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    which salt reading is more important when there's a discrepancy?

    I've had this discrepancy since changing the cell about a year ago. It was in an unopened box that the previous owner left so it was several years old when installed. Not sure why it was lying around but decided to give it a try. No problems with it other than the different readings. Taylor drop...
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    Taylor CYA test - please define 'quick glance'

    I love my Taylor K2006 test kit but I always struggle with the CYA test. What is the definition of 'quick glance'? I am always wondering if I am looking too long or not long enough. I fill to each line and work my way up but am never sure if I saw the dot because I looked too long. I look...
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    new liner. is this the correct chem order?

    Water is scheduled to be filled today via garden hose (municipal water) which I was told would take about 24 hours or so to complete. Is this the correct order of adding/adjusting chems? I have the Taylor 2006 and salt test kits. - test fill water to get a baseline - add 5 - 20kg bags of salt...
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    How often to backwash when you have a robot?

    Does using a robot exclusively for cleaning impact backwashing frequency? My pool runs on a low speed 24/7 so the flow is too low for the pressure on my sand filter to display. I don't backwash regularly as I get very little debris in the pool, water is clear and chems are in range. Is there...
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    what is your best advice to prevent liner fading?

    I'm getting a new liner next week (obsidian/butterfly effect). Current liner is about 20 years old (original) and was almost completely faded when we bought the house 10 years ago. What little faint pattern there was has completed disappeared since then. This is my first ever liner replacement...
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    dolphin at end of life?

    I have an 8 year old Dolphin Oasis Z5 which did a great job until a year or two ago. I mentioned to a pool tech that it is getting stuck on the mains and is missing debris. He said that the motor is likely going. I thought these robots lasted years given the price but searching online it looks...
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    Repair or replace sand filter?

    I've noticed a bit of 'dirt' in my pool for quite a while but assumed it was from surrounding flowerbeds. We recently removed them and realized it's actually filter sand. It's mostly near the returns suggesting the laterals need to be replaced. The filter is 10+ years old. Hayward S244T. I...
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    first time liner replacement. what do i need to ask?

    My 20+ year original vinyl liner is finally done :( A tear at the bottom has been patched but I need to get a new liner this season. Pool is kidney shaped, 6 ft in deep end, 3ft in shallow, fiberglass walk-in. No waterfall, diving board or other accessories. No dogs. I am looking for advice on...
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    Aquarite - power/no flow flash on then off

    I just opened for the season. when I turned the panel to Auto the Power and No Flow lights turned on for a second or so along with the display then all turned off - all lights and display are off. Where do I begin troubleshooting this issue?
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    thinking of getting my first solar cover

    I would like a solar cover but know little about them other than some initial online research. I have a kidney shaped pool which is about 16x30 including the walk in steps. It is angled in the corner of the backyard with narrow deck so I don't think there is enough room for a reel. I tried a...
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    adding borax without test kit

    I'm starting to think about my upcoming pool opening... Generally I find that my chem levels stay consistent throughout the season so I don't have to add too much too it other than occasional top ups. The one exception is PH. When I do my weekly tests I am always around 8.0 so I add muriatic...
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    safety cover - would you accept this fix?

    Two years ago I ordered a new cover. I don't know who manufactured the original. I ordered through my pool store in early summer and my cover was sent to the manufacturer so it could be laser cut. It didn't arrive until November right before a snow fall! When installed I noticed that straps were...
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    I need help troubleshooting my salt readings

    I changed my cell last week. My drop test showed 2800 and the swg showed 3200. The other day I added some water to the pool and then we had a significant rainfall. I retested today and now I have 2600 vs 3300. The new cell was left by a previous owner (in sealed box when I moved in) so it is at...
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    are recommended chem levels same for all vinyl pools?

    I'm am helping a neighbor who just got a Coleman above ground pool. It has a vinyl liner and apparently you tear it down at the end of the season. Are the chem levels the same as a permanent pool? It uses chlorine which I'm not as familiar with as I have a swg. The manual has the following...
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    Aquarite swg questions

    My swg was giving a low salt/check cell message. It was giving low salt reading (1400) while my Taylor kit said 2800. I cleaned cell but no difference. I assumed it meant that cell was due for replacement. This is the first time I've had to deal with this so have some questions... 1) I've read...
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    Dolphin Oasis missing spots

    The past couple of years I've noticed that my Dolphin Oasis Z5 doesn't seem to sweep up all the debris and will leave streaks. I tried brushing beforehand to loosen dirt but made no difference. When I look at the rollers they seem okay but I'm not sure what I should be looking for. It has no...
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    algae treatment while awaiting reagents - did new safety cover cause this?

    I always open with clean water, except for this year. Opened with algae floating and on walls. Not a swamp fortunately but not what I was expecting. I'm not sure if it's because I ran out of reagents at the end of the season and my chems were off (my chems are usually pretty consistent...
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    solar cover without reel

    We've never had a solar cover but I am thinking of getting one this year. We have a kidney shaped pool that is angled in the corner of our backyard so I don't know if we have room for a reel on the ends. Before investing in a reel I was thinking of manually putting it on/off each day. How...
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    VS pump setting with gas heater

    I have a natural gas heater. When the pump runs on low there isn't enough pressure for the heater to work (I get low flow message). In the past I manually turned the pump to a higher rpm, turned on the heater and waited. We like the pool to be 88-90 so this can take a while especially early/late...
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    botched replacement safety cover??

    I ordered a new safety cover from my local pool store. They sent my existing one to the manufacturer to be laser cut. I was told that the new one would fit the same as my existing one. Since they had the original to work with I had no reason to doubt this. When I installed the new cover I...
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    Aquarite gone haywire

    Can someone explain what is wrong with my swg... flow sensor perhaps? Yesterday: 20200926_174436_1.mp4 Today: 20200927_142802_1.mp4 I opened the panel yesterday and saw power, no flow and check cell lights alternating. I tried switching to off and unplugging it but got the same thing. I...
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    Third time replacing Aquarite thermistor!

    I've been in this house 8 years. Two years ago I replaced this part for the second time. I think the first replacement was two years prior to that. Today I have the same issue. When I opened the panel the part is cracked. I will be replacing it today (fortunately I bought two last time just...
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    Identifying leak in wall of ig liner

    I have a 20 year old in-ground vinyl liner that we plan on replacing next spring. I did a bucket test which confirmed that I have a leak. After a few days of monitoring the water loss has stopped. The level is above the returns and above the bottom of the skimmer opening. I had a leak in the...
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    How to clean speedstir and tubes?

    My test tubes and magnet have some black specs and starting to look cloudy. What is the best way to clean them? I read a post about using muratic acid or vinegar but want to make sure that I don't damage the magnet.
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    preventing IF code on heater when windy

    When we replaced our heater last spring we didn't get a wind stack which the old unit had as we don't live in an area that has high wind issues. It was fine until the other day. I turned it on and when I came back to check on it there was an IF code. After doing some research I figured out...
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    proper chem level for new pool heater -manual vs tfp recommendation

    The recommended levels page of tfp says that CH for swg pool should be 0-300 (don't add). My newly installed hayward h250 manual says that it should be 200-400. If too low it could be corrosive to heat exchanger. Which should I follow? I current get a reading of 50 and in the past never...
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    just got H250ed2c heater and have a few questions

    I can't find the following in the manual. Can you answer these for me? - What is the difference between spa and pool modes? I am using for my pool. Is it a problem if it accidentally gets switched to spa? - How do i winterize it? The manual just says to drain water. With my old heater i had...
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    Heater doesn't click on

    What part controls this? The pilot is lit but when I turn the switch on nothing happens.
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    questions about replacing salt cell for first time

    I've had the same T-15 cell for 7 years. I don't know how long the previous owner had it. It is giving Inspect Cell message which I cannot clear. The green generating light is on so does this mean it is working but at reduce rate?? I assume this means that it needs replacing?? The old owner...
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    Dolphin lacking suction/power

    I have a Dolphin Oasis 25 that is about 5 years old. I use the accordion style fine filter, still the original one. I've noticed that although it is pick up debris, it is missing a lot, both large and small. Instead, it seems to be pushing it around. I've watch it go over debris and not...