Hi and thanks!

[spondell]

Hi all,

This is a great site. I've done things out of order - tapping into your knowledge and the signing up! I was so tired of a cloudy pool, numerous trips to the pool store with samples, and numerous trips home with more expensive chemicals and the direction to shock the pool - again. I found this page and read a lot of the threads and finally convinced myself that I had nothing to lose by trying the BBB method. So, after purchasing the test kit (first the wrong one from the pool store, then the right one online), we started shocking the pool one weekend. By Monday, we had clear, blue water such as I hadn't seen in several years - and no algae! We've kept it going without issue for seven weeks now - in this hot, Houston summer - with no algae, no more shocking (CC still zero) and no chemicals except bleach and acid. And no wife reminding me that the pool is cloudy again! When I had questions about one thing or another (rising pH - related to slightly high TA), sure enough there were several discussion threads to tell me what to do.

So, thanks. I'm finally 'fessing up. My next stop is the TFP Supporter page.

I have a 15,000 in ground concrete pool, using cartridge filters and with an unused automatic chlorinator. I've also got a bucket of tabs and two boxes of shock, which I will try to pawn off on someone because I don't want any more of that cyanuric acid anywhere near my pool.

Thanks again for all the great advice!

Steve

 

[Butterfly]

Hey Steve,

Great first post!

Welcome to the forum

 

[waste]

Steve, welcome to TFP!!

You didn't do things out of order - you came, you learned, you conquered!

I think I can safely speak for all the members here when I say - CONGRATULATIONS!!

I'm very happy you've joined us and now know that we aren't 'pedaling cr*p'! :-D

 

[anonapersona]

I've also got a bucket of tabs and two boxes of shock, which I will try to pawn off on someone because I don't want any more of that cyanuric acid anywhere near my pool.

Well, I'd be greedy if I offered to take them off your hands..... really, you want to keep them. As time goes on you may find that you actually need to add a bit of CYA or CH to the pool. Or you want to take a weeks vacation. Or you may find a sudden need to get to shock level right away (see recent post about oozing wound) and a rise in CH of 10 or CYA of 10 is reasonable vs trying to find that much bleach right away. Those things keep really well. But, if you MUST be rid of them, I'll take them.

 

[duraleigh]

Hi, Steve,

It's refreshing to hear from a lurker who has already completed the process to perfection.....that's very nice work :lol:

Anona's suggestion to keep the pucks for vacations, etc. is a good one. As you get to know your pool even better, you may find a perfectly acceptable use for them now that you are in control.

I'm sure everyone who posts here regularly and offers advice really enjoyed your post......Thanks!

 

[spondell]

Thanks all for the welcome. I guess the vacation thing is valid, so I guess I'll have to keep them. My CYA is still at 80 so I'm very reluctant to add any more - and that's really been the biggest source of my problem. Right after Hurricane Ike, it had risen to 400. No wonder I couldn't get my pool back! I've done many partial drain and refills and I know I need to do another one or two, but I'm really enjoying the clear blue! After I get that level down below 50, I'll feel a little better about using the easy stuff from time to time.

In looking back at my two years of frustration, I now also see that my automatic chlorinator could not keep up in any case with the demand from the pool. I guess the whole point of the pool store advice to shock every week was to try to get the level up in the first place. BBB is such a better method - other than having to go to Sam's today for five cases of bleach!