We are installing our steel wall Bestway above ground pool. Everything looked level until we got above 1.5-2 feet of water inside. To my eye, it’s off by maybe 1-1.5”. The other issue is that, during installation, some ground washed away from one section and the bottom rail sort of “floats” in that spot. So, is the 1 inch difference going to collapse the pool? And will back filling under that rail to support it fix that side? Or should I start all over? I really don’t want to drain it unless absolutely necessary. I don’t want a huge water bill, but I also don’t want this thing to collapse.

I noticed Friday night my Intex ECO20110-2 system making a rapid clicking noise. Further investigation found the noise to be coming from the GFIC on the end of the power cord. Note, there where no light on the control panel. I unplugged it, and put a new plug on the end, non GFIC since power is coming from a GFIC protected circuit. GFIC did not trip but the system will not power on, no lights, nothing. Had an old system with the GFIC on the end of the cord, I spliced that onto my ECO system, there is not the rapid tripping noise, the gfic just pops and when reset, pops again. I did verify power at the source so that is not the issue. Any suggestions? Is there a reset inside the control module?

Thanks in advance for any assistance.

Jason

We recently had a pool installed and had some issues with the builder. We have gotten everything worked out but I noticed the other day when I turned the Air Blower on for the Spa that nothing came out. I could hear it running so went over to check and the blower itself popped off the pipe. I'm assuming it needs more force at the start to force any water out of the pipe and then it can blow the air. So I turned it off, put it back on, and then turned the blower back on but I had to hold it on the PVC pipe so it didn't blow off again. After about 30 seconds it was running fine and I could remove my hand. But it doesn't seem like I should have to be manually involved when turning the Blower on!

So what do I need to do so this doesn't happen again? I'm hesitant to use PVC glue because it will make it harder to remove in the future without cutting the pipe off when it needs service or to be replaced. I have attached a picture of the unit and where it connects to the PVC. The grey coupling is glued to the white PVC pipe. It's everything above the coupling that will jump off when turned on.

Thanks!

The salinity ppm difference between my IC40 and the Taylor kit has finally grown larger than 500…now it’s 600-700 as the pool is cooling down. Yet the temperature reading on the cell and the water itself are matching. So I called Pentair warranty and made it through a couple levels to a specialist.

They first asked if I had been inspecting the cell every 60 days and acid washing it every 90 days. Then they asked for a pool store chemistry test () and to make sure it was a complete test. They want to make sure that the chlorine is less than 4 (“preferably 3, but can go up to 4”) and the ph, metals and phosphates are ok in case I’ve been “damaging” the cell.

I tried to rationally talk with them about the salinity and the chemistry and they were adamant about having a pool store test and not going forward without it. Couldn’t get to any other service person either as it’s in the file now as a request.

So I find myself with the SWG off and waiting for my FC to drop into low end of target, so I can go to store. I can get pH into their range but CYA, CH, and whatever else will be higher.

I can’t imagine that pentair is going to be this pedantic on the chemistry when it’s a salinity sensing issue. But maybe I’m wrong….

How does one normally handle situations like this? Just grin and bear it, game the system, and visit a few stores and pick the best test results??

Have seen a couple of references to "6-8 hours" to allow this test to run. Should I assume from this that an hourly free chlorine loss rate of 1/8 to 1/6 ppm per hour (or less) is a passing result?

It seems a target of 1 ppm "overnight" is a bit vague, considering this could easily be applied to anything from a 6 hour to a 10+ hour test?

Apologies if I've missed this being stated in terms of an hourly ppm loss rate elsewhere! If not, could that bit be clarified in the test description?

Many thanks!

So my RS4 the lcd display went out, but the display still has backlights, and red light for the filter pump is on but the unit is not responding or sending a signal to the pool. I've had zeros issues with it until now. Is this just a pcb board replacement type thing? If so any recs on where I can source. I"m not scared to unscrew and rescrew 4 wires.

Thank you for your help.

Hello everyone!

I have the iAqualink app that controls the equipment and features of my pool. I recently started having an issue with it. I have the filter pump set on a schedule, which seems to be working because the pump is coming on, but it's not showing that on the app's main screen. The filter pump toggle switch is to the left (grey). I also noticed my SWG wasn't coming on with the pump unless I toggle the Filter pump to the right (green).

Weird, right? It gets weirder. I also can't turn off my chiller in the app. I tap on the "ON" button, and nothing happens. When functioning normally, it should switch to "OFF" after being tapped.

I tried deleting and reinstalling the app, hoping that may resolve the issue, but it did not.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you!

I apologize if this is posted elsewhere and I missed it.

I just pulled my floating luxuries loungers out for the season and there is pale green water and green particles exiting drain holes which I assume is algae. I assume this has happened to other people as well. Does it just die over winter or do you guys fill chair with a bleach/water solution to kill it?

Thanks!

I haven't yet been able to find another good installer (mine disappeared shortly after the original build in 2015), so since I am somewhat technically inclined I took on all of the maintenance from the beginning and want to do some updates to our simple system.
Currently I have 1.5" plumbing to the pump inlet (Superflo VS) - no isolation valve - , 1.5" directly to the existing Quad DE 100 (via reducer), 2" from Quad DE 100 to the heater and out to the Intellichlor, then that's distributed back via a series of valves to the 1) stair jets, 2) water feature and 3) pool return jets by 1.5" lines.

I am adding a heater bypass valve (manual valve for now, I could spring for an Intellivalve at some point) and that portion is all 2". (This bypass is being added more to improve flow for a soon to be enlarged waterfall feature than anything else - covered by another post on TFP.)
No MPV was put in originally because the Quad100 (P/N 188594) is oversized (and I pre-filter with a sock in the weir's filter basket) so it can run all summer without needing a backwash. However, with no MPV and just a pre-filter exit for waste water discharge, and no way to backwash without physically reversing the filter unions, it makes cleaning old DE into a DE filter sock difficult at season end (we're not allowed to discharge DE into the street sewers of course and I find the DE filter sock to be a good option to decanting DE in a garbage can....).

So I am thinking to add a MPV to more easily be able to do the season end DE disposal and I don't entirely trust the slide valves (here they are the same price as MPVs)

I wanted to ask if the 261055 is the correct MPV for the older Quad100 (188594) and if I should replace the 1.5" from the pump to the MPV with a 2" pipe and union ?
Any other suggestions you folk might suggest since I'm in the process? (I will be replacing the heater manifold o-rings and seal this year too.). Thank you in advance, I always learn so much here!

I replaced my old Apple wireless network with an eero wireless network today. I gave the new network the same name and password. Once it was up and running all my smart home devices (Ring, Nest, Alexa, Sonos, etc.) connected to the new network except...iAqualink.

I have had to reconnect iAqualink to my wifi network several times in the past. I know the drill. Unscrew the faceplate. Toggle to switch from wired to wireless to reset. Find iAqualink in the Wi-Fi page under Settings. Choose my network, enter password, done.

Well...this time no matter how many times I try it just won't connect to my wifi network. Status stays red in the iAqualink app. I refresh like crazy every time I reset it. I've tried about 20 times. My network is fast. I keep checking it with Speedtest just to make sure it's no a network issue. I am currently getting 350 mbps at the pool equipment.

Only one other thing I can think of to share is...when iAqualink asks me to choose my wireless network it shows up multiple times. (See Picture/ My network is called "Summerfield Wireless") I have tried selecting each appearance several times but nothing works.

I have even tried Manual WiFi Setup several times with no success.

Any ideas?

Thanks in advance!

Hi!

Currently installing a pool up in Sudbury, ON, and am wondering about options for insulation. I'm putting in a pool with 42" walls and a ~8 foot deep end. Because our ground conditions weren't the best, we dug down to bedrock (over excavated by about 5 feet all around in order to build up a good base for the walls to sit on) and then backfilled with Granular A and compacted very well. We will be digging out the form of the pool from this base and then putting down a thick layer of ground/Portland mix (3:1) as recommended by our pool supplier.

My question is: What have other people done (or what do people wish they'd done) for insulation around the base of the pool? My plan is to spray foam the outside of the steel walls as well as the lines running to the pump/heater, but what about the rest of it? Can you spray foam the granular before putting the grout/Portland down? Or spray foam over the grout/portland mix so the spray foam would be between it and the liner? Other ideas?

Thanks in advance.

My pool is losing a lot of water and am wondering if its possible to diagnose the problem from the results of the testing I've performed.

I let the pool sit for 5 days with all equipment off and the pool water level dropped 6 inches and the Spa water level dropped 2 inches.

I refilled the pool and then ran the filter for 24 hours. After 24 hours the Pool water level dropped 2 inches. The Spa water level remained the same.

Based on these results do you have an idea of what could be the cause? I've called the pool builder to come do leak detection tests. I just am trying to be as educated on this as possible before they come by so they don't try to overcharge me or misdiagnose the problem.

Has anyone used this product? Is it as good as other brands? It seems much cheaper so I am a little bit wary. It's 40oz for $27 vs $39 for Proteam.


Thank you.

Hi All,

I just had my pool plastered with stonescapes mini. It has been a little over a week and I am developing a brown staining throughout the plaster that is spreading.

I filled the pool with city water and scrubbing as recommended

Currently the pool chemistry is

2 chlorine
7.2 PH
CYA 20
TA 60
CH 125

Any suggestions on how to fix?

Took over the pool from the previous owner and now that the weather is getting a little bit cooler I want to look at water replacement options to reduce my CYA, currently at 120. I can either purchase/rent a submersible pump, use backwash to waste through my DE filter, or fill and use to overflow for a no drain approach. Thoughts on the best route to take?

Hey all! I have a brand new 110 volt variable speed pump for the above ground pool. Here is the pump I have


and the GFCI outlet I have


I have a dedicated circuit for this pump so nothing else is connected to it. Meaning it's a single 3 wire pull to the pump. Here is the wiring setup I currently have

Breaker box->Regular Breaker->110 volt gfci outlet->Pump

This ran perfectly for about four years or so with a single speed Hayward pump. Now I did swap out the plug and cover 2 weeks ago before changing to a new pump. I did not note what the previous plug was but I do remember getting it from Lowes. Is it possible this GFCI outlet may be extremely sensitive to the amp draw changes from the variable speed pump and that's what's causing it to kick? Is there a recommended setup for this pump or any recommended outlets/breakers? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Edit: I also have this on hand (not currently installed) but remember having issues with it initially tripping also


Edit 2: Here is the breaker I currently have. Any idea on what the GFCI breaker version of this would be?

We have a saltwater in ground pool and am looking for help and advice.

It takes 12 hrs of pool pump running at 25gpm (1800rpm) with SWCG running at 100% to maintain chlorine level on covered pool!!! that doesn't sound right?

In past summers (owned house since 2018 and all new equipment was installed) I might get up to 95% swcg with 8hrs of pump run time.

Around mid July there was one day where I was wearing goggles in pool and it seemed like the water was reflecting greenish and just ever so slightly cloudy (if I were to reach), but didn't think anything of it. It almost seemed like an optical illusion, but maybe the start of green algae (?). There has never been anything growing on the walls like slime, dirt, brown, green, etc. But the next time I got in the pool a couple weeks later that greenish look wasn't there and it was crystal clear.

The pool started dropping to 0fC without being able to catch up so decided to look into SLAMing. The COVERED pool has been at CYA 35 and now the free chlorine has been around 14-18fC for just shy of a month. It is currently stable, but I would have figured the chlorine level should be sky rocketing, not maintaining day over day.

Check signature for pool/equipment details. Pool is covered all day (no light). No water auto-fill. Manual fill only. And since it is covered I might only add one inch of water every month or two during summer. Definitely no major leaks.

And I have a pool service guy that comes weekly. He maintain salt, CYA, pH, and adjust SWCG % as needed (pool pump schedule stays the same). Standard stuff. His main purpose is to keep an eye on our pool when I forget to monitor. I do take my own measurements every few weeks.

Normal peak summer Pump schedule (SWCG 95%)
----------------------------------
8am to 5pm at 1800rpm (25gpm), with 1.75 hrs of 2850 rpm (55gpm) runtime throughout that window of time.

Events ( by the way I test the pool at about 10am each morning which is 2 hours after the pump starts):
----------------------------------
7/26 pool was maintaining around 3-4fC with pump running 8hrs a day running 95% SWCG, and pool service sent me text the pH was at 7.4 and hasn't risen in a month which he found odd.
8/6 big pool party. water temp was 87F. HAVEN'T USED POOL since this date. It has been covered all day except for servicing even until today.
8/8 pool was 0fC so I watched service guy dump 1 gallon of 12.5% chlorine in pool, which brought it up to ~3.4fC later in the day
8/15 pool is 0.2fC
8/17 I tested CYA, it was below 30 (past last line on test kit). Added 2.5 gallons of 10% chlorine. Pool now 12-15fC after 4 hours of mixing at "high" speed (2850rpm/55gpm)
8/18 pool 7fC, so it dropped about half overnight. Pump is now running for 12 hrs each day at 100% SWCG at 2850rpm/55gpm. Tested for chloramines and there were none.
8/19 Pool 5.5fC
8/21 Pool 5.5fC
8/22 service guy confirmed CYA is 25. He added 2.5lbs of CYA, which made the pool rise to 35 CYA. Dumped a bunch of liquid chlorine in pool. brought it up to 16fC
8/23 pool 14fC
8/24 pool 13.5fC Decreased pump run speed back to 1800rpm/25gpm (still runs at 2850rpm/55gpm 1.75hr/day)
8/25 pool 14fC. Decided to increase runtime. pump running 12am to 5pm (17hours) at 100% SWCG
8/26 pool 15fC
8/27 pool 16fC
8/28 pool 17.5fC. Reverted schedule back to 12hrs per day at 100%
8/31 started manually running pool water through solar panels at night time from 8pm to 8am (as not to actually warm up the water/
9/5 pool 18fC
9/13 pool 18fC. Pool is still running at 100% SWCH for 12 hours. why would it take that much running to maintain the same level of chlorine especially when the pool is at SLAM levels?

Current stats:
----------------------------------
Free Chlorine 18fC. (I only tested for chloramines starting 8/18, and have not had any since then)
pH: 7.4. It takes 3-4 weeks to rise to 7.6, which is strange because its usually like clockwork rising from 7.4 to 7.6/7.7 each week (before this summer)
CYA: 35 ( matches service guy's reading). Pool guy said he brought CYA up to 60CYA with 6lbs on 4/11/2023. All I can do is believe him. I didn't verify until the chlorine problem started occurring. Either something consumed the CYA or it was never brought up. But I talk to the service guy a lot and believe he actually did it considering how weird the pool is now.
Ammonia: (which I read can deplete CYA?) with new strips, and it was a 0.
total alkalinity: 105-110
Calcium Hardness pool=500. Tap water=240
Salt:3600 (taylor kit)
Pool temp:78;
TDS Measurement: 5300 - Salt 3600= 1700ppm

Other notes:
----------------------------------
I replaced SWCG in April 2022 after it started giving errors. Borrowed a brand new SWCG 3 weeks ago to try to prove SWCG is not the problem. Tt produced the exact same level of free Chlorine in the return line to the pool. At 25gpm the difference between the pool fC and the return fC was about 1.8ppm, which seems right? With my SWCG, every time I look at the pool, champagne bubbles are coming out of the returned. If I set the SWCG to 0%, the bubbles stop. I set the SWCG % to 100% and the bubbles start. I am pretty confident the SWCG is working as expected.

Original cartridge filters ( I cleaned them at the start of summer using this process How to Clean a Pool Cartridge Filter System ) They had a fine layer of brown clay-like slime on them. Got most of that out.


Moving forward
---------------------------------
Pool service guy has no more ideas what could be going. He originally thought it was because the pump was running at too low of speed, but I tried to run the pump at 2850rpm/55gpm for a week straight and that did nothing. He has no idea why/how CYA dropped from 60 to 25 from 4/11 to 8/17 unless he completely blew it. But that shouldn't really matter since its a 100% covered pool, so the chlorine shouldn't be burning up because of the sun. He hasn't tested for Phosphates recently but did a phosphate removal program in spring (multiple weeks), even though there wasn't much phosphates then anyways. and I haven't tested for Copper or Iron.

Today I am going to set the SWCG to 0% with pump running 12hours per day and see how many days it takes to get down to 5-6fC.

For the future, I guess I will just run the pump at 100% SWCG for 12 hours a day at 5-6ppm+ fC for the rest of September until the weather cools down.

Any thoughts? Did I leave out any pertinent details? Should I be doing something differently?











So during the middle of summer the service company said

Hello

After a year, I finally had my dream pool plastered today. Went with quartz capes. It is a very large pool(48k gallons) I am filling and in repositioning the hoses, I noticed that there were hairline cracks. When I tap on the area there is a hollow sound. Like really hollow. I can move 6inches to a foot over and there is no hollow sound. Installer is telling me it just hasn't finished curing yet and that when the pool fills the water will expand those areas and the hollow sounds will go away. i posted a photo of the cracking. there is more but this one stands out the most.

Thanks for any insight.

My original pool deck order was canceled so my back to deciding what to get… considering shellock (ivory) or leathered marble (fantastic royal).

Have children, have had a stroke (balance issues), salt water pool & half of lanai deck will be covered.

Looking for:
-not slippery
-not a ton of maintenance
-not stain easy or can clean easier
-not hot

Was told sealing either will make them slippery… thoughts on that too?

Any advice would be appreciated! Thanks!

So - Minnesota. For the last 25 years I've closed the pool using my trusty air compressor into the pump pot to blow out all the lines. It has pressure, but not a lot of volume. Usually run it pretty high (80 psi) at the compressor, figuring as it expands when hitting the pipes the pressure drops significantly. I usually have to redo each skimmer/outlet two to four times before it stops burping any water. Since there is doubt, I've always used a screw in elbow and length of pipe to funnel in a couple gallons of -70 antifreeze into each line, except the main drain.
Because of filter/plumbing changes, using the compressor gets a more complicated this year. So the Cyclone blower is coming. Yea! Volume of air, without high pressure.

Don't know what the pool companies do, and the lawn sprinkler guys definitely don't do antifreeze

Yes, we can have periods of a week at -20 or -30F at night, and from about Xmas to March are pretty much always below, or well below, 32. Frost line can be from 3 to 4 feet. So if something can break from trapped freezing water, it will.

So - keep on adding the antifreeze, or will using the Cyclone do a better job of getting out the water, and I can skip that step?

So I bought a house with a chlorine pool that has Vinyl liner. It is attached to Sand filter and and pentair variable speed pump.
There are 3 PVC lines connected to the pump. Skimmer, Main, and Well point.

I was told that since i live in a low country in SC with a high water table and clay that I should run the well point during heavy rainfall.

I tried to do this yesterday for the first time..I turned my pump off and set the skimmer and main to OFF. I then set my filter to waste and turned the well point on. When I put the pump on and let it ran for 20 minutes no water came out into the pump. I was scared of burning the pump so I turned it off.

This morning I noticed my pool liner had bumps underneath it . It did not dislodge from the sides because I added last week a Pool liner lock.. Although I do see some bulging on the sides.

This morning I tried the well point again. but this time I primed the Pentiar pump. Now I see water coming out...

So when I run the well point do I always have to Prime it? Also when should i run the well point? In the middle of heavy rainfall? That will get me soaked? Do I run the well point before it rains even if it is NOT drawing water into the pump basket?

So confused on when and how I should run the well point.

I have a inground 30,000 gal vinyl pool and a week ago my pump stopped running. I want to close now and put a new pump in come spring. It is starting to turn green. Of course I would like to close clean. What do you suggest? More chlorine? And algicide?
Thank you in advance

I'm at a loss. For the 2nd time in just over a year, the motherboard I guess that's what you'd call it - i think it's the "drive" is fried due to lightning. I was able to find just the drive without the pump online last time (for $1000). Found it the same place this time, but they say it's out of stock and won't be in for 8-12 WEEKS. My pool will be a cesspool by then. So my only option seems to buy the whole thing together for about $2000. The salt cell system controller that I got with it when the pool was installed has never worked great in the first place, and the wifi connectivity of the pump controller has been spotty at best for trying to connect to change run-times and schedules. The whole system basically sucks.

My question is, there is a way I can replace the pump with something altogether different and simpler (not a variable speed?) and perhaps with a simple on/off switch and a timer? Is that a thing? Is anything out there compatible? Any suggestions would be much appreciated!

Currently have a manual valve to turn on/off flow to my water features ( two fountains and 5 spitters). I want to add a Pentair actuator valve and automate this process. I’ve looked at installation of these valves as well as how to connect to my Intellitouch I5 Easy Touch control center. This doesn’t look that complicated, however, I need advice on how to change my Intelliflo VSP settings once the valve is in. I plan on having the “on” control my return jets and water features as above (as it is currently runs at around 2800). However, the “off” position I plan on only having the return jets on. Can someone help explain how to lower my flow rate for this function only? I plan on running my “on” water feature only for 2-4 hours since I’m dealing with higher pH from the aeration. I do have a SWG so I know I will need to maintain some minimal flow for this as well. Any information is helpful.

I purchased the bungee type plugs (Aqua Group) last year for closing off my return lines into the pool and like the concept but my large shopvac had a very hard time creating enough force to open them so that the water can be blown out of the line. I now see Anderson makes a "winter duck plug" that operates on a somewhat similar principal.

Would greatly appreciate any comments on the use of these plugs. I think i read something last year about soaking the bungee plugs in hot water right before using them in order to soften up the rubber to make them stretch easier. Would also consider switching to the duck type plug although i see some reviews where people said they leaked, others said they have used them for 20 years with no issues. Of course this is a critical device and must be foolproof because of the obvious downside of potential frozen pipes if they leak.

Thanks. John

It appears that an electrical issue has affected my control board's ability to communicate with both my ICP and my nodejs-poolController. Somehow my RS-485 USB adapter developed a short between D+ and D- and now there is no communication between the ICP and the board, even after disconnecting my nodejs-poolController.

The board is c. 2014 and has 520165 version 1170 on it. Has anyone been able to repair one of these boards? I am not at my main home and don't have my electronics tools with me - it seems that this may just be a bad serial chip. Failing that, does anyone have a source for these boards? I assume that the part numbers have changed with newer releases.

Thanks for your help!

Hello all,

Having a hard time finding chlorine locally, does anybody have any suggestions for ordering liquid chlorine online?

Also can somebody give me a crash course, or direct me to a thread detailing use of different strengths of chlorine? Thanks in advance!

Mimi Pool said:

Thanks for the suggestion but I don't think that will move the issue forward, only confirm what I've already stated. I'm going to try and contact Polaris and see what they say - I think leaking at the three swivel joints plus constant flow from the pressure release valve at the sidewall are the best clue. I'll report back here.

Click to expand...

What did you find out? I’m having a similar problem

Hey, I checked my omnilogic firmware and found attached. Any help on how to update my Omnilogic is Awesome. What on this list needs to be updated? can I just USB update to 4.0 and let the software update the rest? Or should I go step by step through the list?

thanks,

Carl