I didn't know exactly which forum to post this in...apologies if it's the wrong one.
By no means am I an expert, but I'm experienced with the BBB method (and with pool chemistry in general). A wind storm over the winter messed up my cover something fierce, so I wound up with a ton of leaves in the bottom of my pool. I called the local pool store to find out if they had a way to vacuum everything out quickly...whoever answered took my number and said someone would call me back. A few hours later, someone knocked at my door (they never bothered to tell me someone was coming) and said there was no easy way to vacuum everything out (this much I believe, there was a LOT of debris) and said what we needed to do was pull as much a possible out with a leaf rake and then do the vacuuming. I paid him a relatively modest amount to rake out the debris for an hour, and, to be fair, he did a nice job with that.
Afterward, he came back to the door and told me they could do the vacuuming a few days later, to fill my pool up with water extra high since they'd be displacing a good amount of water (again, that much I believe)...and, that my CYA of 50ppm was low and that it should be around 100ppm, and that they'd add more stablizer next time they came out.
I smiled and nodded even though I knew that was ridiculous...I needed to think things over before acting like I knew more than the "professional". I wanted to give this guy the benefit of the doubt...I searched everything I could find for someone who actually believed 100ppm CYA was a good idea. I could find NOTHING...not even from pool-store advocates...the closest I could find were people who believed 100ppm was the absolute maximum...but with the pucks and shock the pool store would certainly want to sell me, I'd be in algae-bloom territory quite quickly, no doubt.
So, my options for handling this as best I can figure out are...
1) Let the pool store crew do the vacuuming, but tell them not to add any chemicals. PRO: my pool gets cleaned. CON: I give more money to a company which at best has a poorly trained employee, and at worst has an employee wanting to sabotage my pool for more money in the future.
2) Cancel the next appointment for reasons unknown, or for a fake reason (e.g. I don't have the money right now). PRO: I don't give money to the pool store. CON: my pool stays dirty.
3) Cancel the next appointment and explain exactly why. PRO: I keep my money and keep my head held high. CON: the employee could lose his job in this tough economy and come shoot me dead.
What would you do??
By no means am I an expert, but I'm experienced with the BBB method (and with pool chemistry in general). A wind storm over the winter messed up my cover something fierce, so I wound up with a ton of leaves in the bottom of my pool. I called the local pool store to find out if they had a way to vacuum everything out quickly...whoever answered took my number and said someone would call me back. A few hours later, someone knocked at my door (they never bothered to tell me someone was coming) and said there was no easy way to vacuum everything out (this much I believe, there was a LOT of debris) and said what we needed to do was pull as much a possible out with a leaf rake and then do the vacuuming. I paid him a relatively modest amount to rake out the debris for an hour, and, to be fair, he did a nice job with that.
Afterward, he came back to the door and told me they could do the vacuuming a few days later, to fill my pool up with water extra high since they'd be displacing a good amount of water (again, that much I believe)...and, that my CYA of 50ppm was low and that it should be around 100ppm, and that they'd add more stablizer next time they came out.
I smiled and nodded even though I knew that was ridiculous...I needed to think things over before acting like I knew more than the "professional". I wanted to give this guy the benefit of the doubt...I searched everything I could find for someone who actually believed 100ppm CYA was a good idea. I could find NOTHING...not even from pool-store advocates...the closest I could find were people who believed 100ppm was the absolute maximum...but with the pucks and shock the pool store would certainly want to sell me, I'd be in algae-bloom territory quite quickly, no doubt.
So, my options for handling this as best I can figure out are...
1) Let the pool store crew do the vacuuming, but tell them not to add any chemicals. PRO: my pool gets cleaned. CON: I give more money to a company which at best has a poorly trained employee, and at worst has an employee wanting to sabotage my pool for more money in the future.
2) Cancel the next appointment for reasons unknown, or for a fake reason (e.g. I don't have the money right now). PRO: I don't give money to the pool store. CON: my pool stays dirty.
3) Cancel the next appointment and explain exactly why. PRO: I keep my money and keep my head held high. CON: the employee could lose his job in this tough economy and come shoot me dead.
What would you do??
Thanks!
