Scotsman

I have a plaster based pool with a spa to the side that trickles into the pool i.e. while the pump/filter is running, the spa is designed to overflow like a small waterfall into the pool. Some relevant background info: recently I started cleaning the pool myself. Since there's no polaris, I connect a long tube with vaccum cleaner type attchment into the skimmer to suck up the leaves. The first time I tried it, there was no sucktion and so I flipped a small switch on the back of one of the motorized valves that switches the inlet from skimmer to spa (I was thinking it maybe done spa to skimmer at the time). This didn't make a difference and then I realised that after about 10 minutes, my spa was half empty - I think it had fallen to the same level as the pool. I soon realized that I shouldn't mess with that valve and flipped the switch back and the spa filled back up again. I don't know how or when or why, but the skimmer did start to suck and I was able to clean my leaves. The problem: a few days later, I noticed that every morning (the pump runs 9am through 8pm), the spa isn't as low as that one time but it falls about 8 inches. As soon as the pump comes on, its set to return through the spa and pool, so within a minute, the spa is back up again. I'm assuming the water is leaking into the pool through a valve each evening and not draining away somewhere else. Its been going on like this for a few weeks now. I tried flipping that motorised valve around and then back again incase it hadn't fully rotated but no difference. I should also mention that whenever we turn the spa on, that motorized valve turns to that same position as when I flipped the switch i.e. the valve turns quite regularly whenever we turn on the spa. Q1) Can anyone please suggest what I've done wrong? I'm assuming that when the pump is off, the water is draining from the higher spa level to the lower water level in the pool and if so, I'm assuming its getting through via the drain or the return line. I'm assuming its through the return line via that valve I messed with a few days before but as the valve is back in its original position, I can't see how to fix it. Q2) Assuming I'm not actually losing water, but just passing it from spa to pool and back, is there any danger with what is going on? For instance, could my plaster start to crack or something like that if its not submerged? This is my main concern. - Allan

Thanks Richard. I don't fully understand the TA levels yet and so your comment about keeping it low is confusing and is different from what the shop was recommending - they said 80-120, knowing I had an SWG. To be honest, I just started keeping my pool last week (new house came with pool) and so everything is new. I've not used algeacides yet. I did read about borates in a previous post and asked the lcal shop for them, but they said they didn't cary them and fobbed me off with some excuse. When I said CA, I meant Cyanuric Acid - guess I don't have the abreviations correct yet. The first month I had the house/pool, it gobbled up chlorine within days and when we turned on the SWG, which was set to 80%, the chlorine has been high (see below) and I've had it set to 50% for 3 or 4 days and it's still high - maybe I can turn it down further. As far as CYA levels, FC levels, etc, I guess i Just have the one control on the SWG which is percentage output, so I'll see how it goes with some more time. Despite my good (?) chlorine levels, I do have some green algae, but its on the rock round the pool, not in the pool itself. No vinyl pool - its cement based and I'm still trying to work out whether its plaster, gunite or painted cement, not sure how I can tell. Its certainly cement on the outer shell. The inside of the pool is a hard surface with a blue/black hard coating and someone called it plaster. so I don't know. Anyway, this is turning into a long story, which I was originally trying to avoid. My plan was to ask specific questions. I'll go over your reply a couple of times and try to further my education/experience as time goes on. Cheers, Allan. P.S. its a Goldline Aquat-rite, labelled as a Mineral Springs MS-10, and I managed to download the user manual a few days ago thanks to this forum. I spent several weeks trying to figure out if "minerals" was something other than salt. P.P.S We just turned the SWG on and the salt level has fallen below 2600 a couple of times, which confused me as I read in this forum that salt doesn't go anywhere. I'm adding 3 more bags of salt right now to try to get it back up to 3200. Texas has had a lot of rain recently, so maybe that's got something to do with it. Only reason I mention this is that despite the salt being low, the chlorine levels are still high, so I'm confident I can turn this baby down lower. I'm also guessing the cell ain't been cleaned in some time so I plan to do that next weekend.

I have a 22 gallon pool, SWG system that is keeping the chlorine levels good (just turned down the level setting). I have a high pH and have been adding MA to lower, but it always stays high. I got a sample tested and the main points were: FC 4 CC 0 pH 7.9 Alkalinity 75 CA 40 The store said to add 8lb sodium bicarbonate to raise TA, then 1pt, 10oz MA to lower pH. Then some shock and 6.5 lbs stabilizer (to increase CA?). I've added the sod bicarb and the TA hasn't increased much. I did start adding a little MA to try to get the pH down since I was adding the sod bicarb in stages. I still have to add more MA but my basic question is this - won't adding MA to lower the pH also lower the TA? It seems to me I shouldn't have both together i.e. I don't understand why if my alkalinity is low then how come pH is high? I also read that you add MA to reduce TA? I do also have a question about activating my in-floor cleaning but thats for another day. Thanks in advance.