Just looking for validation that I'm going down the right path. I purchased a house 3 years ago that came with a pool from 1998 or so. I'm a complete pool newbie, other than I found and started reading this forum a year or so ago. Since then, I bought a TF-100, switched to using only liquid bleach, and stopped buying the Nature2 cartridges. I also got rid of the pool company I was using who doesn't sell liquid bleach and continued to recommend products this forum says to stay away from. I did find a new company that handles repairs and sells 5G jugs of bleach last season.
This morning, we began opening the pool this season and ran into many problems. The new company that was opening the pool (I have not yet been brave enough to try that on my own yet) showed me a few places that were leaking:
[1] A plastic port on the rusty heater seems to have shot water out, threads seem crossed to the point where I can't screw it back in and it stays in
[2] The gasket between the motor and the pump housing
[3] A shut-off valve that doesn't seem to make a lot of sense
More
[1] When we moved in the heater panel was dead. But, the heater still got the water hot, we just had no way of knowing the temp it was set at and whether it would ever stop. It's rusty inside and the local pool store couldn't (didn't want to) find replacement parts. We turned off the breaker and the gas line and it's been off ever since.
I think it would be nice to have a heater so I can use the pool longer, so I do plan on getting a new one. This company recommends and services Star-rite, and from a few threads on this forum says they're fine, I'll probably go that route (price depending). I'm curious to see their quotes. The choice would be either to remove and bypass the heater vs install something new. They suggested sticking with a gas heater over a heat pump mostly because the gas line is already there
Question: While they're doing work there, does it make sense to completely remove the Nature2 housing? I will not buy cartridges for it again, but don't if it makes sense to spend money to remove and/or if there's any value in repurposing it or installing anything else in its place?
[2] The pump motor was replaced last fall by the old company. This new company believes they likely did not change the gasket, which is why it's leaking there. If for whatever reason changing the gasket does not fix the problem and the plastic is cracked, I'll have to make a decision on whether to buy parts to fix the current setup or to replace. I'm on municipal electricity, so I don't qualify for rebates on a variable speed motor, but cost wouldn't be the sole factor in a decision.
[3] The valve that's leaking didn't make any sense to me before and seems to make less sense to the pool company. They're going to replace that with a simpler union
Am I on the right path? Anything else that I'm forgetting to do, other than to remove the weeds and leaves that are a never ending battle here?
Thanks so much!
Image to help explain attached.
This morning, we began opening the pool this season and ran into many problems. The new company that was opening the pool (I have not yet been brave enough to try that on my own yet) showed me a few places that were leaking:
[1] A plastic port on the rusty heater seems to have shot water out, threads seem crossed to the point where I can't screw it back in and it stays in
[2] The gasket between the motor and the pump housing
[3] A shut-off valve that doesn't seem to make a lot of sense
More
[1] When we moved in the heater panel was dead. But, the heater still got the water hot, we just had no way of knowing the temp it was set at and whether it would ever stop. It's rusty inside and the local pool store couldn't (didn't want to) find replacement parts. We turned off the breaker and the gas line and it's been off ever since.
I think it would be nice to have a heater so I can use the pool longer, so I do plan on getting a new one. This company recommends and services Star-rite, and from a few threads on this forum says they're fine, I'll probably go that route (price depending). I'm curious to see their quotes. The choice would be either to remove and bypass the heater vs install something new. They suggested sticking with a gas heater over a heat pump mostly because the gas line is already there
Question: While they're doing work there, does it make sense to completely remove the Nature2 housing? I will not buy cartridges for it again, but don't if it makes sense to spend money to remove and/or if there's any value in repurposing it or installing anything else in its place?
[2] The pump motor was replaced last fall by the old company. This new company believes they likely did not change the gasket, which is why it's leaking there. If for whatever reason changing the gasket does not fix the problem and the plastic is cracked, I'll have to make a decision on whether to buy parts to fix the current setup or to replace. I'm on municipal electricity, so I don't qualify for rebates on a variable speed motor, but cost wouldn't be the sole factor in a decision.
[3] The valve that's leaking didn't make any sense to me before and seems to make less sense to the pool company. They're going to replace that with a simpler union
Am I on the right path? Anything else that I'm forgetting to do, other than to remove the weeds and leaves that are a never ending battle here?
Thanks so much!
Image to help explain attached.
