Basic Pool Operations

Manual Vacuum

• Turn pump and filter on, if there are one or mores speeds confirm that it is on high speed
• Turn valve in front of pump and close bottom drain (*optional....only aplies if valve is present)
• Prime vacuum hose with water and attach vac plate, always ensure basket is in skimmer.
• Try to be careful with vac hose, it can become weaken if kinked
• While vacuuming if head sticks to pool bottom, NEVER pull or twist to release, always turn system off and restart. This action could tear or cut the pool liner.
• Once completed vacuuming, turn filter off, remove vac equipment and turn system back on.
• Return valve in front of pump to 50/50 (half skimmer/half bottom drain...if applies)

Backwashing a sand Filter. (normally after vacuuming or when gauge reads 4-5 pounds higher than usual).

• Always confirm water level is up in pool, at least halfway through skimmer.
• Turn pump and filter system off
• Turn filter valve (on filter head) to backwash
• Turn pump and filter system on (always high speed) and let run for approximately 1 min (or until sight glass is relatively clear).
• Turn pump and filter system off
• Switch filter valve back to filter, Turn pump and filter system back on.

Salt Chlorination

• Once a week test the pool with test strips
• If the chlorine is reading low, under the settings menu or adjust arrows to turn the chlorine percentage up 5-10%
• If the chlorine is reading high, turn the percentage down 5-10%.
• Retest in a couple of days and adjust accordingly.
• If the pool is cloudy or needs a shock, under the settings menu turn “super chlorination” on
• It will run on this mode for 24 hours and resume the normal percentage upon completion.
• The salt content of your pool should be maintained around 3200ppm (Hayward) 4000 (Zodiac) . This reading is in the default menu, and/or should be confirmed when a water test is done professionally each month (see below).

Water Testing and Balancing

It is very important to have your water professionally tested and balanced once a month. This will increase the longevity of all of your pools components, including the pump, filter, liner and all related accessories. Improper chemistry will cause wrinkles and premature fading in your liner, please professionally test and balance the water.
Be certain to leave the pump and filter running continuously after adding any chemicals, especially the shock treatment. (most liner damage is caused by shocking the pool and not allowing the pump to circulate for 2-3 days continuously. If the pump is on a timer, make the effort to disable this function for at least 2 or 3 days). Chlorine may settle in the deep end and bleach the liner and/or causes wrinkles if not allowed to blend with the pool water. It is also suggest to remove your solar blanket at this time to allow the pool to breath. It is crucial to allow chlorine to gas off, this includes salt water pools.