The humidity has been really low and we've had a lot of wind, with the afternoons heating up, so better conditions for evaporation is my guess.

Hey pool people, new question. Got home tonight and the pump came on @ 7, but there is no water coming out of the spa into the pool.
My phone says " no water flow" in spa, but as far as I know there's only 1 flow sensor & the pool is running...

I switched to "spillover" mode & it seemed to work like it should, but switched back to regular & still nothing coming out of the spill ways....???

DoitBest said:

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I switched to "spillover" mode & it seemed to work like it should, but switched back to regular & still nothing coming out of the spill ways....???

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Post a photo of your equipment.

Make sure the automatic valves are in the correct position.

Is anything supposed to come out of the spillways in pool mode? We don't know what "normal operation" is for you so any and all information is helpful.

Thanks for the reply, and I definitely will add pics in the future. However, I have to admit that this one was all on me. Turns out that finding repeated excuses to not clean the filters was a bad idea...got them clean and the scuppers are pouring like Niagara Falls...

I cleaned my filter for the first time last weekend. I went about nine months because pressure was staying below 25 psi. However, it wasn't cleaning like it should. From now on I will clean them at least every six months (April and October).

My pool builder recommended doing it twice a year: once after the big pollen blow in the spring and then once swim season is over in the fall.

I typically recommend quarterly for filter cleans.

If you have a cartridge filter and do your own service, I'd buy an extra set of filters off of Amazon and just swap them out each quarter and clean the dirty ones at your leisure.

Chlorine / shock question - last year I bought a big bucket of chlorine from Leslie's. Since then, I've heard not to get it from there. As I look around, there are different types of shock. Any suggestions or recommendations on what I should get moving forward?

I've been using Pinch-a-Penny liquid shock for a while and like it. Whatever you get make sure it doesn't have stabilizer in the shock.

I used to buy chlorine from Leslie's too, but switched after reading about quality differences. Now I stick with cal-hypo shock from a local supplier. Works great and doesn't cloud the water. Also been checking out master spas reviews lately since we're considering a spa addition. Lots of helpful insights out there.

I use my BIL's commercial account at Leslie's. The markup on some of these chems is insane. Up to 50% on some things.

texsn95 said:

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I use my BIL's commercial account at Leslie's. The markup on some of these chems is insane. Up to 50% on some things.

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Yup, and Leslie's commercial is still marked up from what i get it for at the distributor.

What are the board's thoughts on solar heating panels for a pool? I've got a ~800 sq ft patio next to my pool. It seems like a great place to put solar heater panels up? It seems like a decently DIY type project.

AW 1880 said:

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What are the board's thoughts on solar heating panels for a pool? I've got a ~800 sq ft patio next to my pool. It seems like a great place to put solar heater panels up? It seems like a decently DIY type project.

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Very popular in California.

You could probably buy a system online and install it just like you would solar panels. The only thing to be mindful of is the weight of the water on your roof.

PoolRx- I've been battling algae for some reason despite maintaining pH, Alkilinity, and chlorine. I'm shocking when I need to and cleaning the cartridge filters. CYA is 40. So, I'm thinking about getting PoolRx based on rec from a coworker. Anything I should consider before getting it?

We are considering a pool install. What should I expect budget $ wise for a simple pool, no water features, just outside Houston.

Basic filter setup with all timing programming on one main pump….in other words no other valve automation. I was over at friends house and he had a handheld lcd screen to control his pool, I don't need any of that ***** As a former pool owner I want my setup stupid simple and easy to work on.

AW 1880 said:

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PoolRx- I've been battling algae for some reason despite maintaining pH, Alkilinity, and chlorine. I'm shocking when I need to and cleaning the cartridge filters. CYA is 40. So, I'm thinking about getting PoolRx based on rec from a coworker. Anything I should consider before getting it?

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I'd skip the poolRx and replace the filters. Every time I've dealt with the same issue, new filters cleared it right up. Once that algae gets into older cartridge filters, it's hard to get rid of it.

Season #2 for me with our new pool build. Mainly watch chlorine and PH and check chemicals 2-3 times a week. Caved and bought a Dolphin corded vacuum with the scrubber and it's amazing how much easier it is to just throw that thing in there and walk away twice a week. Also, using ChatGPT for anything I'm unsure about has been an absolute lifesaver!

Water got to 90 degrees yesterday in College Station and starting to get warmer than I like. Seriously interested in doing a glacier chiller this year or next just to get it to 80ish, but I've been amazed with the cheap fan sprayer that screws right into my jet. I'll let it run over night spraying upward and the pool will be 2-4 degrees cooler the next day which after owning a pool for a year, I realize is a HUGE difference.

Been an amazing investment and still glad we did it!

The System said:

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AW 1880 said:

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PoolRx- I've been battling algae for some reason despite maintaining pH, Alkilinity, and chlorine. I'm shocking when I need to and cleaning the cartridge filters. CYA is 40. So, I'm thinking about getting PoolRx based on rec from a coworker. Anything I should consider before getting it?

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I'd skip the poolRx and replace the filters. Every time I've dealt with the same issue, new filters cleared it right up. Once that algae gets into older cartridge filters, it's hard to get rid of it.

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You could clean then soak the filters with an emzyme killer after you put in something like Orenda PR-10,000 to kill the phosphates in the pool water. That's the main food source for algae.

lawless89 said:

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Season #2 for me with our new pool build. Mainly watch chlorine and PH and check chemicals 2-3 times a week. Caved and bought a Dolphin corded vacuum with the scrubber and it's amazing how much easier it is to just throw that thing in there and walk away twice a week. Also, using ChatGPT for anything I'm unsure about has been an absolute lifesaver!

Water got to 90 degrees yesterday in College Station and starting to get warmer than I like. Seriously interested in doing a glacier chiller this year or next just to get it to 80ish, but I've been amazed with the cheap fan sprayer that screws right into my jet. I'll let it run over night spraying upward and the pool will be 2-4 degrees cooler the next day which after owning a pool for a year, I realize is a HUGE difference.

Been an amazing investment and still glad we did it!

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Just remember that the Glacier will only get it to ambient air temperature. If your overnight is 85 in the middle of the summer, that's probably about all you're going to get it down to. It is technically a cooler, not a chiller since a chiller implies a set point temperature to be reached.

PoolRx can help with algae but it also can cause lots of small rust spots to appear all over your plaster. Dealing with this now.

Appreciate the reply. Maybe a dumb question but do I put the Orenda PR 10000 in before or after putting the new filters in? My new filter cartridges arrive tomorrow, and I want to start as good/clean as possible.

AW 1880 said:

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Appreciate the reply. Maybe a dumb question but do I put the Orenda PR 10000 in before or after putting the new filters in? My new filter cartridges arrive tomorrow, and I want to start as good/clean as possible.

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I would probably clean the old filters, run the PR-10,000 through the pool for a week, make sure your water is properly balanced in that time frame, brush the pool like hell the day after the PR-10,000, vacuum all debris, then put in your new filters. That way you're starting from step one with a clean, balanced pool & fresh filters.