ADDING SALT

Never add more than two bags of salt per day.  If your salt level does not increase by at least 200 ppm within 24 hours, there may be an issue with your salt system.

AIR BUBBLES

If bubbles are blowing out of your jets, please check for these issues: 1. Make sure you water level is about an inch from the top of the skimmer opening. 2. Make sure your skimmer door is moving freely. If it is stuck then it will block the flow of water to the skimmer. 3. Look for any cracks in your equipment.

If none of these apply, try slightly closing the valve to the jets.

CELL MISSING ERROR

If you are getting this error message, follow the wire from your salt cell to the panel; it is likely that the cell has come unplugged from the panel.  Check the connection where the wire goes into the panel and make sure it is secure. You may need to flip your breakers to reset the system after plugging the cell back in for the error message to go away.

CHANGING POOL LIGHT BULB

You can change your pool bulb even when your pool is full of water.  There should be a screw at the top of your light ring.  Carefully remove this screw; this will free the entire light housing from the hole.  There is enough slack in the wiring for you to pull the light housing up onto your decking; you can then access and change the light bulb from there.

CHLORINATOR OFF

The salt system will display this warning if something is wrong with your salt system.  It should be followed by another error message that indicates the issue (No Flow, Low/High Salt, Cell Missing).

CHLORINATOR OUTPUT

We recommend keeping your salt system chlorinator set at 70%.

CLOSING POOL

Should you chose to close your pool and shut down your equipment for the winter time, you will need some sort of cover.  Keep in mind that most covers will still let fine debris through. Please visit the Opening and Closing Pool page for more information.

DE FILTERS

Please see the main DE Filters page for more information. Remember to add appropriate amount of DE powder to skimmer every time you backwash.

FLOCCULANT

This is a product that is used when you have suspended debris in your pool.  It forces the particles to the bottom of the pool where they can be more easily vacuumed up (see Vacuuming on Waste). 

HIGH PRESSURE

This is most commonly associated with DE filters.  If your pressure is spiking, you most likely need to manually clean your filter grids and backwash. Remember to add appropriate amount of DE powder after any manual clean or backwash.  DE filters are designed to catch even the smallest particles, so they clog easily.  In springtime when pollen counts are high, you may find it clogging quite often.  You may wish to run the system on recirculate for a while during this time of year to bypass the filter.

INSPECT CELL

Every three months the Check System light will alert you that it’s time to inspect and clean your salt cell, if necessary. You can follow the directions in this video.  Once you have inspected/cleaned the cell, you can reset the three month reminder by pressing the “+” button during the “Inspect Cell” display.

LIQUID CHLORINE/SHOCK

Add as advised by your pool chemical store*.  We will often recommend that homeowners add liquid chlorine to their pool if their equipment is not functioning, as a temporary solution, until the equipment is running again.  Don’t add more than a gallon a day, and don’t add it right before swimming.

*Important Note: If you have a salt system, and it is functioning correctly, then it will generate the needed chlorine for the pool. If your pool store is recommending that you add liquid chlorine to a saltwater pool, we would advise you to assess the water. Is your water clear? Does your salt system seem to be functioning properly? If yes to both questions, the we recommend caution in adding additional chlorine. You will risk bleaching your liner if you add excessive chlorine to the pool.

MAINTENANCE SERVICES

Inground Pool Design, Inc. is primarily a pool construction company, and does not offer regular pool maintenance services.  We recommend that you use the resources on our website, as well as the expertise of a local pool chemical/supply store.  Should you find that you need weekly/monthly maintenance services, please inquire with your pool store.  We do not offer this type of service.

MURIATIC ACID

This is typically used to clean your salt cell, but is sometimes used to balance water chemistry.  For instructions on how to use it to clean your salt cell, view this video.

NO FLOW ERROR

The salt system has a sensor that must detect the flow of water in order to generate chlorine.  If you are receiving this error, first inspect the wire on the flow switch for any nicks or cuts (the flow switch plugs into the bottom of your salt panel and runs to a part in the plumbing near the cell). If the wire looks intact, do a quick test by switching your valve to Recirculate.  If after letting it run for a little bit the No Flow Error goes away, then your filter is likely dirty and needs to be cleaned and/or backwashed. If the error message persists even on recirculate, then it could be that the flow switch sensor has gone bad. 

SALT LEVEL

This should be kept at 2800-3200ppm.  We recommend having your water regularly tested where you buy chemicals for the most accurate readings.  If you are having issues with your salt system, always get your salt content tested professionally as the first step to troubleshooting.

SAND FILTERS

Unless you are vacuuming up large debris (sticks, leaves, flower petals), we recommend vacuuming on waste (see below).

SERVICE CALLS

Inground Pool Design, Inc. is primarily a pool construction company.  We do service calls on pools that are under warranty (please refer to your contract to see your warranty terms).  We occasionally do non warranty service calls when our schedule allows, but we cannot guarantee availability, especially from April to August.

SUPER CHLORINATE

This salt system setting can be manually turned on if you feel like your pool is cloudy and needs a chlorine boost. Please read the PL Plus manual for information about setting the super chlorinate timer.

TANNING LEDGES

While it is possible to create ledges in vinyl liner pools, they typically require a minimum of 18” of water to hold the liner in place.  It is not recommended that any type of lounge chair be placed on a ledge that is covered with a liner as this could cause the liner to tear.  Vinyl ledges do make a great play area for children.

VACUUMING (ON WASTE)

It is best to vacuum on waste if there is a lot of debris in your pool.  Before vacuuming on the waste setting, add extra water to your pool.  Keep an eye on your water level as you vacuum on waste (this setting bypasses the filter and removes the dirt AND water from pool out your waste line).  Do not let the water level fall below it’s normal operating level.

VACUUMING (THROUGH FILTER)

Regular vacuuming on the filter setting should be done to keep the bottom of your pool clean from debris. Make sure the swivel end of the vac hose is attached to the vacuum in the water, and that the stationary end of the vac hose is attached to your skimmer vac plate.

VALVES

Your plumbing going into and out of your pool equipment may have several valves (the number varies from pool to pool).  In general, the valve(s) going into your pump control your skimmer(s), main drain (if applicable), and well point (if applicable).  Make sure to never close the skimmer and main drain at the same time.  The valve(s) coming out of the filter go to your jets and water feature/slide (if applicable).  If there is more than one valve, you can close one at a time to figure out which jets each valve controls.  Keep in mind that most times one valve will control two jets.

WATER CHEMISTRY

We do not specialize in chemicals; we recommend that you have your water tested at a pool supply/chemical store and follow their recommendations, along with the recommendations in the user manuals for your pool equipment.  Once you are confident that your water is correctly balanced, you can do at home testing with the test kit that was included with your pool to keep an eye on your water chemistry.

WATER LEVEL

It is very important to maintain the proper water level in vinyl liner pools.  Please keep your water level near the top of the skimmer opening year round.  Do not lower your water level if you close your pool in the winter time.  Do not lower your water level in anticipation of large rains or just after a large rain.  It is better to let your pool overflow in a heavy rain than to lower your water level, as this could cause costly damage to your liner.  We recommend waiting at least 24 hours after a large rain storm before draining any water from the pool.