I went to visit a friend this weekend and we talked about her pool. I intended to bring my test kit but managed to forget it in all my rush to get out of the house.
So I was unable to get good test data. Anyhow her husband didn't seem to want to know anything so maybe it was just as well. I mentioned the idea of making a giant eraser out of a pole and a trichlor puck to get chlorine onto those black algae stains after brushing, we'll see if he actually cares.
The pool has what seems to be black algae, maybe. I felt no raised texture but the spots are black or even brownish. All in the shallow end near the steps where the circulation is very poor. Scrubbing with SS brush had no effect. However FC was so low, who knows if that would have bleached it back to white.
The pool is plaster, I'll guess 18K gallons. In full Texas coastal sun, Galveston. Full of kids and visitors frequently, 4 kids and 4 adults for half the days of the week is normal, unless it is more. Has a SWG, all I can say is there is a small 8" long section of piping that says "Aquapure" and has an electrical connection. I could not find a control panel anywhere to see if it was showing error codes, maybe someone can tell me where to look.
The PB is "maintaining" it. I really wonder, though. Their person came to do weekly service while we were in the pool and so I struck up a conversation. This person only tests for TC and pH. TC was 0.3, pH was on the low side, maybe 7.3. She vacuumed the pool, though it hardly needed it, emptied the skimmers and pump basket and left 2 lbs of "shock" which seemed to be cal-hypo based on how it clouded a bit when I added it and brushed it in after she left and after we got out of the pool. I'll guess that took it to FC 10. Apparently they do this all the time, I wonder what the point of the SWG is..... in fact I wonder if the SWG even works.
I asked if any other tests are done. If the pool "looks off" she takes a sample to the office and they run a computer printout and never share the info with her, they give her the chems to add the next week. It was dull in my opinion but she did not take a sample.
I noticed the pool was REALLY salty, and I thought that a saltwater pool was not supposed to taste salty. It was slightly less salty than tears, I could barely feel the salt on my skin after I got out and dried, but I could really taste it.
So, my husband had a slight rash on his legs and inner arm after swimming and showering. It went away the next day. Could have been abrasion from a float on the arms but that does not explain the thighs.
Makes me suspect the TC 0.3 was all CCs. The fact that the pH is low and they shock every week with cal-hypo, and the weekly person knows nothing about chemicals, and I cannot find any control panel for the SWG.
The Polaris bag was green at the seams today and the water returns and skimmer weirs often get greenish I'm told. The Polaris is not functioning correctly, has no scrubber on the tail and the tail does not sweep at all, just drags. The pool cleaning person seemed not to notice this and the owner had no idea that it was supposed to sweep.
1- What does the control panel look like for an AquaPure and where might it be located? I saw a box that I thought for some reason was sprinkler and maybe that was it. If I go back, what should I take note of as far as codes or lights or whatever. I have no idea if the pool service is watching that or not.
2- When I go back I will have my test kit, for sure. I will not have salt strips, should I as the owner to get some? Is there any problem if salt is too high?
3- I thought SWG systems tend toward high pH, does it seem weird that pH was so low?
4- If CYA is super low, as I suspect it may be, and I suggest that they fix that, will the SWG then need adjustment and how is that done?
5- I know that maybe I should just try to help my friend find a better pool service in Galveston. Any suggestions from anyone who has experience there?
So I was unable to get good test data. Anyhow her husband didn't seem to want to know anything so maybe it was just as well. I mentioned the idea of making a giant eraser out of a pole and a trichlor puck to get chlorine onto those black algae stains after brushing, we'll see if he actually cares.
The pool has what seems to be black algae, maybe. I felt no raised texture but the spots are black or even brownish. All in the shallow end near the steps where the circulation is very poor. Scrubbing with SS brush had no effect. However FC was so low, who knows if that would have bleached it back to white.
The pool is plaster, I'll guess 18K gallons. In full Texas coastal sun, Galveston. Full of kids and visitors frequently, 4 kids and 4 adults for half the days of the week is normal, unless it is more. Has a SWG, all I can say is there is a small 8" long section of piping that says "Aquapure" and has an electrical connection. I could not find a control panel anywhere to see if it was showing error codes, maybe someone can tell me where to look.
The PB is "maintaining" it. I really wonder, though. Their person came to do weekly service while we were in the pool and so I struck up a conversation. This person only tests for TC and pH. TC was 0.3, pH was on the low side, maybe 7.3. She vacuumed the pool, though it hardly needed it, emptied the skimmers and pump basket and left 2 lbs of "shock" which seemed to be cal-hypo based on how it clouded a bit when I added it and brushed it in after she left and after we got out of the pool. I'll guess that took it to FC 10. Apparently they do this all the time, I wonder what the point of the SWG is..... in fact I wonder if the SWG even works.
I asked if any other tests are done. If the pool "looks off" she takes a sample to the office and they run a computer printout and never share the info with her, they give her the chems to add the next week. It was dull in my opinion but she did not take a sample.
I noticed the pool was REALLY salty, and I thought that a saltwater pool was not supposed to taste salty. It was slightly less salty than tears, I could barely feel the salt on my skin after I got out and dried, but I could really taste it.
So, my husband had a slight rash on his legs and inner arm after swimming and showering. It went away the next day. Could have been abrasion from a float on the arms but that does not explain the thighs.
Makes me suspect the TC 0.3 was all CCs. The fact that the pH is low and they shock every week with cal-hypo, and the weekly person knows nothing about chemicals, and I cannot find any control panel for the SWG.
The Polaris bag was green at the seams today and the water returns and skimmer weirs often get greenish I'm told. The Polaris is not functioning correctly, has no scrubber on the tail and the tail does not sweep at all, just drags. The pool cleaning person seemed not to notice this and the owner had no idea that it was supposed to sweep.
1- What does the control panel look like for an AquaPure and where might it be located? I saw a box that I thought for some reason was sprinkler and maybe that was it. If I go back, what should I take note of as far as codes or lights or whatever. I have no idea if the pool service is watching that or not.
2- When I go back I will have my test kit, for sure. I will not have salt strips, should I as the owner to get some? Is there any problem if salt is too high?
3- I thought SWG systems tend toward high pH, does it seem weird that pH was so low?
4- If CYA is super low, as I suspect it may be, and I suggest that they fix that, will the SWG then need adjustment and how is that done?
5- I know that maybe I should just try to help my friend find a better pool service in Galveston. Any suggestions from anyone who has experience there?
