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After three pool seasons in NJ my first pool pilot cell was depleted. I generally open my pool in mid April and close in mid October. This means the cell really had ~21 months of run time. During the summer I run my pump for 12 hours a day just because my pool is surrounded by trees and I like a...

In general, I check chlorine and pH every 2 to 3 days during the season. Mostly to make sure the salt system is working and algae isn't sneaking up. Once the salt, alkalinity, calcium, and CYA are checked once a month. At the beginning of the season I test more frequently as I add chemicals to...

Once installed play with the settings to see what speed you need to run to accomplish what you want. I keep a cover on my pool most of the time. So I run my pump at the slowest speed possible that still activates the salt system. When the cover is off I like to run it a little faster since it...

My house sat vacant for 3 years. The first year I opened the pool it was a literal swamp. There was at least 3 feet of leaves in the bottom. From cover off to crystal clear took 20 days. The first few days were spent vacuuming to waste, refilling, and scooping with a leaf skimmer. The actual...

I'm on my 5th year with a salt system. I haven't cleaned the cell yet. Manage your CSI and you'll be fine.

I usually add enough CYA to get to 80 at the beginning of the season. In July I'll add a little more to get back to 80. Our swim season ends in Sept and I close mid October with a CYA of 50 ish. Between rain dilution and normal loss I am lucky if I start the year with a CYA of 20. We've had a...

I have a group of khaki campbell ducks that I raise for eggs and this is an understatement. I have a kiddie pool setup for them and the first week I had them I thought I could keep their water clean. I was changing the water 4 times a day and it was clear for maybe 30 mins. it took a while but I...

You have to figure out your pump speed based on a reason. If you have a heater or SWG the flow rate has to be enough for them to function. You have neither, so you should base your pump speed on skimming. Once your pool is algae free, set your pump as slow a possible and just observe. When stuff...

If you maintain the proper chlorine level, there's no reason to backwash weekly. In previous years I backwashed my filter because rain over filled it. I figured if I had to pump it out, I should backwash. Last year we didn't get much rain and I don't think I backwashed in July or August.

I run my pump as slow as possible while still flowing fast enough to keep the salt system producing chlorine. I run my pump 12 hours a day but could get away with less. When I have to slam I run my pump at 2400 rpm. You gotta figure out what works for your pool.

I bought my house as a foreclosure in Sept 2019. The pool was winterized so I left the mystery until the spring of 2020. The pool was originally plumbed with three pumps. The filter pump has a skimmer and main drain in the deep end on the suction side and two returns. The cleaner pump had a...

I used to buy new reagents every year but, like you, I ended up comparing results with new and old. I decided to hold on to the old bottles. I test FAS-DPD and pH multiple times a week. I end up using amount an entire bottle of the FAS-DPD liquid reagent a year but I get much longer from the...

Thanks for the info. I'll definitely post what bearing size and any issues I come up with when I replace them.

I opened my pool today and my VGreen 165 is making a noise like a bearing is going bad. I tried searching what size bearings it takes but it doesn't seem like that info is posted anywhere. Inyo actually has a video stating only certified professionals should disassemble a VS pump. I am going to...

Bought a house with a pool in September 2019. COVID hit and I couldn't find any company that would take an additional pool. Started researching and found tfp. Who knows how much I would have spent if I didn't find this site.

The pump should be ran the slowest speed for whatever you are trying to do. About 90% of the time I am running just fast enough to keep my salt system running. I don't have a flow gauge but the salt system manual says I need 20 gpm for the flow switch to close. Since turnover rate isn't a...

I got a robot cleaner at the beginning of last year. At first I removed it from the pool after running it but that got hard after going back to the office. It lives in the pool and I run it every other day. I can manually brush and vacuum the pool faster than the robot since I have eyes that can...

I have a mesh cover. Once I cover the pool I will use a brush or my leaf blower to keep the cover clean. I think it works well.

I'm just finishing year three with my solar cover. I have the cover on the pool most of the time and do not cover it when it's reeled up. About mid way thru the season I starting to see bubbles with water in them. I guess that means Santa is buying me a new cover for next year.

My CYA levels are usually low at the end of the summer so I chlorinate with pucks over through the winter. Don't worry about using your chemicals in a first in, first out situation. Pucks will last a long time in a dry bucket.

I'm in an area where you swim from late May to the first week of September. I used to "shock" my pool at the beginning of the year just to clear the little bit of algae that grew over winter. This year I added chlorine thru the winter and opened to a clear pool. So I haven't shocked my pool...

I have a pool pilot system and I started the year with a check flow error this year. I disassembled the manifold and the sensor looked fine. I soaked the trisensor in vinegar over night and the next day I reassembled and it worked fine.

I'm going on my third year with the same solar cover. I follow the salt water guidance with CYA of 80, FC target = 6 ppm. I am just starting to see a few bubble with water in them. I don't doubt I'll get thru this summer with it but I'll probably order a replacement for next summer. That matches...

After getting the pool balanced and clear: I test pH and Chlorine about every 2-3 days. After a big storm or a pool party I'll test more frequently. I test TA, CH, CYA, and Salt once a month. If a test result shows I have to add something I will test for that chemical 30-60 mins after making...

I'd hate to pay $200 for a Bluetooth speaker. While your system is much more expensive, it is more appealing. I'm probably going to get a cheaper Bluetooth speaker for now and put a system together when I build my pool house

I bought my girls an ION bluetooth floating pool speaker for the end of the school year. We used it once to listen to music around a campfire and once in the pool. When it worked it was great. However, while it was listed as waterproof, it only lasted 30 mins before it became waterlogged and...

I'm still adjusting my run times. Seems like I have to run my pump at 1100 rpm for the SWG to not throw an error for low flow. During the week I keep a solar cover on and run the pump at 1100 rpm for 8 hours a day. When I pull the cover off for the weekends, I run the pump at 1800 rpm because...

If you want to test pH during a slam you can neutralize the chlorine by add a few drops (and swirl) of thiosulfate prior to running the pH test. Thiosulfate is the first reagent in the total alkalinity test, R-0007.

I'd suggest getting the smallest variable speed pump you can find. To me it doesn't make sense to replace a 1/2hp pump (where you've been happy with the performance) with a 3hp VS pump. I know there are multiple 1.5hp VS pumps available.

I get about 40 inches of rain per year and I lose salt due to backwashing my sand filter. Seems like I go through 8 bags a year.