Recent content by bdrums

Anyone else notice that the bleach at HEB is almost non-existent? The 2 near us (Spring/The Woodlands) have empty shelves. Or mostly empty.

I love the looks I get when I tell people all I use is bleach and MA and in the 2 1/2 years since we built the pool we've never had algae, never shocked the pool and never been inside the pool store. Thanks TFP!

I use a plastic knife to cut the liner then (while by the pool) tear the rest of the liner off with my hand and plunge my hand into the water. I guess I should say the bottle is sitting on solid ground (usually the spa ledge) so there's no sloshing while I do this.

Hello fellow Houstonian. pH is mostly affected by the TA value and aeration. The higher the TA the more it causes pH to drift higher. Aeration also causes pH to rise.

Just as a reference, here in the Houston area I use about 1/2-2/3 gallon of 8.25% bleach per day in my 16,000 gallon pool that gets full sun all day. So your pool's demand seems consistent with mine. For reducing cost look for a bulk chemical outlet/store. Not far from me is a place that has...

Drew, our tap/fill water is well over 300 TA (north Houston area) so it's entirely possible where you are that the TA is insanely high.

What is your TA reading? A high total alkalinity will cause pH to rise pretty rapidly.

Having the same problem. Installed winter of 2015. In the fall of 2016, heater failed. PB came out and ( I think) replaced a circuit board. Worked until yesterday. Same error. PB is coming out again to check. But this is the last year of warranty. When he fixes the problem this time what...

Mamiamjo, I don't know how far this is for you, but Napco on Spring Cypress rd near 2920 has bulk 10+% liquid chlorine at $1.68 / gal. I bought 2 x 7 gal Aqua Tainers off Amazon. You have to have a container with a decent sized opening, but they fill you up right there. I keep 2 single...

Once or twice on the weekend for about 45 minutes to an hour. - - - Updated - - - Makes me think they over exposed our pebble when they came out to drain and acid wash.

Addendum to my previous list: I'd go with traditional plaster instead of pebble. Why? The skin under both of my big toes is getting chewed up something awful.

I second the recommendation of a recommended test kit. It will make life so much better when maintaining your pool. Highly recommend the speed stir as well. Our neighbor is still bound to the pool store although they are intrigued by what I do which is simply test chlorine and pH daily and...

Good point about the builder. That's the single most important factor. Get someone you trust tearing up your backyard for 2 months or more. We also have our IFC on a separate pump. That's standard for our PB for the reasons already stated. Ours doesn't work as well as Jay's. We get a...

Also, splashing from heavy bather load will cause a lot of out gassing which will cause pH to rise. You may not ever get to a stable pH while in heavy use. - - - Updated - - - Oh. And only adding acid once a week is not too bad. I have to add at least once per week.

I've never seen a comparison article so I can't help you there. There are 3 major brands (from what I've read here): Paramount, A&A and Caretaker (not sure if that is still the brand - it may be under Zodiac now). One of the big differences in systems will be how the heads operate. The...