Hey all, I just wanted to say thanks for all the info and help on this site. I’ve had a crash course on pool ownership and maintenance here, and it’s very much appreciated. I do have a couple of questions, and I’m sure I’ll have more going forward.
We bought a new (to us) house last summer, and so became a new pool owner. Pool water always looked good before and after we bought, so I, naively, took the previous owner’s process of dropping pucks in the skimmers for the first few months. But after some poking around and doing my research (mostly on TFP) I figured out the pool and that process needed some work. Due to some occasional squealing noises from the Hayward Super Pump, instead of repairing the bearings I decided to upgrade the motor to a VGreen 165 VS pump and added the VLink WiFi controller. I’ve been extremely happy with both. I overhauled the Polaris PB-4 pump seals, supply hoses and fittings, and added a GE outdoor 240v z wave switch to automate it. Also decided to ditch the pucks and installed a Circupool Edge 40 SWG. I replaced all the plumbing from the pump outlet to the return valve, through the cartridge filter, Polaris booster pump, SWG, and added a flow meter. One of the main reasons I went with the Circupool was their warranty wasn’t voided by a self install, and that it was a 7-year warranty. At first I just had it relying on the flow switch based on the motor schedule, but after reading the warnings on this site, I added another z wave switch to the SWG as well. So now, Alexa turns on the Polaris every other day for 3 hours, and turns on the SWG shortly after the VS pump turns on and turns it off just before the pump shuts off in the evening. Other than being able to control it remotely, this setup prevents the two from ever getting out of sync should there be a power loss, they both connect to the internet and get their times from that.
I got a Taylor K-2006 kit, a speed stir, the Pool Math app, and a determination that I can do this myself. After some testing I found that while the pool looked clear, the chemistry was pretty far out of whack. CH was below 170, FC was 2.0 and TA was a little low, thankfully the CYA was just above 70 despite only ever using the pucks in the past. I was afraid it was going to be super high and would require some water replacement to bring it down.
I’m running the pump at 1750 rpm for 12 hours, with the SWG currently set at 37.5% (8 settings/12.5% each). FC has been 4.8 at sunset for the last 2 very sunny days, with the pool getting full sun from about noon until sunset. CC is 0. I brought the CH up to about 350 and the TA to 110. As I’ve read with a SWG, I’ve now had the Ph constantly trying to rise, so I’m trying to figure out the schedule needed to add MA to keep it down on a more consistent basis.
So that’s where I’m at. Sorry to ramble, more than anything I’m just hoping for some validation that I’m headed down the right path. So much of the information you get here is picked from different articles and different threads, and sometimes it’s hard to know how one piece may affect another in a way that you maybe didn’t expect. So piecing it all together I felt needed the full picture. Oh, and I have some questions!
1. As summer approaches, and with it comes warmer temps and longer sunlight, is there a rule of thumb or advice I can use to adjust the output of the SWG, or pump schedule, to keep up with the FC demand? Or just do frequent tests to keep an eye on the demand and adjust it accordingly?
2. I’ve read some people only clean their cartridge filters a couple of times a season. I don’t notice as much pressure changes running at roughly half speed on the pump, but I do notice fairly reduced flow rates after just a couple of days, and by a week or two I feel it benefits from a cleaning. Is that a sign I need a new filter? Am I being overly concerned about it? Or just keep doing what I’m doing?
3. Moving to a VS pump, especially running longer at a lower speed, I have noticed a loss in skimming effectiveness. I’ve read suggestions of partially closing the main drain to force more pull on the skimmers. Is that effective, or should I schedule the pump to increase speed for some time each day to better skim? If so, any recommendations on speed and duration?
4. Lastly (for now), all the water and equipment issues aside, the pool deck is a fairly poorly maintained exposed aggregate that is not super pleasant to walk on. We are exploring options to fix both the comfort and look of the deck. But of more immediate concern is the gap between the top tile and the exposed aggregate coping. What’s there was a stiff mortar/grout type product that has been systematically breaking out. Any suggestions on something to fill that gap, preferably one that would be more flexible than what’s there?
Seriously, thanks for hanging in through this long post. And again, I’ll say a sincere thank you for all the help you all have given me thus far, and for the help you’ll no doubt provide going forward. Oh, and I’ll add a thank you for our 2 young girls who will get so much enjoyment out of our pool, hopefully for many years to come, one of whom has CF, so a healthy sanitized pool is the highest priority.
We bought a new (to us) house last summer, and so became a new pool owner. Pool water always looked good before and after we bought, so I, naively, took the previous owner’s process of dropping pucks in the skimmers for the first few months. But after some poking around and doing my research (mostly on TFP) I figured out the pool and that process needed some work. Due to some occasional squealing noises from the Hayward Super Pump, instead of repairing the bearings I decided to upgrade the motor to a VGreen 165 VS pump and added the VLink WiFi controller. I’ve been extremely happy with both. I overhauled the Polaris PB-4 pump seals, supply hoses and fittings, and added a GE outdoor 240v z wave switch to automate it. Also decided to ditch the pucks and installed a Circupool Edge 40 SWG. I replaced all the plumbing from the pump outlet to the return valve, through the cartridge filter, Polaris booster pump, SWG, and added a flow meter. One of the main reasons I went with the Circupool was their warranty wasn’t voided by a self install, and that it was a 7-year warranty. At first I just had it relying on the flow switch based on the motor schedule, but after reading the warnings on this site, I added another z wave switch to the SWG as well. So now, Alexa turns on the Polaris every other day for 3 hours, and turns on the SWG shortly after the VS pump turns on and turns it off just before the pump shuts off in the evening. Other than being able to control it remotely, this setup prevents the two from ever getting out of sync should there be a power loss, they both connect to the internet and get their times from that.
I got a Taylor K-2006 kit, a speed stir, the Pool Math app, and a determination that I can do this myself. After some testing I found that while the pool looked clear, the chemistry was pretty far out of whack. CH was below 170, FC was 2.0 and TA was a little low, thankfully the CYA was just above 70 despite only ever using the pucks in the past. I was afraid it was going to be super high and would require some water replacement to bring it down.
I’m running the pump at 1750 rpm for 12 hours, with the SWG currently set at 37.5% (8 settings/12.5% each). FC has been 4.8 at sunset for the last 2 very sunny days, with the pool getting full sun from about noon until sunset. CC is 0. I brought the CH up to about 350 and the TA to 110. As I’ve read with a SWG, I’ve now had the Ph constantly trying to rise, so I’m trying to figure out the schedule needed to add MA to keep it down on a more consistent basis.
So that’s where I’m at. Sorry to ramble, more than anything I’m just hoping for some validation that I’m headed down the right path. So much of the information you get here is picked from different articles and different threads, and sometimes it’s hard to know how one piece may affect another in a way that you maybe didn’t expect. So piecing it all together I felt needed the full picture. Oh, and I have some questions!
1. As summer approaches, and with it comes warmer temps and longer sunlight, is there a rule of thumb or advice I can use to adjust the output of the SWG, or pump schedule, to keep up with the FC demand? Or just do frequent tests to keep an eye on the demand and adjust it accordingly?
2. I’ve read some people only clean their cartridge filters a couple of times a season. I don’t notice as much pressure changes running at roughly half speed on the pump, but I do notice fairly reduced flow rates after just a couple of days, and by a week or two I feel it benefits from a cleaning. Is that a sign I need a new filter? Am I being overly concerned about it? Or just keep doing what I’m doing?
3. Moving to a VS pump, especially running longer at a lower speed, I have noticed a loss in skimming effectiveness. I’ve read suggestions of partially closing the main drain to force more pull on the skimmers. Is that effective, or should I schedule the pump to increase speed for some time each day to better skim? If so, any recommendations on speed and duration?
4. Lastly (for now), all the water and equipment issues aside, the pool deck is a fairly poorly maintained exposed aggregate that is not super pleasant to walk on. We are exploring options to fix both the comfort and look of the deck. But of more immediate concern is the gap between the top tile and the exposed aggregate coping. What’s there was a stiff mortar/grout type product that has been systematically breaking out. Any suggestions on something to fill that gap, preferably one that would be more flexible than what’s there?
Seriously, thanks for hanging in through this long post. And again, I’ll say a sincere thank you for all the help you all have given me thus far, and for the help you’ll no doubt provide going forward. Oh, and I’ll add a thank you for our 2 young girls who will get so much enjoyment out of our pool, hopefully for many years to come, one of whom has CF, so a healthy sanitized pool is the highest priority.
You've been busy. 
So about your questions: