rbdeli

I am one who used to have a pool guy who put trichlor pucks in my skimmer. A year later I had a $700 heat exchanger repair bill. This doesn't begin to cover the costs and hassles I paid to keep metals from staining my pool the last two years. The pool guy used to leave my pump running 24/7, but I wouldn't put trichlor pucks in my skimmer at all anymore.

Are you using the vacuum underneath the skimmer basket, or does your pool have another hole on the side? I usually vacuum my pool from the skimmer. I have never been able to get the vacuum line on the side of the pool to work properly. My vacuum line never seems to be primed, so I always leave the pump setting on Skim rather than VAC. I get plenty of suction through the skimmer. Try one of the two holes underneath your skimmer basket.(The one with the most suction) I'm sure someone else can give you a more reasonable, well defined answer.

Last year, I began doing CYA testing outdoors with my back to the sun and still got slightly inconsistent readings from test to test using the K-2006. I find CYA testing with any kit to be the most erratic and less trustworthy of all the tests I do. I've never had complete confidence in it. I wish they made a CYA test that was as obvious and clear as the FAS chlorine one.

I can't imagine anyone thinking the Taylor K-2006 is more pool testing than they need, unless they've never used the FAS Chlorine test. This is the most easy-to-use, accurate chlorine test there is. You will never have to guess or compare colors. If you ever run into problems with your pool, you will regret selling it. It will be well worth the $39.00 and more you are wanting to get back from it. If you feel it is more test kit than you need, you might not be testing your pool properly. Make sure to read the information on this board about Chlorine and Stabilizer and the relationship between the two.

I've used lots and lots of test kits in my first three years as a pool owner. I didn't really learn anything about my pool until I started using the Taylor K-2006. By using the Taylor K-2006 on a route of pools and recording the results, I think you will get better, more consistent results across the board.

I'll give you the same great advice 'chemgeek' gave me on this board last year. Stay away from any type of chlorine systems that use stabilizer or CYA. I inherited a swimming pool with my house three years ago. Most chlorine pucks add stabilizer to your water. The higher your stabilizer, the higher you need to keep your free chlorine to disinfect. I had a plethora of problems getting my water balanced, but with the help of others on this forum and a really good Pool Testing Kit, I not only educated myself on proper water balance, but ended up with a sparkling pool. Get the Tayor K-2006 Test Kit. Look into the Three B's (Beach, Baking Soda and Borax) as your only chemicals you'll ever need. Or, for that size of a pool look into a Salt Chlorine Generator. Best of luck Rob

Dang, that is a very good price. I'm about to reorder some agents and things. But, it's a long, long winter in Colorado. I've got about 2 and 1/2 months to go!

I paid $290 last year and though that was horrendously expensive. I guess not, based on the replies here. Today, I am looking into trying to close it myself. I'm a little nervous about making sure the lines are all blown out. I also unsure as to whether or not I should lower the water. Some experts tell you not to, to keep strain and force off the cover.

I had an experience which I posted on the 'other' forum about my pump going out. It did exhibit similar symptoms to yours, and seemed to get worse everytime I used the Vac or had to reprime it. So, I doubt that just running it dry for two minutes would be the sole cause of the problem, but on the other hand if your pump was on it's way out in the first place, that could have been what took it to it's knees. I got my new motor put in on Thursday and it is way quieter and cooler than I've ever noticed it before. Was your pump getting hot?

Did you use Cal-Hypo Shock? A few weeks ago, I put 4 bags of Cal-Hypo in my pool because I wanted to raise my CH a bit while Shocking. My pool was cloudy for about a day right after the cal-hypo was put in. It only took about 24-36 hours to clear up. It's probably the shock you used, and I'm sure chemgeek would be able to confirm this. Rob

Thanks for the tip on the skimmer socks. I have never used those, but certainly could would have liked to have them this summer. The cotton has been terrible. I have not had much luck finding one place that carries everything. Overall, www.intheswim.com seems to have the best deals, but still lacks some of the testing agents for my K-2006. I don't know where you live, but Doheny's offers free next-day delivery to much of the US and free second-day delivery to much of the rest. Very competitive prices, too - especially once you factor shipping or travel time/gas/sweat driving to a local pool store and lugging the chems back. What kind of test kit did you buy? Many members here use a Taylor kit, esp. the K-2006. My advice re: chemicals is simplified since you're apparently a first-time pool owner. No offense - you'll learn quickly and deserve kudos for coming here and asking. You'll find much more detailed advice on this forum and from the booklet that accompanies Taylor test kits. Anyway, the levels you should test and adjust on a weekly basis are as follows: pH - generally shouldn't have to worry about raising pH. You can use muriatic acid or dry acid (aka sodium bisulphate) to lower pH once it reaches 8.0. TA (total alkalinity) - you can lower both TA and pH w/ muriatic acid once your pH increases toward 8.0. You can raise TA w/ baking soda once it drops below 80ppm. CH (calcium hardness) - raise by adding calcium chloride (same stuff used as an alternative to normal sidewalk de-icers, but don't buy the versions found at local hardware stores). 150ppm is fine for vinyl and fiberglass, aim for 250-400ppm for a gunite/concrete pool. See note below about excessive calcium levels. Stabilizer (aka CYA/cyanuric acid) and Chlorine: They go hand-in-hand. CYA greatly retards the deterioration rate of FC (free chlorine) caused by UV radiation - basically, CYA allows your chlorine levels to stay higher for longer periods of time. That said, too much CYA can be a bad thing and is a common source of problems for many pool owners - witness the number of questions posted here weekly about trouble maintaining FC levels; many of them are due to excessive CYA levels. You should test your CYA levels weekly, especially since you're using pucks and tabs. These are stabilized forms of chlorine and it's possible to over-stabilize your pool. Once your CYA level exceeds, oh, 80-100ppm you'll find you need to maintain an ever higher FC (free chlorine) level for sanitation (normally 1-5ppm unless your pool is over-stabilized), as well as aim for higher FC levels when shocking your pool (40% of your CYA level, e.g 24ppm assuming CYA level of 60ppm). Like calcium, CYA does not evaporate and stays in the pool unless you backwash or partially drain/refill your pool (although it tends to break down over the winter months). The only practicable forms of unstabilized chlorine are (1) chlorinated liquid (6% unscented bleach or 10-12% pool bleach/liquid chlorine), (2) lithium hypochlorite (expensive) and (3) Cal Hypo (aka calcium hypochlorite - note this raises your calcium levels, which can turn your pool cloudy once you reach a certain calcium level in relation to your TA and pH). Most chems should be added slowly in front of a return outlet or cast evenly and in small amounts around the pool. The one exception is CYA, which is slow to dissolve and can be added directly to your skimmer box(es), although you'll want to install skimmer socks. That's another item you should add to your purchase list. They are elastic mesh liners that fit over the removable basket found in your skimmer. Cost maybe $5-6 for a pack of 5. BioGuard offers Skim Mor skimmer socks, that are treated w/ a chemical (mycelx) that is derived from technology for cleaning up oil spills. They are more expensive ($7-8 per 5-pack) but they are effective at reducing waterline scum associated w/ sunblock, body oils, etc. Skimmer socks are also a must-have for most of the US during the spring - they trap pollen, cottonwood seeds, etc. and keep them out of your filter. Remove, rinse and re-install every day, and replace every couple of weeks once they lose their elasticity. I replace my Skim Mor socks when they turn green (meaning they're loaded w/ sunblock or body oils). Use the search engine or just scroll through the Inground and Pool Chemistry pages for tons of useful information. It can seem overwhelming at first, but you'll figure it out quickly. Good luck!

I am in the exact same boat and our weather here in Colorado is very similar to yours. It's awfully hard for me to want to use my pool heater when the temps aren't even getting up to the mid-70's.. This is why it's hard to justify owning a swimming pool in Colorado. The rainy and cooler weather we are getting this year is actually a return of normalcy for us. The last 7-8 years, more people than ever started buying AC in CO.. Things really DID get hotter and drier, but this seems to be a return to cooler days again in late spring / early summer. hell I am no scientist so I will hpefully think 5 bucks is the correct answer...lol That I can swalllow. I live in Canada and although it typically is in the 80's and 90's during july and august, this year so far has been pitiful and we have not even turned the AC onin the house yet. The pool is surrounded by cedar trees and 2 houses but we do get quite a bit of sun during the day however around 5 or so the sun crosses over a corner of my house and blocks out the pool for about an hour then returns again. the solar cover blew off about a month ago and I still need to repair it and currently use the pill to try and save evaporation...no clue if it works as I have not owned a pool long enough to determine much of anything so far. This weekend I have to repair the cover.

Have you tried putting vitamin c tablets on the spots? That would be the next thing to try.

I bet the last 7 years have given Colorado Pool owners a little bit longer pool season. The climate really has warmed a bit and the nights just don't get as cool as they used to, meaning the heater doesn't have to run as much to warm the pool. HOWEVER...Now that I'm a pool owner, it seems that things may be going back to the way they were. We've had 7, straight weekends of below average temps, rain and gray skies, and nights are getting down into the 40's. This is more typical of our climate this year. I like the pool around 84-85 on a hot day and maybe 86 on a cool evening. Energy savings are probably a trade off. Little or no need for the Air Conditioner, but a slight increased need for pool heater due to cooler nights. Rob Note that I voted incorrectly when I said I had a solar cover since it's really a heat-retention cover since it's opaque. Note also that I voted that I have a large solar system because it does provide more heat than I need during the summer, but in the colder low-sun-angle months I need gas assist so solar is not enough at those times.

Whatever you use, a $100 investment in a solar blanket will help, especially for retaining the heat when pool is not being used. From my own experience, a light blue, 12-mil solar blanket is probably the best all-around choice: