Recent content by nocaster

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    tiny bugs in water

    Could have been springtails. http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/ent/notes ... gtails.htm I see them in my pool almost every year around this time.
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    Dirt Stains?

    Looks like the same mustard algae I fought all last season.
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    Scale

    Thanks for the link. I put some numbers in that I think were pretty close to what I saw last year and noticed the CSI would go over .6. If it goes over this threshold am I getting into conditions that are favorable for scale? I found some of my old posts and my well water has a CH of 530 and TA...
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    Scale

    Two seasons ago I was fastidious at keeping my water balanced. I used bleach, aerated to lower my TA, kept my pH in the correct range, and had fabulous water thanks to all the knowledge shared on this forum. Last season I had a infant and was extremely busy with other things. I didn't have time...
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    Is there a chemical to detect urine in the pool?

    I did this to some 8 year olds. After they got out of the pool I got out my test kit. I told them if anyone pee'd in the pool the water would change color as I added drops. Of course I was just testing for TA but they didn't know that. When the water changed color one of the kids ran into the...
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    Dry ice in the pool.....

    What if I actually need to lower pH? Would this be a good substitute to adding muriatic acid? I live near an ammonium nitrate plant that produces copious amounts of dry ice as a byproduct and they sell it cheap.
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    Empty pools & hydrostatic pressure?

    I have a mysterious piece of PVC sticking up right next to my diving board. There is a threaded fitting on the end but the pipe is hollow. Could this be a "stand pipe" for draining water from under the pool in the event I need to drain it? My pool was built about 30 years ago so I have no way of...
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    FOUND ~ 1 Bug!! :(

    I had a rather large roach swimming right next to where I was about to pour some bleach. I found out if I pour bleach directly on the roach it will die a sudden death and sink right to the bottom. I didn't tell my wife about this. :)
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    HDTV

    Here is the HR-20 forum at dbstalk. HR-20 Forum
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    HDTV

    I got my HR-20 earlier this year for $299 with a $100 credit on my next bill and $10/month for 12 months. I would call them soon if you want one because the demand is going to be high. The HR-20 might feel like a step backwards from the TiVo at first. I got used to it after a while and like it...
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    HDTV

    You need the new HR-20 DVR to see the new channels. They will be using MPEG-4 compression and the older HR10-250 Tivo has no way to decode MPEG-4. I think the stuff in the 70's will remain as it is, but all the new channels coming from the satellite launched two weeks ago will be MPEG-4. Oh...
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    Alkalinity out of control

    Here are the procedures for lowering ALK. PoolForum Sticky I followed these procedures and was able to lower my ALK from 290 to 90 in about four weeks. I turned all my return jets towards the surface and one of them is a spa jet. I may have had some help from all the rain we received. :-D
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    Tips and Tricks

    To see how your water circulates around the inside of your pool: Put a lead fishing weight in an empty two liter bottle. Add enough water to the bottle until it is neutrally buoyant. Gently push it into the deepest part of the pool and watch how it moves with the underwater current.
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    good price for bleach?

    I get 6% in .75 gallon jugs at a local grocery store for $0.99. It's a house brand and it's always on the bottom shelf. They also sell 20 Mule Team Borax for $2.99/box. They are the only "pool store" I use. I wonder why nobody sells bleach by the gallon. They are always .75 or the very odd 1.42...
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    My Solar Heat is BETTER than Yours! ;)

    So how much current can a 10Kw system actually deliver on average? Do the inverters convert the power to 220 or 110? 10KW seems like enough to power a pool pump and air conditioner.