poolguyinsc

I would take you water to a pool store that can do a chlorine demand test. I have seen a lot of demand this season, don't know why. I have had to add as much as 75 lbs. of granular to a pool to satisfy the demand because the customer did not want to do a partial drain.

You can also throw a chlorine tablet in your washer to make your whites sparkle, but I wouldn't recommend it. Use pool chemicals in your pool and laundry chemicals in your laundry.

No.

CYA of 100 is not your problem. Don't drain your pool. You need to look very closely at your filter equipment. What type of filter do you have? I have customers that routinely have CYA of 100 or more and their pool isn't eternally cloudy. Do what you want, I'm just saying I don't think CYA is the problem. I would have your pool place do a chlorine demand test. I know that usually you won't have a residual FCL reading when you have a demand, but you could be checking your Chlorine too soon after a shock. I've see lots of chlorine demand issues in the past few years. If you have a demand, your pool will never clear up until you take care of it. Most likely reason for your problem is a filtration issue. Go over your system very well.

If you don't have the tools (bearing puller and re-seating tools) then you are better off letting a service center do the replacement. I would charge you about $40.00 labor to do it, so don't let anyone screw you. It's not hard, but you must have the right tools. I usually find that only the front bearing needs to be replaced. It is the one that gets water in it due to a faulty seal. 99% of the time the rear bearing is okay.

Since you've tried everything else, I'm thinking that the fine "dust" is actually a mustard algae. Mustard algae will often appear to be dust or sand in the bottom of the pool. You can brush it up and it poofs up into a cloud and disappears only to come back a few hours later or the next day. Are you able to maintain a good chlorine residual? I would try treating for mustard algae and see how things go. Make sure your pH is 7.4-7.6, hit it with a double shock in the evening and an hour later brush the pool really well and pour in 1 qt. of Banish (copper metallic algicide from Bioguard) per 25K gallons. Keep your chlorine a little higher for the next few days. If you have any pool equipment that has been exposed (vacuum hose, pole, net, etc.) put that in the shallow end of the pool when you treat. Good luck.

There is no comparison between regular salt and Mineral Springs Beginnings. Regular salt is just that...salt. Mineral Springs has the salt plus much more. The salt in Mineral springs has been purified so it does not contain any unwanted compounds or minerals like Iodine. Also, it contains SilkGuard which helps prevent scale formation and softens the water. There is a borate additive that helps prevent algae growth and SunShield which protects chlorine from degrading due to sunlight. The Renewal is just a weekly or biweekly replenishing product that makes up for losses due to evaporation and other forms of water loss. Regular salt is much cheaper, but it is only salt. I have customers that use both and those who are on Mineral Springs swear by it. The water quality is incredible. Basically, Mineral Springs is salt, stabilizer, scale inhibitor, and Optimizer Plus all in one. It is a premium product and is more expensive than regular salt. You pool will thank you for using it.

It is either the shaft seal or the housing gasket. The diffuser gasket would have nothing to do with a leak. Check the back side of your seal plate to see if there are any signs of leaking down the shaft. If so, replace the shaft seal.

I wouldn't do anything with CYA at 100. Are you able to maintain a clear pool? If so, then don't worry about it. Some chemical companies say up to 200 is in the ideal range. I like to see 40-50, but the proof is in the water clarity. If you had a combination of high CYA and Calcium hardness, say over 300-350, I would then think about a partial drain. But at this point, just enjoy the pool.

Looks like a Sta-Rite Cartridge filter with a leaky pressure gauge, a Sta-Rite heater, and a Sta-Rite pump.

A few things here...first off, it is easy to determine if you have the correct amount of pressure from your booster pump. Polaris makes available a pressure testing rig that basically consists of a 3/4" pvc tube with a quick-disconnect and a pressure gauge attached. Your local pool dealer should be able to get you one of those. I'm not sure what the correct pressure is, but this rig will tell you for sure if you have enough flow. You can always go the quick route and assume that if you have 28-32 rpm on your wheels the pressure is correct. Secondly, If it were only a pressure problem, the cleaner would probably move all the time, just slowly. Make sure to check the scree at the wall and clean it regularly. Sometimes small rocks or other debris will get past the filter and lodge inside the water management system blocking off one of the jets. If the jet that turns the paddle wheel is blocked it will slow or stop the cleaner. Also, just because you have good pressure at the wall does not mean you have adequate pressure getting to the cleaner. You need to make sure all the swivels are good and not spraying water and bleeding pressure. Another consideration would be the backup valve. Sometimes the gears inside the backup valve will get stuck where it is partially open to the cleaner and partially open to the backwards jet. This would cause the cleaner to stop running and not backup either. I have also seen the body of the backup valve form a crack right alongside the jet where the molding is curved. Be sure to check out the backup valve really well. Then check the belts and make sure they are not slipping. It would be a good idea to disassemble the cleaner and go over the water management system really well checking all the zip ties on the hoses and making sure all the hoses are connected properly. Over time, the chlorine will eat away at the zip ties and they may come loose, allowing the tubes to slip off the nipples inside the cleaner. Also, check the o-ring at the stand-pipe to make sure it is sealing properly. One more thing, you need to make sure the screw that adjusts water flow to the tail is open just enough to give the tail a slow side-to-side action. If it is open too much, it will divert water away from the other nozzles and possible cause the cleaner to move slowly or not at all. These are all the things I would check if you brought the cleaner to my shop. I hope it helps.