Welcome to the Backyard Pool & Spa Forum – a place where pool and spa owners can share knowledge, troubleshoot issues, and engage in meaningful discussions. To maintain a helpful, friendly, and well-organized community, we ask all members to follow these guidelines.
General Rules
1️⃣ Respect Others – Treat fellow members with courtesy and professionalism. Harassment, personal attacks, or inflammatory remarks are not allowed.
2️⃣ No Spam or Excessive Self-Promotion – Advertising and promotional content are not permitted unless explicitly allowed within forum guidelines.
3️⃣ Stay On-Topic – Keep discussions relevant to the category you are posting in. Off-topic threads may be moved or removed.
4️⃣ No Inappropriate Content – Hate speech, discrimination, adult content, political or religious debates, and other controversial discussions are prohibited.
5️⃣ One Account Per Person – Creating multiple accounts is not allowed. If you need help recovering an account, contact the forum administrator.
6️⃣ Avoid False or Misleading Information – Only share information that is accurate and based on reliable sources or personal experience.
7️⃣ Duplicate Threads Are Not Allowed – Before posting a question, use the search function to check if it has already been answered.
8️⃣ No Public Disputes – If you have an issue with another member, resolve it through private messages or contact a moderator if necessary.
9️⃣ No Excessive Product Endorsements – While you may discuss products, posts that appear to be advertising or overly promotional will be removed.
1️⃣0️⃣ Do Not Post Personal or Confidential Information – Protect your privacy and do not share sensitive data publicly.
Posting Guidelines
1️⃣ Use Clear Titles – Choose a descriptive thread title that reflects your topic. Example: “Best way to remove algae?” instead of “Help!!!”.
2️⃣ Provide Relevant Details – If asking for troubleshooting help, include information about your pool or spa setup, water test results, and any previous solutions attempted.
3️⃣ Follow Forum Categories – Post in the appropriate section based on the topic. Misplaced threads may be moved by moderators.
4️⃣ Reviving Old Threads – Avoid replying to discussions that have been inactive for over a year unless you are updating your own thread.
5️⃣ Use Proper Formatting – Break up long posts into paragraphs for readability, use punctuation, and avoid excessive capital letters.
Business & Product Mentions
1️⃣ No Direct Selling or Marketing – You may not use the forum to advertise your products or services.
2️⃣ Sharing Business Links – Links to relevant products or resources are allowed if they are directly answering a question and provide valuable information.
3️⃣ Industry Professionals Can Contribute – If you work in the pool or spa industry, you may answer technical questions, but excessive brand promotion is not allowed.
4️⃣ Signature Links – Members may include a business website in their signature after 100 meaningful posts.
Community Etiquette
1️⃣ Encourage Meaningful Discussions – Engage with others in a way that adds value to the conversation.
2️⃣ Avoid Thread Hijacking – If you have a different question than the original poster, start a new thread rather than diverting the discussion.
3️⃣ Report Problematic Posts – If you see a post that violates forum rules, report it rather than engaging in an argument.
4️⃣ Respect Forum Moderation Decisions – If a thread is locked or removed, do not start a discussion questioning the decision.