Results for "water-treatment"

Heaters Medium 2-4 hours for installation 517 👍 0

Can Salt Water Pools Be Heated? Complete Heating Guide

Halfway through summer my salt water pool heater works perfectly when it's below 80 degrees outside, but shuts down completely once temperatures hit the mid-80s. My current setup uses a standard salt water chlorine generator, and I'm concerned about potential interference or operational conflicts when adding a heating system.

Specifically, I need to understand which heating methods work effectively with salt water systems - whether gas, electric, heat pump, or solar options present any technical limitations. Are there material compatibility requirements I should consider, particularly regarding corrosion resistance with the salt water chemistry?

Looking for precise guidance on heating system selection and any modifications needed to ensure reliable operation with my existing salt water generator setup.…more

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Winterizing Medium 2–4 hours (full closing day, including water adjustment and line blow-out) 172 👍 1

How Far to Lower Water When Closing Your Pool

Three weeks ago my husband and I bought our first house with an inground vinyl pool, and now everyone is telling us we need to close it for winter — but nobody can agree on exactly what that means. We have a mesh safety cover, and I've gotten completely opposite advice about how much water to drain out before we put it on. One neighbor says drop it below the skimmer, another says below the returns, and my pool store guy shrugged and said we might not even need to lower it at all with a mesh cover?

I honestly have no idea what any of those terms even mean yet, or where those parts are on my pool. I'm afraid of draining too much and damaging the liner, or not draining enough and having pipes freeze and crack over the winter. Is there a standard answer here, or does it really depend on what type of cover you're using?

Also — a few people have mentioned that the rules are different for above-ground pools and solid covers, and now I'm even more confused. Can someone break this down in plain language for a complete first-timer?…more

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Water Chemistry Medium 30 minutes 968 👍 1

Can You Filter Pool Water to Drink? Safe Methods & Risks

Replaced my emergency water storage with a pool filtration system idea since shortages are coming — but am I about to waste money on something unsafe? My pool is about 20,000 gallons and I maintain it with standard chlorine tablets, algaecide, and pH balancers. The chlorine levels are usually around 2-3 ppm, and I add shock treatment weekly.

I've seen some advanced water filtration systems advertised that claim to remove chemicals and contaminants. Would something like reverse osmosis or activated carbon filtration be able to remove all the pool chemicals like chlorine, cyanuric acid, and other sanitizers to make it safe for drinking? I'm concerned about the health risks but need to understand if there are any reliable methods that could work in an emergency situation.…more

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Editor's Pick

Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus Robotic Pool Vacuum (2026)

Wall-climbing scrubber brush and Wi-Fi control — ideal for in-ground pools up to 40 ft. View on Amazon →

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Salt Water Medium 2-4 hours for complete winterization 565 👍 0

Do Salt Water Pools Freeze? Winter Protection Guide

Between the $800 winterizing quote I just got and hearing horror stories about frozen saltwater pools, I'm wondering if there's anything special I need to know before winter hits.
The pool store told me that salt water systems are different from regular chlorine pools, but they didn't really explain much about winterization.

Do salt water pools actually freeze like regular pools? I've heard conflicting things - some people say the salt prevents freezing, others say it doesn't matter. I want to make sure I'm preparing properly and not going to come back to any nasty surprises in the spring. Any guidance would be really appreciated!…more

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Filters Easy 15 minutes reading 469 👍 0

How Pool Filters Work: Sand, Cartridge & DE Filter Guide

Pool store tried explaining the difference between sand, cartridge, and DE filters for 20 minutes and I walked out more confused than when I went in. My sand filter is dying and I need to pick a replacement but every type seems to have major trade-offs. How do these three actually compare?…more

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Salt Water Easy 5 minutes 393 👍 0

Do Salt Water Pools Have Chlorine? Yes - Here's Why

Already asked my neighbor about her "chlorine-free" saltwater pool, but mine definitely has chlorine — what am I missing here? I have a 20,000 gallon inground pool and I'm considering converting to a salt water system because I thought it meant no more dealing with chlorine chemicals. My neighbor has been telling me that salt water pools are "chlorine-free" and that's why they're gentler on skin and eyes.

But when I was talking to a pool supply store, the guy mentioned something about salt water pools still having chlorine, just generated differently? I'm confused because if there's still chlorine involved, what's the actual difference? I've been manually adding liquid chlorine to my pool for years and my levels typically run around 2-3 ppm, but I'm tired of the constant chemical additions and storage issues.

Can someone explain whether salt water pools actually contain chlorine or not? And if they do, how does that work with the salt system?…more

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Leaks Easy 48 hours 465 👍 0

How to Tell If Your Pool Has a Leak - Step-by-Step Detection

Noticed my pool water dropped three inches this week at 11 PM tonight — need to figure out if there's a leak before my pool guy arrives tomorrow morning. I mean, I know some water evaporates naturally, especially with this heat, but it seems like more than usual.

Is there like a reliable way to test whether it's just normal evaporation or if there's actually a leak? I don't want to call a pool guy and pay a fortune if it turns out to be nothing, but I also don't want to ignore a real problem.…more

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Salt Water Medium 15 minutes reading 357 👍 0

How Pool Salt Cells Work: Complete Guide to Salt Water Generation

Wondering why my salt cell's red blinking light contradicts what the pool store tech said about it still producing chlorine normally? What actually happens when electricity hits the salt water? How do the titanium plates convert salt into chlorine?

Looking for the technical process - not just 'it makes chlorine' but the actual chemical breakdown and how the sanitizer gets produced automatically.…more

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Water Chemistry Medium 2-4 hours 2,580 👍 0

Do Vinyl Pools Need Calcium? Complete CH Guide 2026

Before our big pool party this Saturday, I'm getting completely contradictory advice about whether my vinyl pool even needs calcium added! I keep reading conflicting info online - some sources say vinyl pools don't need calcium at all, others say they do but at different levels than concrete pools. My test strips show I'm sitting around 100 ppm right now and I'm not sure if that's too low or if I even need to worry about it.

I've been dealing with some metal staining on my vinyl liner and wondering if low calcium could be making it worse by causing corrosion. But I'm also terrified of adding too much and ending up with scaling or that dreaded cloudy water that takes forever to clear up. What's the sweet spot for calcium hardness in vinyl pools, and is it really different from other pool types?…more

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Winterizing Medium 4-6 hours 470 👍 0

Do I Need to Winterize My Above Ground Pool? Complete Guide

Standing at the pool store listening to this guy insist I need to drop hundreds on winterizing chemicals and equipment for my above ground pool when I'm not even convinced it's necessary.

The guy at the pool store mentioned something about winterizing when I was buying chemicals last week, but I didn't want to seem clueless so I just nodded along. I live in the Midwest where it definitely gets cold in winter - like below freezing for months. Is winterizing actually necessary for above ground pools, or is it just something people do to be extra cautious? I'm trying to figure out what I absolutely need to do versus what's just nice to have.…more

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Salt Water Medium 45 minutes 1,438 👍 2

How Salt Water Pool Systems Work: Complete Guide 2026

Despite my pool guy insisting I need to understand salt water electrolysis to maintain my system, his overly technical explanation makes me think he's overcomplicating things.
Specifically, what happens at the cellular level when salt water passes through the system? How does dissolved sodium chloride get converted into an effective sanitizing agent, and what role does electrolysis play in this conversion process? I want to grasp the complete operational mechanism before investing in this technology.…more

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Product Ranking 8 compared

Best Salt Chlorine Generators

4.3 (6,200 reviews)

Filters Medium 45 minutes 789 👍 0

How Pool Cartridge Filters Work: Complete Troubleshooting

Spent another spring weekend dealing with my cartridge filter acting up again, and I'm done getting ripped off at the pool store instead of fixing it myself. The guys there always want to sell me expensive new cartridges or additives, but I feel like if I understood what's actually happening inside the filter, I could maintain it better.

What's the step-by-step process of how water gets cleaned as it passes through? I know there's some kind of fabric material involved, but I want to understand the nitty-gritty details of how particles get trapped and what size debris these things can actually handle.…more

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Equipment Easy 15 minutes to understand 726 👍 0

How Pool Skimmers Work: Complete Step-by-Step Guide

Walked out to check my pool skimmer this morning and I'm staring at all these mysterious parts with zero clue how they work together. They keep pitching fancy skimmer upgrades and I don't even know how my current skimmer is supposed to work in the first place.

I see leaves and bugs floating on the surface and sometimes they get sucked into that rectangular opening, but other times debris just sits there. Is there something I should be doing differently, or is this normal? I'd rather understand the basics before these salespeople convince me I need to spend hundreds on upgrades.

Basically, what's the step-by-step process of how water and debris move through a skimmer system? I want to know if mine is working properly or if there's a DIY fix I can try first.…more

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Equipment Easy 15 minutes 357 👍 0

How Pool Skimmers Work: Complete Guide to Pool Circulation

About to drop serious cash on a new skimmer system for my 20,000 gallon inground pool, but I'm clueless about how these things actually work — am I getting ripped off? Sometimes I see leaves and oils getting pulled in, and there's a basket that I empty, but I'd love a complete explanation of what's happening from start to finish. Does the skimmer work differently depending on pump speed or water level?…more

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Salt Water Medium 4-6 hours 345 👍 0

Do You Have to Cover a Salt Water Pool? Requirements Guide

Standing in front of my saltwater pool after following three conflicting YouTube tutorials about covers, I'm now more confused than when I started. I keep hearing mixed opinions - some neighbors swear by covers while others never bother.

I'm mainly wondering if there are any actual requirements I need to follow, and what the real benefits are beyond just keeping leaves out. Also, if I do decide to cover it, is there anything special I need to know about winterizing a salt water system? Don't want to accidentally mess up my salt cell or anything expensive like that!…more

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