Recent content by GeoffM

My pool guy used to put 3" pucks into the skimmer so I carried on doing so - he must know what he's doing, right?! Local pool store said I should switch to chlorine sticks instead but I don't understand why. I understand the bit about highly concentrated water in the skimmer rushing into the...

Question: if I'm using the "yellow test tube" dropper test and it comes up around 2.0, am I measuring chlorine or bromine (at a higher value)? FWIW it seems to be holding around this level for the last 72 hours with just the 3" chlorine tablets. Another question: why is sodium thiosulphate not...

24 hours since my OP and the situation is this: no chlorine or anything else added (just a couple of regular 3" tabs floating) and chlorine level was about 2.0 this morning, only a tad below last night. I thought I might have gotten lucky but knew that sunlight would burn off chlorine. Indeed...

Live and learn. Armed with the bromine thing I did some more searching on this site and now know a lot more than before, unfortunately way too late. (And before anybody asks, no it wasn't that nationwide chain of pool suppliers but a local one-location-only store). I'll try a partial drain first...

Eek. Silly question: why did the pool store sell and recommend it (not even their most expensive product) if this happens? Or did I do something (else) wrong? Water is expensive here so is that really the only solution?

United Chemical Yellow Treat (Sodium Bromide)

I forgot to check the chlorine tabs in my pool before we went away for a few days. When we came back the pool had large patches of yellow algae. I've had it before but a quick shock, algicide, and scrub and it's gone. The tabs keep the chlorine level at around 2.5 using the dropper test kits...

Update: the 3-port valve and associated plumbing has been replaced by myself. I think it's okay to say this here: kudos to Temecula Pool & Spa Supply for taking the time to look at my pictures and find the exact parts required, even a small section of pipe thrown in, for less money than I'd...

Not yet: I'd put it back together and turned it on to test, then the pool guy turned up and he noticed I hadn't seated the belt (?!) correctly to join the top and bottom halves together. By this time the wife was asleep from night shift and I couldn't go hammering around the belt to re-tighten...

Thanks again for your help. I found the O ring floating inside the murky water in the bottom of the tank - obviously fell off as I lifted the lid. Cleaned, lubed, restored. I took the grid assembly out but still wasn't able to take it apart (I know its in the manual but time was the issue - I've...

The landlady already offered a discount on the rent if we did it ourselves so after today's discovery I'm even more keen! Ok, lid taken off the filter. Eeek. I've spray washed the grids in place but couldn't get them out. Will try again tomorrow properly. Only thing is, putting it back together...

Thanks. Never backwashed - I thought that was the pool guy's job. Certainly never been told I should do it, wrongly or rightly. Now I know it's a simple 5 minute procedure I can be sure to do it frequently. Because of the volume of water earlier flooding the area and running towards the road...

Right, backwash goes to sanitary sewer, not to storm drains. Makes sense. Not quite sure how to get from the filter to the house sewer connection though - something for another day. Also, reading other threads here, I believe I ought to open up the filter to inspect the contents. I have no idea...