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CYA is acidic and once your pump shuts off, all that acid concentrated in the basket can damage the pump. Granted CYA isn't nearly as acidic as chlorine pucks, which should *never* be placed directly in the skimmer or basket. But it's not worth the risk with CYA either.

It's the cell. Back when I had an Intex pool, I had to replace the cell every other year or so. You've gotten about 2 seasons out of yours, and that's about all they're good for. You used to be able to get a replacement cell from Intex for $75. But it's been 5 years since I had one, so IDK if...

It's not uncommon these days to see pools that only have a skimmer and no main drain at the bottom of the pool. They can help keep the pool floor cleaner, but most people have a robot these days anyway. That may be why some builders don't consider a drain as necessary as they used to.

It sounds a lot scarier than it really is.

Replace the over the wall skimmer with a thru the wall Hayward Dyna-skim. They do a much better job and consequently there won't be as much debris on the bottom for a robot to have to clean up. This is seriously the best upgrade I ever did when I had my Intex pool.

After completing a SLAM earlier this year to open my pool, my FC was 32 and my CYA was 80. Now I maintain FC at 7 with CYA still at 80. The water was indistinguishable. No smell, harshness, dry skin or faded suits either time. I fear your goal of maintaining low FC is causing you needless...

Passing an OCLT is one of the 3 test conditions required to complete a SLAM. If you didn't do that, you need to resume the SLAM.

Muriatic acid. But there's no real need to chase a particular number for TA. Just use muriatic acid to maintain your pH in the 7.2 - 7.8 range and TA will drop on its own over time.

I'm just curious -- what is the annual cost to maintain a Baquacil pool? I always read about it being expensive, but how expensive? I maintain my 27k gallon saltwater pool on $200-300 per year in consumables. And it is heated to 86 degrees normally.

That's correct. But until you know your current levels, raising or lowering those things may not be necessary. That's why the first step is to obtain one of the recommended test kits. In 15 years of pool ownership, I have never added baking soda or borax to my pool.

Welcome from a fellow Okie! Not to the extent that aquariums are. The biggest difference is that with smaller pools like your Intex, it can often be cheaper to drain and refill if things go askew rather than try to treat the existing water. Read here for tips on how to maintain your Intex...

Test strips are only good for measuring one thing -- the depth of your trash can. A good test kit will pay for itself many times over.

What are you basing your SLAM FC level of 12 ppm on? Have you obtained a recommended test kit yet and gotten an accurate CYA reading? Without that, you're just taking potshots in the dark.

TDS is a more or less meaningless number. All it tells you is that you have *something* in your water, but not what that *something* is. Consider one of our two recommended test kits, either of which will measure all of the parameters with which the TFP method is concerned.

Before you do anything, where did you obtain the reading of 116 for your CYA? That sounds suspiciously like a pool store result. Our recommended test kits only provide CYA readings to the nearest tens value. Pool stores are notorious for providing inaccurate readings, and CYA is the one they...

Did you check around the lid of the pre-filter basket. This should have been the first thing a pool tech would have checked, but who knows. 9 times out of 10, this is the source of a suction side leak. Make sure the o-ring doesn't have any nicks or creases in it and is seated properly when you...

I did exactly what you are describing and it held up perfectly well for 5 years until we sold the house. You can read about it here: https://www.troublefreepool.com/threads/dimension-at-the-ground-for-intex-16-ultra-frame-pool.73741/

Yes, that is the return, ie. where water returns to the pool

Ditto. After I opened this spring, we were swimming with FC of 32 ppm and CYA of 80. The water felt perfect - no indication at all that the FC was that high. I've since allowed it to drop to 7 ppm and maintain it there with a SWG. I spend about $200/year on consumables for my 27k gallon pool...

FORGET. ABOUT. TA. Calcium is irrelevant in a vinyl pool unless you have a heater.

The chlorine should be mixed in within 15 minutes as long as your pump is running. CYA degrades slowly over time, so once you reach the desired level, you can test it monthly.

CYA at 30 is perfect for you. Wait 48 hours after it has all dissolved before testing again. If it's still low add 10 ppm at a time until you achieve 30. FC 3-6 is great for CYA at 30. Just never let it drop below 2 or you'll be inviting algae over for dinner. Remember, CYA and FC go hand in...

Forget TA - it's not that important. CYA protects your FC from the sun. Without CYA, your FC would burn off in an hour or two. That's why it's called 'stabilizer' - it keeps your FC level stable. Even with CYA, your FC gets used up killing algae and pathogens. So it needs to be replaced daily...

pH is good. TA is good, but it's a minor consideration anyway. Maintain pH in the 7.2-7.8 range and TA will take care of itself. Right now you need to get 30 ppm of CYA (aka stabilizer) in the water. Then add liquid chlorine to achieve FC of 3 ppm. Test daily for FC and add more chlorine as...

Yes, correct.

Yup, more pool store nonsense.

That's not the clip I remember that quote from.

I was swimming in 32 ppm earlier this year during a SLAM (CYA was 80). You could not tell any difference. FC must be considered in relation to CYA. By itself it's meaningless. This is what the pool stores don't get.

You've certainly come to the right place. Welcome!