PoolGuyNJ

I never heard of it as a product. Usually, decking is cantilevered out over something for a distance, in this case for a distance over a pool's water at the side where the water meets the pool wall. Scott

Removing the deck at this point, may cause more harm than good if rebar was J-hooked in the beam to lock it to the deck and provide additional weight. Was a sump leading to a gravel bed under the shell used or a dry well doing the same built? What are the supporting soil conditions? A 1-1/4" difference suggests there was either settlement or it was eyeballed with a single level. A suitable bed should have supported the shell and water weight. Tile can still be added which would somewhat mask the height problem. IMHO, this is the route to go but I only see the installer's liability being credit towards regular tile. Any premium tile cost should be born by you but not the install of it. Scott

Just keep the FC a little higher. Eventually, the stains will come out. They are organic in nature and so, as time passes with exposure to free chlorine, they will fade into nothingness. Its just going to take time. Scott

Air is getting sucked in the pump and varying the water flow rate. Scott

Not usually. Spas normally cause the pressure to rise in the tank. Scott

RS-6 was what I needed. Sounds like the valve actuator isn't programmed. I would expect it to be #3. Label it in the RS and assign it a time period when the pump is on. Scott

That sounds like a flame sensor that isn't sensing. Its either sooted or needs replacing. Scott

Water in a pool or spa is heated quite differently than air in a room. The amount of gas used to heat it doesn't change, just how long you have to wait does. Leaks are generally created due to low pH conditions. I don't recommend trying to fabricate a new combustion chamber. While a bit more money than most, the Pentair Mastertemp 400HD is the top of the line in reliability and engineering. You get what you pay for and this is an area where scrimping costs you later. I used to suggest Raypak/Rheem heaters but I have found they thinned the heat exchanger wall thickness which puts them in the same boat as you are already in. Scott

The steps can not be painted, AFAIK. Pea gravel self compacts. I normally go through the decking to add gravel. Scott

Blindly shocking is not recommended. Scott

A full set of chem levels are needed for: pH Alkalinity Free Chlorine Combined or Total Chlorine CYA or Stabilizer Calcium Hardness Water Temperature Salt (strips are OK here) Geographic location Your getting pool stored by a supposed pool pro that isn't. Get a proper test kit that includes DPD-FAS chlorine test so you can test the water yourself. They aren't hard to use. Most are mail order (or web). Look at the Taylor K-2006 series. Scott

Oh, and BTW, get some Chlorox for the time the pump is going to be off. A 1.4 gallon jug is close to a 1 pound pouch of powdered. Add 1 jug per 10,000 gallons or any part there of. Example: 17,000 gallon pool = 2 jugs, 22, 000 gallon pool is 3 jugs, Pour it around the pool and stir it up with a scoop net a couple of time during the day. Scott

1) You have to get a proper, drop based, DPD-FAS (or is it FAS-DPD?) test kit, something like the Taylor K-2006 series. This is not an option. Spend the money so you KNOW the Free and Combined (or Total) chlorine, alk, pH, calcium hardness, and CYA levels. They are not hard to use and you know it is right because you did it. 2) With a residential, outdoor pool, CYA plays an important role in helping you reduce the amount of chlorine your pool needs to meet its demands for a sanitary body of water without the levels bouncing, which is one of the things I suspect may be happening. Being 0 is not an option. It should be at least 25 ppm but if you have a salt cell, can and should be in the 50 to 80 range, depending on where you live. The FC should be between 5% to 7% of the CYA level for cell based chlorination and 8% to 10% for all others. 3) High but safe doesn't cut it. You need to know what the level is. Stop using Cal-Hypo to raise the chlorine as it will only make things worse. If the pH is too high for the level of calcium in the water, scale formation may be your issue in the filter. I kind of doubt it but it is possible. 4) How do you normally chlorinate your water? Tabs, powder, bleach, or cell? If you use tabs, where to you put them? 5) You said your chlorine was 3 but didn't specify if that was free and available or total. I you used drops that made the sample turn yellow, that is an OTO test and tests Total. You don't know how much is free and how much is combined. Any combined over 0.5 ppm can cause issues and requires shocking (which is a process and NOT a product). 6) If the water temps is 75 degrees F or greater, I would use dichlor powder pre mixed in a bucket (1/4 lb per gallon) to raise the chlorine and CYA level to where needed. Use bleach and CYA granules in a white, cotton tube sock hung in front of a return if the water is below 75 so you don't have dissolving issues, as ALL powdered chlorines do, regardless of the label! The CYA will take a week or so to show fully in a test. 7) Are you using DE or a substitute? How much? A fresh five pound charge of DE does not backwash fully! Frequent backwashing will likely create a cake inside the grids. You may have to remove the grid assembly again. Remove the header, noting where the short panel is near the port of the header that fits over the stand pipe in the filter. Separate the panels and hose them off fully. Soak them in clean, 32 gallon garbage can. with a half a box of cheap, store brand powdered dishwasher detergent, overnight to remove any oils and lotions that got in the panels. Rince and reassemble the panels, saving the short panel for last. All the others are the same. Put the filter together again.. Now you can put a full charge of DE (slurried) in. Future recharges should only be about 4 pounds and slurried (4 gallons of water to 2 ponds of DE stirred up) and poured in the skimmer (drain off) 8) If it does it again, an acid bath may be called for. Similar procedure to the dishwasher detergent version but using a 5 gallons of water to 1 gallon Muraitic acid for about 6 hours. Use baking soda to neutralize the liquid first. When it stops bubbling, test the pH. It should be neutral before dumping. Always wear rubber gloves and safety eye wear! Don't spill pure Muriatic! Add acid to water! Think and practice SAFETY. Has this pool ever seen Baquacil or Softswim? Scott

Light fixtures are waterproof. The niche is meant to be flooded. When pulling the cord through the conduit to the deck box, leave enough cord from the fixture to the deck at the edge of the pool above the niche plus 12" so bulbs can be changed on the deck. The cord is is then wound onto the back of the fixture as it is replaced in the niche. Scott

A very loud noise from the motor is not the seal set. That is bearings and it really isn't worth the money or effort to try to rebuild it. Scott

There are actually two of them. They will sandwich the ball end of the jet. One goes in the locking ring and one in the jet body. Scott

1) Chem levels and water clarity please 2) Equipment used ? Scott

The perceived excess is not excess. Yes, you need the booster for your sweep. It needs the pressure more than volume of water. The only way to get that pressure by by pushing the water. Scott

Certain chemical saturation limits for specific chems dictate dilution only. Scott

Plugging the cell in while the controller is hot is not suggested. Try the fix for the burnt board first. Scott

You have what type of equipment? Scott

There is no conversion except for how the chlorine is getting added and the slightly smaller ratio of FC to CYA needed. Scott

If it's only been off a short time and the sun isn't hitting it, it should be fine. If the sun is hitting it, let it run for a half a turn or so 1st. This is usually enough time to get the normal level for chlorine back. Scott

I would likely suggest using the 2 wheeled version of the suction side The Pool Cleaner for this situation. Scott

Ugly industry fact: Over 70% of the people that get pools put in, don't want to continue the relationship with the builder. This, mind you, can be either side's fault. Its also why I won't put pools in. I like my nearly perfect service record. Nearly perfect because I have had to PING two clients in over 3 years in business. There is no pleasing some folks and others are just low lifes. You should not have given them the money but you know that now. Grout residue is removed normally with a 4-1 mix of water and Muriatic. Rinse well! As for the pavers, I would call the manufacturer. As for the brother, I think your having contacted the AG is inadequate. The DA needs to know too. Sounds like the 2nd brother needs to hear from the law too. Scott