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San Francisco bay area has been seeing a lot of storms lately. I noticed that water was getting into the pool at the skimmer through a crack. The ground is saturated with all the rain. Water under the concrete deck finds its way to the crack in the skimmer and drops into the pool. So, even...

The pool has a Polaris 380 cleaner.. Instead of using a Polaris 380 cleaner, I want to use a manually operated, water-powered leaf vacuum sometimes. How do I connect that flexible hose to a garden hose fitting? Does anyone have that set up? The hose itself is nothing unique. It is the most...

Within the last few days, I have been noticing that the pool pump has been making a grinding noise. I stopped the automatic scheduler as soon as I took a few videos. I cleaned the basket that had some tree debris, but there may be other material clogged in there. Here is the 5-second video...

I used the Sodium Chloride test strips to measure the amount of salt in my pool as we have been noticing salt taste throughout this season. The salt content seems to be at 2450ppm. We still like the pool and use it, but am wondering if this is a cause for concern. I don't have a SWCG. I use...

FC: 6.5 pH: 7.7 TA: 70 CH: 600 CYA: 50 Water Temp: 80 CSI is 0.22. I add acid to bring the pH to 7.5 or 7.6 after adding water and measuring the pH. Over the next few days, pH creeps back to 7.8, stays there for a long time, then moves up to 8. At that point, I add more than the usual amount...

My pool has the full Pentair EasyTouch 8P setup with a 3-way valve for directing the water either to the pool or to the rooftop solar heat collectors. Is there a way to turn the solar valve on or off from the Screenlogic interface regardless temperature? When I turn the solar switch on or...

My pool equipment setup has the EasyTouch 8P. There are eight breakers in total, but only four are in use. The pool light transformer is outside the EasyTouch 8P. A 120V line comes out of the 8P, and goes out to a Intermatic PX100 transformer, and a 12V line comes back into the EasyTouch...

I bought Poolmaster 28300 leaf vacuum and have the zodiac hose assembly. I use the return jet from the Polaris booster pump and it seems to have good pressure that helps vacuum the pool floor of large debris. I use a fitting 1/2" barb to 5/8" MHT, (found in the irrigation aisle of the big box...

How long can you have the plaster (specifically the upper two or three inches) of an outdoor pool exposed to the sun at 80 degrees (most of the summer in the bay area, CA, USA). Am I right that exposing plaster to air is also as much a problem as exposing it to the sun?

I have both a nylon brush and a nylon+steel brush, but I have been hesitant to use the hybrid brush. If I use a nylon+steel hybrid brush on a regular basis, doesn't it actually scratch the plaster surface, increasing the surface area for algae to anchor?

I would like to put an object in the pool on the steps to give the critters a way to get out of the fall if they fall in (snakes, lizards, opossums...). Snakes and opossums can swim.. Lizards might not survive the fall. One option is to put a pool toy in, but I don't have one that submerges...

All of last summer the pool had CYA of 60ppm. Solid stabilizer was added after the pool was replastered. The chlorine usage was around 1.5 ppm per day. After rainy winter and pumping water out periodically, I noticed the CYA level had gone down to 30 at the start of summer. I added Natural...

When I test FC with the FAS-DPD (reagents R-0870 and R-0871), I see a difference using the exact same chemicals. When I test with speedstir, I see 1.5ppm difference. It shows lower FC than when I stir the solution manually ( as I have for the past year and more). Just yesterday...

Just kidding. Neptune Pool at Hearst Castle in CA, USA. https://www.sfgate.com/travel/article/Neptune-Pool-Hearst-Castle-swim-party-foundation-14014816.php

Is it normal to have the PH rise quite fast? It looks like I need to add a cup of 31.45% muriatic acid every two days, sometimes 1.5 cup to keep the pH at 7.6 or 7.7. This comes to a total of 4 cups per week. The fill water pH is indeed high, but then the pH keeps rising despite after...

What material should I use to fix the cracks in the waterfall spillway? The water escapes through the cracks when I turn on the falls and spills into the adjoining garden. I see three kinds of material that were used and the whole spillway needs repair. Should I use a pre-mixed grout mix from...

There is an outdoor firepit (utility gas connected) in this yard. The firepit doesn't see much use in the summer, but gets used quite a bit in winter. It is usually very windy in this backyard every afternoon and I started looking for a windguard. The round glass windguards all seem expensive...

Replastering was done on this pool 2.5 months ago. Every week I have been noticing that the pool service adds acid to bring the PH level to 7.2. PH level then starts increasing and at the end of the week, it is at 7.8. Is that normal or should the PH be expected to stay within a smaller range...

There is a Polaris 380 in this pool already and is on a schedule cleaning up the pool as much as it could. It doesn't climb up on the steps at the two ends of the pool, but does a decent job on the floor. I was thinking about other electric pool cleaners. - Does a Pool blaster max Li, do a...

The topside control panel has failed. The spa heater and the control panels work, but just the buttons don't work anymore. They are either stuck or when pressed, stay stuck for a while. Is replacement the only option? They seem quite expensive - is it more usually cost-effective to replace the...

After the new plaster, how long should I wait before heating the water with the solar panels? I have the easytouch system, but the solar settings is OFF due to startup. It has been about 3 weeks into startup. The ambient temperature has been ranging from 70 to 80 degrees with clear skies. When...

Three weeks after replastering, I have started to test the water with Leslie's total pool care kit. Calcium Hardness: 480 CYA: 60 (I tested this with the TF-100 test kit also and got the same result) FC: 5+ (my pool service tested yesterday and said it was 7, the one in Leslie's kit goes...

There is only one skimmer on the deck, about 8-9" diameter, and it has two pipes (i.e. two holes going into the ground). One comes from the main drain at the bottom of the pool and it has the right VGB-compliant drain cover. The other one goes to the pump. There is a basket that sits in the...

What is this bug? I have seen about 10 this morning of varying sizes. This is the largest one I have seen, about 3/4" long. My google search shows this is an amphipod. Could they be coming from a different pool as the pool service crew uses the same vacuum for many pools around this are

Any suggestions what kind of bushes/trees as a privacy screen along the fence between neighbors? (anything other than the tall thin monoliths). An ideal privacy screen would be a - evergreen - low litter - can be trimmed 4-5 ft from the ground and spreads around like a tree - pool-friendly...

My pool was replastered and two weeks of startup (daily chemistry check and adjustment) is about to be completed. There are some questions about this: After a new plaster gets applied, how long is the normal startup period? The NPC startup card indicates that PH, TA and TH should be checked...

Hello SFO bay area pool owners, How much water is being evaporated in your pool these days (June 1st week)? My pool is losing about 1/3 inch in about 20 hours. Newly replastered pool, new main drain at the bottom of the pool, new pool light, new filter. I don't see any leak on the equipment...

This pool's waterfall intake is about 1 ft below water on a 2" pipe. - 2" pipe - About 6' leader length of pipe from the pool to the pump - elevation difference from bottom to top of the water fall is about 5' - 3 ft wide waterfall Right now the waterfall is using a 120V 3/4 HP pump. I...

I am totally confused. What is an actuator used for? I am looking at Pentair Easy Touch systems. Only the systems that have Pool and Spa (Easy Touch PSL4) include 2 actuators. The pool only systems (Easy Touch PL4) do not include actuators. My pool has solar-heat collectors (FAFCO black...

Picture at the link below (hopefully it works, still figuring out how to share pictures in the forum) Is this the gunite layer showing through the plaster that is now almost completely gone? It crumbles if I rub on it. I hear that the last time the pool was plastered was more than 15 years...