So, pools are hard work then?

[Mandela]

Hi Guys

New pool owner here.

From Scotland and moved to Tampa 2 years ago. Just bought a house and a pool was at the top of the must have list.

Eventually we found a nice house with a great pool, bigger than most we'd seen and filled with crystal blue water.

We've been in the house for 3 weeks and the pool is now yellow, but I'll post in the appropriate section.

Anyway, hope to get to know some of you guys and learn about pool upkeep.

Peace.

 

[jblizzle]

Welcome to TFP!!!

None that you have found TFP, things will get a LOT easier.

The first thing we are going to ask is what test kit you are using. Make sure you invest in one of the recommended test kits as that is required to truly take control and save yourself $$$
I recommend the TF-100 from tftestkits.net with the XL option (because your water is no longer clear) and the Speedstir (while not required, certainly makes the testing easier).

 

[Mandela]

Welcome to TFP!!!

None that you have found TFP, things will get a LOT easier.

The first thing we are going to ask is what test kit you are using. Make sure you invest in one of the recommended test kits as that is required to truly take control and save yourself $$$
I recommend the TF-100 from tftestkits.net with the XL option (because your water is no longer clear) and the Speedstir (while not required, certainly makes the testing easier).

Thanks, man.

I'm definitely excited to get into the chemistry of it but i'm having significant equipment problems just now that I need to resolve before I can get to the fun stuff. I'm going to post in the appropriate section and take it from there.

Thanks for the welcome.

 

[Dirk]

Hey Scottie! Welcome to TFP!

(Sorry, I was watching Star Trek on Netflix last night!)

Hard work? Not really. I was completely intimidated by my pool (like yours, it came with the house I bought), and so just let the previous owner's pool guy keep going. What a mistake. I'll spare you the details. I stumbled on TFP and once I got it down I couldn't believe how easy it is to take care of a pool.

Glad you found your way here. To the US, and to TFP!!

Are there many pools in Scotland? What was it that put having one at the top'o'tha'list to ya?

 

[Mandela]

Hey Scottie! Welcome to TFP!

(Sorry, I was watching Star Trek on Netflix last night!)

Hard work? Not really. I was completely intimidated by my pool (like yours, it came with the house I bought), and so just let the previous owner's pool guy keep going. What a mistake. I'll spare you the details. I stumbled on TFP and once I got it down I couldn't believe how easy it is to take care of a pool.

Glad you found your way here. To the US, and to TFP!!

Are there many pools in Scotland? What was it that put having one at the top'o'tha'list to ya?

Hey Dirk

I'm glad I didn't just leave it to the service the previous owners used because if the calcium build up in the cell is anything to go by they were completely negligent. The filter was pretty gross too. I really want to get into it, I'm just having serious equipment issues (I posted about it in the Salt Water thread) that are preventing me from even thinking about the chemistry stuff. The most advanced I've been able to get is giving the cell a muriatic acid bath. I did do this with a Walter White hat on though.

I had to replace the cell but when it arrived today i went to replace the cord only to see it is completely burned out and so it the inlet inside the pool pilot...what i think is the interface. So i need to confirm that, replace it, ensure there's no further underlying problem and THEN i can get into the regular maintenance stuff.

There's really no domestic/private pools in Scotland, man. Maybe in a few of houses of people I'm not fortunate enough to consort with but we generally use commercial public pools...indoors only.

Glad to be here though. Two years in Tampa now. Was living in apartment complexes until we could build our credit up and get a mortgage. Now just looking to settle into that sweet pool life.

 

[Dirk]

I can't believe I had to google what a "Walter White hat" is. I thought it might be some sort of obscure Scottish reference! I'm in my fifth straight day of binging B.Bad! How did I miss that?! Overload, no doubt. I was only watching Star Trek last night so I could take a break from BB! Too much of a bad thing!! I'm in season five, so no spoilers, please, I'm almost done!!

My pool was trashed with calcium scale, too. Though much worse. Completely covered in it. Tile, too. Totally the pool guy's fault (before I owned it). I didn't even know what I was looking at, at first. TFP turned all that around for me. I've since resurfaced it (because a botched acid wash, by the same knucklehead, finished the job), so now I'm all reset and truly have a TFP. As will you!

 

[kimkats]

Hi and welcome!!!

I am going to leave your question on the other thread open aka not answered so someone else that knows the answer will notice it. I wanted to tell you that you CAN get your pool cleaned up so long as the pump is running! You do NOT have to have a working SWG. You can use liquid chlorine or plain bleach instead. In fact that is all I use in my pool. I am going to link you to some pages to get you started cleaning up your pool:

-test kit-You HAVE to have your own GOOD test kit. The one suggested above (TF-100 XL) is the one you need want. Look in my siggy below for where to buy it from.

-SLAM-https://www.troublefreepool.com/content/125-slam-shock-level-and-maintain-shockingl This is our go to to clear pools. It even works on ones that are growing tadpoles!

Until your test kit gets there you can add a gallon of chlorine/bleach (same stuff just different %) each evening making sure the pump is running to get is all mixed up good. Brushing the pool will also help get all the algae monsters up and into the filter.

Kim

 

[Mandela]

Hi Kim

Thanks for this.

I have a gallon of standard clorex in my kitchen. Are you saying I can simply add that to the pool, for the time being? It's lemon scented, does that matter?

I'll have a read at the link in the meantime and i've ordered the test kit, i done that last night.

I have been brushing the pool frequently just to disrupt the algae and to prevent it from settling as much as possible to. I have a couple of steps, a seat and a platform that the robot vacuum doesn't get onto, as well as the hot tub, so I'm trying to keep on top of those areas, specifically.


EDIT: Nevermind, I just done a wee bit of research and now know not to use scented. I'll pick up some standard bleach at work. I did not know bleach and chlorine were essentially the same thing. Already learning, ha.

 

[YippeeSkippy]

Mandela, so happy to have you join us here at TFP, and *congrats* on the new home and pool!! Pics of the pool *always* welcome. We're like addicts looking for our next fix when it comes to pics!

Do *not* use Clorox bleach...it used to be a great product but they've messed with it so much one can't trust what they're adding to their pool. Scents, thickeners, polymers (cloramax) to keep your clothes cleaner longer? Pah-leese!!! Just some plain, unscented, household bleach is all we want. Its usually 6% strength these days but since you're in FL you actually have a source for 10-12% stuff from pools stores!! Not all states allow this so good going you!!

Use PoolMath to help figure out how much liquid chlorine/bleach to use to obtain your desired FC goals. Just remember to first input all the boxes top and down low with your pool info and desired elements. Soooo easy after that.....

Maddie

 

[Dirk]

Not "essentially the same thing," exactly the same thing. Same exact active ingredient, only the dilution might be different.

 

[Mandela]

There's a pinch a penny close to my house so I'll stop in there for some chlorine. I'll explain the situation and provide a water sample too, they test it free so can't hurt.

I've also ordered the part I need and should have it in a few days.

 

[YippeeSkippy]

No need to explain nuffin!! :taped: Sure, get the free test done....just take the results with a grain of salt..'k?

They will give you odd looks and their heads may spin if you mention "TFP" to them. For some reason pool stores don't appreciate the TFPC methods as much as we do ourselves. LOL

Maddie

 

[Dirk]

...they test it free so can't hurt.

Not necessarily true. You'll get the hard sell from their staff, and you'll be tempted, if you're like the rest of us. Do not purchase anything but chlorine from them at this point. Get some chlorine in the water, you can use the pool store's FC test result for Pool Math, for now, if you have no other way to test FC. Ignore everything else they tell you or explain to you. Wait for your kit.

One of the most common causes for failure with the TFP method is combining it with advice from others, especially pool stores. Stay strong!! Stick with TFP. Get the kit. Post the results. You'll be home free.

 

[jeffchap]

Once you learn the TFP method and your pool's personality, you can easily maintain it with 10 - 15 minutes/week. And for a few hundred dollars per year.

 

[kimkats]

Yeah what they ^^^^^ all said! You are already learning! Good job figuring out the pretty lemon stuff is a no go.

Add about a gal a evening (leaving the pump running 24/7) until your good test kit gets there. It should only be a couple of days as they are in NC.

Kim

 

[Mandela]

I've put in a gallon each of the last two nights with the pump running so hopefully see some results soon.

I've noticed something peculiar though.

I have a vacuum that plugs directly into an underwater inlet and it just runs when the pump runs. Given I'm leaving the pump on 24/7 just now I decided to take the vacuum out.

1. How long and often should I leave the vacuum running? What I've read it's just when the pool needs vacuumed but a guy in work told me just to leave it running all the time the pump is running.

2. When I removed the vacuum the pool jets seemed to become more powerful, the pump seemed to be running higher (it was noticably louder) but the overflow from the jacuzzi into the pool was reduced. Is all this normal?

 

[jblizzle]

I just leave my suction cleaner in all the time. By you removing the suction cleaner you reduce the suction side of head loss which could certainly increase the amount of water the pump is able to move and less increase the pool Jets. But I would not think that the Overflow would be reduced.

 

[Dirk]

OK, now you all knew this was coming. I'll keep it short! I run my suction vac only in the middle of the night. I don't want to run it while kids are in the pool. It's an open suction port under the vac head, and I don't believe it to be safe for kids. I have an automated valve for it, so when I'm running the vac, it gets 80% of the suction. When the vacuuming is done, the valve moves, so that the vac is close off (safe!), and the skimmer gets 100% of the suction. That way, each mode (vacuum or skimming) is optimized, each works better separately, and I can run my pump a bit lower that I would have to if both the vacuum and the skimmer where drawing water. When I had both going all the time, I just couldn't get good skimmer action without goosing the pump way up. I expect this issue would vary from pool to pool: a big deal for some, a non-issue for others.

As you've discovered, each component affects the other. The trick is to figure out how best to run them all, keeping your pool clean enough while using as little electricity as possible!

 

[Mandela]

So would you say it uses more electricity to run the vacuum all the time or less?

Intuitively, I would assume it uses more electricity but given the increase in pump throughput I'm not sure.

 

[Dirk]

This was the issue. When both skimmer and vac where running at the same time, neither were doing that great of a job. They were on a three-way valve, so I could balance the suction to them. But I couldn't find an optimum balance. The vac came with a flow gauge, which is used to set the flow (and so, the pump RPM) for the best performance of the vac. With the skimmer in the mix, I had to really goose the RPM to get the vac's flow gauge in range. When I moved the three-way to vac-only, then I could really drop the RPM to satisfy the gauge, which means less electricity. Put another way:

Vac RPM is now 2200. That's with a 80/20 balance with the skimmer.

I used to run it at a 100/0 balance, which only required 1900 RPM, but I decided to make the vac safer by not running it at 100%.

Normal filter/skimmer mode works fine at 1500 RPM.

When I tried to get both skimmer and vac optimized, I had to get upwards of 3000 RPM.

Even the difference between 1900 and 2200 is a lot of energy (it's logarithmic).

The difference between 1500 and 2200 is substantial, and between 1500 and 3000+ is off the charts expensive.

So, yes, if you have the pump set up to optimize your vac flow while simultaneously running the skimmer so it works decently, you're going to be using more electricity. Since I only need about 1.5 hours a day of vacuuming to keep my pool cleared of leaves on the bottom, I have no reason to burn that energy. The rest of the day the skimmer is happy. And like I said, I won't run my vac during the day, so this setup solves multiple issues.

For the full picture, I have a solar heater, which wants 2200 RPM. I definitely didn't want to try and pull off solar and vac and skimmer at the same time, so that's another reason I run the vac at night. During the day, when solar is active, at 2200 RPM, all that water is being pulled through the skimmer, so I get good skimming action. That's why I can get away with 1500 RPM for filter mode, because I get plenty of skimming action when solar is active.

During the off season, with solar off, I can look out right now and see some leaves in the water, so I could goose the pump for the skimmer, but it's not that big a deal. The leaves take longer to reach the skimmer, but they eventually do.

Point being, there are a lot of factors. You just have to play around with all the variables until your pool is clean and your electricity bill is tolerable.