Above ground pool at weekend house...FINISHED PICS PG 2!!!!!

[Freedbaby]

We live in Houston but have a small weekend cottage on the coast about 73 miles south of Houston in a small town called Sargent, Texas. We have already purchased a Swim'n Play Deluxe 8000 from a local company which is scheduled to be installed the first of March. We are getting a 30' x 15' with a chlorine filter. This is about a 13,500 gallon pool with a vinyl liner.

As a kid, we had an in ground plaster pool and we did the typical shock treatment with chlorine tabs in a float. It is my understanding that if safety is a factor, thats not the best way to do it anymore...so thats why I am here.

The pool builder told me to pick up 6lbs of stabilizer for when the pool gets filled, a bucket of tabs and a float. I don't think I am going to go this route, but instead the bleach route.

Can anybody tell me some initial supplies to get and some preliminary things to do as I get started? My other concern is that during the summer, we are only there on weekends so mid week testing/adding of chemicals will definitely be a challenge. On rare occasion we may miss a weekend which means that two weeks will have passed before getting back.

Any advice as to how to get started as well as how to handle only being there on weekend will be greatly appreciated. In the mean time I will get back to reading some sticky's as well as some other posts and see how far that takes me.

 

[Bama Rambler]

Re: Having an above ground pool at a weekend house advice...

I would suggest having someone there for the first couple of weeks upon install that can test and adjust. This will also allow you to learn the pool. I also suggest you get either a swg or an injection pump to handle the daily chlorination needs. While not ideal, it would be your best option.

In the meantime, use this time before install to order a good kit and start to learn to use it. Also, read all you can here and learn all you can about how to properly maintain your pool.

 

[cramar]

Re: Having an above ground pool at a weekend house advice...

If you haven't already, read 'Pool School', the link is in the upper right corner, print the articles off and have them handy.
When you get your test kit you can do some practice tests on your regular water, to learn the process. The tests may be a bit of a challenge at first but they quickly become engrained and simple.

 

[UnderWaterVanya]

Re: Having an above ground pool at a weekend house advice...

Most of the people using BBB are doing so as on-site owners. I am one of the few that doesn't have a pool in the backyard - my pool is at my father-in-law's house. It's a mere 1.5 miles away but even that causes me to miss days or even multiple days. Without someone on site doing the daily skimming and emptying the skimmer and adding bleach - I couldn't maintain this pool with BBB. But there are ways to try to improve the situation to make it possible to visit 1/week and still keep to BBB:

1) Use a cover - a solar cover is going to drastically reduce your chlorine losses and evaporation losses and keep the junk from getting into the water and into the skimmer and blocking the suction.

2) Use an SWGC - a salt water chlorine generator may seem like luxury - but if you are not going to be there it's one of only two BBB options likely to work. The other is a Stenner Pump or something like it (Liquidator is along the same lines but different implementation). These still require adjustment and things can go wrong (pump can break, valves clog, swgc fail) but the overall picture is more consistent chlorine additions and less chance for algae to take hold while you are gone.

3) Get a cleaner - some type of automatic cleaner isn't required - but if you are only there 1/week you may want to automate some of the cleaning so you are not feeling burdened by it when you are there.

If these don't appeal you *might* be better off NOT doing BBB and living with the fact that you will have to resort to changing water from time to time to avoid the problems from the CYA level going through the roof. Even so you still will face some of the same challenges and items 1 and 3 may still be useful to you.

 

[linen]

Re: Having an above ground pool at a weekend house advice...

Welcome to tfp, Freedbaby

I too would encourage you to read read read pool school!

 

[UnderWaterVanya]

Re: Having an above ground pool at a weekend house advice...

Welcome to tfp, Freedbaby

I too would encourage you to read read read pool school!

I don't disagree with this advice, Pool School is a great resource and useful even if you don't fully follow BBB. However many pool school articles are geared towards someone with the luxury of daily access to their pool - bearing this in mind is important.

 

[aggiemae]

Re: Having an above ground pool at a weekend house advice...

consider hiring someone to do pool care. at least testing and treating during the week. I bet you can find a competent older teen who would be happy to do it for you. Times are hard, lots of kids and even adults are looking to pick up some cash. Our 14 year old has been doing yard work in the neighborhood for two years now. He does very basic pool and spa care for two neighbors for $25.00 a week. I think he is charging an additional $20,00 to clean the pools. These two pool and a couple of weeding and edging jobs puts $100.00 a month into his pocket and $200. into his college fund almost every month.

 

[tjroux]

Re: Having an above ground pool at a weekend house advice...

Let me know how you like the Deluxe 8000, were ordering a 24 ft round.

 

[elwood58]

Re: Having an above ground pool at a weekend house advice...

I second the SWG recommendation. Keep a close eye on getting your initial balance right. Get T/A in range. Manage pH tightly, and you should be able to get away with weekend maintenance. A cover will help keep outside organics from messing up your balance efforts, but will increase temperatures later in the summer when you will be trying to keep them down.

I assume there are other vacation homes near you. make a new friend that also has a pool, and backstop each other if you have to skip a weekend or two during the season.

 

[UnderWaterVanya]

Re: Having an above ground pool at a weekend house advice...

A cover will help keep outside organics from messing up your balance efforts, but will increase temperatures later in the summer when you will be trying to keep them down.

I wonder if you could setup a fountain and have it rain down on the top of the solar cover and run back over the edges and back into the pool. If so the pump could be set to run at night and take avantage of the cooler temps to reduce the temp to offset the lack of evaporative losses from under the cover. Ideally they should make a silver SHINY opaque solar cover to help reject sun gains during the daytime in summer for those with this problem.

Our pool is shady until mid morning and after late afternoon so it stays cool most of the time so I sometimes forget this is an issue for many.

 

[Freedbaby]

Re: Having an above ground pool at a weekend house advice...

Here is my update!

So far I am having no problems keep the pool at proper levels even though I am only there on the weekends. I am currently working on the deck but as soon as that gets done, I have already bought an auto dosing system that I will engineer to work with bleach for the pool (its made for saltwater fish tanks). I will be able to dose the pool on a daily basis with the proper amount of liquid bleach which will be great when I am away. The doser along with a timer should make it a non issue if I am not there one weekend.

Here are a couple pics:

 

[Bama Rambler]

Re: Above ground pool at a weekend house advice...4-15 UPDAT

Which dosing system do you have?
I'm always interested in new ways of doing things.

 

[Freedbaby]

Re: Above ground pool at a weekend house advice...4-15 UPDAT

I will be using a Bubble-Magus BM-T01. I have a couple things to work out, but I think it's just getting the right fittings. Obviously I want a sealed container so the bleach gasses off as little as possible but it still has to be vented so it can properly dose...I just need to find a one way vent to put in whatever container I decide to use.

I haven't had a chance yet, but The Tank Depot will have the right tank, just not sure which one yet. I gotta get through the deck before I get to the doser!

Below is a link to the dosing unit I have.

http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/bubble-magus-dosing-pump.html

 

[Bama Rambler]

Re: Above ground pool at a weekend house advice...4-15 UPDAT

From what I can tell, that pump can deliver 1999 ml per 24 hours. That's about ½ gallon per day That's going to cause you to have to run the pool pump almost 24 hours a day in order to maintain the FC in the pool. Just throwing that out there. If you can run all three heads at the same time that may increase the output to the pool.

 

[Freedbaby]

Re: Above ground pool at a weekend house advice...4-15 UPDAT

I will have the doser on a timer just like the pool pump so that it will only dose when pump is on. Like I said, I have some issues to work through but I know I will be able to make it work, just don't know all the details yet. Another fellow I know has done it successfully with a different doser...just gotta make it work with mine now.

If anyone has ideas though...I'M ALL EARS!!!!!!!

EDIT...Ok, when you said run pump 24 hours I am not sure I understand why?
I will be using all three heads and they will feed into a manifold of sorts with three "IN" and "ONE" out.

Currently I am only using about a half a gallon of 10% bleach a week so this pump should certainly be able to dose the amount I need even in the heat of the summer. I cant imagine I will need to does a half gallon a day...thats a LOT. If I am missing something, can you tell me what it is?

 

[UnderWaterVanya]

Re: Above ground pool at a weekend house advice...4-15 UPDAT

EDIT...Ok, when you said run pump 24 hours I am not sure I understand why?
I will be using all three heads and they will feed into a manifold of sorts with three "IN" and "ONE" out.

Currently I am only using about a half a gallon of 10% bleach a week so this pump should certainly be able to dose the amount I need even in the heat of the summer. I cant imagine I will need to does a half gallon a day...thats a LOT. If I am missing something, can you tell me what it is?

My 13500 gallon in ground pool used about 96 oz of 6% bleach each day during the summer...
UV breaks down FC and at the CYA levels recommended here you will see higher losses per day as we move from Spring to Summer.

 

[Bama Rambler]

Re: Above ground pool at a weekend house advice...4-15 UPDAT

At 1/2 gallon per week you're only using 9 oz per day. That's only .5 ppm FC per day, an that's not nearly enough to keep that pool sanitized and algae free. Are you keeping it covered with an opaque cover all the time?

 

[Freedbaby]

Re: Above ground pool at a weekend house advice...4-15 UPDAT

[/quote]My 13500 gallon in ground pool used about 96 oz of 6% bleach each day during the summer...
UV breaks down FC and at the CYA levels recommended here you will see higher losses per day as we move from Spring to Summer.[/quote]

WOW!!!!!!! each time I check my levels they are dead on and the pool is crystal clear, well until this past weekend when I blew a bunch of muddy water by accident into the pool because of some dirty pipe I used to relocate filter. Now, admittedly, the pool water is only 70 degrees and we have had more late year cold spells than normal. But 96oz a day...Sheesh. My CYA is at 65 which is about where I want it, No?

At 1/2 gallon per week you're only using 9 oz per day. That's only .5 ppm FC per day, an that's not nearly enough to keep that pool sanitized and algae free. Are you keeping it covered with an opaque cover all the time?

Up until this past weekend, I have had a black mesh leaf guard cover over it. Can this make the difference?

Looking forward to your replies as I am a total greenhorn and need to get this down...if not, my family will be VERY disappointed to be greeted by a green pool at the weekend place.

 

[UnderWaterVanya]

Re: Above ground pool at a weekend house advice...4-15 UPDAT

My 13500 gallon in ground pool used about 96 oz of 6% bleach each day during the summer...
UV breaks down FC and at the CYA levels recommended here you will see higher losses per day as we move from Spring to Summer.

WOW!!!!!!! each time I check my levels they are dead on and the pool is crystal clear, well until this past weekend when I blew a bunch of muddy water by accident into the pool because of some dirty pipe I used to relocate filter. Now, admittedly, the pool water is only 70 degrees and we have had more late year cold spells than normal. But 96oz a day...Sheesh. My CYA is at 65 which is about where I want it, No?

Actually the experts here typically recommend something more like 30-50 CYA for a bleach pool. 65 is a little high, but you can make it work if necessary. See here: pool-school/chlorine_cya_chart_shock

At 1/2 gallon per week you're only using 9 oz per day. That's only .5 ppm FC per day, an that's not nearly enough to keep that pool sanitized and algae free. Are you keeping it covered with an opaque cover all the time?

Up until this past weekend, I have had a black mesh leaf guard cover over it. Can this make the difference?

I'm not sure - how tight was the weave? Truthfully the high UV's of summer are a ways off - and my 96oz/day is a bit higher than some needed. The brand and type of bleach can influence this since the claims are not always lived up to for concentration and older bleach loses potency and the age of the bleach on the shelves is hard to know.

 

[jblizzle]

Re: Above ground pool at a weekend house advice...4-15 UPDAT

Counterpoint to UWV:
If they only are at the pool on the weekends, then running a higher CYA is going to be required to protect more of the FC. I would not take it above 80ppm, so 65ppm seems like a good place to start to me.

The pool service companies around here had my pool up to a CYA of 300+ppm before I took it over. They were trying to only come every 2 weeks ... in the summer ... in full sun AZ