(Part 2) Best pool & spa parts & accessories according to redditors

Like everyone else is saying, it's the bearings. You can get it rebuilt at a local pool shop for $100-$200. Or go brand new for about $200.
Your motor
Seals/Gaskets
D.I.Y
or pay a pool guy to do it, roughly $75-150

YES!

Tea is the best thing ever, more people should drink it and most of y'all are doing it wrong.

Some useful tea information for you:

• You should never microwave the water to make your tea. That's just nasty.
  
  
• You can boil your tea on the stove like a savage, but almost every home in the UK has a proper electric kettle. We have a fast-boil one because why the hell would you want to wait for tea?!
  
  
• There are many opinions about the best type of tea. Ok, you have your fancy-pants ones like earl grey (shite) or fruit teas (what are you, hippies?!) but for a tasty as fuck everyday tea, I favour Yorkshire Tea.
  
  
• The best way to make tea is NOT to put the milk in the mug first. That doesn't allow for good strength control, and then it reduces the heat of the water meaning the leaves don't get to wander round the bag correctly.
  
  
• Put your teabag in the mug (I don't fanny about with teapots full of tea) and then add the water. Allow to steep for at least two minutes, depending on how strong it should be for your taste. Remove the bag and then add the milk. There is a school of thought that says you shouldn't squeeze the teabag, but that leads to drips all over the floor, so I break that rule.
  
  
• If you're enjoying a biscuit with your tea, the type of biscuit is critical. Too soft and you'll lose the integrity of the biscuit and end up with a mug of sugar soup. I like the Rich Tea or, my favourite, the Hob Nob
  
  TL:DR - tea good.
  

I bought this light a year ago and installed it in my pool after closing on my house:

P&LED (12V,35W) Color Changing Swimming Pool Lights Bulb LED PAR56 Light (switch control + remote control type) For Pentair Hayward Light Fixture,and For Inground Pool ,E27 Compatible with E26

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01JOFE6BK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_dOjPCbTAMFC6C

Some people had some negative reviews about it but overall I am pretty pleased with how it has worked for me so far and I have it on pretty much every single night. The red light isn’t that bright but I don’t care because it’s honestly not that pretty to look at. My favorite color is the cyan because it makes the water so inviting looking and is also very bright. Here’s a picture of my pool at night:

https://imgur.com/gallery/7wc3Fm3

In german „Gaskartuschen, Campinggas“
Link Amazon: 28 x Gaskartuschen 227g (100g=0,41€) MSF- 1a Butan Gaskartusche f. Gaskocher, Gasheizung, Gasbrenner, Lötbrenner https://www.amazon.de/dp/B06VTF4RJ8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_OZ0DDb960DMX3

Try using a spa cleaner like Silk Balance Clean Start for a deep clean. It will flush out all the plumbing. Remove all pillows and filters, dump the whole bottle in and run the jets for as long as you can and turn the diverter valves periodically to really flush everything out. Wipe off the scum line, drain the spa and try using a shop vac on all of the jets to really get ALL of the water out, then refill.

Clean Start https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00UM5O9FU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_esfWDbB1HG5Q3

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01ACBAKB0/?ref=idea_lv_dp_

I think you're right to do it as cheaply as possible (while getting the features you actually care about). It's not a financial investment, but it is a quality of life improvement.

So re: salt system. I'm ALL ABOUT salt now with my above ground pool (and my previous inground pool at my old house). I'm adding the Saltron Mini Salt System to my existing Masterspa. It is $240. Plus like, $2 of salt. Admittedly, you have to take the little generator out when you use the tub... but that's sooooo much better than having to remember to add chlorine every week. Also going to be adding boric acid to get my borates to 40-50ppm.

If it drains while running install this in the valve with the actuator that says JVA-24 on the white/gray logo. All you need is a big Phillips screwdriver and some lube for the orings.

If it drains while off, do the same to the valve under the actuator that is all black as well. These are the two main points that separate pool pipes from spa pipes.

If the spa drains while the pump is off in pool mode, install this in the clear valve at the bottom right of your pic.

I have had this one for three seasons now: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01C4JSTES/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_QZrADbCGESHZJ

20x40 pool with Rocky's Rollers, even my wife can pull the cover off by herself. It's still in good shape and I can get at least one more season out of it.

I ordered this one off amazon this time last year:

VINGLI Aluminum Solar Swimming Inground Pool Cover Reel Set, Up to 18-Feet Wide x 40-Feet Length https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MDLU2GG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_ji0nDbESGKB8Z

Has worked great so far. It was a bit of a pain to put together, but has held together well. Even the straps all stick still, even after falling into the pool during high winds! It’s easy to wind up as long as you do it slowly so it rolls evenly. Keeps the pool much warmer and noticeably stops evaporation.

User on Imgur found the specific model: https://www.amazon.com/CSC-Spa-CM-4013B-Ultrasonic-Carrying/dp/B01LYHQ3FZ

These fit inside 1 1/2" pvc and are unthreaded. https://www.amazon.com/ATIE-PoolSupplyTown-Eyeball-Hydrostream-Insider/dp/B01LXPUL93?ref_=fsclp_pl_dp_14 There are many options to fix this problem. But this is the kind of fitting you are looking for. I would say you may need to check your filter media first though.

Always happy to help! Cartridge filters can be fine, but unless you want to replace them every other month make sure you clean them every week to every few days - if you have a pool party with a lot of kids or sweaty people, shock the pool after straining solids, add clarifier, and clean the filters the very next morning.

I might also recommend a hose-adapter to clean cartridges called a filter flosser (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LQOMXL2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_jY-OCbCG0RK6M) and has been a lifesaver for me in the past. There are also cartridge soaking chemicals, and I'd recommend soaking and cleaning once every 3 months if regular maintenance is upheld.

Also where you have a spill-over setup, I would strongly recommend always having a spare set of filters available. They're pricey, but cheaper than replacing your heater.

Make sure you have a reliable flow meter installed just BEFORE the filters so you can watch flow yourself, and ask your technician what the minimum flow for your heater should be. If flow gets reduced too much while heating, you risk damaging or destroying the fire pot or elements. Not all systems have flow cut-offs, and not all cut-offs are perfectly reliable.

https://imgur.com/n8clk8u

thinking this is the one i want with this gasket?

https://www.amazon.com/Pool-Noodle-Organizer-Storage-Cart/dp/B01F5X1HJE/ref=sr_1_33?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1539296175&sr=1-33&keywords=Pool+noodles
They are floating foam sticks. Lots of fun as a swimming pool toy.

What size is it?


Here's a similar one https://www.amazon.com/Swimming-Rectangular-Replacement-Hayward-SP1019BA/dp/B00LZ65N2S


But will need dimensions to get a closer match.

I got this yesterday brand new off of craigslist for $15
[(https://www.amazon.com/Safety-Turtle-Child-Immersion-Water/dp/B01ACB3JB8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1499048568&sr=8-1&keywords=turtle+pool+alarm)]

https://www.amazon.com/Waterproof-Magnetic-Changing-Remote-Control/dp/B0196KKZ04/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=game+pool+light&qid=1562328627&s=gateway&sprefix=game+pool&sr=8-3

Caveat: they’re battery powered, and drain the batteries whether you use them or not.

Hidden feature: They’re just about the perfect height for the cup holders. Not as high as the little inserts, but not so thin that my coffee cup doesn’t “float” in the cup holder.

I put a volt meter on it and it is saying 12.4V but it "seems" to be 12.4 AC, not DC, which is "odd." So the 12.4V is probably correct as that light is a 12V light.

I was curious about your control system so I Googled it and came across this on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/IAQUALINK-2-0-UPGRADE-SYSTEMS-IQ20-RS/dp/B00NVLM4LS

Expensive but the description says it improves reliability, signal, and compatibility. Reading the reviews looks like it might be a good option.