"Let's get a pool!" she says. "It'll be easy!" she says. Ha!
I've finally realized that I have no idea what I'm doing and before I ruin this thing anymore to look for a pool service.
The first half-dozen I called never returned my call. I finally got someone to come out to take a look, but he shows up the day before our appointment when I'm not there. He "took a look around" and left my daughter his card with the weekly service rates.
Today I'm watching the pool filter kick on but only the spa started. I went out to the pump and gave it my professional assessment. Yep, it's still there! I turned off the pump, went inside and hit the spa button. Then the kreepy-krawley kicked on like it should have with the timer. It's almost like something is now backwards. My daughter said the guy was back by the pump but didn't see what he was doing.
Enough diatribe. Here are my questions:
Is there somewhere I can post a diagram that someone may be able to look at and give me some pointers as to how the water flows through the pumps and filter and what the heck all these levers are for?
Pool is approximately ten years old. Previous owner said he never drained it. Pool store tested my water and stated that it had a high concentration of dissolved solids and that I should drain it. True?
If I do need to drain it, would it be beneficial to do an acid wash?
Many thanks in advance for all suggestions/recommendations.
Your internet service provider usually provides you with 'personal web site' space. You can post the photos there, and then post the link to the website on the group.
True. I only have two seasons on my water, and I will probably drain it this winter. Don't use the pool backwash function. Rent or buy a pump and drain the water to a lot ( if you have the land that permits it), or into your sewer cleanout outside your home (if your local codes permit that). If you have two sewer cleanout taps, use the one that is closer to the wall of the house. Don't use too high a volume pump or you may risk the water backing up into your home drains.
Inconclusive. If your pool surface is badly discolored or stained, then yes. Get several estimates.
Never a problem. I bought my house a year and a half ago and had never owned or maintaned a pool before that. I know what your going through.
Before draining, is it an inground with vinyl liner? If so, you wont want to drain it too much as the weight of the water holds the liner in place, especially the corners. Conversly, by draining too much and refilling you can get creases in the liner. If it is not vinyl, please disregard.
As the previous poster stated, use your ISP and the homepage space so we can take a look at the diagram.
Disolved solids should be filtered out through the filter. FWIW, I've only drained my pool for the installation of a new liner. I never drain it down more than 1 foot for winterizing. No matter what condition the water is, it is always fixable and the drain/refill should be the very last option. Located in northeast MA if that matters
Each system is different. Find out what diverter valve you have and then find a store with one. Mine are all labled. Do not change valve positions when the pump is running... Unless your into paying for new parts. The pressure has no where to go for short periods. Your pump should have a disconnect switch, that is what I use. Shut off pump, move valve, turn on pump... Simple.
Every couple of years draining and refilling is a good idea. The new chemicals are a bit more, do not forget the stabilizer. It is worth the money here cause it cuts the clorine usage about in half. My pool allows for draining at the back wash valve. Just draining not through the filter, Puting water through the filter for 20 minutes should not hurt it. I put all of the water on my back lawn, no permit reqiured and it did not kill the grass. Cost me $30 bucks extra this month, mine is about
20000 gallons.
If the pool has not been acid washed for a couple of years then yes. It is good preventive measure. I just acid washed mine after 8 years and it cost me $350.00 instead of the usual $165.00. You will probably want to watch it done once then make up your mind if you want to tackel it yourself.
Not one pool company will tell you this so.... I run my pool in Phoenix right now once a week for 3 hours. It is pretty high on chlorine and acid, way to cold to use. In the summer I run the pool every other day for 5 hours. This schedule does not take into consideration storms or debris that does occasionally fall into the pool. If you have leaves get a leaf skimmer for your cleaner, it will save you a fortune in problems by taking the leaves out before it gets to the pump skimmer. Clean everything as needed this can mean daily. I pull water 60% through the cleaner, 20% from the bottom and 20% from the skimmer in the wall. This keeps the dirt out of the pool and the floaties in the skimmer. Sun tan lotion is the bane of keeping your pool. Especially baby lotion. An old tennis ball will help collect the oils from the surface, I set up a shower for the SO and others, rinse off before getting into the pool. Took a while, begging helped in the beginning.
If you get a storm and the water looks like the local river, start the pump and let it run for a few hours, then back wash. I backwash when the pressure reaches 10 pounds.
In time all of this will become second nature. I never use a test kit any more, I pour acid from the bottle into the center of the pool, no more than a 1/2 gallon at a time. Chlorine tables in the floater. Never add chlorine and acid at the same time.
If you smell chlorine your low, not high add more immediately. If you have a large party, wait till the morning after, shock and chlorinate and run the pump for 3-4 hours. Test and see where the water is. Welcome to the wonderful world of pools. They are fun and I love em... I am on my 3 rd now and been a pool owner for more than 20 years.
Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) are not usually removed by filters as they are dissolved in the water. The only remedy to get rid of those is to drain some or all of the water and refill. They should be slow to change, so testing for them once or twice a year should be enough. Hardness is another thing to watch if you have a plaster pool. If the soft rainwater makes the water too soft, it will eat away your plaster. Mine has "moon craters" which I believe to be cause by having the hardness not maintained during the winter rainy season by previous owners.
Draining and refilling a pool is frequently necessary. Particularly in hot areas where substantial quantities of chemicals are added each year to maintain chlorine levels. The most commonly used material is calcium hypochlorite. After a period of time the calcium accumulates and you will end up with excessive calcium hardness. Scale begins to form on pool surface and the water is frequently cloudy. The only practical solution is to drain and re-fill. Maintaining a pool on the North Shore is a piece of cake compared to doing it in the sun belt since the season is so short and the temperatures and sun exposure are so low.
|"Let's get a pool!" she says. "It'll be easy!" she says. Ha!
I heard the same thing. I OK'd it with the provision that wife and kids were responsible for routine maintenance. Turned out to be a good thing I did!
|The first half-dozen I called never returned my call. I finally got |someone to come out to take a look, but he shows up the day before our |appointment when I'm not there. He "took a look around" and left my |daughter his card with the weekly service rates.
A lot of pool service guys get started because they are looking for a low-intensity job that doesn't require a degree
|Pool is approximately ten years old. Previous owner said he never |drained it. Pool store tested my water and stated that it had a high |concentration of dissolved solids and that I should drain it. True?
If your pool is close to the water table, or the ground is saturated, your entire pool can "float" right out of the ground if there's no water in it. The house two doors down from me had a nice pool, which they emptied for the winter. We had a major rain for several days, at the end of which that pool was about 3 feet above ground. It wasn't long before we heard the jackhammers at work.
|If I do need to drain it, would it be beneficial to do an acid wash?
I was told that acid washing was to be avoided. The smooth plaster walls would be transformed into abrasive surfaces when the acid exposed the sand in the mixture. Real good for removing skin on toes etc. I never had to do it in 15 years, but we never let leaves accumulate long enough to stain.
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here.
All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.