Recent content by VWFeature

Adding Trichlor (pucks) will raise your CYA, eventually to the point it's so high maintaining your pool will be difficult. (Read the Pool School pages to learn more about pool chemistry, or search on 'high CYA' here.) TFP method involves routinely adding liquid chlorine to maintain levels...

So your TC is 10-15 and pH is 7.2. It might be worth $15 to get a can of strips that read approximate CYA, plus CC or TC and FC just until your big test kit arrives. Unless water is very $$$, if your CYA is 300, easiest to do a partial drain/refill to get it down to 40-70. If you don't know...

I just read your last post. " inline chlorination and two floating deals with big chlorine (I assume) tablets in them" means they've been doing routine chlorination with trichlor, which adds CYA as well as Cl. A little CYA (stabilizer) is good, too much (>60) is bad. Even if you only have...

What's your CYA? CYA binds CL, so levels over ~60 make it hard to maintain. TFP recommends using only liquid chlorine (=bleach) to avoid this problem. The desirable level of Cl depends on CYA level. Use PoolMath to calc your volume. Check if your controller has two or multiple speeds...

IF water is cheap and available where you are, the fastest way to get clear may be to use a Submersible Pump (~$49@ Home Depot or Harbor Freight) or you bottom drain to exhaust to drain completely, get all the gunk (including sand/dust on the bottom, etc) out, (power wash??) then refill...

I'm not an admin or expert, but they regularly remind people to post their FULL test results every time, and to create a signature (go to settings, then look at the bottom of the left panel) so they can give you advice based on the actual numbers including pool volume and type. Even approximate...

How well did that work on keeping junk out? I just put on an oversized cover, and I'm curious. Does the cover resist draping on the walls? Would some radial slits help it conform to the walls better?

Just a solar cover will raise the temp 8-10 degrees C (~15-17 F), so that's a great place to start. Mother Earth News used to have articles about 100-200' of 1.5" (30-60m x40mm) black poly pipe in a flat spiral attached to your filter pump as a fast expedient heater. Depending on your layout...

Re: "but I haven't used chemicals yet." Um, even wo the filter running, you want to have good FC levels so you don't get a swamp growing! A mere quart of 10% hypochlorite or ~8 oz of trichlor shock will get you in the right FC range to start, and easier to keep FC stable w some CYA, IF the...

Your sig says 2x 1.5 HP, vs 1 and 3/4 in the text? Two speed pumps will save you a lot of electricity. Fluid resistance (and power needed) goes up w the cube of flow, so by cutting to 1/2 speed, it uses 1/8 the electricity. Running twice as long gets same volume, but ~1/4- 1/3 the electricity...

Does that seal w a washer or by threads? If washer, smooth the end, if threads, and the other piece doesn't use all the thread, cut off the outside part?

You have nice filter equipment- what's wrong w the pump? No start at all, or doesn't circulate? Does it have power? (One of my mentors told me, "It works better when it's plugged in.") There could well be gunk blocking pipes if the pump runs. IF you have high water levels, completely draining...

Yup, that's right. Drain half the water and then refill. Been there, done that, got the T-shirt. My CYA was~300 from years of 'professional' maintenance by my lawn service. You can use the drain water to water lawn or landscaping. Since you have CC > 0.5, you have too much organic stuff...

Home Depot has CaCl 50# on sale right now. You'll want ~100-150# of CaCl to raise your CH. I also had "professionals" maintaining my pool, mostly just putting a puck or two in the strainer every week and adding water. The water was clear, but it smelled funny, burned skin, eyes, and...