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Hey everyone, I started an old post about this in 2016, and it's finally time for me to act on it. I recently hired a PB to replaster my pool. It is an in ground pool from the 1980s, and well over due. They removed the plaster, and it turns out there were TWO layers of plaster. I believe...

Hey guys, it's been quite a while since I last posted here, and this time it's a more urgent matter. Last summer, one of my guests discovered that one of the mosaic tiles in my pool became dislodged. It turns out that right underneath it is a soft spot - more specifically, i can stick my...

I found a couple of posts in our forum regarding the recycling of solar covers, but it didn't cover my question. Can I use my old solar cover as a weed barrier under some rocks? Does anyone know if this will harm my rock garden at all?

Hey everyone, whenever I open my filter canister to clean the cartridge filter, I see this layer of what looks like sand on top of the cartridge. There seems to be a little bit at the bottom of the canister as well. Do you guys think this is just normal debris from plants or trees and stuff...

I just wanted to make a comment here to let you all know how awesome this site is. I have been doing the TFP method since I bought my house a year ago. I have not had any hint of algae since I first SLAMmed my pool. I maintain a good level of FC and pH every week, and use only the chlorine...

Hey TFP! I had a few questions about the CYA in my pool. Recently, I noticed that the FC in my pool did not seem to last very long, and I was having to add a lot of chlorine to maintain my levels. Well, because of what I learned here, I suspected low CYA, only to find out that it is almost...

Hey everyone, I figured I'd start a new topic for my used slide question as a lot of the info I found didn't address my question 100% Firstly, I recently bought a used 6ft slide off of Craigslist. It definitely needs to be refinished and I think I'm covered there - will pressure wash the...

I scavenged this used fountain from my sister's new house. it even came with a brand new, unopened pump. However, as you can see below, the look of the rocks can use some retouching. Is there some sort of rock looking paint that I can spray on? Do I just brush it as clean as possible, maybe...

Hey everyone. A friend of mine wants to donate his 6 person hot tub to me. He bought it for around $11k ten years ago and has hardly used it outside. It needs a new cover. What are your thoughts on this? My wife and I definitely want a jacuzzi, and this above ground version would be really...

We have been getting a lot of rain in the past couple of weeks which is really exciting for Southern California. I was wondering, how does my pool NOT overflow? Is there some sort of overflow drain somewhere? you can see the skimmer opening is pretty much submerged at the upper right. Is...

This Christmas, I will be hosting a few parties at my new house. I wanted to decorate my yard with a fountain in the pool that lights up, and have seen some on this site, and at other places online. I have 3 returns in my pool that are pretty strong, however, they do not have any type of...

I am on a strict monthly budget, but the price of this item will allow me to purchase an automatic cleaner. Does anyone have thoughts about this item? https://www.walmart.com/ip/Automatic-Swimming-Pool-Cleaner-Vacuum-Auto-Inground-Hover-Climb-Wall-33ft-Hose/35046729

A couple of weeks ago, I got super busy with family and work and neglected to check my pool. Usually, I do it on a regular basis but this time I allowed 4 days to go without even looking under the solar cover. When I removed the cover, the pool was green! There was also evidence of mustard...

I ordered and installed a universal weir in my skimmer a month or two ago and lately it's been getting "loose". There is no dedicated hole for the hinges, so the only thing holding it into place are the loaded springs pushing the hinges against the walls. Once in a while, the hinge line...

Below are pictures of my pool, and closeups of the various surfaces. I bought this house 2 months ago and along with it the 30 year old pool. Please note, these pictures were taken AFTER I vigorously brushed the surfaces, so it's not algae or dirt. The water is perfectly balanced as I worked...

I moved into my new house with 20+year old pool in June and have been doing the TFP method ever since. The pool water finally became crystal clear a couple of weeks ago. However, I have been noticing what appears to be dirt OR mustard algae on some of the walls (near the bottom, never near the...

Hi guys, my wife and kids want me to install a pool slide alongside our IG sports pool. I don't have the money for something brand new as I see they are well into the thousands. Is it possible to get a decent used one somewhere? there ARE a small handful on craigslist, sort of near me, at...

I mentioned somewhere here before that I purchased a new home with a sports pool that was built somewhere in the 1980's. The pool originally had a deep end of around 8 feet, I was told. Maybe a decade or so after that, the owner decided on making the pool into a sports pool and filled in the...

Hi guys. I have read and looked at the pool equipment section of Pool School and had some supplemental questions. Below is a picture of my pool equipment. I CAN identify the pump, filter, and heater, but not the lines valves exactly. Away on the other side of the pool is the backwash / drain...

Hey everyone, since joining this site under a month ago, I took ownership of an older house with a 30 year old pool. The previous owner converted it from a pool with a deep end to a sports pool. He also did some mosaics of fish and other sea life on the walls and floor of the pool. It also...

My home warranty covered repairs to my pool equipment so they came out and repaired my non operating heater. In addition to that, they replaced the pump motor since it seemed to seize up THE DAY BEFORE the guy was to inspect the heater. To my surprise, the repair guy replaced the motor with a...

My new home problems just keep multiplying. I was on this forum reading about GFCI requirements and found out that as of 2009, it was required that pool equipment be wired directly to a GFCI breaker switch. This is true right? In inspecting my pool equipment, I found what appeared to be...

Since I decided to maintain my new pool by myself, I obviously need a vacuum of some sort. I have an IG plaster pool, so was thinking of getting a concrete vacuum head. Before I do that, however, what size do I need? There is a hole in my skimmer where the water gets sucked in. I measured it...

Hi everyone, I recently bought a house with a pool. The previous owner relied on a pool guy who did really bad maintenance and hence the water was so improperly imbalanced that I had to get some RO done on it. Because the previous owner did no pool maintenance, I am missing a lot of typical...

I recently purchased an older home with a pool that was added in around the 80's, so it needs a lot of upgrading -IF NECESSARY. Firstly, there is no weir. I DO need one right? Secondly, a bunch of the waterline tiles have fallen off. How can I tell if these are just cosmetic, or if I will...

I'm happy to report that my "new" pool is now properly balanced, or at least ALMOST there. I purchased this older home about a month ago and had CH and CYA levels off the charts. Due to the drought here in Southern Cali, I wasn't allowed to drain or refill my pool. I suppose i could've done...

Aside from my local pool store, do you know where I can find the recommended alternatives such as deicer? We don't have a need for deicer here in Southern Cali. I will need 38 lbs of Calcium Chloride this weekend after a RO treatment. it's $66 for a 50 lb bucket of Hardness Plus from Leslie's...

I recently purchased a home and it has a pool, naturally. I found out during escrow that it was not your "standard" pool with a shallow end and a deep end. The owner filled in the deep end so that now, it is shallow on both ends and 5.5' in the middle! The seller claimed her father did this...

Hi everyone, I recently moved into a new house that has a plaster IG pool. I was told the pool was built in the 80's. Also, the owner "filled in" the deep end sometime in the early nineties so that his kids could have a "volleyball" pool, hence, the gallons are a bit lower for the dimensions...

Hi everyone. I'm super excited to be here as I love DIY projects but especially love saving money maintaining my own pool. I grew up being my dad's pool maintenance assistance, but after reading a few of the topics here, now I fully understand why we were always battling algae! We didn't do...