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First let me say I've read dozens of threads that say don't do it. However, our pool is already painted. It is currently emptied due to extensive repairs to our sinking-on-one-side-patio (the pool is built into a giant retaining wall into a steep hill). While power washing and cleaning up the...

Hello everyone. Some background and a quick question or two. We moved into our current house 2 years ago. It came with a Sundance Optima spa which was in great condition physically/cosmetically but not working. It's clean, no leaks, etc. We had a repairman out to look at it and he said the...

Setting up my hot tub for the first time - please double check my amounts. I want to bring my CYA up to 30. According to the pool calculator, on my 420 gallon tub, I need to add 3 oz dichlor which will give me 27 CYA (close enough), and will bring my FC up to 30. Does this sound right? That...

How do you know if biofilms have formed? We're in the process of cleaning and setting up a neglected hot tub. I plan on using a decontam product plus a super shock afterward to be on the safe side (the hot tub was NASTY when we moved in). I'd like to know for future reference if there's a way...

I need to turn the lever on my filter from "filter" to "backwash" (pressure up from addition of DE). Am I correct in 1. turning the pump off 2. pressing down on the lever and turning it clockwise? The darn thing won't budge for anything! I even had my husband try. I don't want to break the dang...

We are finally getting around to getting our hot tub repaired. In the meantime, I'm trying to decide between bromine vs. chlorine. I used bleach with great success in our pool all summer long, thanks to you guys. Question 1. Can anyone describe the bromine smell? I see a lot of people saying...

Just wondering why I have an algae bloom but am not registering any cc's? I got a bit lazy with the cooler temps and kids going back to school (nobody using the pool) and got a slight algae bloom - water is greenish and cloudy. Of course I am slamming and brushing to take care of it. Yesterday...

Thinking ahead here... I'm wondering if I need to close the pool? Blow out the drains and all that mysterious stuff? We do get below freezing just a handful of nights in Jan/Feb (sometimes as low as the teens), but generally the winter is mild. It's uncommon to be below freezing during the day...

Been reading the other threads about vacuuming, and that's not how I do it, but it works great. Can someone tell me what exactly I've been doing? Should I do it the "correct" way? When going to vacuum, I turn the vacuum switch/valve on. Then using a manual vacuum, I prime the hose (which is...

Our pump bit the dust. It turns on, makes a grinding noise, and then shuts off again. Does this over and over. For the time being I've just shut it off. From reading pool school, it says we should only need a 3/4 HP pump, is this correct? The pump that we have now is 1 1/2 HP. We have a 500 lb...

What happens when you vacuum? Does the water still go through the filter? My daughter vacuumed the pool last night before a pool party and did not turn the vacuum off. After the party (15-20 kids in our small pool) the water was cloudy, could not see the bottom. I bleached and let the pump run...

Is bleach just chlorine watered down? So 8% bleach is 8% chlorine (or sodium hypochlorite) and 92% water? Or am I wrong?

Currently mine are pointed up to help aerate to bring ph up while bring TA down. Also wondering why the need for more chlorine after rain? Is it because of dilution (of pool water) or contaminants? We're expected to get up to 3" of rain and lots of wind this weekend from tropical storm Andrea.

My CYA is 30. Is there any reason to raise it? My pool has been crystal clear and I've had no trouble maintaining FC levels. It gets a fair amount of sun. DE - is there any reason to add it? Again, my pool has been sparkling, so I'm thinking no?

Checked the filter pressure tonight and it was around 50. This is too high, right? I don't know what the startup pressure was, I didn't know to look (I'm brand spanking new with this pool thing). I'm surprised it was this high, the pool was scrubbed clean and filled with water only about 2-3...

Howdy! I am a pool newbie - bought our house in February and just opened (well, drained the leafy froggy swamp water, power washed, and filled) our pool two weeks ago. So far so good, nice crystal clear water. I stumbled upon using the BBB method by accident. I got "pool stored", came home...