u/Ecstatic_Fuel1011

I‘m not sure if having my i210 mow every two days is too frequent. Having a robot mower has made lawn care feel less like something I have to plan a specific time for, especially now in the growing season. I’d like the yard to stay clean and a few spots grow faster than the rest. So if those don‘t mow together the rest of lawn, the lawn would look uneven.

But I also wonder if the current mowing frequency puts extra stress on the grass. Does it also add extra wear on the mower or battery? Would appreciate any insights and advice, Thanks!

i'm not an expert, just an above ground owner who spent way too long confused by the multiport valve on my sand filter. figured i'd write down what i wish someone had told me starting out, since new owners ask this constantly.

big rule first: always shut the pump off before you turn the handle. switching under pressure is how you wreck the seal inside. learned that the expensive way.

what each position actually does in plain english:

• filter: normal mode, lives here 95% of the time.
• backwash: reverses flow to flush gunk out of the sand. run it til the sight glass goes clear, usually a couple minutes.
• rinse: run this 30 seconds right after backwash, it settles the sand bed so you don't blast dirty water back into the pool.
• waste: sends water straight out, bypassing the filter. great for vacuuming algae or dropping the water level.
• recirculate: pump runs but skips the sand, handy when you're adding chemicals.
• closed: everything shut, only for service.

the one that gets people is skipping rinse after backwash. don't, or your first minute back on filter dumps dirty water in. the positions are the same on any 6 way valve regardless of brand, these aren't specific to mine.

fwiw i'm running an aquastrong sand filter setup, picked it mostly for the built in timer so the pump cycles on its own and i don't forget to run it. but the valve positions above apply to any multiport, doesn't matter what's on your pad.

anything i got wrong or would add?

Kind of a small thing but i'm happy so posting it. 8k gal above ground, round, had the loud single speed pump that came with my setup for years. you could hear it from inside the house with the windows closed.

swapped it for a variable speed last weekend. the first thing i noticed wasn't the power bill, it was the silence. at low rpm i have to actually look at it to tell it's running. sitting out by the pool at night is a completely different experience now.

power wise it's early but it's clearly drawing way less running slow than the old one did running flat out. water seems clearer to me running it longer at low speed but that might just be me paying more attention now that i can actually sit outside without earplugs.

install was easier than i expected, unscrewed the old unions and the new one threaded right on, both fitting sizes were in the box so i didn't have to run to the hardware store.

if you're on an above ground and still running the screamer that came with your pool, this is the upgrade to make.