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Or just roll your eyes and say, "Kids!"

Thank you, and it seems like a good explanation to me! My pool was largely a DYI by the folks who sold us the house. I am not sure where such a valve might be! There are push-pull valves on two pipes on the equipment pad. I may have to take some pics of the system.

How DOES one close off (or half close) the main drain? Up until now I've always used a Pool Buster, which recently died. I've been trying to use the vac head, but my suction sucks. :( I did fill the vac hose with water and turned the pump to high. The vacuum plate appears to be firmly...

It would make more sense to aerate as Jason suggests. What KIND of test kit? Is it drops-based, or strips? You need to be able to test more than just CL, pH and Alk. Other tests only need to be done occasionally (such as CYA or CH), but they are important. If you have a pool store that uses...

What are you using to test your water? If you're using test strips, be aware that they're not very reliable. Test kits recommended by this forum are the TF-100 or the Taylor K-2006. Borax shouldn't have much effect on alkalinity, but it should raise the pH. Your alk is very high (if your...

Sam, I have an indoor pool, so I can relate! Once you've gotten rid of your CC's, you should focus on preventing them, which is easier. First things first. . . Best thing I've found for knocking out CC's is sodium percarbonate. It never really caught on as a pool shock, so it's a little hard...

Yes, you are certainly on the right track, but you will want to test the other water factors too, including CH (calcium hardness) and TA (total alkalinity), if you haven't already. Those may need adjusting too. :)

Do you have a test kit? If you've been using pucks and powdered "shock," quite likely your CYA (maybe CH too) is too high. I'd suggest you talk to your landlord about providing you with a good test kit, if you don't have one! My pump quit working a couple of months ago and it was about three...

I was in a similar situation (baqua conversion). . . had the pool guy come out to change my sand afterward. It wouldn't come out the sand drain; it was clumped up in rocklike chunks. The sand had not been changed in the seven or so years the pool had been in operation. Bill, the pool tech, added...

Hi mnvanci, and welcome! You've come to the right place for great pool advice! I am not one of "the experts" but I can make a few comments that might be helpful. If the liner is still functioning properly (holding water, no holes) you probably needn't rush to replace it. It sounds to me like...

I just use a sport sock, not a nylon, but yes, that is the idea. Or pouring it into the skimmer is fine too, as long as you don't backwash for about a week afterwards.

"SW(C)G" stands for salt water (chlorine) generator. Re: plaster or other finishes, this is not from my personal experience but from LOTS of time reading in this forum. ANY pool finish can be ruined within months (or even weeks!) with poor water maintenance. OTOH, any pool finish can last years...

FC, CC, and pH are the most critical water factors. If you aren't having any issues with the pool, you should be safe with just those for now. Make sure you have accurate & reliable tests for those factors! (FAS-DPD for the chlorine test) Remember that this is about keeping the pool safe for you...

Welcome from a fellow South Texan! Hope you're not planning to use the pool service. . . it's not hard to learn it yourself, and with the resources available here, you can likely do a better job than they would. Autocleaner and SWG are very helpful labor-saving devices. I don't have them...

A slightly dirty filter works better than a perfectly clean one. The 10 psi rule for backwashing is a rule of thumb. For your pool, it might be 5, 8, or 12. Experiment a bit; try going to a 10-psi increase before backwashing and see how your water looks. Note the pressure at the returns. Just...

Most folks in this forum use drops-based tests, either the TF-100, Taylor K-2006, or something similar. As Jason said, a good test kit is an investment in your pool! (Some of us call the strips, "guess strips," and I think that says what you need to know!) Typically one has to order one of...

Hmmm. . . perhaps you could buy or borrow a Poolbuster. That's a battery-powered rechargeable self-contained pool vac. It would be time-consuming, but you could get out the stuff with one. You'd need a "sand and silt" filter bag which is an optional extra accessory. The basic model costs about...

Another possibility: an enzyme treatment and/or a scumbug could be helpful with this. I use Pool Perfect but there are other brands.

Maybe I'm getting used to the cooler water. . . mine's been slowly drifting down to 77, 78. It actually felt good!

I first got in my pool when the water was 69 F! Brrrr. . . My preference is 84. Currently my water is about 79-80 b/c the solar heater pump isn't working. It's cold to get in, but it's pretty comfortable once I've been swimming for a few minutes. I think I could handle middle 70's. I've found...

If you have borates, you can keep a lower TA, is that right? If so, how much lower?

I bought a great cordless phone that can also be used as a walkie-talkie or baby monitor--great for having out by the pool. It's a Uniden TRU 9485-2 and comes with two handsets, expandable up to 8. (I found a waterproof Uniden handset but I'm not sure it is compatible with the phone I've...

Congrats, and welcome, from another Jules in Texas! (I'm a female one.) ;)

Have you looked into the "Liquidator," recently discussed here? It's an auto-feeder for liquid chlorine and is amazingly inexpensive! Now that I've learned about it, I really REALLY want one. . .

I get lots of tiny air bubbles out of my returns!! This may be my solution. . . what are some brand names, and what do I look for to find a silicon lube? Thanks!

If you hadn't mentioned the size of the pool and the fact that you have well water, I would have asked if you bought a house we looked at last year!! That house was a foreclosure and the pool hadn't been maintained. . . it had apparently been drained and there was just a little water in the...

I would love to send some of the rain your way!! For the last few days my husband has been saying, "I'm so glad the weather has cleared up," and I tell him not to say that too loudly. . . had a shower this morning but it cleared off and got nice and HOT the way summer in south Texas is supposed...

This is such a basic question, but I don't think I've ever seen it addressed. . . how do you know when to replace your scumbug? :shock: I rinse mine out on a semi-regular basis. It's a bit stained around the edges, but it's not falling apart or anything. Advice would be appreciated. TIA!

I run my pump 24/7 on low speed, which is just 1/8 HP. If I had a single-speed pump I would surely run it only part of the time. But I have no timer on my system, so it's just easier to run it continuously.

Funny, I was actually going to post on this topic myself. It is better now, but I had a BAD earache for a while. My jaw was actually hurting on that side. . . I bought some earache drops at Wally World and they helped. Never had any swelling or drainage, but it was quite painful. I also bought...