solar cover and a reel to roll it up, robot to clean if you can afford it.
Abandoned Pool - Suggestions Please
- Thread starter TWAcres
- Start date
solar cover and a reel to roll it up, robot to clean if you can afford it.
-A tooth brush for your pool lol really. It is great for around the returns and skimmer face.
-Turkey baster to get water sample without having to put your arm in cold water.
-toy holder. Look up pvc pool toys and see of the neat ideas.
-Turkey baster to get water sample without having to put your arm in cold water.
-toy holder. Look up pvc pool toys and see of the neat ideas.
- Nov 12, 2017
- 11,841
- Pool Size
- 12300
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
What the... nobody ever preheated no pool towel for me!! Must be something wrong with the karma exchange rate in my house!!
- I have just now gotten to fashioning hanging hooks for the brush and the net, close to the pool, but somewhat hidden. That makes those two chores a little easier.
- My automatic acid-dispensing system was some of the best money I spent, and a great luxury (and much better for my new plaster than manually adding acid is).
- How are you dispensing chlorine? If not an SWG, that's something to consider. I'm very glad to have one.
- You must have your test kit by now, did you get a SpeedStir, too? That's a must have.
- I love my shade sail. I little area of shade while in the pool really is nice on a too-hot day. Umbrellas can be made too work, but a shade sail has a lot of advantages (wind-proof, for one).
- I use a 24" length of 3/4" PVC to take my testing sample from well under the surface, as you should. I can point you to a how to if you don't already know this trick.
- I bought two huge Suncast storage boxes. They filled up fast with all the pool toys and floaties. Keeps them out of sight but easy access for the kids (and "big" kids, too).
- And a second set of smaller Suncast boxes to store misc items: tools and gizmos, spare parts, chlorine in the winter, acid year-round. (Gotta keep the acid in a separate box from the chlorine.) I use some plastic chain and some pad locks to lock those down when kids are over (muriatic acid looks too much like lemonade!). Gotta use the models that have no metal parts (hinges, latches, etc) because the acid will ruin those.
- I have a vast collection of tools, but have just now discovered the wonder that is a leaf blower. I like a clean deck, but I hated cleaning it. Not any more. One minute with the blower and I'm done!
- The DeckSaver®!! Sorry, the company that makes those went belly up, but I use it to dispense chemicals safely. The inventor was some kind of genius, but went off is rocker so they went out of production. But you can still get the measuring cups. These guys are great for the pool, because you can measure out while looking from above, which is easier while holding things over the water, from OXO:
- An all plastic bucket (also a component of The DeckSaver® System). Use a plastic bucket to carry acid or chlorine jugs to and from your pool. If you do, and are religious about only taking those jugs out of the bucket directly over the water (by placing the bucket right at the edge of the pool), you'll avoid any errant drops from the jugs finding their way to your deck (where they can cause a permanent stain, acid especially). My deck sports a 25' trail of drop-shaped stains that inspired this tip. Pour the chemical into the OXO cup, over the water, put the jug right back into the bucket, then the cup, too, when you're done.
That's all I can think of just now...
- I have just now gotten to fashioning hanging hooks for the brush and the net, close to the pool, but somewhat hidden. That makes those two chores a little easier.
- My automatic acid-dispensing system was some of the best money I spent, and a great luxury (and much better for my new plaster than manually adding acid is).
- How are you dispensing chlorine? If not an SWG, that's something to consider. I'm very glad to have one.
- You must have your test kit by now, did you get a SpeedStir, too? That's a must have.
- I love my shade sail. I little area of shade while in the pool really is nice on a too-hot day. Umbrellas can be made too work, but a shade sail has a lot of advantages (wind-proof, for one).
- I use a 24" length of 3/4" PVC to take my testing sample from well under the surface, as you should. I can point you to a how to if you don't already know this trick.
- I bought two huge Suncast storage boxes. They filled up fast with all the pool toys and floaties. Keeps them out of sight but easy access for the kids (and "big" kids, too).
- And a second set of smaller Suncast boxes to store misc items: tools and gizmos, spare parts, chlorine in the winter, acid year-round. (Gotta keep the acid in a separate box from the chlorine.) I use some plastic chain and some pad locks to lock those down when kids are over (muriatic acid looks too much like lemonade!). Gotta use the models that have no metal parts (hinges, latches, etc) because the acid will ruin those.
- I have a vast collection of tools, but have just now discovered the wonder that is a leaf blower. I like a clean deck, but I hated cleaning it. Not any more. One minute with the blower and I'm done!
- The DeckSaver®!! Sorry, the company that makes those went belly up, but I use it to dispense chemicals safely. The inventor was some kind of genius, but went off is rocker so they went out of production. But you can still get the measuring cups. These guys are great for the pool, because you can measure out while looking from above, which is easier while holding things over the water, from OXO:
- An all plastic bucket (also a component of The DeckSaver® System). Use a plastic bucket to carry acid or chlorine jugs to and from your pool. If you do, and are religious about only taking those jugs out of the bucket directly over the water (by placing the bucket right at the edge of the pool), you'll avoid any errant drops from the jugs finding their way to your deck (where they can cause a permanent stain, acid especially). My deck sports a 25' trail of drop-shaped stains that inspired this tip. Pour the chemical into the OXO cup, over the water, put the jug right back into the bucket, then the cup, too, when you're done.
That's all I can think of just now...
A pole/dowel thats about waist high and has a hook on one end. No need to get on your knees to grab the skimmer baskets all the time.
Also it sounds like @Dirk and i have identical setups with the deck boxes. I have two big ones, in opposite corners. The shallow end box has all the goggles, flippers, vests, divetoys, etc The deep end has all the nets, brushes, vacuum stuff, etc. Then we have 2 smaller bench boxes just inside the gate. One is loaded with towels and the other has all the various misc stuff like Sunscreen, earplugs, paper towels, bug spray.
Also it sounds like @Dirk and i have identical setups with the deck boxes. I have two big ones, in opposite corners. The shallow end box has all the goggles, flippers, vests, divetoys, etc The deep end has all the nets, brushes, vacuum stuff, etc. Then we have 2 smaller bench boxes just inside the gate. One is loaded with towels and the other has all the various misc stuff like Sunscreen, earplugs, paper towels, bug spray.
- Nov 12, 2017
- 11,841
- Pool Size
- 12300
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Oh, yah, I forgot about my other three Suncast boxes for towels. They make some nice looking ones that double as my end tables for my patio furniture. I've used Suncast for a long time, and they really make some tough stuff. I've still got my first one (decades now) that has yet to succumb to UV.
???
The bench ones really serve a purpose. The kids get out the sublock and each sit on one while sunblocking, then they each sit on one while drying off.
- Nov 12, 2017
- 11,841
- Pool Size
- 12300
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
- Goggles! They're cheap. Kids today won't swim without 'em. (Pansies!) But man do they fight over them (and lose 'em somehow). Get a bunch for your family and a bunch more for their friends.
- We mentioned towels. I went to Penny's and bought a dozen big ones, one of every color they had (but not two of any color). They'll still fight over who gets what color, but not over whose towel is whose after that... And they all know better than to use mine (the beige one)!!
- We mentioned towels. I went to Penny's and bought a dozen big ones, one of every color they had (but not two of any color). They'll still fight over who gets what color, but not over whose towel is whose after that... And they all know better than to use mine (the beige one)!!
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We also got small, medium and large vests. My kids had all their swim class medals before we got the pool. Other peoples kids...... not always. And sometimes my little one's friend was the big sister in their house, so a little tag along came too. Even if the kids were decent swimmers, 2 hours in they were tired and sloppy. So we would just throw the vests in the pool, and they would magically get used within minutes. The vests helped me even more than they helped the kids. Any kid wearing a vest was one i had to worry 70% less about.
Ohmygosh! Why hadn't I thought of this sooner myself? -
Also- love that all that Suncoast storage stuff is made in Israel and *not* in China! The less I can buy from China, the happier I will be.
Also- love that all that Suncoast storage stuff is made in Israel and *not* in China! The less I can buy from China, the happier I will be.
You know what? I am going to have to combine all of these ideas to make a wiki out of. Some AWESOME ideas!
Shade sail? What is that? I was thinking of getting an umbrella, since my pool is in the sun all day long, but I dont think it will fit under my cage. What is this shade sail that you speak of?
Edited to add: Google is your friend. I looked them up, really neat! But I dont think it will work in my little pool area.
Edited to add: Google is your friend. I looked them up, really neat! But I dont think it will work in my little pool area.
It’s a triangular canvass that makes a canopy when pulled tight the 3 directions. Not only do they work great but the have an artistic look to them. The preschool we went to years ago installed a bunch over the playground and it looked so much nicer to see all the different colored triangles than a tent would have been. It’s been on my wish list ever since but I’d need a big one and some hefty poles to support it so it’s still on the wish list. If you have some or all of the support options already it gets much easier to do.
I looked them up on Google images, how cool! This would be perfect off my back porch, I had no shade and it faces south...blaring sun. Ive got to look into this more.
While planning, factor in a way for easy detachment. Sails of any kind do not do well when the hurricanes come.
- Nov 12, 2017
- 11,841
- Pool Size
- 12300
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Shade sails... like everything else, there are quality ones and cheap ones. Some are engineered to withstand high winds (though maybe not hurricanes) and others are not much more than hanging tarps. I have what I think is one of the best. Here.
Mine is installed with stainless steel cable and fittings. I used SS turnbuckles and SS carabiners, which allow me to both tension it properly and to disassemble it for winter storage. The tension is key, and the difference between a true sail and a tarp. The ideal installation requires two rigid anchor points (like to a building or structure) and the third can "fly" to a post of pole. But mine's doing well with only one anchor and two posts (because the posts are very well anchored). I hid one post in a tree, and the other is standing in my yard. Not ideal, but I don't see that post anymore. I plan to grow some sort of vine up that post, which should disguise it well enough.
They're not cheap, but I expect mine to last decades, especially because I only "sail" it during swim season. I figure why expose it to UV more than I need to. I might be able to double its lifespan that way. The seller would be the proper resource, but if installed correctly I'd bet on a shade sail over a patio roof structure in a hurricane, I believe they are at least as strong as anything else (just a guess).
Full disclosures: I have a few birds that love to sit on, and poop from, that long stretch of cable. So there's that. I have an idea to stretch a length of fishing line an inch or two above that cable to solve for that, but I haven't gotten around to it, as it's not yet that big a deal. Mine is pretty small, just enough for a few people to stand under. I get good shade over the pool from about 12:00 to 5:00, as it moves across the pool. I kept it small to minimize blocking the sun from heating the water. I don't have any way to calculate what it's doing to my water temp, but I have a solar heater, so that more than makes up for it.
I'll be happy to share installation details if anybody's interested. I wrote about it elsewhere, but I'm having trouble finding my old posts. Maybe they got cleared out with the new site design.
I have an umbrella, too, for "mobile" shade. Add that to your list. I built a wheeled base for it, so I could move it around easily, and a hitching post for it, so I could tie it up (as I got tired of picking it up after a wind).
I stumbled on a pic of some of my Suncast boxes while looking for shade sail pics. This is where I store misc pool gear, spare parts and chemicals. Left box is for chlorine, right box is for acid. These are my oldest ones, decades old now, at least, still looking pretty good. The little models, which I think they still make, have no metal parts.
Mine is installed with stainless steel cable and fittings. I used SS turnbuckles and SS carabiners, which allow me to both tension it properly and to disassemble it for winter storage. The tension is key, and the difference between a true sail and a tarp. The ideal installation requires two rigid anchor points (like to a building or structure) and the third can "fly" to a post of pole. But mine's doing well with only one anchor and two posts (because the posts are very well anchored). I hid one post in a tree, and the other is standing in my yard. Not ideal, but I don't see that post anymore. I plan to grow some sort of vine up that post, which should disguise it well enough.
They're not cheap, but I expect mine to last decades, especially because I only "sail" it during swim season. I figure why expose it to UV more than I need to. I might be able to double its lifespan that way. The seller would be the proper resource, but if installed correctly I'd bet on a shade sail over a patio roof structure in a hurricane, I believe they are at least as strong as anything else (just a guess).
Full disclosures: I have a few birds that love to sit on, and poop from, that long stretch of cable. So there's that. I have an idea to stretch a length of fishing line an inch or two above that cable to solve for that, but I haven't gotten around to it, as it's not yet that big a deal. Mine is pretty small, just enough for a few people to stand under. I get good shade over the pool from about 12:00 to 5:00, as it moves across the pool. I kept it small to minimize blocking the sun from heating the water. I don't have any way to calculate what it's doing to my water temp, but I have a solar heater, so that more than makes up for it.
I'll be happy to share installation details if anybody's interested. I wrote about it elsewhere, but I'm having trouble finding my old posts. Maybe they got cleared out with the new site design.
I have an umbrella, too, for "mobile" shade. Add that to your list. I built a wheeled base for it, so I could move it around easily, and a hitching post for it, so I could tie it up (as I got tired of picking it up after a wind).
I stumbled on a pic of some of my Suncast boxes while looking for shade sail pics. This is where I store misc pool gear, spare parts and chemicals. Left box is for chlorine, right box is for acid. These are my oldest ones, decades old now, at least, still looking pretty good. The little models, which I think they still make, have no metal parts.
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- Jul 16, 2019
- 686
- Pool Size
- 20000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Turbo Cell (T-CELL-5)
- Nov 12, 2017
- 11,841
- Pool Size
- 12300
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
The little beige ones are their SS900 model. The big boys are from Lowes, the BMDB12000 I think, or something similar. My towel-holding end tables are SSW500J (or something similar, I liked their flat top for drinks). Sorry, it's 35° outside just now, so can't go out to check for sure. The Suncast website has all their current offerings, all sorts of sizes and shapes...
rowiac
0
- Apr 20, 2018
- 82
- Pool Size
- 26000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool Core-55
Actually, I believe that Suncast products are made in USA. Keter products are the ones made in Israel. At least that is true for the storage sheds I have for those two brands.
One thing I will say about Suncast is that their customer service is excellent. I moved an 8x8 storage shed from one house to another and I lost some of the parts on the freeway out of the back of the truck (oops
). Once I figured out what was missing, Suncast replaced them at no charge, and these were some pretty large plastic pieces.
- Jul 16, 2019
- 686
- Pool Size
- 20000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Turbo Cell (T-CELL-5)
Thanks! I went right to the website you linked (regarding the sails. Sorry, should have clarified!)