Pool Automation

[giroup01]

Now that the pool season is almost over up here in Canada it's time to start about next year's pool project.

What I had in mind, and this is only in the preliminary stages, is having an Stenner-type injector pump feed a chlorine solution in the return line of my above-ground pool.

The scheduling and control of it all I'm still investigating. I would like to feed a dissolved solution of calcium hypochlorite from a chemical tank located in the pool shed that's within short distance from the injection point.

What are the pros and cons of having such a solution tank? What should I watch out for? Will the calcium precipitate on the bottom of the tank? Will it generate too much fumes as to be dangerous? Will this solution lose 'power' over time as does bleach? What is the preferred contruction material of this tank? Does it need to be vented? Will feeding cal hypo on a schedule make the water cloudly?

Thanks,

[Travis Jordan]

Don't bother - that's overkill for your application. Just use an inline chlorine tablet feeder such as the Hayward CL100 or CL200. Should cost you less than $65 delivered.

[Travis Jordan]

Wrong link - meant to send this one:

[Paul Giroux]

What type of chlorine do you put in there, is it trichlor?

[Pagan]

Check out this guy's automation scheme:

It's a tad complex for my taste, but very informative.

Pagan

[Travis Jordan]

Yes, either in tablet or stick form. It's a simple and elegant solution for maintaining chlorine levels. I've got a Hayward CL200 feeder that is 10 years old and other than a couple of new O-rings I've never had to do anything to it.

[Steve B.]

Sorry to respond without having any additonal info to offer. Was just wondering when your pool season starts since it is almost over now. Gulf temps was 89 degrees here today and seems more like bath water than swimming water.

Steve B.

[Paul Giroux]

This always amazes me. The highest my water's ever been is 77 degrees, I swim when it's 68, the wife likes it at 77.

Most of the people here open their pools in early June, mine's opened mid-April (water's at 50). The city outdoor pools are opened for the last weekend in June and close mid-August. The weather this year is exceptional though, we may swim until the end of August, but no later than that I don't think. First swim was mid-May for me.

I close the pool down in October.

So maybe six weeks to go. Ugh. Goes by so fast.

All this effort and maintenance for about 3 months of swimming. Pool maintenance for me then has become a hobby (my wife says it's more a symptom), hence the automation idea. I just like to tinker.

I see my neighbour washing his car every second day and I'm thinking "c'mon, you don't need it, get over your car, it's just a car" while he's probably looking at me and saying "c'mon, you don't need to vacuum it every second day and test it every day, it's just a pool".

[Bob G.]

On Thu, 07 Jul 2005 13:30:17 -0400, Paul Giroux

************ You are braver then me... Pool has to be 80 degrees before I jump in... Local YMCA requires 75 degree water temp for competition... so you can bet I do not swim in competition...

Balto-Washington area here... I open the pool in early April... BEFORE it turns a nice green color... just easier then waiting until you can not see the bottom.. First swim is normally in late May however..(80 degrees remember) .

I close the pool down the absolute last day before it snows....only because I like looking at my pool...its relaxing and when I cover it over for the winter it has to be winter....I HATE WINTER !

Its now July and I have had to vaccum my pool once so far this year .. (day after I uncovered it in April).... I do run my Polaris cleaner for an hour ever morning...as I drink my coffee and read the morning paper...SUCH WORK..... LOL

I have 5 Corvettes in my garage and I normally have at least one of them entered in a car show every week during the summer and all of them leave the garage at least once a week for a 20-30 miles warm up drive.... I HAVE NOT washed any of them in the last couple of years....NOT ONCE.... they do not see rain...I "dust" them off with a California duster before I leave the garage....and I wipe them down with A detailer (Finish Fast in a spray bottle) when I return home...

I do not like washing a car..... I do not like cleaning the pool either...

I do like to sit in the pool (on the steps) and drink a Bloddy Mary and I do like driving my cars on the local twisties... and I really like being retired and having the time to enjoy myself...

Bob Griffiths.

..

[SteveB]

HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOEY!

I live in Las Vegas. We have a solar heater to extend our swimming to about eight months a year.

Ideal temp when we can get it stabilized: 83. Usual temp: 87.

Record water temp when the solar was left on full blast with the pool blanket early in the season: 102

Seventy degree water would be nice, but when I cut off the solar completely, it reaches up to 170 in the tubes. If I cut it off altogether, I'm afraid it will just melt or crack, or die a terribly expensive death.

Steve

[SteveB]

"SteveB" wrote

Sorry, that was not an exclamation that I thought your post was hooey, just that I get all drawn up inside thinking of jumping into 68 degree water............ if you get my drift.

When ours is lower than 83, we think it chilly. Guess temperatures over 100 for months at a time will do that to a person.

Steve

[gfretwell]

You have to understand folks from the great white north would never get in the water if it has to be warm. We always stand around in amazement when the snowbirds get in the water in the winter around here. They say it's like the lake in the summer back up in Frostbite Falls.

[SteveB]

We had the solar installed in March a couple of years ago. We had it replastered right after that. We filled up the pool Tuesday, and Thursday we had guests from Alaska. They were jumping in there and splashing, and saying how warm it was. It was probably all of 70.

This pool is on our rental house. This year, we had some guests from Maine in March. We have the pool cover on then, trying to warm it up whatever we can. A couple of warm sunny days, and the temp can go up ten degrees a day. Again, they were frolicking in cold water like it was nothing.

Guess it is what you are used to. I used to be a commercial diver, and have dove in water in the 33-40 degree range in dry suits. I once got hyperthermia in a wet suit. We had to be careful not to touch anything steel with the suit topside because it would stick just as fast as a tongue to a flagpole. But, it was warm and dry inside those suits. Still, the hands and face got wet, and we could tell that it was really cold in the water. But, then, there were many times diving in a wet suit that it was plenty cold.

Steve