Swimming Pools

[PessOptimist]

There has been some discussion of this subject on Pool Man's account talk. Instead of cluttering that up, perhaps a lounge topic about pools and the maintenance and that they are somewhat like a boat.

Boats are holes in the water you pour money in to. Pools are holes in the ground you pour money in to.

I was sitting on my patio relaxing yesterday after work just after sunset when I noticed the pool water looked a little strange. On closer examination I noticed the pool surface in a lot of places looked like a pool table. A little more yellow, but fuzzy and green/yellow. Oh crap. It's only been...hmmm...3-4 weeks since I did any pool maintenance. Uh oh. I have an excuse. Never mind.

Cleaned out the skimmer, had a dead lizard in there and a lot of leaves.

Cleaned out the basket on the pump. Lots of vegetable matter but no animals. Looked at the pressure gauge. Time to back flush. Did that.

Question on back flushing, rely on the gauge or just do it once a week? Water is precious here you know. My back flush goes on the tiny lawn.

Tested the waters BTW and <.5ppm chlorine and >8.2 Ph.

I am going to attack this differently than I did last time. Last time I bought a product called HTH which eventually killed the green/yellow fuzzies but messed up the chlorine reading for months. This time, brushing, shocking, keeping the chlorine level high and the Ph lower is the goal. It's not like anyone uses the damn thing much.

Note to self: go back to several year ago promise to go in the pool every day during the summer.

That hole in the ground is very nice to have when kids, siblings, friends visit. Other than that...EVERYONE has a pool out here.

Please, send all suggestions.

Please make the subject about changing to a diametacious earth, cartridge filter or salty system just that. Please title others something like yellow fuzzzies.

Bottom line: no matter what, do not ignore that hole in the ground.

Pess

 

[nnuut]

I pool is like this, if you don't take care of it, it will take care of your money. When open you need to look at it every day it doesn't take that long and that way you can Nip Problems In the Bud! I found a Salt Water pool much easier and cheaper to care for on a daily basis, you have more equipment that's going to need to be replaced but it's worth it. I could go on and on.

 

[JTH]

I do love my pool, but it sure does demand a geat deal of my attention. A friend of mine is buying a used house with an older pool. I tried to talk him out of it, he only has one kid who would use it. A fool and his money are soon parted.

The best part of my day is when I'm home, it's evening time, I'll pull out the Laptop, and sit down at the patio table with the pool as a backdrop, and the birds crapping all over my sidewalk...

 

[JTH]

I pool is like this, if you don't take care of it, it will take care of your money. When open it you need to look at it every day it doesn't take that long and that way you can Nip Problems In the Bud! I found a Salt Water pool much easier and cheaper to care for on a daily basis, you have more equipment that's going to need to be replaced but it's worth it. I could go on and on.

Yes, you salt water people are like gold-bugs, always pimping your wares Hey, I throw a bag of salt in my pool, and presto I gots me a salt water pool. :cheesy:

 

[nnuut]

Go ahead and make fun, but I check my water one time a week with test strips for PH, chlorine, alkalinity etc. I never take water to the pool place to have the water tested. I don't and never have bought containers of chlorine from the Pool Place, I never SHOCK my pool which is a weekly thing, use maybe one 40 Lb bag of salt a Month $5.00 a bag, NO Chlorine smell in the pool, doesn't burn your eyes, doesn't bleach out your swimsuit or your hair, haven't turned GREEN, YELLOW or BLACK in years, never use anti flock because the water isn't clear, never have bubbles in the pool so I don't buy the stuff to get rid of the bubbles. A little stabilizer and some (not much) Calcium Hardness and some baking soda or PH UP is all I ever put in the pool and that is very seldom.
I used to use a Non Chlorine System Bacacil, it worked but the chemicals were very expensive and had a bunch of problems keeping the water right.
I used standard chlorine and had every problem you can think of, it was the worst.
I switched to a Salt Water pool and it's the easiest to care for and the cost is, I believe less than the other two in the long run.

SO THERE! ​

 

[JTH]

I don't profess to have problems with my pool, but there are so many factors at work we can't compare each other and get the same results. For instance, I have a small 7300 gallon pool, with a 2-speed pump, 3 outlets and a 4th seperate outlet for a polaris 360. I can turn over the pool in 2 hours on high, 4 on low. I believe circulation is key to my minimal use of chemicals.

When I was looking at the Pool at the house my friend wants to buy. Well, it's an older pool maybe twice as big with only 2 outlests, both next to the skimer. There is no way he's going to get great circulation in that pool, he's going to have lots of dead spots.

I'm not knocking a SWG, but for me, at this moment, it wouldn't be cost effective. I've recently replaced the motor & filter assembly, that was 1K just like that. I need to recoup some cost through time used. In a few years I'll be replacing the plaster, that might be a good opportunity to consider a SWG.

 

[nnuut]

It's machinery, I replaced my Filter Pump last year it was 12 years old. Also replaced my Salt Cell it was over 6 years old they usually only last about 5 years. Changed the sand in my filter last year too, a busy year. Nothing last forever but if you take care of it you can stretch out the life time.
Your pool is small and small is easier that's a plus. Mine is 16 X 32 X 8 not big but big enough. I only have two inputs next to the skimmer and have no problems with dead spots, trash does collect in the steps but a quick brush out solves that.

 

[Scout333]

Two greatest days in a pool owner's life. First day you own it! and the day you sell it!

 

[mayday]

Two greatest days in a pool owner's life. First day you own it! and the day you sell it!

You got that right.

 

[JTH]

When you're busy shooting zombies, you don't have time to go down to the local watering hole, having a pool has it's EOTWAWKI advantages.

 

[nnuut]

I love my pool, I built it for ME not the Kids, I use it all of the time it's 15 feet off of my patio and is like part of the house's living space. I always wanted one and still do after 12 years. SPLASH!!!

 

[PessOptimist]

I did start this thread in a semi serious way.

The tactic of some brushing, adjusting PH, making sure tabs were in the floater and shocking seemed to do the trick. Yellow fuzzies gone by the next evening.

I did not take the time to even look at the pool since until tonight. PH is 7.5. Chlorine does not even register. Still 3 about half disolved tabs in the floater. Cleaned out the skimmer and the basket on the pump. Shocked again. Will check tomorrow.

Yeah nnuut, I know I should check it every day. It is "open" all year. Damn salt guys. Damn CSRS. (oops, wrong thread)

The damn basket in the pump is cracked again. Pool stores want an arm, leg and more for a new one. Anyone know of a more sturdy alternative?

Off to the pool store tomorrow with credit card in hand. I need another bucket of chlorine tabs too. I hope I remember to take a water sample. They will proably tell me total calcium hardness is too high and I need to drain and refill the pool.

LOL, a few years ago I took a sample of my tap water to this pool store and they told me my chlorine was way too low, calcium was way too high an PH was too high. After they printed out the results for me I handed them another bottle from the pool. The PH and chlorine were OK but the calcium was too high but lower than the previous sample. Both test result sheets suggested draining the pool and refilling it. It was interesting. They gave me a sheet of paper from the local water company (guess who) showing me the tap water was perfect in every way. TCH? What does it really mean? It's a funny game.

Keep up the suggestions. A lot of us have pools.

 

[poolman]

My Daughter turns 14 tomorrow. She is having her party today and has 8 other girls over all her age, lol. The pool is a Big Hit for her. I heated the water up to 86 and they are loving it. I turned the heater on yesterday morning and let it run all day and night yesterday and all day today. When I first turned the Heater on yesterday the water temp was only 67 degrees. By the time her party started today at 3:00 pm the water temp was 87. My Bill to heat this will probably be in the area of $200.00 but Hey She will only be 14 once and it's my only child.

Maybe I will get a few pics up. They are all having a Blast.

 

[nnuut]

I did start this thread in a semi serious way.

The tactic of some brushing, adjusting PH, making sure tabs were in the floater and shocking seemed to do the trick. Yellow fuzzies gone by the next evening.

I did not take the time to even look at the pool since until tonight. PH is 7.5. Chlorine does not even register. Still 3 about half disolved tabs in the floater. Cleaned out the skimmer and the basket on the pump. Shocked again. Will check tomorrow.

Yeah nnuut, I know I should check it every day. It is "open" all year. Damn salt guys. Damn CSRS. (oops, wrong thread)

The damn basket in the pump is cracked again. Pool stores want an arm, leg and more for a new one. Anyone know of a more sturdy alternative?

Off to the pool store tomorrow with credit card in hand. I need another bucket of chlorine tabs too. I hope I remember to take a water sample. They will proably tell me total calcium hardness is too high and I need to drain and refill the pool.

LOL, a few years ago I took a sample of my tap water to this pool store and they told me my chlorine was way too low, calcium was way too high an PH was too high. After they printed out the results for me I handed them another bottle from the pool. The PH and chlorine were OK but the calcium was too high but lower than the previous sample. Both test result sheets suggested draining the pool and refilling it. It was interesting. They gave me a sheet of paper from the local water company (guess who) showing me the tap water was perfect in every way. TCH? What does it really mean? It's a funny game.

Keep up the suggestions. A lot of us have pools.

Is your pool a liner pool or gunite, fiberglass? Is your coping Aluminum or tile?

 

[PessOptimist]

My Daughter turns 14 tomorrow. She is having her party today and has 8 other girls over all her age, lol. The pool is a Big Hit for her. I heated the water up to 86 and they are loving it. I turned the heater on yesterday morning and let it run all day and night yesterday and all day today. When I first turned the Heater on yesterday the water temp was only 67 degrees. By the time her party started today at 3:00 pm the water temp was 87. My Bill to heat this will probably be in the area of $200.00 but Hey She will only be 14 once and it's my only child.

Maybe I will get a few pics up. They are all having a Blast.

That's when I really enjoy having my pool, when the kids/grandkids visit. It's not heated and sits about 73 right now. By mid July that will increase by 20 degrees or more.

Around here that celebration might have been called a catorceañera.

 

[PessOptimist]

Is your pool a liner pool or gunite, fiberglass? Is your coping Aluminum or tile?

Gunite. Formerly plaster, now some form of pebble tek. Tile.

It's just a matter of keeping on top of the maintenance. I was a little ticked at myself for ignoring it that long.

As someone stated earlier, it's nice sitting on the patio with a lap top and the pool as a background.

 

[nnuut]

Gunite. Formerly plaster, now some form of pebble tek. Tile.

It's just a matter of keeping on top of the maintenance. I was a little ticked at myself for ignoring it that long.

As someone stated earlier, it's nice sitting on the patio with a lap top and the pool as a background.

I have a vinyl pool and Calcium Hardness adjustments really don't make any sense, so I quit. It prevents losing calcium from plaster, gunite, tile etc, my pool has none and adding that much calcium all of the time can really mess up the Ph and Alkalinity, I know I had to empty mine after adding the recommended amount and it turned out to be too much. In your case you're stuck with it.:suspicious:

 

[PessOptimist]

I have a vinyl pool and Calcium Hardness adjustments really don't make any sense, so I quit. It prevents losing calcium from plaster, gunite, tile etc, my pool has none and adding that much calcium all of the time can really mess up the Ph and Alkalinity, I know I had to empty mine after adding the recommended amount and it turned out to be too much. In your case you're stuck with it.:suspicious:

I worry about available and residual chlorine and PH. Keep on top of them and the pool is healthy. I take samples to the pool store mainly to see what they say and how much what they recommend will cost.

Next project is replacing the under water light bulb. I can barely reach the screw from the deck and cannot get the right angle and grip to unscrew it. I am old you know. That project is best left for warmer times. Big question is if I screw in another spot light or spend $100 on a super efficient multicolor LED replacement that supposedly has many colors and can do a patriotic flag display in the water? Enjoy your life.

 

[JTH]

I don't worry about tamping down the Total Hardness too often, by the time I get it down to acceptable levels, I need to top off the pool with tap water again, thereby starting the same whole process all over again.

I end up testing for it about once a month, in the meantime, I keep the pool balanced with bleach & muratic acid.

 

[nnuut]

I worry about available and residual chlorine and PH. Keep on top of them and the pool is healthy. I take samples to the pool store mainly to see what they say and how much what they recommend will cost.

Next project is replacing the under water light bulb. I can barely reach the screw from the deck and cannot get the right angle and grip to unscrew it. I am old you know. That project is best left for warmer times. Big question is if I screw in another spot light or spend $100 on a super efficient multicolor LED replacement that supposedly has many colors and can do a patriotic flag display in the water? Enjoy your life.

I have a fiber Optic light in my pool but haven't used it for years. The light source isn't in the pool it is topside and shines the light in the end of a fiber optic cable that ends in a lens in the pool, so changing the light bulb is a snap, mine has a color wheel too! The darn light bulb Burned out about every two months and the manufacturer was smart enough (CROOKS) to make the bulb PROPRIETARY so you have to buy it from them, darn bulbs were $40 each so after about 4 bulbs I shut it off and installed a 150 watt spotlight on the corner soffit closest to the pool, lights up the pool fine and have been using the same one for 10 years.