Hello Members,
I am glad I finally found TFP. It has been quite a ride so far and I found TFP out of frustration and plenty of misinformation, just like 99.8% of the members here. We purchased our current home a year ago and moved in a couple weeks thereafter. The house and pool was built in 1964 with a major renovation in the mid 90s. The house was short-sold 3 owners ago about 10 years ago. Many quick fix repairs were done to make the house sell-able back then. Since then many quick fixes were done including to the pool. To complicate matters the house is on a hill side and one of the pool edges is just 5 ft a 6ft high retaining wall. One return line was replaced and is the only return line back to the spa with an overflow to the pool. All return jets in the pool are capped (due to a leak in this return line, as I found out just recently from a neighbor). The bottom drain line was capped as well. The DE filter is likely to be a Hayward yet the entire thing was spray painted black, making it unidentifiable. Booster pump was repaired yet the line seems to have a leak as well or is not going anywhere.
So the pool has certainly seen better days. So off the the "experts" store and get the supplies needed, not realizing the "pool guy" is dumping everything left next to the pool equipment into the pool. Apparently there was an arrangement with the previous owner, any chemical left next to the pump goes into the pool. So everything I got went into the pool. Poor soul didn't know the house was sold and he came like every week to do his thing. Skim a few leaves and dump stuff into the pool. Fired.
Matters just got worse when listening to the "experts" get the floater, more of this, more of that, use the strips, use the app. Don't forget to use this shock weekly, add more stabilizer. Ended with a completely unbalanced pool and out of control algae growth. Put some of that Algae remover, floc, more of this copper thing, more copper. If the bottom drain really has a leak in the original copper pipe, i am certain, by now I have added enough copper to the pool to patch the whole. If i just could figure out a way to make all the copper coagulate just where the leak is
.
The pump finally gave up and was replaced with a Pentair Intelliflo VS2. This is when I found TFP just a few days ago and learned quite a few things.
Step One.
Buy a Test Kit. Check.
Step Two.
Balancing the Pool
- partially drained the pool and back filled with fresh city water ( used the drained water to irrigate the backside hill)
CH 390 to 260.
TA 300 to 190.
CYA 100ppm to 60ppm.
Learned about aerating, used what was on hand, muriatic acid, sump pump, hose and sprinkler bringing TA further down to 120.
While some values are on the upper limit, the pool is balanced enough to start the first shock. Off to one of home improvement stores and get some Chlorine. 8 cases of 2 gal Chlorine was noticeable enough for the pool expert to come over and inquire what i am planning to do with that much chlorine. Simple response, shock the pool and maintain FC. Why would I not use powdered shock and those hockey pucks? They are so much better and so much more cost efficient. My simple response was that I don't want to raise my calcium level again and my stabilizer level is already at the upper limit. His response is the powdered shock is NOT increasing any calcium levels (it is a common misbelieve) and the pucks are definitely NOT increasing the CYA level. REALLY? I listed to that for a year and learned my lesson! ENOUGH of that NON-SENSE!
So here I am middle of the first time SLAMing the pool the TFP way. Second Lesson learned. Shock is not a product, shock is a process.
So many more things to do and so many questions will come up.
Yet for the first time I do feel confident in what I am doing and feel I am in best company here at TFP.
Project List (in no particular order):
- inspect all lines for leaks (see if any capped lines could be used)
- IntelliTouch Control Panel
- properly sized filter
- solar water heater
- in line liquid chlorine feeder
- fix plaster damages
- paint pool surface
- fix tiles or replace all waterline tiles.
- spend less time and money on pool maintenance following TFP
- enjoy more time in the pool than maintaining it
- Never listen to the "experts" in the stores unless they follow TFP methotology.
- tell every pool owner about TFP
Thank you all in advance for your future help
Hussain.
I am glad I finally found TFP. It has been quite a ride so far and I found TFP out of frustration and plenty of misinformation, just like 99.8% of the members here. We purchased our current home a year ago and moved in a couple weeks thereafter. The house and pool was built in 1964 with a major renovation in the mid 90s. The house was short-sold 3 owners ago about 10 years ago. Many quick fix repairs were done to make the house sell-able back then. Since then many quick fixes were done including to the pool. To complicate matters the house is on a hill side and one of the pool edges is just 5 ft a 6ft high retaining wall. One return line was replaced and is the only return line back to the spa with an overflow to the pool. All return jets in the pool are capped (due to a leak in this return line, as I found out just recently from a neighbor). The bottom drain line was capped as well. The DE filter is likely to be a Hayward yet the entire thing was spray painted black, making it unidentifiable. Booster pump was repaired yet the line seems to have a leak as well or is not going anywhere.
So the pool has certainly seen better days. So off the the "experts" store and get the supplies needed, not realizing the "pool guy" is dumping everything left next to the pool equipment into the pool. Apparently there was an arrangement with the previous owner, any chemical left next to the pump goes into the pool. So everything I got went into the pool. Poor soul didn't know the house was sold and he came like every week to do his thing. Skim a few leaves and dump stuff into the pool. Fired.
Matters just got worse when listening to the "experts" get the floater, more of this, more of that, use the strips, use the app. Don't forget to use this shock weekly, add more stabilizer. Ended with a completely unbalanced pool and out of control algae growth. Put some of that Algae remover, floc, more of this copper thing, more copper. If the bottom drain really has a leak in the original copper pipe, i am certain, by now I have added enough copper to the pool to patch the whole. If i just could figure out a way to make all the copper coagulate just where the leak is
.The pump finally gave up and was replaced with a Pentair Intelliflo VS2. This is when I found TFP just a few days ago and learned quite a few things.
Step One.
Buy a Test Kit. Check.
Step Two.
Balancing the Pool
- partially drained the pool and back filled with fresh city water ( used the drained water to irrigate the backside hill)
CH 390 to 260.
TA 300 to 190.
CYA 100ppm to 60ppm.
Learned about aerating, used what was on hand, muriatic acid, sump pump, hose and sprinkler bringing TA further down to 120.
While some values are on the upper limit, the pool is balanced enough to start the first shock. Off to one of home improvement stores and get some Chlorine. 8 cases of 2 gal Chlorine was noticeable enough for the pool expert to come over and inquire what i am planning to do with that much chlorine. Simple response, shock the pool and maintain FC. Why would I not use powdered shock and those hockey pucks? They are so much better and so much more cost efficient. My simple response was that I don't want to raise my calcium level again and my stabilizer level is already at the upper limit. His response is the powdered shock is NOT increasing any calcium levels (it is a common misbelieve) and the pucks are definitely NOT increasing the CYA level. REALLY? I listed to that for a year and learned my lesson! ENOUGH of that NON-SENSE!
So here I am middle of the first time SLAMing the pool the TFP way. Second Lesson learned. Shock is not a product, shock is a process.
So many more things to do and so many questions will come up.
Yet for the first time I do feel confident in what I am doing and feel I am in best company here at TFP.
Project List (in no particular order):
- inspect all lines for leaks (see if any capped lines could be used)
- IntelliTouch Control Panel
- properly sized filter
- solar water heater
- in line liquid chlorine feeder
- fix plaster damages
- paint pool surface
- fix tiles or replace all waterline tiles.
- spend less time and money on pool maintenance following TFP
- enjoy more time in the pool than maintaining it
- Never listen to the "experts" in the stores unless they follow TFP methotology.
- tell every pool owner about TFP
Thank you all in advance for your future help
Hussain.
