New Pool Owner - Getting the hang of things but still have questions

[TheFranch1se]

New to the forum but this place has come highly recommended by a friend of mine!

Purchased a home in the past month which proudly came with a pool. I have jumped right into the internet trying to learn and understand the mechanics and operation of the pool. Lucky for us, the original paperwork and design came with the house so it was a great head start. We also had "Pool School" which showed us the basics and helped label our equipment which was a huge plus (didn't want to be turning the wrong valves)..

So far we have been in the routine of weekly maintenance on the following:

1. Cleaning skimmers
2. Testing water at Leslies
3. Skimming surface and brushing
4. Cleaning pump filters

Even with all that, I still have some questions in search for answers or recommendations:

Question #1:
Should we be cleaning the main filter weekly, monthly, quarterly?

Question #2:
We have a lot of debris floating on the surface and the previous owner had the skimmer/main drain valve at 50/50. I've turned this to about 80/20 in favor of skimmer. Is this okay?

Question #3:
Running the pool vacuum/robot 3hrs per day when the pump is on. Any adjustments needed for that? I'm also considering running it twice daily but at different time intervals: 2hrs at 9am and 2 hours at 6pm. Thoughts on that?

I'm new to this but trying to gather and retain as much info as possible. I've attached a few pictures of the equipment and pool for reference and help.

Many thanks in advance!

 

[pjt]

New to the forum but this place has come highly recommended by a friend of mine!

Welcome neighbor! You've come to the right place. Fill out your signature with pool, equipment, and testing specifics when able.

We also had "Pool School" which showed us the basics

Start here:

Pool School

www.troublefreepool.com

Cleaning skimmers

This is "as required". Put a disposable hairnet in your skimmer to catch fine debris.

Testing water at Leslies

Stay out of the pool store. Get your own quality test kit. It's the best money you'll ever spend on your pool. How are you planning to chlorinate? The TF-Pro would be ideal (TF-Pro Salt if you're planning on using a SWG).

Swimming Pool Test Kits Compared

What pool test kit should I buy? Why not use test strips? Our recommended test kits will pay for themselves in no time!

www.troublefreepool.com

TFtestkits.net

tftestkits.net

Cleaning pump filters

Should we be cleaning the main filter weekly, monthly, quarterly?

Debris varies from pool to pool. Clean your filter when the pressure is 25% greater than clean pressure. Skimmer hairnets help extend cleaning intervals. I have a large cartridge filter and clean it once a year, although I could easily go 18 months. Every pool is different.

Maintenance and Cleaning of Pool Filters

Maintaining your swimming pool filter system is important. Learn how to clean and maintain your pool filter at low cost & enjoy a Trouble Free Pool.

www.troublefreepool.com

We have a lot of debris floating on the surface and the previous owner had the skimmer/main drain valve at 50/50. I've turned this to about 80/20 in favor of skimmer. Is this okay?

That's fine. I don't even have a main drain, so my pool suction is 100% skimmers.

Running the pool vacuum/robot 3hrs per day when the pump is on. Any adjustments needed for that?

Every pool is different. Run the cleaner as needed to achieve acceptable results.

I've attached a few pictures of the equipment and pool for reference and help.

Beautiful pool! On your equipment pad, I see water under the pump/filter. Do you have a leak there?

 

[duraleigh]

Stay out of Leslie's! As you read more and more you will realize just how UNhelpful pool stores are. Purchase you own good test kit.......it'll be the best money you spend Pool Care Basics Archives and Swimming Pool Test Kits Compared

 

[TheFranch1se]

Thanks for the quick replies!

I quickly ran outside to look at the pump filter for a leak and it's bone dry. I'll have to do some research and keep an eye on that.

 

[TheFranch1se]

Also, I'm estimating the pool around 29k gal but not sure I am calculating correctly. Lucky, we have the original drawings from previous owners but gal is not stated.

Length: 42'
Width Varies: 21' - 26'
Depth: 3' - 8'
Area: 717sqft

 

[flynwill]

Assuming that 717 sq ft number is accurate your 29K gallon estimate is probably close enough for the purpose of adding chemicals etc.
I see a fair amount of what looks like calcium scale on your waterline tile (particularly near the spa overflow), that may well be from the previous owners neglecting the chemistry. Get a test kit, and maintain the CSI between -0.3 and 0.3 to avoid further scale.

 

[RHanna]

New to the forum but this place has come highly recommended by a friend of mine!

Purchased a home in the past month which proudly came with a pool. I have jumped right into the internet trying to learn and understand the mechanics and operation of the pool. Lucky for us, the original paperwork and design came with the house so it was a great head start. We also had "Pool School" which showed us the basics and helped label our equipment which was a huge plus (didn't want to be turning the wrong valves)..

So far we have been in the routine of weekly maintenance on the following:

1. Cleaning skimmers
2. Testing water at Leslies
3. Skimming surface and brushing
4. Cleaning pump filters

Even with all that, I still have some questions in search for answers or recommendations:

Question #1:
Should we be cleaning the main filter weekly, monthly, quarterly?

Question #2:
We have a lot of debris floating on the surface and the previous owner had the skimmer/main drain valve at 50/50. I've turned this to about 80/20 in favor of skimmer. Is this okay?

Question #3:
Running the pool vacuum/robot 3hrs per day when the pump is on. Any adjustments needed for that? I'm also considering running it twice daily but at different time intervals: 2hrs at 9am and 2 hours at 6pm. Thoughts on that?

I'm new to this but trying to gather and retain as much info as possible. I've attached a few pictures of the equipment and pool for reference and help.

Many thanks in advance!

1) filter cleaning is based on increased pressure. I can almost go the whole season without cleaning.
2) you can go 100% if you want. How many skimmers do you have? more than 1 and you should be fine. I only bring it up because if you have 2 or more then if 1 gets clogged the suction will be relieved by the other skimmers.
3) How often are you running the pump? 3 hours a day for the robot seems like a lot to me. Your skimming may not be as great if you leave the robot in the pool all the time. I noticed the cord blocking a lot of skimming in my pool.