polyvue

SWGs are not great at shocking the pool. You'll have much more success using liquid chlorine or 6% bleach. How much CYA (cyanuric acid, stablizer) is in the water? Others more familiar with the variable speed eFlow pump may be able to assist you in tweaking it so that you can avoid the low-flow condition.

Welcome to the forum. If you're limiting responses to builders, those in the Northern hemisphere are likely to be crazy-busy right now, so it may take a while to get more than one or two to respond to your post.

Welcome to the forum. Sorry you've had troubles with your pool build. I'm a pool owner, not a builder or contractor, but I don't believe new marcite should have cracks in it. Plastering is both an art and a science and there may be any number of reasons for plaster failure, often involving weather/environment and/or installation/materials/skill issues. Material and labor costs for pebble finishes exceed that of regular plaster so the $2K may be justified. Unless you've been in the business or have read up on each of the trades, you're never going to fully know if the contractors performed exactly as they should have. If you specified the equipment (brand names, capacities, model numbers) in your contract you should be able to determine whether these items were indeed installed. Go look at the manufacturing labels (on the filter, pump(s), heaters etc) and create a notebook of specifications to compare to your builder's list of equipment. RE: filter cleaning. Need more information. How big is your pool? Is the water clear? What model of Pentair filter? Don't worry about the bands breaking... Why are you cleaning it so frequently? What is the normal pressure reading (PSI) at the filter? Unless you're fighting an algae outbreak with an undersized filter, you shouldn't have to clean it that often. (I clean mine once a year... but nevermind.) This should get the conversation started.

When my pool was built they pressure tested the system for 36 hours at 50 PSI -- just the pipes from the equipment pad to the capped-off suctions and returns at pool and spa. After inspection, they back-filled the runs and started installing the equipment.

You'll want to determine a baseline reading so you know when to backwash. If you suspect the gauge is faulty, replacing it is a good first move. When the pump is off it should read zero (0) PSI (or bar). How long ago did you change the sand? In another thread you spoke of having a green pool. If you're fighting algae you may need to backwash frequently. But don't backwash too frequently; wait for 8 or 10 lbs of pressure increase as determined by the gauge.

Welcome to the forum. Assuming the most common cause for a green pool (algae), you will want to begin treating it right away. Before you start, lower the pH with muriatic acid. Use care when applying, it has a rather unpleasant smell and should be poured slowly in the pool in front of a return with the filter/pump operating. Good test kits are hard or impossible to find in pool stores. Your best bet is to procure one via an on-line vendor. The Taylor K-2006 is available for less than $60 at the following web sites: Amatoind.com PoolCenter.com Spspools-spas.com Lincolnaquatics.com To determine how much bleach you'll need to add, you must know the level of CYA (aka cyanuric acid or stabilizer) present in the pool water. The kit mentioned above will give you an accurate measurement of CYA. Refer to the Best Guess CYA chart to determine shock level. With the pump running 24/7 add as much bleach as needed to achieve shock level and maintain this level until there is less than 1 PPM Free Chlorine lost from dusk to dawn. This requires frequent testing and repeated applications of liquid chlorine or bleach. I use the Pool Calculator to calculate how much of a particular chemical to add. Post back with any questions... there are many folks here capable of helping you through this.

Having sufficient calcium ions in pool water is of utmost importance for marcite (gunite/plaster) pool surfaces as well as pools with tile and grout exposure to prevent leaching of calcium from the substrate. My understanding is that manufacturers of fiberglass pools also recommend a specific calcium hardness level to protect the gel coating. There may be discussions on this forum that address calcium levels in vinyl pools. Here's a thread from 2006 that touches on this topic: Low calcium levels, plasticizers in vinyl liners, leaching cobalt from fiberglass? I've had numerous pool test kits, including 2, 3 and 4-way drop kits but if you perform your own testing I'd recommend the Taylor K-2006 Complete (FAS-DPD Chlorine). Pool stores don't usually stock it but it can be had for less than $60 through a number of on-line purveyors. It measures pH; Free, Combined & Total Chlorine from .2 PPM to 50 PPM; Total Alkalinity; Calcium Hardness; and Cyanuric Acid (CYA).

Are you looking for a robot cleaner, Gavin? There are also pressure-side cleaners (that work best with a dedicated supply line and booster pump) that work with the normal pump/filter cycle. The robots are independent, requiring only an electrical connection and someone to drop them into the water and retreive them to clean the debris trap. This page contains a list of various types of automated cleaners.

I'm sorry, I'm having trouble understanding. You're recommending the Polaris 380, right?

Hello Gatorman, welcome to the forum. If you have only a tenth of one part per million Total Chlorine in your pool, then effectively you have NO chlorine. Could you post the rest of the test result numbers? pH 7.8 FC CC TC .1 ppm TA CH CYA Salt Hardness increaser is predominantly Calcium Chloride but there are various kinds. Sometimes you can get a better price on-line than in your local pool store. What was the Calcium hardness test result? If you have an above-ground pool or an in-ground pool with vinyl liner, you shouldn't need to add calcium.

I think I would trust the results of the store that used a calibrated TDS/Salt meter over a store that relys on test strips. For a recent discussion on this topic, see the following thread: Testing Salt

Chlorine is still the way to go but there's an art to making sure a temporary pool stays green-free. It basically entails buying and using a good test kit (Taylor K-2006, available via several on-line vendors, including Amatoind.com, for less than $50) and the regular application of chlorine -- 6% bleach works just fine. For an overview of best practices, see the Guide for Seasonal Pools.

I suppose you'll receive various answers to this question since most pool owners like the equipment they own. I'm no different and will recommend the Hayward SwimClear C4025 (or better yet, the C5025). I've read posts from DE filter owners that decry consideration of cartridge media, saying that they won't keep the pool clean, but I've never had issues with performance. If you use an automated cleaner, net the pool reasonably often and change the filter/pump baskets, you may find that the cartridges only need cleaning every 3 to 6 months. I clean mine once a year and even then, they don't appear very dirty. No pressure rise, either. I have no complaint about the clarity of the water but I haven't directly compared my pool to others that use a DE filter. In general, install right-size pumps (not too large) and oversize filters.

Interesting. Is this an aftermarket product? When I surveyed a selection of Hayward IG pumps none of them had any sort of mechanism to remove or reduce air bubbles -- my Tristar pump, included. Once the pump is primed, the air bubbles disperse.

See the following forum thread for assistance in converting a Baquacil pool to chlorine: http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/forumdisplay.php?f=137

Thanks Paul...I am adding Balance Pak 100 because total akalinity is low. In fact I just had water tested again this morning and need to add 10 lbs more of Balance Pak 100 ( added 8 lbs Balance Pak 100 yesterday) as the tot akalinity today is 123, Adj. Tot Alk is 78, CYA is 151, Tot Cholorine is 1.4, FREE Chlorine is still 0, PH is 7.3 I was told to add 4 lbs of BioGuard's Super Soluble (FAST Dissolving Di-Chloro Granules ( 97% active ingredients!)Was told that this is better and will take care of the free chlorine. I have been using the Bioguard Pool Magnet (upon pool opening)for the past six years. Was reccommended because I have large boulder waterfall as part of the pool (this helps take out the metals in the water and has been very effective). If your CYA is significantly over 80 PPM it's usually advisable to drain some of the pool water. Dichlor will add to your already over-abundant CYA and make it nearly impossible to effectively shock the water. The Total Alkalinity (TA) is high enough and would not recommend additional dosing with Balance Pak (sodium bicarbonate). Clearly you DO need to shock, because you have no FC but you do have elevated CC. I'm in total agreement with Paul.

You mentioned that the pool was build in 1970s... what size (approx. inside diameter) is the PVC pipe that connects the pump to the filter? 1.5" 2.0" 2.5" etc ?

Could you post a picture? I've never heard of a pump straw... don't suppose you mean the filter's air relief tube?

Well, since you're probably already gone now, I'll make this short. Please indicate what type of pool you have (in-ground or above-ground, vinyl, fiberglass, plaster, pebbletec) and the test results for Free Chlorine FC Combined Chlorine CC Total Chlorine TC Total Alkalinity TA Calcium Hardness CH Cyanuric Acid CYA (aka stabilizer) Salt If the levels are reasonably within range, not much can happen in 4 days that will prove costly.

Unfortunately, and for reasons that remain unresolved (but not unexplored), AquaChek salt test strips do not invariably produce accurate results. I found this out last summer when the strips consistently reported 800-1000 ppm higher than my Goldline controller. This saga was related on a pool web site that I don't wish to reference here. I don't claim that the AquaChek titrators aren't viable for most people, most of the time (they worked for me, too, during the first year of pool use), only that they're not fool proof. The results of the Taylor drop test, however, seem right on the money and I would assert that the end-point determination is no more challenging than that of the Calcium Hardness titration, especially when using a 10 mL sample -- the salmon color comes on strongly and quickly. Since the Taylor K-1766 drop test can be had for less than $20 (PoolWeb, excluding shipping) it's certainly within reach of the typical pool owner.

That's some history. You've added lots of product into the pool and still ended up with zero chlorine? If your CYA is significantly over 80 PPM it's usually advisable to drain some of the pool water. One reason for this is that it takes a LOT of chlorine just to maintain sanitation/oxidation when the CYA (aka cyanuric acid, stabilizer, conditioner) is that high. See Best Guess CYA chart I don't know what "pool magnet" is but I suspect it might contain copper. This can be very problematic if/when your pH level varies and you've added chlorine to shock (it can fall out of solution and stain your pool surfaces). May I recommend that you buy and use a good test kit (e.g. Taylor K-2006 or equivalent) and then retire your pool company? Maybe their customers are having problems with maintaining Free Chlorine levels but I assure you that many thousands of other pool owners have no such issues -- in any sort of weather.

Yes, 1 PPM Free Chlorine is not even close to being a maintenance level when you have a CYA of ~150 PPM. See Best Guess CYA chart So, after you've followed PaulR's good advice on draining half of the water to reduce CYA and then refilled, ramp up the chlorine - using 6% bleach or 10-12% liquid chlorine - as per the Best Guess chart (linked above) to shock the pool until there is less than a 1 ppm drop in Free Chlorine (FC) from dusk to dawn. At that point, set your SWG to ensure that the minimum chlorine level is held. Target a Free Chlorine level of 5% or more of CYA. (If your CYA = 75 ppm, you may want to aim for 4 PPM FC) Lastly, don't worry about phospates. Pools have varying amounts; keep your chlorine level good and algae won't have any opportunity to take advantage of them.

Often the key to clearing a pool is having a sufficient amount of chlorine combined with nearly constant filtering. What are you using to shock the water? Though you're better off doing your own testing (recommended kit: Taylor K-2006) you could also have the pool store provide test results -- but best not to buy anything or put chems into the pool until you're able to diagnose the problem. If you've used chlorine compounds in the past the water may have a high level of cyanuric acid (CYA). The higher the CYA, the more chlorine you have to use to acheive good results. See the Best Guess CYA chart. If you're fighting algae and don't raise the chlorine high enough (and keep it there) it will just keep coming back. For more specific advice, post back with specific test results. pH Free Chlorine (FC) Combined Chlorine (CC) Total Chlorine (TC) Total Alkalinity (TA) Calcium Hardness (CH) Cyanuric Acid (CYA)

Good luck with your new setup. Hope you can stick around to provide advice to other Intex pool owners.

What's the source of your fill water? I suppose you could take a sample to a pool store for a metals test to see if it is iron, but it is more likely dead or dying algae. Recommend posting full test results (Free Chlorine, Combined Chlorine, Total Chlorine, Total Alkalkinity, CYA (conditioner) and Calcium Hardness) for further diagnosis. What product are you using to chlorinate the pool?