Search results

I am in Southern New Jersey and have my pool winterized at the end of every season. I went outside yesterday and noticed that there was water draining from the pump. I closed the valve for the main pool drain, and the water stopped. I'm assuming that the air seal/lock was broken somehow. This is...

I have a Nature2 Fusion Soft Salt Cell Generator (FSOFT1400). I don't use the Nature2 portion of the system. It was originally installed by my pool company, and I was pretty clueless at the time. I came out this morning and noticed the cord was smoking where it connects to the top of the salt...

I've been helping my neighbor with his pool, as he has no prior experience with one. It's an above ground with a 120v pump, which I'm not as familiar with. A couple days ago, I noticed his water level seemed low, and the pump looked to be having trouble maintaining prime (filter pressure was...

I was cleaning out my skimmer baskets, and I had a bag of pH down sitting next to me. I accidentally hit it, and about 3/4 of the bag fell into the skimmer. I don't even know how I did this, but it is probably the dumbest thing I have ever done. I'm trying to figure out what to do to get this...

I have been helping my neighbor with his pool. He has a Hayward E100 filter. Since the time he's been there, he has had a leak around the clamp. I tried tightening the screws, but it didn't help at all. We ended up removing the clamp and lifting the multiport valve. I noticed that there is no...

Last year, I helped my neighbor plumb his above ground pool with rigid PVC. Before this, he had flexible black houses that had leaks all over the place. A couple weeks ago, he had a new liner installed, and apparently, the installer damaged the return line going into the pool. He installed new...

My pump died last year, and I replaced it with a Pentair IntelliFlo VS. I love the variable speed feature, but it made my Polaris 360 unusable. I had tried setting it at high speed for a couple hours, and it didn't help as much as I had hoped. I'd like to just get a standalone robot, so I don't...

I am trying to help my neighbor with his pump. It's a Pentair OP-NI-1VD (Part No. 347987). It's currently wired with a black cord that runs to a piece of NMLTC and is spliced with electrical tape. Definitely not good. On my pool, the NMLTC runs from the timer directly into the motor housing...

I am planning to help my neighbor convert his pool to rigid PVC. I don’t have much experience with above ground pools and have a few questions. There is a different fitting on the inlet to the multiport valve than the return and waste lines, and I want to make sure that it’s actually removable...

I am trying to help my neighbor re-pipe his above ground pool. It currently has flexible tubing, and the plan is to switch it to PVC. I am trying to find the correct union fittings for his pump and filter but have not been successful in locating them. The filter is a Hayward E-100 (sand), and...

My pump died on May 29th, and I replaced it with a Pentair IntelliFlo variable speed unit. Due to some issues, I couldn't get it up and running until yesterday. I expected my pool to look like a swamp, but surprisingly, it is still crystal clear. I'm very new to variable speed pumps, and I'm not...

I am in the process of upgrading my pump to a Pentair IntelliFlo variable speed, and I want to make sure I wire this correctly. I currently have a 15A breaker with 14AWG wiring. My plan is to replace it with 12AWG stranded THHN/THWN and a 20A breaker (it appears to require a 20A breaker per the...

I am replacing my pump, and I thought it would be a good idea to use unions. I just made a major mistake, and I don’t know how to correct it. I forgot to install the slip connector (not sure if that’s the correct word for it) before gluing. I don’t know how to fix this, as I don’t have enough...

I am installing a new variable speed pump, and the inlet is 3/4” higher than the old one. I have a cement pad that supports both the filter and pump. Is there an easy way to raise this to the correct height? I was looking at landscaping blocks, but they didn’t have any in such a small height. I...

I had made an earlier post about replacing my old single speed pump. I ended up being able to answer most of my questions by researching other posts on this site. One thing that I'm unclear about is the gray pipe that goes into the inlet of my existing pump. I'm assuming that this is CPVC (or...

I decided to go ahead and purchase a Pentair IntelliFlo pump based on all of your suggestions. I don't have it yet, but I am trying to plan the install. I've worked with PVC many times but have never done much with pools. I feel that I have a decent understanding of what to do but am concerned...

I need to replace my motor, and I’m wondering if a variable speed pump is worthwhile for New Jersey in terms of cost savings. I usually keep my pool open May to September. I previously had a single speed that I would run from 8 to 6 (which is probably too long from what I’ve been reading). The...

I have an American Pool Products Ultra-Flow pump with a 2 HP motor. The pump is the original unit from 1993, but the motor has been replaced. The first one died in 2008. I went outside yesterday morning and noticed the pump was not running. The breaker had tripped, I reset it, turned the pump...

I have been helping my new neighbor with his pool. He has no previous experience, so I felt bad. One thing that I noticed is that he has a bunch of flexible lines, and they all seem to be leaking. I thought it might be nice to help him convert to PVC. I don’t have much experience with above...

I have been helping my new neighbor with getting his pool ready. I’ve used the TFP method for years on my own and have had great results. He has an above ground pool (approximately 10,000 gallons) with a sand filter. My pool is a cartridge filter, so I’m not as familiar with sand. What is...

I keep having an issue where pine needles are getting into my pump impeller. After cleaning them out the other day, I noticed a lot of water on my lawn the following morning. I've never previously had any leaks. I disconnected the seal plate (I think that's what it's called) and reseated it...

I use TFP with my gunite saltwater pool, and it works great for me. I noticed that my neighbor was struggling, and I thought I would try helping him. He has an 11,000 gallon above ground pool (vinyl I assume), and he uses pucks. His pH was okay, but the chlorine was very low (0.5 ppm). He has a...

I opened my pool later that I had wanted, so I feel like I'm rushing to get it ready. We're having a party tomorrow, and I want it to be safe for swimming. I completed the SLAM on Thursday and started the SWG yesterday. The water is crystal clear, and the TA, CH, and pH are all in the correct...

This is probably a dumb question, so I apologize in advance. Is it okay to put your hand/arm in the water (to get a test sample) when you are SLAMing. I'm referring to FC of 12+. I wasn't sure if I should be wearing gloves. Thanks!

I just opened my pool, and there is a lot of debris on the bottom. It looks to be too much for the Polaris alone. I was thinking about vacumming the pool and then cleaning the cartridges. I am not sure of the correct valve settings. Should I close off the pool drain completely? Should I also...

I have a Pentair Ultra Flow with an AO Smith 2 HP Motor (Model K48N2PA105C4). I broke the impeller on Sunday while I was trying to clean it. I ordered a new one along with a seal shaft and replacement O-rings. I was in the process of changing it, but I can't remove the seal plate. I realized...

I am in the process of replacing the impeller and shaft seal in my pool pump. It is an American Products/Pentair Ultra Flow, and the motor is by AO Smith. I've never worked on a pump before, and I'm not sure how to release the impeller. I removed the cover where the power comes in, and I see a...

Yesterday, I broke my pump impeller while trying to clean it. I still don't know how I managed to do that. I ordered one online, but it likely won't be here until Wednesday or Thursday. What is the best course of action while I'm waiting? Should I add bleach? I can't circulate the water, but I...

I took apart my pump today, because I wanted to clean the impeller. I had an obstruction somewhere, and I wanted to clean everything. I don't know what I did, but now I can't remember how to reassemble the pump. I thought that there was something that laid on top of the impeller, but I can't...

I recently had new tile and coping installed on my pool. After the work was done, I noticed that the deep-end skimmer had almost no suction. Because of that, nothing has accumulated in the basket. I think that they got debris (pieces of the old concrete coping) into the line. I removed some of...