I'm going to be a home w/ a pool owner

[mvbighead]

www.troublefreepool.com

25k gallons.

I use on large bag of baking soda and a few boxes of borax a month = 10 bucks. And then 10-15 bucks worth of bleach or 10% chlorine a month. Once my water is stable I rarely need to add any baking soda or borax. I have never had to raise my chrlorine to shock levels until I had to close it as it's recommended to take it to shock levels when you close as an extra safe guard to make opening easier.

The secret to a good pool is simply having a GOOD FAS-DPD test kit (you can get the taylor one for about 60 bucks). If you do not have a FAS-DPD test to measure free and combined chrlorine you will never know what's going on with your pool, nor have any way to resolve it. Same goes for measuring CYA (stabilizer), you MUST know how much CYA you have in your pool.

Your pool is going green for only one reason:

1) Not keeping free chlorine levels consistently high enough for your given CYA

In reality once your CYA gets above 70 or 80 it becomes extremely difficult and expensive to maintain FC at sanitizing levels. A partial drain and fill is the only way to get rid of CYA and will be required for high CYA (anything over 80 really unless you've got a saltwater generator). CYA is the devil, and those little chorline pucks are full of CYA (it has to be in the pucks to keep the chlorine stabilized).

I have/had saltwater. We bought into that idea, but I believe my SWG is broke (I have added salt upon salt upon salt and it continues to tell me that the salt level is low (it had worked well earlier in the season)). At this point, I aim to follow your methods and see if that makes it easier. The SWG was expensive, and it seems it had to run all the time to keep up with the chlorine demand. I am hoping I can lower my electric bill this year and avoid that mess by just getting the chemicals right.

I did buy that tester towards the end of the year, but at that point had already lost my sanity on maintaining the water that I purely gave up. Toward the end, I think I figured out that my stabilizer wasn't high enough, and my free chlorine was depleting faster than I could add it (very hot/dry summer).

Anyhoo, thanks for your tips. I may be PMing you for more precise answers when the time comes, if you'd be so kind.

 

[highland145]

Alky, Heller, and I were playing a fierce game of Marco Polo on Sunday.

 

[spidey07]

I have/had saltwater. We bought into that idea, but I believe my SWG is broke (I have added salt upon salt upon salt and it continues to tell me that the salt level is low (it had worked well earlier in the season)). At this point, I aim to follow your methods and see if that makes it easier. The SWG was expensive, and it seems it had to run all the time to keep up with the chlorine demand. I am hoping I can lower my electric bill this year and avoid that mess by just getting the chemicals right.

I did buy that tester towards the end of the year, but at that point had already lost my sanity on maintaining the water that I purely gave up. Toward the end, I think I figured out that my stabilizer wasn't high enough, and my free chlorine was depleting faster than I could add it (very hot/dry summer).

Anyhoo, thanks for your tips. I may be PMing you for more precise answers when the time comes, if you'd be so kind.

They're not my methods by any means. It all comes from troublefreepool.com. They're great and will help out.

On your SWG (saltwater CL generator), if it is undersized it may have never been able to keep up. And once you do go green (algae bloom) and SWG will never be able to produce enough FC to combat it and that's where the shock process with bleach comes in to truly kill anything and everything in the pool. Once that's done and confirmed the SWG can do it's job of maintaining FC. Over at that site the "shock process" is very detailed and clear on WHEN you are done shocking. It's not a "dump this chemical in and you've shocked your pool". You MUST maintain FC levels at shock level adding bleach frequently until it's done killing everything which could take 3-7 days.

SWG cells don't last forever and the more you use them/run them the faster they wear out.

For an above ground it would be best to start with fresh water if you really had that much trouble (depending on your water rates and how much of course). Fill her up, add some CYA and bleach to shock levels and sit back and enjoy. I don't know much about SWG, maybe pool store can have the cell tested. That's probably the next thing I'll do is get a SWG. I add bleach every or every other day. If I go out of town I switch to the pucks or have a neighbor add bleach.

 

[Lalakai]

We bought our house with an above ground pool (deck and a deep end 8'). Two of our kids learned how to swim in that pool. Our only upgrade to the pool was a larger pump. It was chlorine based system. We estimate the liner was 18-20 years old when it finally tore and at that time we decided to take it out completely. Had the liner not tore we would have kept the pool.

each set up/operation is different, mostly depending on the owner. As someone pointed out, one of the biggest issues is to determine how old the pool is. Liner life very rarely exceeds 20 years (unless you have solid liner) and replacing a liner is not a fun thing to do. If the liner is in good shape and you plan on keeping the pool, establish a regular schedule for testing and cleaning. Use the test kit religiously; if you get too far behind on the pH it can have a serious impact on everything. The test kits are pretty universal and most of them will do a good job as long as the reagents aren't expired. Along with the liner, check the condition of the pump and type of filter system being used. An undersized pump will cause a lot of "make work" as you compensate for it. Surprisingly, the more you use your pool, the easier the upkeep; having the water stirred up helps the pump and chemicals. Quite often we only had to sweep out the large debris that would fall in, letting the pump/filter take care of the rest, but if we didn't use the pool for 7-10 days then we would have to vacuum sweep it to compensate for lack of swimming agitation. We used bleach and chlorine as our mainstays. Heavy rains will screw with your pH so watch that. If you are in a location where you will close your pool for the winter, be very thorough and don't scrimp on your precautions here. Steps to winterize your pool are pretty specific and you can find those on-line (if you still have questions send me pm and i'll help).

hope it works out for you

 

[gorcorps]

We bought our house with an above ground pool (deck and a deep end 8'). Two of our kids learned how to swim in that pool. Our only upgrade to the pool was a larger pump. It was chlorine based system. We estimate the liner was 18-20 years old when it finally tore and at that time we decided to take it out completely. Had the liner not tore we would have kept the pool.

each set up/operation is different, mostly depending on the owner. As someone pointed out, one of the biggest issues is to determine how old the pool is. Liner life very rarely exceeds 20 years (unless you have solid liner) and replacing a liner is not a fun thing to do. If the liner is in good shape and you plan on keeping the pool, establish a regular schedule for testing and cleaning. Use the test kit religiously; if you get too far behind on the pH it can have a serious impact on everything. The test kits are pretty universal and most of them will do a good job as long as the reagents aren't expired. Along with the liner, check the condition of the pump and type of filter system being used. An undersized pump will cause a lot of "make work" as you compensate for it. Surprisingly, the more you use your pool, the easier the upkeep; having the water stirred up helps the pump and chemicals. Quite often we only had to sweep out the large debris that would fall in, letting the pump/filter take care of the rest, but if we didn't use the pool for 7-10 days then we would have to vacuum sweep it to compensate for lack of swimming agitation. We used bleach and chlorine as our mainstays. Heavy rains will screw with your pH so watch that. If you are in a location where you will close your pool for the winter, be very thorough and don't scrimp on your precautions here. Steps to winterize your pool are pretty specific and you can find those on-line (if you still have questions send me pm and i'll help).

hope it works out for you

Thanks, and thanks to spidey as well

I'll ask when the pool was installed, as I don't think it came with the house and the house was built in 2000. Being in NW Indiana it's definitely a winterizing concern though.

 

[mvbighead]

They're not my methods by any means. It all comes from troublefreepool.com. They're great and will help out.

On your SWG (saltwater CL generator), if it is undersized it may have never been able to keep up. And once you do go green (algae bloom) and SWG will never be able to produce enough FC to combat it and that's where the shock process with bleach comes in to truly kill anything and everything in the pool. Once that's done and confirmed the SWG can do it's job of maintaining FC. Over at that site the "shock process" is very detailed and clear on WHEN you are done shocking. It's not a "dump this chemical in and you've shocked your pool". You MUST maintain FC levels at shock level adding bleach frequently until it's done killing everything which could take 3-7 days.

SWG cells don't last forever and the more you use them/run them the faster they wear out.

For an above ground it would be best to start with fresh water if you really had that much trouble (depending on your water rates and how much of course). Fill her up, add some CYA and bleach to shock levels and sit back and enjoy. I don't know much about SWG, maybe pool store can have the cell tested. That's probably the next thing I'll do is get a SWG. I add bleach every or every other day. If I go out of town I switch to the pucks or have a neighbor add bleach.

Well, by the book, our 15000 gallon pool needed the pump to run upwards of 8 hours a day. And when it wasn't cleaning well, it was running a lot more than that. Our electric bill was astronomical, and I am fairly sure the pool was a good chunk of it.

That being said, I dunno that I'd do saltwater again, especially if their suggestions are easier to go by, which they seem to have been validated extensively so I assume they will.

So, when you say you add bleach every other day, how much do you add? Just curious.

 

[zinfamous]

Alky, Heller, and I were playing a fierce game of Marco Polo on Sunday.

I think you know what is required...

 

[lxskllr]

I think you know what is required...

STD test?

 

[highland145]

STD test?

Tests not required..the CDC is required plus hazmat.

 

[cheezy321]

I have an in ground pool. 35,000 gallons. I just bought the house in June and taking care of it has been a lot of work. The old owner didn't replace the water in the pool for YEARS. The TDS (total dissolved solids) in it were sky high. Once it got cool enough to do here in Phoenix (late October), I had it emptied, acid washed and refilled. Its been much easier maintenance since then. Since the weather is cold out I haven't had to add many chemicals but I expect to spend a lot more on chemicals once it gets hot again. During the summer your pool can get out of control in a week.

It's a lot of work (~1-2 hours / week) and it does cost money but overall I would say its worth it. During the summer we have huge pine trees that block the sun from ~2 PM - 6 PM. Its a lifesaver during our hot summers.

This was right after I purchased the place /Obligatory pic

 

[spidey07]

Well, by the book, our 15000 gallon pool needed the pump to run upwards of 8 hours a day. And when it wasn't cleaning well, it was running a lot more than that. Our electric bill was astronomical, and I am fairly sure the pool was a good chunk of it.

That being said, I dunno that I'd do saltwater again, especially if their suggestions are easier to go by, which they seem to have been validated extensively so I assume they will.

So, when you say you add bleach every other day, how much do you add? Just curious.

I'd have to check my logs and it depends on sun and readings ( I test every day, takes 5 minutes and I enjoy it).

48 to 64 oz sounds right in full bore middle of summer.

The site I listed has charts and a calculator for how much to add based on your FC level and CYA. Just go there, read and learn. They're extremely helpful and will help newbs. Just read everything first.

You'll get to know your pool after a month or two and can just feel and tell if something's not right by the look.

 

[spidey07]

Nice pool cheezy.

Once you get your water right maintenance isn't much.

And I hate my pone tree near the pool. Needles everywhere that like to clog pumps.

 

[gorcorps]

Here's what I have for pics:

 

[spidey07]

Really nice pool there. Enjoy it. Go to the site I mentioned.

 

[highland145]

Really nice pool there. Enjoy it. Go to the site I mentioned.

This.

When you say "above ground pool" in the south you could mean this.

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

Nice little set up there.

 

[PingSpike]

Above ground pool is no problem. It shouldn't take long at all to drain it and take it to the dump.

 

[gorcorps]

Above ground pool is no problem. It shouldn't take long at all to drain it and take it to the dump.

If it was what I normally see with such pools (pool randomly stuck in middle of yard with a ladder) then I might. But since they also have a decent deck and landscaping around it it'd be a bigger pain to remove it, and then fix the landscaping to remove any trace. I'd have to put sod down, move plants, etc... screw that.

 

[ponyo]

Thx for the pics. Nice setup you got there. It's first time I've seen above ground pool.

 

[PingSpike]

If it was what I normally see with such pools (pool randomly stuck in middle of yard with a ladder) then I might. But since they also have a decent deck and landscaping around it it'd be a bigger pain to remove it, and then fix the landscaping to remove any trace. I'd have to put sod down, move plants, etc... screw that.

That sucks. But its still way easier than if it was an in ground pool. You might as well swim in it for the two summers it takes to get completely bored with it before you tear it all down then. When we got rid of our pool when I was a kid we just used the space as a sand box. I had a lot of fun in that sand box.

If I liked everything else about the house I'd still buy it but I'd never buy a house with an in ground pool.

 

[Vdubchaos]

My condolences OP.

Expect a lot of new pool friendships.....and expect to lose those friendships when the pool closes hehe

Pool would be cool in hot climate (florida/California).....but here in northeast, it's just not worth it for 4-5 months (if that). Same goes for the boat.

 

[ThePresence]

I have an inground pool. It has been a great experience so far. Somethings went wrong, etc, but wasn't too bad. I maintain it myself, water was crystal clear from a week after opening until we closed it. DE filter with cholrinator.

 

[Platypus]

Here's what I have for pics:

Congrats on the house, D

 

[spidey07]

I have an inground pool. It has been a great experience so far. Somethings went wrong, etc, but wasn't too bad. I maintain it myself, water was crystal clear from a week after opening until we closed it. DE filter with cholrinator.

You might want to get a good test kit and check your CYA level. Those chlorinators are constantly adding CYA. At some point your CYA levels are going to be too high for any reasonable free chlorine level to be effective and you'll be fighting algae and not knowing why. You could be at 20 FC, but that still isn't enough to be effective with CYA over 100. The Taylor 2006 has a FAS-DPD test along with CYA.

http://www.amazon.com/Taylor-Complet.../dp/B0002IXIIG

FC/CYA chart:
http://www.troublefreepool.com/pool-school/chlorine_cya_chart_shock

 

[gorcorps]

My condolences OP.

Expect a lot of new pool friendships.....and expect to lose those friendships when the pool closes hehe

Pool would be cool in hot climate (florida/California).....but here in northeast, it's just not worth it for 4-5 months (if that). Same goes for the boat.

I'm probably going to make more enemies out of this than friends. My fear is that there's probably neighbor kids who hung out with the current owners' kids so they're used to having a pool to play in. I do not want them knocking on my door asking to use the pool because they'll be told to piss right off. Maybe the parents will understand why, maybe not.

Congrats on the house, D

Thanks other D :awe: