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I have slammed my pool for about a week and two days ago the water turned crystal clear. The overnight test shows no CCs. I have done the OCLT twice, but failed to read FC loss in the morning of 1ppm or less. Both times we had severe storms overnight and at least an inch or two of rain in the...

I just installed a new Pentair iChlor SWG. I am a bit confused as to levels to maintain for CYA and TA. With previous generator I always followed TFP recommendations of TA at 60-80 ppm and CYA of 70-80 ppm. The user's guide for this Pentair iChlor recommends TA at 80-120 ppm and CYA at 30-50...

I want to bring my pool to SLAM level before I close. But the last time I checked, bleach was still in short supply here due to COVID-19. Can I use one pound bags of shock to do this? Do you recommend any other alternates to replace bleach? Thanks!

I would like to purchase a salt test kit or product to double-check readings from my salt water generator. Can you suggest a good product or type? Thanks!

Greetings, I have two different issues I would like to ask about as I try to refurbish my pool deck: First, the deck is concrete and was built in sections (first image). Each section was separated by wooden 4 X 4s, which have rotten over time and I am removing and replacing. One section of the...

I am having a Loop-loc cover installed this fall. This will be a first for me. I have always used a solid cover and water bags and closed according to pool school except using a "closing kit" with algaecide, slow-release chlorine bottle, etc. It has rendered clean, clear water in the spring. But...

I have a leak in the Hayward Vari-Flo XL Valve of my sand filter (see image). It is located just an inch or two above the waste outlet. You can see where I sealed with Goop and it held for about a season, but now is leaking again. It is a very small leak and does not extend to the waste outlet...

After pool opening I have a leak in this valve (see picture). It is hard to see exactly what part of valve is leaking. Where do I start to check for leak? Can I DIY this repair? It is not in the joint, it is leaking from the valve itself. Also I have another leak where two pieces of PVC come...

Tired of tarp covers and water bags...considering mesh safety cover purchase. Those of you with mesh covers, when you close your pool do you use a pool closing kit (chemicals) in the water before putting on your cover for the winter? I have used them with solid tarp covers and it has helped...

For years I have been using the cheapest tarp cover I could find for a winter cover (about $150 - $180 recently). I think I only got 2 years out of this one. The problem is this winter I lost about half of the pool water from seepage through the cover and vacuumed up by the pool cover pump (my...

I have a concrete pool deck that has become worn and has a few cracks and settling over the years. I would like to DIY refinishing, but do not have any experience and there are so many products out there. I have read that I need to pressure wash (any particular HP requirement), then apply a...

Good Afternoon! I have a leak in my in-ground vinyl liner pool. I did the bucket test last summer and determined that I am losing one inch of water per week due to the leak. This number was confirmed when I removed the cover this week and found the water level 25 inches below where it was when I...

I have been experiencing a lot of water loss so I had my pool guy come out and check for leaks. He used epoxy to patch a couple at a light fixture and on the side, but said that one at the main drain and another at a Caretaker return could only be fixed by replacing the liner. So I decided to...

Has anyone had good luck with a particular winter cover you could recommend? I do not want a safety cover. There are so many levels of quality in these covers you see online that it is confusing. Also have you had better luck from one supplier over another? I was looking to buy one this year...

I had pool repair company come out and replace a leaky Caretaker clean out basket union. As soon as they had left I found another leak lower down on one of the five Caretaker return lines. It is at the top of a type of connection sleeve each return has (red arrow). It is small but can cause...

I have or had a leak. Bucket test after two days showed pool level 3/4 inch lower than bucket. But then I discovered an external plumbing leak that I had missed before and fixed it. That's why I say maybe "had" a leak. But I am highly suspect of my skimmer too. So I lowered water level below...

My drop test cylinder has collected a black residue over the years of using it. I read somewhere about using muriatic acid to remove it, but don't know the concentration or how long to expose to acid. Would you share the link to this information or how to do? Thank you.

I have done a few SLAMS and none have taken this long :mad: I tried not using a cover this past year due to frustrations with cover removal in the past. But it backfired in that on pool opening I had a bad pump motor:( So by the time I got the water circulating I had a huge swamp with lots of...

We had a lot of rain week before last and an algae bloom started late last week. My FC was like 2. My CYA was 55. I got my PH to 7.5 with acid and began to slam (by the book). It was slow getting my CYA up during the summer so I decided to slam with Trichlor initially. I got my FC up to 26 and...

I noticed a small pool of water/moisture on the concrete floor exactly in between the pump and the sand filter. I can find no water on sides of pump, filter or any of the pipe joints. Pool water level does not seem to be decreasing anymore than I would expect with evaporation. I started clearing...

I have been perplexed for some time on how to use a solar cover with my pool. :( Think of it's shape as a triangle with rounded corners. The base of the triangle is 25' long. The rounded top of the triangle is 12' across. The length is 27'. I have a heat pump and have read on troublefree.com of...

Hi, We got a severe algae bloom when our sand filter control valve went out and it took two weeks to get repairs done and water flow back to the pool. We have made progress in this week using your algae treatment procedure. But with all the sweeping, backwashing, cleaning baskets and filters...

Does anyone know if a solar cover would extend the swimming season or should I get a heat pump? I live in North Carolina and the air temp gets pretty comfortable around April, but my pool water stays below 75 degrees until about a month or so later. Likewise in the fall it would be nice to swim...

I bought an inexpensive winter cover this year. I lowered the water level 21 inches below deck when I closed the pool. It is now 31 inches below deck. I definitely have a cover leak...think it was when the dog fell in the pool one night when we put him out. Now the cover pump is draining the...

I have a big fall leaf problem with trees around my pool :( . Old winter cover is worn out and purchasing new one now. Should I buy a cover in addition to one of those leaf net covers? I am also confused about use of air pillows. The installation instructions for covers say that the cover should...

Hi, How long should I pump in a 24 hour period? Would you direct me to that information on your site? I think I have read it before but can't remember where. Pool is now clear and clean, so I just need maintenance pump info. Thanks!

Hey Everyone, I really appreciate this site. Reading the posts have really helped me to have a "trouble free pool" over the years. I have been using a pool buster, but want to treat myself to a auto cleaner this year. The debris that collects in my pool is usually very fine dirt with a few...

Hi, This is my first question after being registered with the site for a good while. I have always been able to get my questions answered by reading "pool school" or other members posts. Thanks for that. Now I have a question: I tested my CYA after putting in a new liner and refilling the pool...