Just saying G'day.

Jump to latest Follow Reply
D

DaveJMe

New member
Jul 28, 2023
4
Perth, Western Australia
Pool Size
45000
Surface
Fiberglass
Chlorine
Salt Water Generator
SWG Type
Astral Viron V25
Hi all. New member signing in and doing the routine "introduce yourself" thing.

I'm Dave, and we've recently bought a house that contains a swimming pool. Hence my interest in your place here. I live in Western Australia (near the capital Perth) - but I'm sure pool water, algae, salt and chlorine work here pretty much the same as they do elsewhere in the world :)

Somewhere over 40 years ago, in my teens (yeah - I'm old), I looked after my parents pool, but things then were not as well understood as they are now. Since then I've had no other experience with pools until about 12 months ago when we shifted here - and my ... education commenced!

I inherited a older pool here. Our best guess is maybe 15 to 20 years old and it's had several owners each putting their touches on things (for the pool, it's equipment as well as elsewhere around the house). We've put in a salt water chlorine generator, replaced the aging single speed pump with a variable speed unit and I am coming to terms with the basics of keeping the water looking decent ( ~ish *grin*). Mostly, I've managed to keep the pool swim able thro last summer - perhaps with the aid of some luck - but there is clearly still much to learn.

A bit of a look around this site was certainly educational. I downloaded the Pool Math app, only to find it was suggesting I need a login to this place ... so I thought I'd complete that deal and say hello. So - hello all ! :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: jennz4b, Jill F, RookiePick and 2 others
Hi Dave,

welcome to the forum, always good to see another Aussie here.

Have good look around, browse through Pool School and the forums. You'll notice that the TFP method is different in a few aspects to what pool stores tell you. The main difference is, that the TFP method will keep algae permanently out of your pool, and it will be a lot cheaper.

Key is to do your own testing and not rely on pool store testing. You'll need the Salt Pool Kit from Clear Choice Labs (or a Taylot K2006C-Salt import from the US):


It may look expensive at first sight, but will save you heaps in chemicals that the pool store will tell you to add after they've done their "free" testing, that you actually don't need.

Start your own thread in the "Just getting started" forum and fire away with your questions that you don't find answered in the Pool School articles.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Mdragger88, DaveJMe and Newdude
mgtfp said:
It may look expensive at first sight, but will save you heaps in chemicals that the pool store will tell you to add after they've done their "free"testing, that you actually don't need.
Click to expand...
+1. Everybody balks at the 'expensive' test kits, but they cost the same as *1* confused trip to the pool store.

They save weekly trips to the pool store and pay for themselves a dozen or more times over.
 
  • Like
Reactions: mgtfp, Mdragger88 and DaveJMe
Thanks all for your welcome.

A few more specific words in the morning, but:
a) thanks for your useful links/pointers
b) thanks for your welcome.

In general, I'd observe it's not really our best time of year to be talking swimming pools (southern hemisphere and mid winter here), BUT I do note from various reports that many of you (in various parts of America) are really having a time of it with extreme heat.

Take care all.
 
  • Like
Reactions: mgtfp
Texas Splash said:
Welcome to TFP! :wave:

Also see -----> Pool Care Basics
Click to expand...
Thanks.
I've spend a few days going all over the info sheets you guys have put up in your "school" area. Well worth the browse and read. I've learned quite a bunch and had explanations for some of the "odd events" I've seen - such as why some sudden changes in PH have occurred seemingly for no reason - where, in fact, the reason was due to a lot of airation (heavy rain and return jets pointing upwards, breaking the surface, when running the pump up on high speed) and inadequate TA levels.

Newdude said:
Hey Dave and Welcome !!!!

We'll have you on easy peasy mode in no time.
Click to expand...
Thanks. I hope so - although it hasn't been too bad so far. Auto salt water chlorinator and the cleaning robot (that trundles around the bottom) have been huge improvements and help compared to the way I had it all those years ago when cleaning the parents pool.

mgtfp said:
Hi Dave,

welcome to the forum, always good to see another Aussie here.

Have good look around, browse through Pool School and the forums. You'll notice that the TFP method is different in a few aspects to what pool stores tell you. The main difference is, that the TFP method will keep algae permanently out of your pool, and it will be a lot cheaper.

Key is to do your own testing and not rely on pool store testing. You'll need the Salt Pool Kit from Clear Choice Labs (or a Taylot K2006C-Salt import from the US):


It may look expensive at first sight, but will save you heaps in chemicals that the pool store will tell you to add after they've done their "free" testing, that you actually don't need.

Start your own thread in the "Just getting started" forum and fire away with your questions that you don't find answered in the Pool School articles.
Click to expand...
Thanks fellow Aussie. Should I be making some local reference here? Like: "how do I keep drop bears outa my pool" .. :)

Ooooo yes. I've noticed the difference between what many people and places suggest and what is stated here about actions, chemical levels and such. Point of fact, it was the periodic mention of "SLAM, SLAM, SLAM" I've seen in various places that prompted me to find what the heck that meant - which lead me here.

It is interesting how general pool advice has changed since I last looked after my parents pool all those years ago (must be more than 40 now). Then, 1 ppm for chlorine was considered "good" and, perhaps 1.5 ppm if you were one of the few who used stabiliser.
Thanks for your link to Clear Choice Chemicals. I placed an order for their test kit this morning. :).

Newdude said:
+1. Everybody balks at the 'expensive' test kits, but they cost the same as *1* confused trip to the pool store.

They save weekly trips to the pool store and pay for themselves a dozen or more times over.
Click to expand...
There is that aspect, sure. And, also, for us, the fact that the nearest pool test place is over an hour round trip away. That's a real nuisance if regular testing is required (and it is at times). Early on, knowing I needed something to see where the pool was at, I purchased a "4 in 1 test kit" from the local "big box hardware" This kit . Whilst not suggesting it is in the same league as the oft recommended Taylor kits, I reasoned it'd at least tell me if the basics were sorta close-ish or way, way out. So far, it has. But the kit lacks some tests I want - CYA and salt levels for a start - and, likely, isn't as accurate as the better kits.

Anyway - I've just found (mainly from reading in this place) that TA is something important and that my very low TA levels (less than 10 ppm) was something I ought be concerned about. So I've been adding powder over the last few days and that's now up to around 60 ppm (according to my local 4 in 1 test kit) - still a bit lowm but getting there. Now I've just got PH back to about 7.6, with Total Chlorine reading about 3. Yeah - I know - that 3 is low for you guys, but I'm getting there. Pool, at least, is clear without visible signs of problems (yes, I now know that problems are not always able to be seen) - AND I've a few months to get things properly right before swimming season starts.

So I now wait for delivery of my just ordered test kit and, once received, a round of pool activity :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: Newdude and mgtfp

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back
Jump to latest Follow Reply