What do I have and what can I replace it with?

[treimche]

New to the forum and pool ownership. Will be closing on a house the end of December, and it sounds like we will need to repair or replace some of the pool equipment. The home inspection report says that the pump and heater are both needing repair/replacement. I don't know how bad these things are since I have never had a pool before this, so maybe these things will still work for a bit? I'd like to find out what/how to fix these items, and if replacements are needed, what kind of unit can I upgrade to. I'm here to learn. Thanks in advance for any help. I will add snips of the home inspection report that talks about the pool.

 

[treimche]

Here is some more info from the home inspection report

 

[Jimrahbe]

T,

Sorry to say but the equipment that is there is old and obsolete.

You have two options.. "Repair" and use what you have, or bite the bullet and replace it all with quality equipment.

Years back, I bought a couple of rent house with pools and I tried the repair route. After a year or so of constantly fixing and fixing, I gave up and started over. The result has been over 10 years of absolute maintenance free operation. I will never again attempt to repair old and obsolete pool equipment.

You have an old ComPool automation system.. Even its EasyTouch replacement is now obsolete.

You have an old single speed pump. VS pumps are now the only way to go as they are incredibly cheap to operate. My pools now all have 3 HP IntelliFlo pumps that run 24/7, for less than $20 bucks a month.

You have a wired spa side remote, which I'm guess is no longer working as they are very prone to corroding.

You have a standard "dinky" Florida cartridge filter.

You have Chlorine tablet feeder, that we do no recommend.. I suggest that you go with a saltwater pool, which is the easiest type of pool to maintain.

My theory is that when you think of your pool, you should be thinking of the enjoyment it gives you, and not the nightmare that old equipment will provide.

I am a Pentair kind of guy, so I would use all new Pentair equipment. It is an investment in your future.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[treimche]

T,

Sorry to say but the equipment that is there is old and obsolete.

You have two options.. "Repair" and use what you have, or bite the bullet and replace it all with quality equipment.

Years back, I bought a couple of rent house with pools and I tried the repair route. After a year or so of constantly fixing and fixing, I gave up and started over. The result has been over 10 years of absolute maintenance free operation. I will never again attempt to repair old and obsolete pool equipment.

You have an old ComPool automation system.. Even its EasyTouch replacement is now obsolete.

You have an old single speed pump. VS pumps are now the only way to go as they are incredibly cheap to operate. My pools now all have 3 HP IntelliFlo pumps that run 24/7, for less than $20 bucks a month.

You have a wired spa side remote, which I'm guess is no longer working as they are very prone to corroding.

You have a standard "dinky" Florida cartridge filter.

You have Chlorine tablet feeder, that we do no recommend.. I suggest that you go with a saltwater pool, which is the easiest type of pool to maintain.

My theory is that when you think of your pool, you should be thinking of the enjoyment it gives you, and not the nightmare that old equipment will provide.

I am a Pentair kind of guy, so I would use all new Pentair equipment. It is an investment in your future.

Thanks,

Jim R.

Jim. Thank you. This is exactly what I needed to hear. I won’t waste a single minute worrying about fixing this old equipment. The house was built in 2001 so I have to assume the pool equipment is close to the same age.

Is it difficult to change over to salt water? I thought I read in this forum that chlorine is the best for keeping the pool nice and clean.

 

[Jimrahbe]

T,

Saltwater pools are Chlorine pools... They just make their own chlorine.. They use a Saltwater Chlorine Generator (SWCG) and the slightly salty water, to manufacture chlorine right at your equipment pad. The salt level is only about 3,500 ppm, while the ocean is 35,000 ppm of salt.

You are basically buying your chlorine up-front.. Most salt cell last 5 to 7 years, and then you just unscrew the old one, and install the new one.

I'd rather give up my first born child as not have a saltwater pool...

The key in my mind is that your Automation, your VS pump, and your SWCG, all need to be the same brand, so they can 'talk' with each other. The perfect system. You still need to be able to routinely test your own pool water, so that it can be kept in balance, but it is supper easy to do.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[treimche]

T,

Saltwater pools are Chlorine pools... They just make their own chlorine.. They use a Saltwater Chlorine Generator (SWCG) and the slightly salty water, to manufacture chlorine right at your equipment pad. The salt level is only about 3,500 ppm, while the ocean is 35,000 ppm of salt.

You are basically buying your chlorine up-front.. Most salt cell last 5 to 7 years, and then you just unscrew the old one, and install the new one.

I'd rather give up my first borne child as not have a saltwater pool...

The key in my mind is that your Automation, your VS pump, and your SWCG, all need to be the same brand, so they can 'talk' with each other. The perfect system. You still need to be able to routinely test your own pool water, so that it can be kept in balance, but it is supper easy to do.

Thanks,

Jim R.

Alright this makes complete sense. We will definitely be leaning toward the salt water equipment then. Speaking of Automation, I'm hoping to be able to control the pool/spa remotely somehow. Do they have smart phone app control without spending a billion? I use Apple's HomeKit for all of my smart home/automation, but none of it is very crazy, just simple light switches, garage door opener, thermostat, etc.

 

[Jimrahbe]

T,

Sorry, but pool equipment in general is just expensive...

The more you want to do, the more it costs..

Several of your members have "kluged" things together to make their own automation systems, but there is not really anything off the shelf..

Here is a link to a great place to buy brand name pool equipment, but it is also a great place to just research what is available and its cost..

Welcome to Polytec Pools To see pricing, you have to create an account.. It is free and anyone can do it.

They have pages on automation, pumps, filters and SWCGs.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[treimche]

T,

Sorry, but pool equipment in general is just expensive...

The more you want to do, the more it costs..

Several of your members have "kluged" things together to make their own automation systems, but there is not really anything off the shelf..

Here is a link to a great place to buy brand name pool equipment, but it is also a great place to just research what is available and its cost..

Welcome to Polytec Pools To see pricing, you have to create an account.. It is free and anyone can do it.

They have pages on automation, pumps, filters and SWCGs.

Thanks,

Jim R.

Yeah we are prepared to spend some money on this stuff, but just not sure how much. Hoping I don't have to go sell a kidney on the black market.

I'm browsing these Pentair pool heaters and learned that they make these units with heating and cooling. I wonder if people in Florida use the units that will heat and cool the pool. The reason I ask is because the place we are staying at for the summer here in Fort Myers has 2 pools, and during the hot part of the summer (I'm told it has been warmer than normal here all summer), the pool water was very very warm. Not even refreshing at all. We were wondering if people cool their pools in the summer or maybe add a little shade to the pool cage for the hot part of the year.

Thanks for the links too Jim. I will hopefully be learning how to install this stuff myself too.

 

[Darin]

Please reconsider "leaning toward salt water equipment" and go with it without looking back. You would not consider a dial up modem for your internet would you?

 

[Newdude]

+3. Lean harder. A little more. Harder than that. UGH. FINE. I'll help.




Get me the gallons and I'll find you a SWG that produces chlorine in your backyard for 1/2 the cost. (The initial install may take half of the 4X savings) I ran math for 35k gallons the other day for someone Here. Yours would be different with a 10k (?) pool and a different SWG, but it would still be a fat chunk in your pocket.

Oh. And no jug lugging. I simply cannot overstate this convenience. I can hype it a mile long and understate the convenience by 5 miles. No daily adding ? That's another 10 miles of hype that also falls short because it should be 20 miles.

 

[treimche]

Alright you all convinced me. Like I said, I'm brand new so I know nothing about pools. I will learn as much as possible.

Wish I knew the gallon capacity of the pool, or even the dimensions so I could calculate an estimate, but that will have to wait until we move in.

So are there any other brands of pumps/heaters/filters to look at besides Pentair? Or is that pretty much the standard for quality?

 

[Newdude]

Wish I knew the gallon capacity of the pool, or even the dimensions so I could calculate an estimate, but that will have to wait until we move in.

10k is probably close enough for now.

So are there any other brands of pumps/heaters/filters to look at besides Pentair?

The big 3 (Jandy, Hayward, Pentair) all have their following, but just like Ford / Chevy /, Dodge, we're only going grocery shopping and any of them will get us to the store.

If you're going to automate now or ever, everything but the filter needs to speak the same 'language' kinda like the TV, Blue Ray, and sound bar. If it's all Sony, the one remote does them all. If they're all different, you need each remote.

The filter is a 'dumb' device and can be it's own brand, but bundle packages may increase the warranty with more devices so it may still be best to stick with the same brand.

 

[Jimrahbe]

The three major brands are.. in 'my' order of preference...

Pentair
Jandy
Hayward

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[Jimrahbe]

T,

Tell us who would be installing the equipment.. as in you DIY, or an official installer??

You could just install a pump and SWCG and then use the pool for year and decide if you even need automation and a heater/cooler.

As an example..

The IntelliFlo3, with a Touch Screen and relay card is about $2,050.
The IC40 SWCG, with the required Power Center, is about $1,450

For a total of $3,500 plus the install if you are not into that kind of stuff.

You'd just have to install a new cartridge in your existing filter.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[treimche]

10k is probably close enough for now.

The big 3 (Jandy, Hayward, Pentair) all have their following, but just like Ford / Chevy /, Dodge, we're only going grocery shopping and any of them will get us to the store.

If you're going to automate now or ever, everything but the filter needs to speak the same 'language' kinda like the TV, Blue Ray, and sound bar. If it's all Sony, the one remote does them all. If they're all different, you need each remote.

The filter is a 'dumb' device and can be it's own brand, but bundle packages may increase the warranty with more devices so it may still be best to stick with the same brand.

Great info. I will keep it simple and stick with one brand for everything when the time comes.

T,

Tell us who would be installing the equipment.. as in you DIY, or an official installer??

You could just install a pump and SWCG and then use the pool for year and decide if you even need automation and a heater/cooler.

As an example..

The IntelliFlo3, with a Touch Screen and relay card is about $2,050.
The IC40 SWCG, with the required Power Center, is about $1,450

For a total of $3,500 plus the install if you are not into that kind of stuff.

You'd just have to install a new cartridge in your existing filter.

Thanks,

Jim R.

I will try to DIY it all myself, but if something is way over my head then I'll have to pay for labor. Some of this equipment might work ok for another year, or 2 or maybe it will die in a week. I have no idea, but this route makes sense too.

 

[Jimrahbe]

T,

DIY installs will only have a 60 day warranty.. This is not an issue for me, as I used to run warranty repair centers and understand that 95% of new products fail right away, or not until the warranty is long over. I installed two EasyTouch systems with IC40 salt cells and IntelliFlo VS pumps, over 10 years ago and none of it has failed.. The original cells lasted over 8 years, before they had to be replaced. Having a warranty almost doubles the price and is just not worth it in my opinion.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[Newdude]

Having a warranty almost doubles the price and is just not worth it in my opinion.

This is what it always comes down to for me with pool equipment. Many PBs double their cost, which is about what you can find it for online. You get little warranty DIY, but what are the odds that you have 2 failures needing replacement during the others warranty period ? If you only had one failure (still rare), you could buy a 2nd device and break even. Chances are you'd bank the difference.

 

[treimche]

Finally revisiting this as we are moved in and really want to get the pool equipment replaced.

The pool heater does not work at all. I replaced some corroded wiring that runs to the heater in hopes that it would help, but no go.

The pump works ok, but has a small leak and it's pretty noisy.

To start off with, we brought water to the local Pinch A Penny pool store to have them test it and give us chemicals to add to the water. I will eventually do this on my own, but have too much to do at the moment.

I have noticed that there is a lot of stuff floating on top of the water in the pool. I'm including a pic of the inside of the skimmer, and the device that drives itself around to clean the bottom of the pool. I don't think the skimmer is working correctly, otherwise wouldn't it clean all the stuff from floating around on top of the pool water? This morning I scooped out a couple of dead wasps and a tiny dead gecko.
Also wondering if some of you professionals could look at pics of my plumbing and tell me what does what, and which pipes go where. I just like to know how things work, it's in my DNA.

 

[treimche]

Also wanted to add that I took some measurements of the pool/spa and estimated 13,000-14,000 gallons using a calculator online.

 

[Jimrahbe]

T,

You can either skim, or you can vacuum, but you can't do both at the same time.

Most old pools have one line connected between the skimmer and the pump.. Without the skimmer hose plugged in to the bottom of the skimmer, the skimmer will function like it should.

Normally, when the skimmer has two pipes at the bottom, one is either plugged, or it is connected to the main drain. If going to the main drain, it means the main drain is not working at all unless there is a floating diverter valve in the skimmer, that floats down and connects the main drain pipe to the pipe that is coming from the pump. You obviously don't have a floating diverter, and for now I would not worry about it.. Main drains are not really needed at all.

Thanks,

Jim R.