So I've filled in my signature as requested, and here's a bit of back story: I live in South Florida and my house was built in 1972. Almost everything is original. I moved in about 3 years ago and spent 2 years paying shady pool guys as much as $80 a week to come maintain my pool and they kept disappearing, leaving me with a green swamp of tadpoles which would cost me hundreds with the next guy. Even at their best, the pool would only look good for a few hours after they left. It's in a screened in patio, yet there is constantly stuff floating on the surface: dirt, bugs, other little stuff. I kept asking why and they say "that's just how outdoor pools are" but I know that's not true. There's always little piles of dirt at the bottom of the pool too.
Upon the third swamping, I finally gave up and decided to go DIY. I went to a local pool supply store and they told me I should just drain the pool and start from scratch. I rented a big submersible pump from Home Depot and drained it bone-dry. I refilled with city water, got it tested, and bought a new filter and over $400 worth of chemicals to get it to pass their water test. I've been shelling out hundreds every couple of months ever since to keep buying all their fancy chemicals and products and doing everything myself, following their directions to a T, and still don't have a pool worth swimming in. I've complained to them and their best advice is to hire one of their (expensive) professional consultants to come out and advise. They say if my main drain and skimmer is working properly, the pool shouldn't have anything at the bottom nor floating at the surface. I'm sick of this unusable money pit and just need some solid direction and guidance and hoping I can find some help here.
I open my skimmer lid and see stuff in there all the time, but nothing ever gets sucked down. It's like a clump of debris just floating at the surface. I've only got one jet in the pool located about 1 foot from the east corner of the north wall facing directly south, and it has a pretty powerful stream as I can't hold my hand over it, yet it's always blowing bubbles. Looking down into the pool, you can see it as a heavy stream of bubbles. I'm guessing this means I have a leak somewhere, but I've checked everywhere and even redone all of near-and-above ground piping just to be sure. Do I not have a strong enough motor? Do I need a bigger filter? Stats are in signature, the filter runs at an average of 14-15 psi and the store says this is high. Please help. I'm so fed up. Summer is coming and I've got 4 angry kids who can't swim!
Upon the third swamping, I finally gave up and decided to go DIY. I went to a local pool supply store and they told me I should just drain the pool and start from scratch. I rented a big submersible pump from Home Depot and drained it bone-dry. I refilled with city water, got it tested, and bought a new filter and over $400 worth of chemicals to get it to pass their water test. I've been shelling out hundreds every couple of months ever since to keep buying all their fancy chemicals and products and doing everything myself, following their directions to a T, and still don't have a pool worth swimming in. I've complained to them and their best advice is to hire one of their (expensive) professional consultants to come out and advise. They say if my main drain and skimmer is working properly, the pool shouldn't have anything at the bottom nor floating at the surface. I'm sick of this unusable money pit and just need some solid direction and guidance and hoping I can find some help here.
I open my skimmer lid and see stuff in there all the time, but nothing ever gets sucked down. It's like a clump of debris just floating at the surface. I've only got one jet in the pool located about 1 foot from the east corner of the north wall facing directly south, and it has a pretty powerful stream as I can't hold my hand over it, yet it's always blowing bubbles. Looking down into the pool, you can see it as a heavy stream of bubbles. I'm guessing this means I have a leak somewhere, but I've checked everywhere and even redone all of near-and-above ground piping just to be sure. Do I not have a strong enough motor? Do I need a bigger filter? Stats are in signature, the filter runs at an average of 14-15 psi and the store says this is high. Please help. I'm so fed up. Summer is coming and I've got 4 angry kids who can't swim!
Well, you've been through the ringer over there right? Many others before TFP have as well. We'll help. Hang in there. You and I have very similar set-ups, so I can say that your filter is fine, and I suspect your pump size is as well. Sure, you have some "unknowns" there with the plumbing and perhaps chemistry, but we'll help you. Try not to let it all overwhelm you. One step at a time fellow TFP'er. Read/save all the links everyone is showing you, and we'll handle your issues in a way that you can understand and tackle. You should see an improvement to your water condition, circulation, and checkbook soon. If you have questions -ask! That's what we're here for.
The bigger the filter, the longer between cleanings. Speaking of cleaning, when was the last time you cleaned your filter?
