Hello Pool Friends,
I opened late this year, May 24, because generally the pool does not get above 70* until mid-June. Who knew we would have mostly 90* days for the first 3 weeks of May. Upon opening, the pool was much dirtier than years when I've opened earlier, so won't wait that long again!
I start slamming with 10% liquid that I buy at Atwood's as per usual. I can't get any reading for chlorine after adding 14 gallons!!! So I test the 10% liquid chlorine straight...and I get zero. I smell test it and it does seem pretty weak compared to past experience. I then put a bit of the 10% liquid on a blue cotton wash cloth. Normally the wash cloth would basically be shredded on the spot with the chlorine. Nothing. Not even a lightening. So my go to 10% is now a no go. I bought $300 worth. Not really wanting to hassle with returning it. I'll use it as a supplement but will not ever trust that brand again. I did see a lightening on the washcloth after a couple hours. This stuff is probably less than 3%. grrrrrrrrrr
So, I went to the pool store and bought a 25 pound bucket of Cal Hypo. I added 32 oz by volume and boom...2 hours later I have over 20 ppm. I stopped adding drops after 10 and it was still deep pink. Cal Hypo is my second choice for chlorination. I have very low calcium source water so it's fine. I will miss my liquid 10% though. It always provided the most sparkling, fresh smelling, crystal clear water. Pool life is gonna be way more expensive than usual this year.
I did get a pretty good deal on a 4 gallon case of 20* baume muriatic acid for $26.00 at the pool store! I hope it is decent. Last year, I had a lot of trouble finding good muriatic acid. All I could find was the low fume type which is not very useful in a pool and I was paying $9 plus per gallon.
In other news, I bought new skimmer baskets this year. My old ones were getting brittle and cracked in spots. I got the CMP Vented Handle FlowSkim on Amazon. I can highly recommend. These are a high quality heavy grade plastic with a weighted bottom. The handle is pre-installed and is a tight fit. I had installed handles on my old baskets and they were always a bit loose as the screws did not fit through the basket that well.
I got a new typical flimsy aluminum pole. I wanted a third for dedicated brushing and I got a new basic brush.
I also got a new thermometer on Amazon. So far, it seems very good. The number line is quite large and easy to read. It is a US Pool Supply brand.
Last season I did a refurb on my now 6 year old Dolphin M500. I replaced the runners and the sweeper and got new filters. It is running well. At the pool store today, all they had in stock was three M200's. The guy said they can't get any new models or any parts.
I hope everyone is off to a great summer!
Best,
Crystal
I opened late this year, May 24, because generally the pool does not get above 70* until mid-June. Who knew we would have mostly 90* days for the first 3 weeks of May. Upon opening, the pool was much dirtier than years when I've opened earlier, so won't wait that long again!
I start slamming with 10% liquid that I buy at Atwood's as per usual. I can't get any reading for chlorine after adding 14 gallons!!! So I test the 10% liquid chlorine straight...and I get zero. I smell test it and it does seem pretty weak compared to past experience. I then put a bit of the 10% liquid on a blue cotton wash cloth. Normally the wash cloth would basically be shredded on the spot with the chlorine. Nothing. Not even a lightening. So my go to 10% is now a no go. I bought $300 worth. Not really wanting to hassle with returning it. I'll use it as a supplement but will not ever trust that brand again. I did see a lightening on the washcloth after a couple hours. This stuff is probably less than 3%. grrrrrrrrrr
So, I went to the pool store and bought a 25 pound bucket of Cal Hypo. I added 32 oz by volume and boom...2 hours later I have over 20 ppm. I stopped adding drops after 10 and it was still deep pink. Cal Hypo is my second choice for chlorination. I have very low calcium source water so it's fine. I will miss my liquid 10% though. It always provided the most sparkling, fresh smelling, crystal clear water. Pool life is gonna be way more expensive than usual this year.
I did get a pretty good deal on a 4 gallon case of 20* baume muriatic acid for $26.00 at the pool store! I hope it is decent. Last year, I had a lot of trouble finding good muriatic acid. All I could find was the low fume type which is not very useful in a pool and I was paying $9 plus per gallon.
In other news, I bought new skimmer baskets this year. My old ones were getting brittle and cracked in spots. I got the CMP Vented Handle FlowSkim on Amazon. I can highly recommend. These are a high quality heavy grade plastic with a weighted bottom. The handle is pre-installed and is a tight fit. I had installed handles on my old baskets and they were always a bit loose as the screws did not fit through the basket that well.
I got a new typical flimsy aluminum pole. I wanted a third for dedicated brushing and I got a new basic brush.
I also got a new thermometer on Amazon. So far, it seems very good. The number line is quite large and easy to read. It is a US Pool Supply brand.
Last season I did a refurb on my now 6 year old Dolphin M500. I replaced the runners and the sweeper and got new filters. It is running well. At the pool store today, all they had in stock was three M200's. The guy said they can't get any new models or any parts.
I hope everyone is off to a great summer!
Best,
Crystal
