Has anyone with an AGP had an issue with snakes under your pool liner? I’ve found a couple of entry points around the perimeter and we can literally feel them move under foot when we step where they are. We have two tarps down and the liner and can still feel them move!

I know there are snake deterrents out there but I’m afraid if I put it down they won’t come out. Help!

I recently had a warranty replacement on my SWG cell. The water is crystal clear, zero CC but lost about 1 FC in an OCLT test. Previously I had the SWG set to 30% but with the new unit it is currently set to 70% and barely keeping up. When checking my CYA it was low at 50 (target is 70) but hadn't raised it in the event I needed to SLAM the pool. Could the low CYA being the source of the FC loss, could it be algae, the SWG being faulty or something else? To note, I did an AA spot treatment (Vit-C pills in a sock rubbed on certain areas) to a couple places on the pool about a week ago. I'm in Florida and has been 90+ the last week. TF-100 results from this morning below:

PH - 7.6
FC - 4
CC - 0
TC - 4
CYA - 50
TA - 90
CH - 350
Salt - 3200

What is the easiest way to resolve high Alk and low PH. Seems like the most talked about is dropping both with muriatic acid and building the PH back up. If this is the easiest how do I bring up the PH without then affecting the Alk?

Thanks in advance

Hi All,
I have a 13200 gal plaster pool. The water was a little green at the start of the season, so I shocked it and have been keeping SWCG at 80%. Water is now clear and blue, but I have black algae spots all over the bottom and walls. I tried scrubbing them off, but they are pretty resistant. Some of them let off some green color and shrink, but others are pretty dug in!
How can I fix this? My chlorine level also drops to zero all the time, probably from the algae. It's only the black algae spots, no green algae after the shock.
I tried the chlorox algae treatment, but that did not do much.
Any help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

G

My cartridge filter pressure runs at 10psi when clean. I noticed it was at 14psi this morning so I cleaned out the skimmer sock and pump basket. When I turned the pump on and bled the air it went back to 14psi. I tried bleeding the air again this time longer (10 seconds or so) and it dropped to 10psi. Just to test things out I turned the pump speed up for a minute or two and then back to its normal speed and the gauge read 14psi again. I opened the bleeder valve again even though the air should be out and after 10 seconds or so it dropped to 10psi.

Is there something up with the pressure gauge? I’ve had the pool open for a month and cleaned my cartridges beforehand so I don’t think they’re that dirty yet.

Thoughts?

Hello,

We just got our first pool (fiberglass/SWG), and are hoping to get into it sooner rather than later.

I did my first test yesterday (basic test strips) and it came out something like this:
pH 8.4 (highest on the color chart)
FC 0.5
TA 240 (highest on the color chart)
"Stabilizer" 30-50 (I'm assuming this is CYA, but that's not how it's labeled)

SWG is set to 20%, and claims that there is enough salt in the pool. I don't have that row on our testing strips.

I was practically dancing with joy to find PoolMath (I enjoy math more than I ought to, but that's another story) so I've put the numbers in and it says to add acid and stabilizer (no surprise, given the above).

I'm generally inclined to go with the math and also get a better set of testing strips. Any further advice?

So anyway, hello and hopefully we'll be headed for the water soon.

Hopefully a quick question. Googled to no avail.

It’s a threaded plug, removing it and bubbles appear in the return flow.

So what is this thing’s purpose?

Hey Everyone, just installed my 24’ round pool. I have 3” of water in the bottom with all the wrinkles removed on the bottom. My problem is, the liner is not touching the cove. If I step on it with my foot I can force it onto the cove. It is like this pretty much the whole way around the pool. I have ran a shop vac behind the liner to suck the air out, that helps a little. I’m wondering if this will stretch out when I fill with water or if it will tear the liner.

does the pre-12/2019 stuff interchange on these 2? 407A/408A
seems neither is actually any better in the end but the heat exchanger (cupro-nickel) is $300-400 less for the 407, and easier to find.
thanks

Hi, I'm from High Desert California

Hi, I’ve had a recurring problem as long as I can remember and decided to post it here. I have about a 10k gallon pool with a Pentair 1.5 HP variable speed pump and a Hayward 48 SF DE filter. Right after a thorough grid cleaning and recharge the pump works amazing moving the water but after about 1.5 to 2 months after nominal use with regular chlorination and cleaning, it loses its ability to efficiently move the water and then the cloudy water and algae start. When I see this happening I’ll grab the hose for the skimmer and after I hook up the hose to clean, the pump won’t clear the air from the hose which it normally does fine. At this point I generally know it’s time for yet another cleaning. I could do a backwash but that seems like it only does a so-so job at getting me back in business. This issue seems to crop up quickly meaning one day the pump just stops working efficiently.

Any ideas what this might be? It seems like it’s filter related but I just don’t know. It seems like I should be good for 4-6 months.

Thanks for listening.

We are about to kickoff a renovation on this pool, having recently purchased the property.
Pool is original with the house build (2006), FWIW.

Current general plan:
WetEdge Serenity finish
Add sunshelf
Marble decking
Upgrade pool controller - unsure on this one, probably Pentair?

Some background, we built the pool at our previous house in 2017. It was done in PebbleTec/PebbleSheen, and used Haywood automation, which I wasn't a fan of. Overall we had no complaints, but I like the WetEdge Serenity feel, so going for that over PebbleTec again.

On this pool we plan to use the decking material as the coping, we really like the cleaner and more consistent overall look. Was not planning any major changes beyond adding the sunshelf (78"), but open to novel ideas.

Not directly related to the pool, but I've been debating adding kind of something where the spa is, like a waterwall for a bit of privacy and general aesthetics.

We discussed doing a fire feature also, but I think the novelty of that will just wear off. Plus, we are in Florida, so it isn't going to get a ton of use.

Ok, let me just start out by saying that if i wasn't in a dire rush to get this pool clear by the 4th of July I wouldn't even be posting this question. I totally know and agree that I should just stay the course of the SLAM process but I don't think my now cloudy pool will be clear by July 4th if I do. I'm having people over that day, AND my kids are already super bummed that they have not been in the pool yet. SEVERE mom guilt for not starting this process end of May like I normally do.

SUPER bad swamp when we opened up a week ago. Followed SLAM and got all the algae dead. Brushed/vacuumed/No debris. Passed OCLT the past two days.
Water is still cloudy blue and doesn't seem to be clearing. In years passed it has gone much quicker than this once the algae was dead. I have rinsed the fingers off with my hose (the water seems to drain out fine - no fingers look damaged and they get pretty white), and continuously bump, backwash, recharge my filter. At first my Hayward wouldn't keep good pressure for more than 25 minutes, but at this point in the SLAM, I've got cycles of one to two hours before I have to bump or backwash. So THAT part seems like I'm headed in the right direction, but I am seeing really no improvement in the water's clarity yet. It is totally possible I need to clean the fingers with muriatic acid overnight as my husband did run the filter without DE when he first put it together. It could also be I need more patience and it is just going to take more time. Normally I am willing to do that...BUT I'm in a bit of a time crunch. What's also slowing me down is running the filter overnight is useless once it gunks up. So I'm losing all those hours of filtration time.

I need clean clear water by July 4th . Should I bite the bullet and get the floc so I can let this dead algae settle and vacuum to waste? If so, I've never used it before. What is the best way to do it? Is clarifier better? Should I drain some water/refill? I'm so torn and confused as I feel like I'm committing a TFP sin but I'm racing against the clock here! (Filter specs in my signature)

My system doesn't have a backwash to "waste" setting only run and backwash. Can I remove my filter grids (so they dont get damaged) and set me system to "backwash" and use my vacuum to to section out the heavy "moon dust". I would also turn on my hose to add water so as not to let my water get below the skimmer line. Currently replacing my booster pump for my shark that would normally take care of this.

I've thought about this before when taking about things I've learned here, thought about it again while thinking about issues addressed here, but sometimes when I'm talking about how pool store water testing can't be trusted and how they just want to sell you potions, and then more potions to fix the problems the previous potion caused...

Well, it just sorta feels like I'm in on some kind of conspiracy theory thing! Like, I've "done my research" and Larned something that "they" don't want people to know!

Except for the part where I have been able to learn how to take care of my new-to-me pool with the knowledge I've learned here, really, honestly almost trouble free!


I threw in some magic shock potion the pool store sold me back in early April as I was anxious to get things going, and did buy some of their overpriced salt then too, but that is it! Around the time I had to cancel them coming out to help me open the pool, I found this site, and never rescheduled!

Trying to get a handle on how much liquid chlorine to add daily? CYA is 50 (I think I am testing more accurately now after the helpful hints). According to this FC should be min 4 ppm, target 6-8 ppm.

6/19 I was perfect (8.5 pm). Had a weeks worth of rain and 6/24 was at 4 pm-added @ 2" liquid chlorine.
6/26 2.5 ppm, added rest of jug @ 3" liquid chlorine. 6/27 4.5 ppm. Jug says 13 ounces (10, 000 gallon pool) daily. Hard to estimate ounces from that big jug so I started trying to turn the ounces into mls. 13 ounces = 384 mls. Wanted it up a bit more so I added 400 mls 6/27. 6/28 still at 4.5 ppm.

Yes I know that the sun (has been cool for NC so far-getting hot now) is eating it up daily. My question is am I on the right track testing and adding daily until I get a hang of what my pool is using? And do you recommend I add these small amounts frequently or what-is this normal?

6/28 added 800 mls-figured it used my 400 mls yesterday so mI I doubled it today.

Thank you!

I am unable to remove Waterway Poly Storm spa jet/diffuser (tab model) from my gunite spa. I can't turn it counterclockwise beyond the stop point or pull it out. I am afraid to turn/pull too hard for fear of damaging jet housing. Any suggestions will be appreciated.

I was wondering this lately… We’re in Southern Ontario and the smoke from the fires in Quebec the last few weeks has been bad. We also had a cloudy algae issue last week (around same time smoke was really bad) that I’ve been SLAMing for about a week now…

My question was if any of the water chemistry experts can tell me what kind of effect this smoke is having on the water? I know it’s getting in as there’s a black water line after bad nights of smoke — but any idea what chemicals/contaminants it may be adding? Could this be why there was a spontaneous algae bloom, I’m on top of the water daily for testing so it was a surprise it got away from me.

Thanks!

Hello from Massachusetts

Above ground pool on artificial grass with slope. I put a fourteen fo by forty two inch pool up and thought by leveling the legs with pavers that it wold be level. The squares show on the liner high side is one square and liw side 3 squares. I can only have this up during the summer For grandkids promise my husband I take it down in September.. Can I send anyone pictures to get advice on what to do to level this? Yes it's full and no one has swam in it because I'm afraid. My husband can't help because His knees so it's me and my sister to fix anything. Thank you so much for your help

Help! I found a very small deceased mouse in the top window our Pentair pump and every time we open the lid to remove it from the basket, it flows back into the incoming line. We tried pushing water through the line with a garden hose to see if it comes back up through the pool skimmer, but no luck. After turning on the pool again he comes back into the pump window. Is there a way to lower the water slowly to allow it to fall past that line opening so we can get it out of the basket? So gross to have it in there….. PS. We replaced all of our Hayward equipment with Pentair a few months ago and our old Hayward pump water level would lower with it turned off, unlike this new one, so everything would drop to the bottom of the basket.

The pool store provided my results which I have attached. I'm concerned about the high tds at 3800 which they told me to remove and refill water but looking at precious threads seems like that I should not be concerned? I have approximately a 15,000 gallon plaster pool. They said I have a high pH 8 1 and low cya at 12. I just don't know what to do first. Also have yellow mustard algae growth which I have removed from walls but now Want to start the process of balancing my pool but again don't know in what order. Also do I shock the pool after?

I have a bit of a unique project ahead of me. About a year ago the wife and I had artificial grass, or turf, installed in the backyard. When they cleared yard, prior to laying the turf, they sloped the yard for drainage purposes (away from the house). We are interested in putting an above ground pool on top of the turf, but have that slope to deal with. I'm trying to figure out what material to use (on top of the turf) to level it for the pool. Since it is on artificial grass, I want to avoid using sand, crushed granite etc. The wife suggested using a dozen or so folded and meticulously placed tarps, but I'm curious if there's a different way.

The slope in the desired area is about 5-6 inches across the diameter of the pool.

Should I create a level surface for the entire pool, or can I just level out the areas needed for the feet of each leg, The liner is somewhat flexible, but I want to avoid structural damage if there will be too much pressure on the frame if I only level surfaces for the feet.
[images included are of the pool &of the area needing leveled, sloped toward the fence]

Hello everyone!

My 120v 300w incandescent flood bulb has burned out in my pool. (At least... I hope it's just burned out, and not something worse.)
I was interested in replacing it with something of an equivalent brightness that could change colors.

However there seems to be a ton of options out there with a WILDLY differing price range, and no one specifies a reason for the difference between a $70 bulb and a $300 bulb.

Previous posts have mentioned the site inyopools as a good source for bulbs. But the same issue crops up with no explanation given.
Pureline LED Pool Light Bulb Color Changing 120V 35W - $74.00
J & J Electronics ColorSplash LXG LED Pool Lamp 120V 23W - $299.99

Is it just the lower wattage? That seems crazy to me.

At any rate, can anyone recommend any reliable brands?
Or at least clue me in to what I should be looking for?

Thanks for reading!

Should I tackle the CYA or the TA first?

TA says I should add 41 lb of soda!! Any guesses on how much muriatic acid I'll probably need to add?

==========================================
------------------------------------------
Build Type: Vinyl
Volume: 44000 gallons
------------------------------------------
Latest Test Result Summary:
FC: 3.0 (8 hours ago)
pH: 7.0 (8 hours ago)
TA: 0 (8 hours ago)
CH: 130 (8 hours ago)
CYA: 100 (8 hours ago)
TEMPERATURE: 90° (8 hours ago)
CSI: 0.00 (8 hours ago)
==========================================

Hi! Can any tell me the correct way to set my valve so both the skimmer and main drain are open? We have a spa and pool combo. Please Correct me if I’m wrong but the spa valve is on the far left and is currently closed. The far right is the main drain also closed and the middle is the skimmer which is open. But how do I set the valve so the main drain and skimmer are both open? Do I turn the handle facing up?

I am a new pool owner and inherited a pool with my home purchase. Upon purchase, at pool opening water was CRYSTAL clear. Under my care it started to become cloudy. What was going on? TFP taught us to test the water and we determined that CYA was off the charts. I estimate about 150-180ppm. So at this point I understood the forming cloudiness was related to me not maintining the correct FC/CYA ratio.

Now I am working to reduce CYA. Currently at 92ppm targeting 60ppm to begin SLAM. During the CYA reduction process (I am doing a series of drains/refills to maintain a high water level) the pool has become much cloudier and green. But I am staying the course, trying to maintain a FC level and pH appropriate for 90ppm CYA to help prevent total runaway algae growth, and am basically holding fast until Sunday morning when CYA should be in the recommended zone to start SLAM.

Did a deep clean of our sand filter last weekend, so I hope I am doing ok there.

Any tips or words of encouragement for me at this point?

I have an Intex Krystal Clear combo system that I keep running in “FP” mode 24/7. My issue is that my Chlorinator will not restart its 8-hour cycle each day while pump is in “FP” mode. Does the pump have to power down and back up each day in order for the chlorination cycle to repeat or is there a way for the chlorine timer to work in FP mode?

Salt: 3100
CYA: 70
TA: 70
pH: 7.6
Borates: 30
FC: 4-6

Is the air bleeder just a piece of PVC pipe with a screen on top? Mine clogs up constantly.

Pentair Quad DE Quad 60

First time posting but really appreciative of this site and the helpful forums. I'm a new pool owner who bought a house with an older 20x40 33k vinyl pool in NJ. The pool wasn't opened for 10+ years and I brought it back to life using the guidance from this site. Plus I've saved hundreds in chemicals by avoiding the pool store for maintenance chemicals.

The pool had a 1HP Hayward Super Pump that died and I replaced it with a VSP (Century VGreen EVO Variable Speed Motor 1.65 HP 230/115v | EVC165). I didn't want to change the electrical connection so my options for a 115v motor were limited. I replaced all the pump gaskets and orings and applied silicone based lube. I've noticed that the pump works great at high RPM but when the RPM drops to ~1250RPM (or lower), there's no flow out of the returns at all and 0 PSI.

I don't like how I cannot customize the RPM on this model and have to pick a fixed schedule. Here's the owner's manual. At 1250 RPM, there's no flow out of the returns and basically the motor runs with lots of air in the pump basket. Any advice or guidance?

The pump is wired to a timer so I can schedule the pump to stop after 10 hours so it doesn't go to the lower RPM and just spin. I know the lower RPM is where the real electricity cost savings comes into play. The most recent schedule that I used that seemed to mostly work was 3450 RPM for 2 hours, 2850 RPM for 2 hours, 1850 RPM for 6 hours, and 1250 RPM RPM for 2 hours (doesn't create any flow in the returns).