I use a half-liter bottled water bottle. Punch a correctly sized hole in the cap to where one of those bendable straws fits snugly into it. Bend the straw where it shoots down and you don't have to tip the bottle.
Tips and Tricks
- Thread starter JohnT
- Start date
When the pool was first completed, I took a water sample to Leslies in an empty water bottle. They gave me one of their freebie water sample bottles and it's great! It has a top on it that lets you squeeze a little or a lot. I've found the only way it causes me problems is if I actually take the bottle to Leslies to be tested. :lol:
ktdave said:Here's a pic for those that might want to make one.
i think i throw off my test results when i do this, but i just bought a 99 cent bowel from the redneck toy store (walmart) and fill it with pool water and bring it inside to the kicthin island and test there.
i also have a tip
*NEVER USE A LAPTOP WHILE YOUR IN THE POOL*,
i tried it two ways one works ok and one made me get a new laptop, first way was set it on the side do a lap and come check up that worked ok until somebody wants to do a cannon ball, well ok next i try sitting in the raft, (little colman boat that you blow up) and relax with the computer, until some one doesn't know i have it and comes and tips me over, WOW i thought computers only sparked in the movies. um so i never bring anything electronic by the pool anymore, the only things are the outdoor speakers on the fence.
*NEVER USE A LAPTOP WHILE YOUR IN THE POOL*,
i tried it two ways one works ok and one made me get a new laptop, first way was set it on the side do a lap and come check up that worked ok until somebody wants to do a cannon ball, well ok next i try sitting in the raft, (little colman boat that you blow up) and relax with the computer, until some one doesn't know i have it and comes and tips me over, WOW i thought computers only sparked in the movies. um so i never bring anything electronic by the pool anymore, the only things are the outdoor speakers on the fence.
Rollin Thunder said:
That sucks!!! My 16 yr old son wears hearing aids that make the cost of my laptop seem like pocket change. So everytime he enters the pool area with his friends I FREAK OUT!!! I make sure all of his friends know I'll bury them if his hearing aids get wet. He's good about immediately taking them off and putting them in a container at the bbq island, I just don't trust his friends not to throw him in before they're out of his ears.
ivyleager
LifeTime Supporter
Rollin Thunder said:
Now I'm thinking that pools should have legal disclaimers, just like hairdryers. The LAST thing I want to do when I'm hanging by the pool is work! I almost went wireless in my house, but then realized that if I did that, I'd probably end up dragging my laptop into the living room, bedroom, dare I say the bathroom!!! Stop the madness, mutitasking is not something I aspire to.
CaryB
Does anyone else "sweep" the surface of the pool with the pool brush?
I didn't do this before I put in the PoolSkim about a month ago, but I discovered that since the PoolSkim has such a strong vortex, that if I push the debris on the surface with the pool brush just like I would with a pushbroom, that the little waves created by the brooming motion causes all of the floating debris to move ahead of the pool brush. I just walk along the side brooming the surface of the water (and the tile line). I keep brooming until I get the debris over near the PoolSkim. Once the debris is near the PoolSkim, the PoolSkim does the rest of the work.
The pool surface can be an awful mess (only takes a little wind 5 minutes or so to create the mess), and I can "sweep" 90% plus of the surface debris into the PoolSkim in only 2-3 minutes. Before, I could easily spend 30 minutes (or more
) with the pool net and not have the pool as clean. I swear that this little device is grabbing 5 times the amount of surface debris that my regular skimmer is grabbing.
The amount of netting required to take a 5 minute dip in the pool was getting to the point that it just wasn't worth the effort. Now it is almost fun to broom the debris just so I can watch the PoolSkim suck up all of the junk.
Titanium
I didn't do this before I put in the PoolSkim about a month ago, but I discovered that since the PoolSkim has such a strong vortex, that if I push the debris on the surface with the pool brush just like I would with a pushbroom, that the little waves created by the brooming motion causes all of the floating debris to move ahead of the pool brush. I just walk along the side brooming the surface of the water (and the tile line). I keep brooming until I get the debris over near the PoolSkim. Once the debris is near the PoolSkim, the PoolSkim does the rest of the work.
The pool surface can be an awful mess (only takes a little wind 5 minutes or so to create the mess), and I can "sweep" 90% plus of the surface debris into the PoolSkim in only 2-3 minutes. Before, I could easily spend 30 minutes (or more
) with the pool net and not have the pool as clean. I swear that this little device is grabbing 5 times the amount of surface debris that my regular skimmer is grabbing.The amount of netting required to take a 5 minute dip in the pool was getting to the point that it just wasn't worth the effort. Now it is almost fun to broom the debris just so I can watch the PoolSkim suck up all of the junk.
Titanium
Titanium said:Does anyone else "sweep" the surface of the pool with the pool brush?
I didn't do this before I put in the PoolSkim about a month ago, but I discovered that since the PoolSkim has such a strong vortex, that if I push the debris on the surface with the pool brush just like I would with a pushbroom, that the little waves created by the brooming motion causes all of the floating debris to move ahead of the pool brush. I just walk along the side brooming the surface of the water (and the tile line). I keep brooming until I get the debris over near the PoolSkim. Once the debris is near the PoolSkim, the PoolSkim does the rest of the work.
The pool surface can be an awful mess (only takes a little wind 5 minutes or so to create the mess), and I can "sweep" 90% plus of the surface debris into the PoolSkim in only 2-3 minutes. Before, I could easily spend 30 minutes (or more
The amount of netting required to take a 5 minute dip in the pool was getting to the point that it just wasn't worth the effort. Now it is almost fun to broom the debris just so I can watch the PoolSkim suck up all of the junk.
Titanium
please let me know where to buy a pool skim, i am very intrested, i want to experment with it, i wonder if i could hook it up to a suction line and make it work. or would that force water out of it. HMM. we will see, any way my real point is if you could tell me where to order one from.
Drat. I REALLY did not intend for that last post to turn into an advertisement for PoolSkim. I just wanted to find out whether I was a genius for figuring out the brooming trick with the pool brush, or whether I have been a moron for taking so long to figure this out.
I don't think the PoolSkim will work on a suction line. It is designed to create a venturi vacuum effect in the pool and this is accomplished by having pressurized water from a pool return go through the device.
As for buying a PoolSkim, that was a little problematic. It turned out that none of the normal retail outlets that had been selling the PoolSkim were still doing so. I ended up having to call or e-mail the US distributor for the PoolSkim.
http://www.poolskim.com/distributors.htm
YNBC Marketing
Jan Piazza
1074 Briarcliffe Blvd
Wheaton, IL 60187
Tel: 630-665-8790
Fax: 630-665-2335
Mobile: 1-630-263-4150
email: [email protected]
I think that I paid $75 plus $15 shipping for a total of $90. Best darned $90 that I've spent on this pool since I inherited it 18 months ago.
Titanium
I don't think the PoolSkim will work on a suction line. It is designed to create a venturi vacuum effect in the pool and this is accomplished by having pressurized water from a pool return go through the device.
As for buying a PoolSkim, that was a little problematic. It turned out that none of the normal retail outlets that had been selling the PoolSkim were still doing so. I ended up having to call or e-mail the US distributor for the PoolSkim.
http://www.poolskim.com/distributors.htm
YNBC Marketing
Jan Piazza
1074 Briarcliffe Blvd
Wheaton, IL 60187
Tel: 630-665-8790
Fax: 630-665-2335
Mobile: 1-630-263-4150
email: [email protected]
I think that I paid $75 plus $15 shipping for a total of $90. Best darned $90 that I've spent on this pool since I inherited it 18 months ago.
Titanium
Titanium said:
sorry about that, i thought of sending you a p.m. but didn't, thanks for the info anyway
Place a rock in the skimmer basket to keep it from floating...just be sure the rock is larger than your pipe diameter. Also, to help in putting on new (or newer) skimmer sox, wet them first - they'll go on a whole lot easier.
Anyone with a safety cover that doesnt have the spring-loaded anchors:
Get yourself a 1/4" hex bit and a cordless driver. Quick work of screwing the anchors in and out. If you are really nuts, get a portable air compressor and unscrew each anchor, blow out the sleeve, then screw the anchors back in.
When winterizing, take your ladder bumpers off your ladder to drain the water out. Then put the bumpers in the holes where the ladders came from. Keeps the pool cover from rubbing up against the ladder mounts.
Also when winterizing, take all of your o-rings off, wipe them down with o-ring lube and then store them flat in a 1 gallon ZipLock bag. They will be ready to go next season, and you should be able to get a long time out of a set.
Get yourself a 1/4" hex bit and a cordless driver. Quick work of screwing the anchors in and out. If you are really nuts, get a portable air compressor and unscrew each anchor, blow out the sleeve, then screw the anchors back in.
When winterizing, take your ladder bumpers off your ladder to drain the water out. Then put the bumpers in the holes where the ladders came from. Keeps the pool cover from rubbing up against the ladder mounts.
Also when winterizing, take all of your o-rings off, wipe them down with o-ring lube and then store them flat in a 1 gallon ZipLock bag. They will be ready to go next season, and you should be able to get a long time out of a set.
Good stuff! I have a couple...
1. On the Test Kit, I printed out my pool (SWG) and also my spa recommended chemistry levels, so I can always know as soon as I test how much I'm off, and then I run to my PC to go to Jason's calculator.
-Edit- I also keep a log of my recent testing inside the kit, so I can see if my adjustments are working.
2. If you have a automatic vac. (for example, pressure-side vac with booster pump) you can use that for the first couple of days when you open the pool for the season, and it will sweep away ALOT of the green without you having to manually vac. (Lazy man's finding).
3. Brush your walls while in the water, especially on hot days. This way you can look like you're working, while brushing with one hand and holding your drink with the other.
4. You can cut your -Edit- pool's solar cover (we cut ours into thirds, horizontally across the pool). Now my 11-year old can help me put the cover on, and I can take it off by myself. Plus, it folds up and fits into a large (unused ) garbage can when you store it on the hot days.
1. On the Test Kit, I printed out my pool (SWG) and also my spa recommended chemistry levels, so I can always know as soon as I test how much I'm off, and then I run to my PC to go to Jason's calculator.
-Edit- I also keep a log of my recent testing inside the kit, so I can see if my adjustments are working.
2. If you have a automatic vac. (for example, pressure-side vac with booster pump) you can use that for the first couple of days when you open the pool for the season, and it will sweep away ALOT of the green without you having to manually vac. (Lazy man's finding).
3. Brush your walls while in the water, especially on hot days. This way you can look like you're working, while brushing with one hand and holding your drink with the other.
4. You can cut your -Edit- pool's solar cover (we cut ours into thirds, horizontally across the pool). Now my 11-year old can help me put the cover on, and I can take it off by myself. Plus, it folds up and fits into a large (unused
) garbage can when you store it on the hot days.Re: A couple of tips I thought everybody knew. Anybody got some
Replace your 'noodles' every year because they disintegrate from age and leave foam fuzzies floating throughout your pool.
A locking deck box near the pool is a good Christmas, etc., gift to keep those chemicals safe from grandkids. (First read how to store them, on the bottle label.)
Keep a weatherproof clock outside so you can avoid skin cancer. A kitchen timer works too. "Bake 15 minutes on each side"
Tell girls to braid or double-band their ponytails. Double-banding is one band at top of ponytail and another halfway down to keep hair from coming loose in the pool.
And no lotion! All the perfumed leg lotions like Bath & Body or whatever that mall stuff is, end up scumming up my pool far worse than suntan lotions -- I wonder if they are made differently. Why do teenage girls want to smell like vegetables -- Cucumbers! Or fruit -- and then they freak out when a Bee chases them.
Tabby
Replace your 'noodles' every year because they disintegrate from age and leave foam fuzzies floating throughout your pool.
A locking deck box near the pool is a good Christmas, etc., gift to keep those chemicals safe from grandkids. (First read how to store them, on the bottle label.)
Keep a weatherproof clock outside so you can avoid skin cancer. A kitchen timer works too. "Bake 15 minutes on each side"
Tell girls to braid or double-band their ponytails. Double-banding is one band at top of ponytail and another halfway down to keep hair from coming loose in the pool.
And no lotion! All the perfumed leg lotions like Bath & Body or whatever that mall stuff is, end up scumming up my pool far worse than suntan lotions -- I wonder if they are made differently. Why do teenage girls want to smell like vegetables -- Cucumbers! Or fruit -- and then they freak out when a Bee chases them.
Tabby
Re: A couple of tips I thought everybody knew. Anybody got some
Take your water sample from 2 feet under without getting your arm wet or bending over.
Using a 3/4" pvc pipe, about 4' long, hold your hand on the top of the pipe to prevent water from entering (air from escaping), sink the pipe about 2' down and then remove your hand (pipe fills up). Replace your hand and remove the pipe and put over your water sample cup that you have placed on the coping. Slowly let air enter and dispense the water into the cup.
I started using this method this winter when I no longer wanted to stick my arm in the cold pool. Now I continue doing it so I don't have to bend over.
Take your water sample from 2 feet under without getting your arm wet or bending over.
Using a 3/4" pvc pipe, about 4' long, hold your hand on the top of the pipe to prevent water from entering (air from escaping), sink the pipe about 2' down and then remove your hand (pipe fills up). Replace your hand and remove the pipe and put over your water sample cup that you have placed on the coping. Slowly let air enter and dispense the water into the cup.
I started using this method this winter when I no longer wanted to stick my arm in the cold pool. Now I continue doing it so I don't have to bend over.
Re: A couple of tips I thought everybody knew. Anybody got some
Maybe the least costly improvement we did this year was to attach a 4 prong "coat rack?" to the wall of our patio.
Towels dry quick on it, can be re-used, and they're not laying all over the place.
Also, one of the best toys we've found to play with in the pool is a little bucket. Lotta things to learn about water, air, basketball, etc with a 99 cent sand bucket.
Enjoy your summer!!
Maybe the least costly improvement we did this year was to attach a 4 prong "coat rack?" to the wall of our patio.
Towels dry quick on it, can be re-used, and they're not laying all over the place.
Also, one of the best toys we've found to play with in the pool is a little bucket. Lotta things to learn about water, air, basketball, etc with a 99 cent sand bucket.
Enjoy your summer!!