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Ok... I ran all the tests yesterday and put them into PoolMath. FC 17 -- because I shocked the pool (one reason I was postponing this test). CC 0.5 pH 8.2 -- I thought a high chlorine level would make this less accurate so I was deferring. We had an inch of rain overnight and now it's 7.8...

Thanks. I found I was actually able to scoop most of them out with my 24” deep net, which was a surprise. I didn’t try that before because they’re fast but they run into the net. I squirted them with diluted Dawn in the net and they didn’t much like that at all. Seemed to terminate them. I...

I got the TF-100 a few days ago. I ran the TA test then and it was 70 after the baking soda I added a few weeks ago, and CYA was 30 so added the rest of the bag I had but haven’t retested yet. Chlorine was 3-5 and I didn’t do the FC test. I was disappointed there was no phosphate test but the...

I seem to have an infestation of water striders -- in the past there were always a couple but now there are a bunch. Water temp is still about 75 degrees, chlorine level is 3-5, water is crystal clear. pH is 7.6. A small amount of algae forms under the skimmer after a couple of days, easily...

My test kit is "Pool Style" (see link). The word "Pool" in the logo is printed in light ink and had faded so I thought it was just "Style". The kit I have is 5-way: chlorine/bromine, pH, acid demand, and total alkalinity. I use test strips for cyanuric acid and free chlorine (mostly to make...

Test kit is from Style Pool Products, maybe a year old. Not sure where I bought it, but probably Lowes, which is also where I get acid and salt (when Sam's Club isn't clearing out salt at the end of the season -- always a fantastic deal). I use test strips mostly as a quick check of chlorine...

Thanks! I'll monitor the pH over the next few days and then bump the TA. Sounds like a plan.

Thanks! I installed and subscribed to the app. No idea it existed. Last question: I’m going to raise the TA as you suggested to help prevent scaling but do I need to get the pH in range with the borax or can I wait just a couple of weeks for the pH to rise by itself as it normally does? We...

Thanks all! Just got back home. Turns out that my test kit includes the reagents for total alkalinity. I got 50ppm and the test kit says to aim for 80-120. That also agrees with the test strips I normally use. I also re-tested pH. The liquid test kit bottoms out at a pH of 6.8 and the yellow...

TA is low but don’t know the value. Pool store had me add a bunch of bicarbonate last fall. I’ll drop off a bottle for testing tomorrow if 6.6 is ok for a day or two.

Have a 26,000 gallon salt water pool. After a storm and a bunch of rain, the ph was over 8 so I added muriatic acid two days ago and got the pH down to 7.4, which is where I keep it. Today, I decided to descale the chlorine generator with the acid bath and afterwards, I dumped the acid bath...

Interesting. It definitely does not have this. I think the skimmers are PentAir while everything else is Jandy/Zodiac. It just has a flap at the bottom of the skimmer with a screw that I can rotate to either cover or uncover the equalizer port. I felt inside the port and it's not threaded so...

My pool has two skimmers and two main drains. The skimmers have two holes in the bottom, and the hole closest to the pool has a flap and seems to lead to a nearby inlet under the water line. From searching TFP, I gather that this is an "equalizer" to guarantee water flow to the pump inlet if...

Thank you so much! I had no idea the unit could be calibrated. This is very helpful, and I'll order the test kit.

I have a Jandy Aquapure PLC-1400 chlorine generator system, and I'm puzzled by the salt level readings I've been getting. Before I added salt (see below), the SWG display reported the salt level is 3,000ppm. It was 3300ppm, which is about where I normally keep it, but then we finally got a a...

One more followup: I disassembled the Dolphin S200 today to make sure that there wasn't anything trapped below the impeller. Everything looked fine. I also took the tracks and wheels back off and put them back on. The center holes of the wheels are a little bigger than the hub attached to the...

That may indeed be the problem -- out-of-round wheels. I'll have time this weekend to give it a serious teardown and check the motor -- as you said, nothing to lose. So glad I didn't simply order another cord. This is an S200, bought because I wasn't sure if I was going to use a Robot going...

I think we found the problem: after removing the treads and the housing, the front wheel on the side that has a motor is loose. When I rotate the wheel by hand, it ratchets/skips after about a quarter turn. It just feels loose, but I don't see any damage to the wheel or the gear teeth. I can...

I have a 2-1/2 year old Dolphin S-200 that replaced a Polaris pressure-side cleaner. It's been working flawlessly until now and my pool has literally never been so clean. A few days ago, I noticed if I push the button to start it, the blue light on the front flashes, it starts cleaning for...

Thanks, all. When we contracted for the pool, we wanted a slide instead of a diving board (the deep end is 8 or 9 feet deep). And this is what they built -- didn't know there were other kinds and it's integrated into the hardscape. I guess I'll keep looking for local tile guys who want to work...

That's what I'm kind of afraid of -- everyone is so busy right now. The missing piece is gone, but we have patched other areas before and have some tile sheets in the attic, although they're a different color (don't care at this point). But this time, there are cracks (visible in the 3rd photo)...

I have a pool slide where the tiles have been damaged by the two big Texas freezes over the last two years -- guessing water got underneath the tile and lifted it, causing a hunk to fall off and cracks to appear. I contacted one pool remodeling company to come out and bid and they want $9,000...

CYA was about 80 the last time I had it checked at Leslies (admittedly a year ago), and it's the OK range, according to the test strips I use. I'll take a bottle of water to Leslies the next time I head up that way for testing, but I'm not sure I 100% trust their equipment. The last time they...

Thanks! I've never run my heater during freeze protect -- it does have a flow sensor that will cut off the gas if there's not enough water moving through it. I know because I had to replace that once in my previous heater. I'll test my pumps at the lower speed to check for air accumulation. I...

I upgraded to VSP pumps this past summer and am now programming the freeze protection. I'd just like to confirm that it's safe to run the pumps at a low speed. The goal is to save power and not annoy the neighbors if we have another Texas freeze like last year when they have to run for days on...

Between 5 and 10ppm? Interesting because the test kits all seem to say 3-5ppm. CYA is in range. I do have to add 2-3 pints of acid every week or so, which seems like a lot.