Recent content by Thinking Cap Sideways

So the plan to minimize the cost/chemical usage is: I'll toss in a box and a half of washing soda and go from there on TA. I will use ~10 more trichlor tabs (~5-weeks) and switch to chlorinating liquid. Leave my TA and Ph little on the low side to accommodate the use of the washing soda that...

Side note: My pool has been the happening place for frogs since opening it this year. The same 10-20 frogs swim in it every night and I've yet to find a corpse. Apparently it's their pool too.

The other question, since I didn't ask it correctly, is how much CYA is actually in a trichlor tab? How many tabs would it take to raise the CYA by 15 points in a 20k pool?

I've had a leak in my pool since I opened it on May 17. I was losing about 600gal/day so I wasn't looking for perfection in my numbers. I've been using 99%trichlor tabs since I have about 10 lbs of them left and my CYA was being diluted with the make-up water. I've found and patched the leak...

I doubt that cutting the plug off of the cord would void the warranty. That being said, I would just install the receptacle for the convenience.

If you don't need the pipe right away, I would go to the boat section at Wal-Mart and get a replacement drain plug for a john boat. If the thing feels like it is going to blow out, go get a steak knife and scratch some deep grooves on the inside of the pipe (like threads). That will give it a...

So what is the best way to keep them out of the pool? They only come at night.

I was sitting by my pool a while back enjoying an adult beverage, just spacing out at the absolutely crystal clear water you and I have created together. It was getting pretty dark outside and I had the underwater light on. I started to hear some frogs. Then I started to see some frogs. Then...

Where does the caustic soda go in a traditional salt pool?

Hey, rich. I don't understand chemistry enough to even ask the question I want to ask. I guess I don't understand why I have to put salt into my pool to use a chlorine generator. I understand that these things (electronically?) alter the sodium chloride into sodium hypochlorite, but I would...

And that's exactly the type of answer I'm looking for. I'm sure it's going to be up to personal preference but I'm trying to avoid problems like the stratification issue that ↑↑ brings up. The power company cuts me a break if they can install a box that shuts my water heater off in the heat of...

+1 on the amazing color. You should go get some dry ice and toss it in there tonight with the underwater light on. It won't help your algae problem but I bet it'd spook the neighbors. ;)

Okay, so what are the downsides to only filtering every other day or every 3rd day? I notice that there are plenty of leaves and bugs on the surface that don't get taken care of because the skimmer doesn't run. I have a single-speed pump that's almost brand new so replacing it with a multi-speed...

Hi, everyone. I'm just happy to be here. I bought my house at the beginning of August last year and, since I was really busy moving and whatnot, I just continued to use the full-service pool company that the previous owner was using up until they closed the pool in October. At $240/month for...