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4 year old Sta-Rite JWPA pump with A.O. Smith motor, wired directly to timer output on my chlorine generator control panel. 2 nights ago finally got rain. Circuit breaker (GFIC) for pump tripped when timer turned it on in morning. Isolated short circuit to motor. Took motor apart, looked for...

Well, almost done (staining :cry:). One man, power tools, and lot's of encouragement from the wife and kids over last summer and this summer. Still building deck skirting. New plumbing. Now we just need some normal summer weather next year. Kelly

With the crazy weather this July and August here in Iowa I didn't get to see how the panels could perform under good conditions. Well, I've finally gotten a chance to see how the panels perform over the last few weeks. Evening air temps in the low 50's, and daytime highs in the 70's, the...

OK - strange to me. While fighting a mustard algae outbreak with high chlorine shock levels (low 30's) I encountered strange behavior with the drops test. Morning test. Rinsed the vial in pool water, added 10 ml pool water, tossed in the powder, and water flashes slight pink and then returns...

Well, things conspired against me and I had to leave to pool unattended for a few weeks. A light dusting of mustard algae on the bottom greeted me, despite my SWCG keeping around 4 ppm chlorine. After measuring my CYA my mustard algae shock level (from the table here) was suggested to be 39...

Just checking to see how protracted the process might be in my case. TA 175 CYA 50 and rising CH 180 Borates 30 (left over from last year - pool builder ignored TA levels before adding borates) SWG maintaining about 3 ppm FC Water temp - 67 deg F Aeration - air compressor feeding a coil of...

I'm installing my solar panels and want to convert my 1 1/2 flex hose to 2 inch sch. 40 (all the plumbing parts that came with the panels - four 4X12 Fafco - are 2 inch). My skimmer outlet and return both use molded hosebarb-type connections (Lomart pool). Any advice on how to connect to...

The setup I'm going with seems more common with IGP, so I'm hoping I can get by with a panel area slightly less than 50% of the pool surface area given I don't have a deep end to the pool. This is for eastern Iowa (latitude is south of Chicago). Full sun, south exposure on ground racks...

Does anyone know if it is easy and wise to get inside the Aquatrol control panel to tap into the timer-switched output to the pump? I want to power my Goldline solar control so that it is on only when the pump is running, but the Aquatrol panel only has one switched receptacle (110vac) coming...

Should I wire my solar controller (Goldline 235) to be powered by my pump timer (AquaTrol panel) or can I leave it powered all the time, since the 3-way valve position doesn't matter when the pump isn't running? Thanks, Kelly

I'm adding solar this year (five FAFCO 4X12 panels with a Goldline solar controller). Just double checking - I should pipe the output of my solar panels to the input of the SWG cell, correct? How does this heated water affect cell performance, etc? My SWG worked beautifully last year with no...

First, is my pump too big for my pool? I sure get a brisk return flow, and the filter reads about 10 psi when clean. This spring I'd like to add solar to my system. I'm wondering if I should plan on valving that will allow me to down-regulate pressure through the panels (given my pump size...

I've decided to go solar for our 15X30 AGP (~11K gal) next spring. Our goal is just to extend our season a few weeks on each end, and to try to keep a temp throughout the summer that is more pleasing to my family, who seem to prefer >80 degrees more than <80. We cover the pool EVERY night with...

My test strips are showing moderate bromine levels (I haven't tested for bromine more accurately) - with the color closest to the blue-green shown on the bottle color comparison meaning moderate-high I suppose. This is a SWG pool finished and opened in June, and maintained with Bioguard's...

I noticed that my filter has a 'Winter' setting on the multiport valve. What state does that put the valve in, and is it equivalent to setting the handle to an intermediate position for closing? Tx, Kelly

Although I registered in July and have posted several times I haven't introduced myself. First, this site and forum are just perfect for a pool newbie like me, who likes to understand the technical side of stuff I own. In a short time I learned more about proper pool care that was rational and...

Not sure if this is the right place, here are pix of this summer's project (still underway). Last fall I tore down a screened-in porch and a lower deck that spanned the space between the house and garage. Lot's of pressure treated lumber for me to re-use for the pool deck. Here's a picture...

Salt strips and the pool store water analysis agree - my Mineral Springs (Goldline Aquatrol) SWCG unit is under-reporting salt by about 500 ppm. The unit was new in June. Can this particular unit be recalibrated or is salt concentration sensing by electronic means an imprecise affair? I hate...

Here's where I'm at with closing for winter in the next 3 or so weeks: Ph 7.5 FC 3 TA 150 TH 180 CYA 40 salt 3200 Borates 50 I'd like to get the TA down even though the Ph has been rock solid all summer at 7.5 (and yes, the stabilizer levels are a little low right now - lot's of rain...

Does anyone know how 3000 ppm salt affects the freezing point of water? I'm guessing it will a little, but not enough to matter to a typical Iowa winter. Kelly

My first closing with an AGP 15 X 30 will be coming up in a few weeks. I've ordered one 4X15 air pillow. Will that do it (oriented along the long axis of the pool)? Also, these Aquador skimmer covers look interesting. What does the initial installation entail? Not sure I want to mess with a...

I haven't seen these discussed much. Do we have any users here? Since my attic is usually unbearable on sunny days, I'm intrigued by the thought of pumping my pool water up there and into a heat exchanger. Thought I'd seek info from experienced users before going this route vs solar panels...

I'm a new pool owner (15X30 ABG Lomart) with a Mineral Springs (Goldline AcquaTrol I believe) SWG. First, this forum and been a wealth of knowledge - so here's a big thanks to everyone involved! The PB started it up with a chlorine shock, and then added the Mineral Springs salt (Beginnings)...