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Re: Salt loss when having to use liquid chlorine for 2 weeks I put far more trust in manually testing the salt level than relying on the SWG controller. The one on my sisters pool often reads FAR off from what the actual salt level really is. Adding more salt to the pool is easy, but the only...

Paint shouldn't even be an option. If any pool builder even offers it, be sure to write them off of your list of qualified builders.

Also read up in Pool School: pool-school/ on adding borates to your pool. It makes it much more difficult for algae to survive in your water.

Just to give you an idea of what you're up against, our water softener needs to regen after every 500 gallons that flows through it. That would be 28 regen cycles to fill your pool. You would be doing a lot of waiting...

I bought several boxes at Walmart recently for $2.76 each. That's way down from what it cost a couple of years back!

In the summer, it takes about 3 quarts per day to maintain my chlorine level. Last winter it dropped to around 3 quarts per WEEK when the water cooled down and the sun wasn't pounding down as long (or as strong). :)

I leave my Polaris 280 in the pool nearly all the time. For the last 3 years it seems to be doing just fine.

Salt water chlorine generators have an ongoing cost, in addition to the steep upfront price. They use a considerable amount of electricity to generate the chlorine and the generation cell also has a limited life. 3-5 years seems to be average. A replacement cell is several hundred dollars...

The Walmart here has the large bags for around $6 also. In the pool dept. :) I think they're 12 pounders.

I've been using the new stuff for more than a week now and the pool is still crystal clear. 8)

Yep, the old bottles had "Great Value" in small letters, while "Ultra Bleach" was in large letters. The new bottles just say "Great Value" with "Bleach" written underneath it. It's part of Walmart's marketing department trying to convince people that the "new" Great Value stuff is somehow...

Do you have a salt water chlorine generation system by chance? I've heard of problems in this area with the salt water dissolving limestone rocks. :( But I don't know of a good way to seal the surface without creating the slippery surface mentioned above.

I backwash most of the year, but FAR less frequently since I added borates to the pool. Perhaps every 2-3 months now, vs. every 2-4 weeks before. During the cold months I haven't had to backwash at all. Once each year, in the spring, I open the housing and clean everything very well in...

Looks like someone removed the air valve. Perhaps the valve broke and someone plugged the hole with an old gauge? Kaptain Kluge in action! Looking closer, I would guess that there is an entire assembly missing from the top. :shock: My DE filter has a plastic housing up top that contains the...

Re: Daily bleach usuage Just to give you a data point for comparison, we have borates in our 26K gallon pool and 3 quarts of 6% bleach per day keeps the pool sparkling all summer long. Over the winter it only needed about 3 quarts per week. (No closing for the winter down this way).

In cooler months I run my pump for about 4 hours in the morning and then about 1.5 hours in the evening, every day. Last summer, when temps were getting into the 100's, I ran the pump around 8 hours per day (again, split between morning and evening), but I have a monster 2.5HP Challenger High...

I'm pretty sure that the recommended guidelines for a diving board are that the pool be at least 8 feet deep. There is also a spec for how far out from the end of the board that the depth must remain 8 feet. The guy we bought our house from said that he had found the guidelines and then went...

el duderino, try adjusting the angle of the "fin". Mine was set pretty steep when I first bought it, which made it very aggressive at pushing the brush against the pool. The pseudo-triangular block on the back of the fin can be moved further away from the brush to lessen the angle. That makes...

The Wall Whale rocks, pure and simple! It makes brushing the pool MUCH easier as you no longer have to apply pressure to hold the brush against the surface. The "wing" does that part of the work for you. It's one of the best things we've ever bought for our pool. :)

I did a total drain a couple of years ago. CYA was so high after we bought the place that it took obscene amounts of chlorine to keep the water from turning green and black algae was trying take over. I used a garden sprayer to spray down the entire surface with a 1:4 bleach/water mix...

I forgot about the brushing part. I did that also. I have the fabulous Wall Whale brush that REALLY stirs up the water as you brush (and does a much better job of brushing, as it applies plenty of pressure on the brush). :)

When I did mine I just made sure that the pump was running to circulate everything, then waited about 30 minutes between major doses of chemicals. :)

During the summer I was adding 3 quarts each day. Now that the water has cooled down and the sun is shining on it less each day it only needs 3 quarts about once every 5 days or so. :shock: I suppose I could add a quart every couple of days, but I don't think about the pool much this time of...

In our local Walmart it is on the very top shelf, just above the bleach. :)

In the summer I was using 3 quarts of bleach per day. Now that the weather has cooled and the sun shines on the pool for a shorter period of time I'm using about 6 quarts per WEEK. :) I'm also using about 1 quart of acid per week. The best thing is that I'm now using ZERO algaecide, only...

Looks just like the box shown here: http://www.20muleteamlaundry.com/ 8)

You'll love it. I don't ever vacuum the pool because the Polaris doesn't leave anything behind. 8)

The silt bag works a LOT better. Mine doesn't leave anything visible behind. You can find them on Ebay much cheaper than the pool store. 8)

I haven't noticed any. We're VERY happy with the borates. 8)

Yep, in these parts Home Depot has MA for the same price as the pool store, $9.95 for two gallons. Since HD is a lot closer I also save some gas money by buying it there. :)