Hi
My recent replacement solar cover straps deteriorated a LOT faster than some previous replacements (only lasted ~6 months).
I see, in online research, that polyester and Polypropylene are both UV resistant strap materials.
I see online some replacement straps are nylon
I also see some solar cover replacement strapping (Rocky's) comes in vinyl strapping.
I have often used the Fehergard brand, and they lasted longer than the last replacement straps, but they do not specify their strap material.
This seller claims that Fehergard uses nylon...
This sailing retailer claims that Sunbrella brand (which is s'posed to be pretty UV resistant) uses Polypropylene.
They also sell all different kinds of webbing materials, thicknesses, widths...

Has anyone actually done comparisons and know which 3/4" webbing/strap material lasts the longest???
Thanx for any help y'all might provide.
-W

We're draining our 30,000 gal pool due to a leak that, in years past, was always the hydrostatic valve. After draining it today, I'm seeing trails of water along the edge where the "tile" meets the gunite. IS this a common place for a leak? We've had this pool for almost 30 years and never had a problem there. I'm just wondering if it looks like that because my wife as cleaning that area with some bleach, a broom, and the hose. I'm hoping I don't have to caulk that whole area. I'm getting too old for this "Stuff".

Moved from HERE

Hello, first time posting here, but we had been on 1.064 because last year when the Intellicenter took 2.006 we had issues, found the instructions to revert and reverted - were good. Until this week my husband had to go to the panel to check something and it showed that it wanted to update to 2.017 ... leery, we said no to it. And it took the update anyway . So i read through all these threads to see common issues with 2.017 and see if we too would have issues with this update. We have the 110056 pump and i did confirm we do NOT have 3.03/3.04 but are still on 2.08. Immediately after the intellicenter updated to 2.017, it lost the internet time setting, and it also threw the Power failure email to us - which when we had taken 2.006 last year, all of a sudden out pool company was like maybe your system is wired wrong. BUT we used their recommended electrician and for 3 years going into that update never had a power issue or failure email until that update. So i don't think its wired wrong, we never really got them to help on that point anyway and just did the revert last year.
Anyway, have that error that posted immediately. Then this morning i did some testing to see if some issues like you guys, I as well could not superchlorinate. set it in the app and nothing happens on the chlorinator, as well nothing in the panel to change it manually. Additionally in the app i could turn on our aqua cal heater, but it wouldn't let me turn off - i had to do that in the panel.

Superchlorinating is a big thing for us, let alone the power failure and being able to turn on/off the heater from the app.

Therefore, i did revert us back to 1.064, BUT have several concerns:
1 - i see that the panel only goes back 4 versions, 1.047, 1.064, 2.006, and 2.017 - so once they push another couple updates we won't be able to revert and then what do we do for these fundamental issues?
2 - we reverted, but is the panel going to keep trying to take the 2.017 update? I hope not, last time we reverted it seemed to let us stay on the version until this one came out.
3 - i see all these comments about the VSF pump 110056 software being no good on 3.03/3.04 versions, we are on 2.08 - and our pool and equipment was installed when we put our pool in Sep 2020 - so its not old, but i imagine not under warranty. our pool installer seems to NOT understand the Intellicenter software but installs this on ALL the pools and they are the largest installed in upstate NY. Its crazy, that we seem to know more then them. So are we going to have to call Pentair to get the Pump software updated to 3.05 or are we OK where we are? and if we have to call Pentair directly, they have to send someone out and charge you? How much does that cost? Also we are 3 weeks out from Pool closing and we do keep the panel up all winter because we have dedicated circuits for our landscape lighting.

Any feedback is appreciated. Pretty frustrated that everyone seems to find some issue now matter what version Pentair releases. They really need to do a better job testing before release.

What is involved in going from a (non functional) single speed motor to a variable speed motor? I have a mechanical timer and a SWG...everything is Hayward...no automation.

I see that the VS motors pretty much all come with a built in timer, so I assume I don't need the mechanical one any more, and the SWG has a flow switch, so nothing should change for it to keep running.

Any "gotcha's" I need to be aware of?

We just signed the paperwork for a build. We are just north of Houston Texas. We are in the process of picking all the items out. We started with salt as the direction we wanted to go in, however, we were talked out of it due to the jump rocks we are getting installed.

As we go through and pick all the extra items we are coming across a few things that I wanted to learn more about, and found this forum. After reading here for a few hours, and several conversations, and opinions later, I figured I would bring this question up as a post, and see if you smart folks can help me out here.

We are getting an ozonator. I was wondering if we should get a UV device as well. My pool builder states that he has never recommended one in our area because it's overkill with the Ozanator and the sodium Tetra borates we are putting in there. We continued to talk and he started telling me about this new delivery system that the owner is now using with great results. I defiantly can't speak to the science behind it, but in essence, it changes the delivery system from the ozonator to the UV because the ozonator only works for about 5 seconds, and the faster it can make it into the UV the faster it will create some super killer that will help the pool.

My research shows that either the Ozonator or the UV unit will allow the user to use about 40% less chlorine throughout the year. If you get both though, you will be at 60-80% less chlorine needed.

Does anyone have any thoughts on this? Am I doing the right thing by getting both?

I apologize that I don't know what I'm talking about, but I have a Hayward Super Pump that still runs but doesn't move any water. The pump basket was still full of water but nothing was moving. I decided to take the 4 bolts out to look to see if anything was clogging inside, and all the parts just kind of fell out. Surely that's not good, but I don't know which parts I need to replace because I don't really know what it's supposed to look like... and I don't even know what these pieces are called. I have a feeling one of you could look at these pictures and clearly see what my problem is. Any help is extremely appreciated!!!

Hey TFP Friends,
Time to update/upgrade my pump and filter. Looking to stick with a cartridge set up. My current equipment has been effective, but is now failing. Here's my current setup:

• 24' round Quantum II pool from PoolCity above ground w/ 54" wall 13,500 gal.
• Hayward SwimPro Voyager SW 200 Sq' ASL Element Tank
• Hayward SwimPro Voyager Pump
• Nature2 Vision Pro Aboveground
• Hayward 65k Heat Pump 27' Max Pool

Any recommendations on similar pump/filter set ups? Thank you in advance for your help.

Been fighting yellow algae. I will confess I wasn’t following SLAM. I used YollowOut. Trying to figure out if this is alive! Only lost .5 FC overnight and this stuff seems to accumulate faster than the algae was growing.

Jimrahbe said:

Mb,

Since you have the lite version of the EasyTouch, this means you must have an external power center..

Most likely the idiot that installed your system, did not wire the com port of the Power Center into the EasyTouch like you need to do..

If they made that mistake, then I need to ask... Does your cell only get power when the pump is running? If not, the cell can explode. Does not happen often, but it can happen. The AC power to the cell's Power Center, MUST come from the load side of the Pump/Filter relay.

Thanks,

Jim R.

Click to expand...

Whoaaa, Jim. IMPORTANT! [Credit to "Casablanca" screen writer.) Could you expand on that exploding cell thing? I have my Pentair IC40 powered on with a mechanical timer, thinking it's not good to power things that aren't in use. My time is set so that it turns on a few minutes after the pump comes on and turns off a few minutes before the pump shuts off. I have Pentair Intelliconnect running the pumps, heater, and the IC-40 % setting plus "monitoring" the salt level. However, there is no timer or schedule available for the IC-40--hence the mechanical timer (which also runs the UV-C and Ozone generator). My IC-40 was installed by an authorized Pentair dealer/installer (necessary for full warranty which has already been used once.) When the timer is off, there is no power to the cell.

Question about the "load side of the pump." As you probably know, the Intelliflo VSF pump has power applied to it all the time, since the programs are on the pump. Does that mean the IC-40 should have power on all the time and then the cell active only when the flow sensor detects water flow? Do I need to call the installer and inquire about what may be a faulty installation? I'm not sure if exploding salt cells are covered under my homeowner's insurance policy. Thanks!

Hello, I recently purchased a home with a inground salt water pool vinyl liner. The previous owners had a pool company treat the pool weekly but I thought I could do it myself and save some money. The pool water was crystal clear when I took over and I started doing weekly tests at the local pool store. For the past 3 week the pool store said I had extremely high phosphates (over 5000 PPM). I have been doing what the pool store recommended and now my pool is extremely cloudy (I have cleaned the filters 3 times and now just ordered new cartridge filters based on the recommendation of the pool store). After finding trouble free pools I have been researching a lot and feel that I have been "pool stored" and buying useless chemicals that are not truly helping. I am all in on TFP and purchased the Taylor K-2006 test kit and I am using the pool math app to take control of the pool myself. Looking for your suggestions below to help with the cloudiness of my pool after my first test results myself.

The pool is a 30,800 gallon salt water rectangle pool.
SWG is set at 40%
Return jets are pointed up for small ripples which I see may cause high PH? The 2 skimmers are on opposite side of the rectangle pools return jets so return jets should push debris to the skimmers?

Recent test results from Taylor kit:
FC - 8.0
PH - 8.0
TA - 80
CH - 450
CYA - 10 (I filled the water all the way to the top and can still see the black dot)
SALT - 3600 (SWG is set at 40%)

Any help / suggestions you can provide would be appreciated.

Thank you!

Hi,

I have an Easytouch2 4 with firmware 2.180

My pool came with 2 powered values.

When I switch from Pool to SPA mode both valves change position so that all water is returned to the SPA jets and is taken from the SPA bottom drain. When I switch back to Pool water is returned to regular jets in pool and SPA, while water is taken from the pool bottom drain and skimmer.

There is a small spillway out of the SPA into the pool, but it's not too impressive as I only run the pump at 2000 while filtering to keep my power bill down while getting enough circulations of the pool while filtering.

There was a manual valve to control the relative amount returned to the pool vs the spa to control the amount coming out of the spillway, but I was concerned about circulation in the pool so I leave the value open.

I had the idea to automate this valve so I could put the pool in SPILLWAY mode and up the pool RPM. I did this and a button showed up on the top right of the POOL screen in SCREENLOGIC and I had to option now to change the RPM for this mode.
Valve A: "Spillway" on "Configure Other Equipment" page
Pump 1, Circuit 3: Spillway, Flow 2750 on "Setup Inteliflow" page

Problem is when I turn it on the Spillway valve closes and the RPM go up as wanted, but the two other valves change to SPA mode. Not what I wanted. Any thoughts on what I've done wrong?

Paul

FWIW, I’ve done several AA treatments over the last 2 years and have gotten pretty good at them where it’s become something I can do with my eyes closed.

In the past, I followed all the usual procedures and also waited until there was really heavy staining on my plaster, then bring FC to 0, add in about 6-8 pounds of Absorbic Acid (36,000 gallons roughly) because I found the .5 to 1 pound recommend dose per 10,000 gallons doesn’t come close to cutting it for my pool/staining (YMMV obviously), adding a sequester, and going through all the usual processes of circulating water and waiting 24 hours before adding any chlorine back in, and then, only adding it very slowly over a 3 day period before the chlorine starts to hold again (and with Polyquat 60 in the process to help protect against algae blooms) as the AA and chlorine react and neutralize each other over those several days. It’s very time consuming and drawn out as anyone knows who has been through this process.

I’m admittedly impatient at times so wanted to try something different this time around, and because the weather in the next few days is 80+ all week and I just don’t like doing AA treatments in the warmer weather. Furthermore, I can’t use Polyquat-60 during an AA treatment right now because I’m also dosing a mixture of Jack’s Purple and Jack’s Magenta (known at Jack’s at “PurGenta”), and if I were to add Polyquat-60 to the mix it will cause severe clouding because of the interaction with the Magenta sequestrant. So, I wanted to see if I could do an entire AA treatment in < 24 hours and get ALL chemical levels back to their normal amounts in that timeframe, -before- any chance of algae kicking in. So, I decided to give this AA treatment “speed run” a shot!

My process was the following… (started at roughly 8am)

• Let my FC drift down to about 4, then dumped in enough Absorbic Acid to neutralize any remaining chlorine to drop it to 0 instantly.
• Normally I take my pH down to 7.0-7.2 during an AA treatment but I left it up around 7.4-7.6 because I was planning on dosing with MORE Absorbic Acid than usual (again because staining was bad, and because I wanted it to work FAST so I could get chemicals back to normal in <24 hours)
• I skipped Polyquat-60 (because of the cloudy reaction it would create with my Jack’s Magenta).
• Turned off my 2-SWGs and my Stenner pump that normally doses my MA
• Added in 2 quarts of Jack’s purple and 2 quarts of Jack’s magenta (this is my MINIMUM starting dosage for -my- pool with sequestrants, validating by Jack’s sales rep, who are awesome btw) and mixed.
• Switched -ON- my heater bypass mode (as I expected pH to temporarily drop to 6.4 or 6.6 roughly) once the AA was added.
• Added in roughly 12 pounds of Absorbic Acid into the pool (again, previously I -needed- 6-8 pounds for this to work over a 3 day period) --- and circulated water with 4 of my 6 pumps running.
• Within 30-60 minutes the heaviest stains on the floors and walls were 85% lifted and looking great.
• From that point on, over the next 8 hours, ON the hour, EVERY hour, I measured, pH and FC, and dosed accordingly to get them back into normal spec.
  • PH
    • pH dropped to roughly 6.4 to 6.6 initially so I had to use a substantial amount of Mule 20 Borax to get pH back in spec.
    • Every hour, I added in the necessary Mule 20 Borax, to keep bringing pH back up.
    • I ran my beach bubbler jets, my disappearing edge, and my slide, all the help create aeration to assist in bringing pH back up (I left both my waterfalls OFF, because they are made up of 4 vinyl later basins and I don’t need them to be part of the AA treatment).
  • FC
    • FC kept disappearing back down to 0-1 because the AA neutralizes the chlorine (and chlorine in turn neutralizes the AA)
    • Every hour, I needed to add appx .75 gallon to 1 gallon of chlorine

Within 6-8 hours of the extra-heavy AA treatment, I was starting to see FC levels start to stabilize a bit, and pH was back up to 7.0. Stains were 98% removed, and water was extremely clear and looking incredible. During hours 8-12 of the initial treatment, I continued to monitor pH and FC and dose accordingly, but was confident everything was going in the right direction. By the time I went to bed at about 16 hours in, my FC was holding around 2-4 FC when measured every hour with much less topping off with liquid chlorine.

I went to bed and woke up the next morning, testing pH and FC again, making some slight adjustments, but within 24 hours of the HEAVY AA treatment, everything was about as perfect as I could have hoped.

I’m sharing this because while I don’t recommend this this Speed Run for an AA treatment, for those of you who with the time and attention to detail, and who may not want to drag an AA treatment out over 24-72 hours, it seemed to work perfectly for me, and that’s WITHOUT using Polyquat-60 in the process (again, I didn’t want to deal with the water clouding from the reaction to Jack’s Magenta which might takes 1-2 weeks to filter out). The process DID work for me, but I think you really need to stay on top of it and be able to really dedicate the time/effort to it HOURLY.

Anyways, just wanted to share because I’ve talked to so many people who skip doing AA treatment because they know the side effects, etc. with pool chemicals and testing could drag on for up to 72 hours afterwards. Thought maybe someone out there could find some value in this if you’re willing to take the risk.

Caveat --- I would never recommend this method for someone who hasn’t ever completed an AA treatment before. But for those who are more experienced with it, it might be worth doing and I can at least say it does work. HTH !

Hey guys,

So I have a Jandy Variable Speed Pump, with a pool, spa, cleaner, and heater. I took a power surge a while back and had some great guys here give me the settings I needed to get in on my setup in Aqualinq. That was very helpful, and my main pump is working once again. Thank you.

I dont think I have everything working correctly though, my cleaner seems to be pushing too much water, and that made me concerned that perhaps I might be missing more settings such as what about when I run it in SPA mode or when the freeze protection kicks in in the winter. Here is how things are set up now:



Looking online it seems like there may be special meanings behind certain words in the Application column, and most of what I have found is either not very clear or confusing when I read it. Does anyone have screen shots of how their settings are that are working well for them that may address the things mentioned above?

Thanks in advance,

m

Intelliflo vs3050 about ten years old I think. For some time now, it starts for a second, stops, restarts a couple of times and either gets going or trips alarm and stops. I can reset by flipping the circuit breaker but obviously doesn't fix the problem. I also have to turn the fan by hand before resetting for it to not automatically alarm off. It's on a schedule so I frequently find it shut off.

The fan is harder and harder to turn. I've reached in beyond the basket to try and clear the impeller with coat hanger and screw driver but don't find any debris. I can't turn the impeller although maybe I'm not doing it right. I've never run it without a basket.
When I get it running it's louder than it should be.

Question: Is there something easy I can try to get it functioning for now?

I may replace it but would rather replace in the spring than right before winter. And... if I replace, should I replace with intelliflo vs? I have an Aqualing RS control system. My current pool company uses Hayward equipment. Would a Hayward pump work with the aqualink?

So two questions in one post.

Thanks!

I've been stuck for the past couple of days trying to figure this out.

I use a proper test kit to test levels and all other levels check out. I also use my local pool shop to test when my CYA drops below 30 since this can't be tested in the liquid Taylor kit that I use (if I assume 0, then I end up overdosing). My kids displace a lot of water when playing (they create "waves" that splash over) so I have to sometimes get tested after that (it's only reason I can figure why CYA would fall).

Since pool start up over 2 years ago, it's largely been incident free. I sometimes have a lot of demand, but usually in the summer. When I haven't been able to get chlorine to stick, it's always been dirty filters or a algae bloom that's in process of getting knocked out.

Latest measurements (from a Leslie's disc test because chlorine doesn't show up on the Taylor liquid drip test):

Free CL 0.32
Total CL 0.59
pH 7.4 * (precisely matches my test precisely)
Total Alk 107
Calcium 266
CYA 41 * (approximately matches my test, since the Taylor test is more of a range when outside of a specific value)
Iron 0.1
Copper 0.1
Phosphates 3704
TDS 2700

About 5 days ago I added calcium because my levels were low (<200). That spiked my pH to 7.8, which I dropped back down to 7.4 a couple of days later. Since the addition of calcium I've not been able to get chlorine to stick. I've used multiple gallons of 12.5% liquid chlorine over the past 3 days and it's like nothing was added (test wise). I've dosed to get to even 6 FC and it never even gets there.

I only use liquid chlorine, I don't use pucks, and I don't use shock.

As you might imagine, Leslie's is suggesting I do a partial drain to solve for the high Phosphates and TDS. I've always had high phosphates (it cycles, but out the tap it's always 200 or higher). TDS is usually high as well, somewhere between 1000-2700 based on my logs. I usually ignore both and I haven't had to drain before.

I have noticed for this pool season I've had to add chlorine on a more regular basis than previous years. It could be just a warmer season or the slightly smaller (but properly sized) filter system I installed earlier this year which seems to require more cleaning than before. The pool typically gets to 80º on its own, and when the heat pump is turned on, it can get up to 85º or higher. Since adding the calcium, I haven't been using the heater.

I had a big argument with the wife (the former steward of the pool) about draining because she says it's nonsense. But I don't know where else to begin! I'm a follower of the Pool School and I even looked at other threads to see if there are any clues. But in most cases those individuals had high CYA.

Are there any suggestions to solve this? Is this the one time that calls for a partial drain? We're loathe to do so, but I will if that's what it takes.

Just finished a pool remodel (adding steps, pool liner and new equipment pad) and when I reinstalled our Hayward S270T sand filter it started leaking along the seam, just below the multi-port valve. I was going to just do a direct replacement but the more I've read, the more I'm thinking I should move to a Triton II for longevity. The TR60 price and size would fit my budget and equipment pad much better than the TR100 but I'm concerned it will be undersized for the pool. We never had any issue with the S270T. Can I get away with the TR60 or do I need to bite the bullet on the TR100 cost and re-arranging the equipment pad?

I am looking to replace my single speed Super II pump with a variable speed pump. I am considering the TriStar VS 900 which has a 1.85HP motor. I am trying to understand how easy/expensive this pump would be to service down the road. The parts diagram from Hayward lists a motor (part SPX3400Z1ECM), but it is the 2.7HP motor. It also shows a Power End assembly (motor plus electronics/interface) which appears to be the 1.85hp motor which costs almost as much as a whole new pump. I do not see just a 1.85HP motor.

Does anyone know if there is a 1.85 variable speed motor that could be used on this pump?

I just painted my pool with 2 coats of 2 part epoxy paint. It looked beautiful until I added the PoolRx. The staining was so severe I drained the pool. I have tried to contact PoolRx three times using their on-line customer request form, and have called at least half a dozen times. They have not responded.

1) Does anyone know how to remove these stains? I have tried TSP, Bleach, and a pressure washer.
2) Does anyone know (or suspect) if the stains will leech through a new (third coat) of paint?

Thank you for your help.

Hello,

This is my first winter with my first pool ever.
We were very successful this summer following the TFP chemical balancing process and we got a lot of good swimming in.

Here in central New Jersey it is getting towards time to close the pool for the winter, and I Wanted to tap the braintrust here to understand how to winterize. I have read the article Closing (Winterizing) Your Above Ground Pool and it seems complete, but I don't want to mess it up and break something the first time.

The pool:
- above ground
- 18' x 3.5' round, about 6700gal
- vinyl liner
- Hayward sand filter
- hayward pump

I have the following tools/parts:
- skim net
- brush
- vacuum triangle thing
- solar cover (bubble wrap looking)
- leaf net (black net with wire drawstring)
- cover (tarp with wire drawstring)
What should my closing process be, do I need to purchase a winter cover?

Attached is a photo of the pump & filter setup.

Thank you!
-foggygoggles

Edit: found cover

On 8/28 the water was slightly cloudy and green after having been perfect all summer.
pH 7.2
FC 7
TA 60
CYA 40
I added 14 lbs of baking soda and 40 oz of washing soda to bring pH to 7.6 and TA to 100
I thought things were improving but slowly.
The suddenly on 9/6 the water was dramatically cloudy and green.
pH 7.6
FC 7
TA 100
CYA 40
CH 125
I started a SLAM on 9/8 and there is very little progress. The back wash went from milky to clear.
I have never all this happen before. Ordinarily the pool needs a TA adjustment in August and then all goes well. I'm baffled. Could this be an indication that the filter sand needs changing?
Any advise will be super appreciated.
Thanks

I've been noticing some moist soil around my pool pipes. It's hard to tell whether this is just natural moisture coming up through the ground that we sometimes get, or if it's indicative of a minor leak. The moist soil is around the pipes, but is also a bare area of landscaping rocks. I've also notice my pool has been losing a few inches of water height a week, although it has been extremely hot here.

Do pool pipes typically leak underground? There are no above ground leaks that I can see.

Picture:




Thanks

Good morning. I have a newly renovated 15K pool with all new Pentair equipment including the Easy Touch PSL4 panel. The pool has ran for a month and this week all the chems were added and the Ichlor was started up. I have communication between the panel and screenlogic however, the Ichlor can't seem to be controlled by the screenlogic. Everything on the Ichlor rests to zero when I try to adjust it on screenlogic so I have to physically go out to the Ichlor and make changes there. The pump, lights and water features can still be controlled through screenlogic. Any suggestions?

When filling my newly replastered pool in August, I was looking for a way to keep the hoses suspended above the plaster surface and away from the walls. I took two pool noodles and threaded the hoses through the middle of the noodles which kept the hoses suspended on the water surface and away from the pool walls. Worked great!

I cannot get my heat pump to work after switching to new firmware 2.017 version. The heater turns off and on randomly.

I have 34000 gal inground pool.
Texas, and yeah, it's hot and long.
I average about 2-2.5FC ppm daily on average. That's a lot if chlorine. Thinking to convert to SWG.

Any advice on below questions? Thank you.

1. Any recommendation for brand ro choose?
2. How do I choose size? I would think bit oversize? No? Yes?
3. How hard are these to install diy. I am mechanically inclined.
4. Any other advice ir concerns?
Thank you.

Mostly as an experiment, I have taken on one residential client. They have a 35,000 gallon vinal lined, unheated, uncovered backyard pool in central Mississippi. They have been chlorinating it nilly-willy by tossing trichlor tablets into their skimmers. Their CYA is presently at 67 so they don't need any more of that. I currently have them on liquid chlorine because that is something I use in all of my commercial pools and understand. I am trying to decide on an ideal long-term chlorination strategy and am leaning towards an erosion feeder using Calcium Hypochlorite tablets (no CYA onboard) with an occasional splash of liquid chlorine to bring things up to target.

Anyone have opinions or suggestions for a better strategy? I have a water guru Sense 2 installed to keep tabs on things.

Over the past couple of seasons, I've noticed a gradual discoloration on our white fiberglass steps (pool is about 14 years old). It is very mild yellow/tan - definitely nowhere near as bad as some of the pics others have posted on here. Last season I tested it with vitamin C and it whitened right up again, so I'm figuring the iron level in the water has been gradually building up (the staining came back again this year). I'm thinking of doing an AA treatment in the next couple of weeks before it is time to close the pool.

Two questions that may be dumb:
1. Will using Jack's Purple by itself have any effect in my mild case without having first done the ascorbic acid treatment? I assume not, but just wanted to confirm.
2. As to what ascorbic acid to use, is this Vitamin C powder appropriate or is not all AA equal? Amazon.com

Thanks in advance!

I tested my fill water a few minutes ago, and for the first time, the tap water. My fill water does not run through my softener or filter. That said, when I tested the fill water, I got a CH of 50, which is about what I suspected, as we have fairly soft water. However, when I test my tap water which goes through my filter and softener, after I put R-0011 solution in the vile, it immediately turned blue.

Question: I have to guess that since Red indicates the presence of calcium, if it turns blue when the R-0011 solution is added, there is a minimum threshold for that solution to detect calcium. If so, what is that threshold? Doesn't impact anything other than a better understanding of the tests I am using.

Here are my Tap results:
Chlorine: 1
PH: 8.04
TA: 160
Calcium: N/A(?)

Fill Water:
PH: 8.03
TA: 160
Calcium: 50

I'll put this here, as although not a beginner, it seems appropriate....

So, in anticipation of perhaps needing a SLAM after a 3 week trip this summer, I stocked up on 3 cases of liquid chlorine. Haven't used a drop since (Salt generator). I may dump a gallon or two in at closing. How "good" will it be next spring? I anticipate needing to do a SLAM at opening, but wondering if I will just be adding salt, rather than Cl, by then? A question I never had to consider before, given the large amounts of liquid I used to go through.....
It will be stored in a shed, in sub-zero conditions, for most of the time.

Hello!

We had a pool installed last year (installation time lapse), and I’m going to close it myself this year. I looked through other posts, but it seems like my pool is slightly different than what’s covered by the boiler plate closing posts.

Specifically, our installer told us that when we close, a) we don’t need to drain the pool past the skimmers because they installed skimmer guards that somehow allows the pool to drain if it gets past to a certain point (not really sure how this works) and b) we don’t need to clear the lines because they used expandable piping that won’t crack (you can see it in the install video).

With that being said, I linked the video of them closing our pool last year, and a picture of the closing supplies they supplied (I still have the stoppers and skimmer floatation devices). At this point, I’m pretty confident I know what to do, but I (and rightfully – my wife) think we should go off more than this video, and therefore are reaching out to you experts.

Here’s what I’ve observed (and the order in which I would complete it).

1. Do not drain any water

1. Shut-off pump

1. Drain filter housing

1. Disassemble filter housing

1. Remove filters

1. Dump antifreeze into pump

1. Reassemble filter housing (without filters)

1. Do nothing with skimmer or drain valves (I.e., remain open)

1. Install return stoppers

1. Remove skimmer baskets and install skimmer guards

1. Dump shock, two bottles of winter stain out, and copper winterizer into the deep end (off camera)

1. Turn off main power to pump

So I humbly ask you experts, am I generally on track with the steps above? Seems straightforward to me. Also, how does everyone feel about this process? The pool came out pretty clean at the beginning of the season, and they are a pretty successful company locally, so I imagine that just because the process is unique doesn’t mean it’s wrong. I guess the one thing I am apprehensive about is the shock, since no thread I've read here advises for it (SLAM fam forever).

Anyways, reassurance or words of wisdom are much appreciated.

Thanks!