the suction end of the pump or turn off the suction valves. Any preference there?

All of the stores in my small town are out of 10% liquid chlorine and won’t be getting any more in until next spring. Pool is going to be open for another 2 weeks so I’ve got to find an alternative chlorine source. Is there any 6 percent+ bleach that can be purchased at Walmart, Home Depot, Lowe’s, Aldi, Dollar General, or Kroger that is safe to use in pools? If so, please post the brand name and information provided on the label so I can try to find it. I’ve been to 2 stores already and it seems like most of the bleach is the splashless kind that shouldn’t be used in pools or has fabric additives or fragrances. If I can’t find any bleach that is safe to use in pools from the stores I mentioned, I’m going to have use cal-hypo shock instead which I don’t want to use since it is more expensive, more time consuming to add, and it raises calcium and PH.

hi and Hello:

At $250 a pop, my wife and I I decided to close our pool. It's a AGP, 4 ft deep, 25 ft diameter. I bought a Cyclone Pro with 4 ft attached hose to assist based on TFP forum recommendation. Sand filter is Hayward S240 (overkill for sure and came with the house purchase)

My pool water level is below the return (i.e., bubbler) after discharging water with HAYWARD Multi-Valve setting (WASTE). The pump is removed for winter storage and the plumbing is also removed from the skimmer and main line drain to the pump. This is obviously not needed but I feel better and definitely not needed. Main line drain from pool is plugged at ground level since plumbing to pump is removed

So....the following has been done:

(a) Hayward set to 'Recirculate" and all water blown out in line to bubbler (return port). Easy blow out and bubbler port closed with adapter and screw cap.

(b) main line drain connection configured with strong valve (red handle) and 1 1/2 in pipe and connected to main line drain (remove existing plug) from elbow at ground level. Now water is stopped at valve from pool.

(c) connection shows no leaks and CYCLONE Pro attached to 1 1/2 in pipe with rubber 1 1/2 in coupler.

(d) SLOWLY open valve (red handle) and power on CYCLONE PRO. Fully open valve (red handle) and hear bubbles in center of pool. I blow air for 2 minutes then power off CYCLONE and quickly close valve (red handle).

(e) Set Hayward handle to mid-position between "WASTE" and "CLOSED". No WINTER setting so is this correct??

(f) Drain sand filter, remove sight glass, remove gauge and seal ports on MPV. Sand filter drain is OPEN and top cap screw on sand filter pressure relief is OPEN.

(e) install pool cover and place sandbags on deck for the section of the pool cover that cannot completely cover pool. We place stakes in the ground and stringers across the pool to support the cover plus 3-4 pillows.

I think I have an air-tight connection for the main drain in the pool up to the valve in step (b). I hate to use ant-freeze as its not friendly to the environment. Also, the discharge in the Spring is not environmentally safe . Hopefully the pic's below will assist my method used.

Recommendations? Thoughts? Love this forum. Appreciate your feedback.

Thank you.

I did the AA treatment this weekend for iron stains. Followed the TFP "Further reading" article on AA and the fiberglass at the waterline looks great. Jacks' Magic Purple stuff is my sequestrant.

2 follow up questions:
1. Going to close for the winter in ~2 weeks. AA treatment says to not SLAM for 2 weeks. I would like to raise the FC before closing, but don't want to re-stain the fiberglass with high FC. With this in mind, what's the recommendation for pre-closure FC level if CYA is 70?
2. What happens over winter with the iron & sequestrant? If the sequestrant breaks down over the winter, will the stains be back in the spring? Does it break down slower at colder temps? I have an autocover, so at some point I could add more sequestrant if not frozen, but would be tough to get it mixed thoroughly without a running pump. Or would the stains only come back in the spring with first SLAM? If so, then what the process for opening...sequestrant first, then SLAM?
Thank you...

hello all, i have a problem with my Jandy vs flopro pump. It does not start on set automation schedule. When i check in the i aqaulink app on schedule time, it shows 0rpm and 0 watts. During troubleshooting i noticed that if i turn off the switch and turn it back on then the pump will start on schedule time bit next day again it will give same problem and i have to do this switch in off process again. So basically i am doing this manual on off duty everyday even though i have automation controller connected. Please help as this makes impossible for us to leave for a few days if we want to go out as we have to be home to do this switch on off duty once a day.

Hope everybody had a great summer.
poolmiser autofill took a hit sometime midsummer. crack in the cylinder in the top 1/4. it is NOT mounted in the pool deck and prob a lawn mower wheel. Luckily they make an extension and i was able to use a dremel and make a 360 cut from the inside and glue the flanged extension on without much problems. thought i would replace the valve as i was doing all this. have problems getting the stem to totally seat in the cylinder. it's been a problem before and hand tight isn't quite enough.
i'm curious if there is a known tool that will slide over the stem and engage the fins on the bottom collar to gently tighten this up from the top?

thanks all. advice appreciated

Cal

This morning, I went to do my regular backwash. The worst mistake of my life. The pool has been working fine all season, except at the beggining where I also couldnt prime it and the company who built my pool came to prime it for me with a secondary pump that hooked up to the skimmer. After i did my backwash, when i went to put the sand filter head on rinse, water started gushing out of the clamp of the filter head like crazy. I have to include that despite water gushing out everytime I turned the pump on, the pump was still priming at that point. In the end, I unscrewed the pipe connections to the head of the filter, opened the filter and cleaned around the main gasket there, and took it to the closest pool supplies store to try to get a replacement ( my filter remained full of water when it was open ) i could not find a replacement, but i got some gasket lubricant. Went back homed, lubed up the gasket. Put it back in place real well ( gasket still looked pretty new anyways no cracks and still springy ). Now the nightmare began. No more water gushing, but no pump priming. When I try to fill up the pump through the pool drain intake ( inground vynil pool), the water just flows backwards into the pool and i end up filling my pool and finding myself with a pipe thats just as empty, even tried to let it fill up for 30 minutes. No change. When i try to only open the skimmer valve instead, and fill that up, well the water goes nowhere. It just stays in the pump basket and fills it up instantly, if i turn off the hose, the water drains out of the pump basket kinda slowly. If i close the pump now, bubble will appear from the suction side, and when i turn it on, it just instantly empties the pump basket down to around 3 inches of water, with absolutely not a drop of water coming in ffom suction side. Ive tried to let it run, this pump is usually sensitive to running dry and turns of, but it just keeps going with those 3 inches of water going no where. Ive tried everything i can think off so far. Bought a rubber strap wrench to tighten all connections, tried insense trick to look for leaks on all connections, tried dumping loads of water with a bucket to try to full up the pipes, everytime i open the pump and try again you can hear the soujd of empty pipes from the intake ( suction ) side. Please someone come up with something for me.

Hello! I'm a newbie and so happy to be here, I've never owned a pool in my life until this year. I'm wondering what you all think about my sand filter/pump, Bestway Flowclear model# 58498. Most reviews I've read say they aren't very good but I've also read that getting a pump and filter that are too big is also not good.
What do you all think, is the pump and filter adequate for my size of pool or should I replace them or just one device? TIA!

I'm installing a mesh safety cover this fall for the first time, directions say that you shouldn't let the water drop more than 18" below the pool edge with the cover on, for proper support of the cover by the water's surface.

When I close the pool I always drop the water down much lower to get it well below the intake jets.

Any advice on where my level should be when I close?

Can anybody recommend videos or tutorials for storing the robotic vacuum?

Meaning, cleaning it out, lubing important areas (if needed) etc. Just bought it this season, and I'd like to make it last.

(Will be stored in a container in the garage)

Thanks.

About not seeing bubbles from the main drain, not blowing it out completely, do we really need to worry about this?
Water freezes from the top down. Since the main drain is always open, therefore an escape for water, or an expansion path.
I am assuming that the pool water will not freeze all the way down to plug the main drain.
I called my pool builder and they said it is fine if I don't see bubbles, and to blow it for a few minutes and then close the buttom drain.

I have replaced the lid lock on my filter system but the cover keeps popping off. The tie rod isn’t tightening

Star Clear C1200 cartridge filtration system. As is apparently an issue, my tie rod started coming out of the bottom when i would unscrew the top to maintain the cartridge, been doing it for close to three years since we assumed the pool and this house. I didnt realize it wasnt supposed to. Over time, it appears the threads at the bottom became worn and almost nonexistent, and after a recent cartridge change, i had a blowout . When the pool pressurized it blew the lid right off the Filter housing and i lost quite a bit of water. Is there a way to tighten the rod

Hi Carmidog here, Im new to owning a pool. I converted to a Perma Salt pool because of less chemicals. My perma salt pool developed alge even using the chemicals as directed. How do I get rid of the alge. I am still using the pool, but I am getting ready to close it for winter. Please help!!