Hi Everyone! (Apologies in advance for a long post)
I found this forum while searching for a way to try and find a cheaper/better way to care for my pool. I've owned the house (and the pool that came with it) since 2009, and so far, the pool has survived on a steady diet of chlorine tablets, advice from the local Pool $tore, and 2-3 yearly treatments of green-to-clean. So far already for 2013, it's been treated 3 times, and we haven't even gotten to the summer.
Before I found this site, I really didn't know anything about pool care. I really still don't. And, more than that, I'm a lazy pool owner. My idea of pool testing is to dip a test strip in the water every few days, and/or take a sample to the pool store every 2 weeks or so.
My pool information is in my signature, and there's a picture of my pump equipment later on in this post. (I never use the heater ... too expensive). The pool doesn't get used terribly frequently, maybe 3 or 4 times a year, although, if I can get the water cleaned up, I'd like to use it more often.
Right now, the pool is looking a little on the green side, and there is some visible algae near the stairs. (See picture).
I'd like to start with the BBB system, and try to get the pool back to looking "swimmable". I know that I'll need to do quite a bit of reading, and invest more time than I have been. Realistically, how much time do you think will be needed on a daily/weekly basis? Right now, I've got some liquid chlorine, some muriatic acid, and some tri-chlor pucks (that I really don't want to use) ... what other chemicals should I add to my arsenal? I'm also thinking (probably a year or two out) about a Salt Water Chlorine generator. Useful investment, or a waste of money?
I stopped by the pool store today, here are my test results. Where do I begin?
Free Chlorine: 5
Total Chlorine: 5
Calcium Hardness: 450
Cyanuric Acid: 60
Total Alkalinity: 110
pH: 7.6
Phosphates: 300
(I'm also not quite sure about the 7500 gallon figure, but the Pool Calculator seems to agree, based on the dimensions of the pool as measured below)
I found this forum while searching for a way to try and find a cheaper/better way to care for my pool. I've owned the house (and the pool that came with it) since 2009, and so far, the pool has survived on a steady diet of chlorine tablets, advice from the local Pool $tore, and 2-3 yearly treatments of green-to-clean. So far already for 2013, it's been treated 3 times, and we haven't even gotten to the summer.
Before I found this site, I really didn't know anything about pool care. I really still don't. And, more than that, I'm a lazy pool owner. My idea of pool testing is to dip a test strip in the water every few days, and/or take a sample to the pool store every 2 weeks or so.
My pool information is in my signature, and there's a picture of my pump equipment later on in this post. (I never use the heater ... too expensive). The pool doesn't get used terribly frequently, maybe 3 or 4 times a year, although, if I can get the water cleaned up, I'd like to use it more often.
Right now, the pool is looking a little on the green side, and there is some visible algae near the stairs. (See picture).
I'd like to start with the BBB system, and try to get the pool back to looking "swimmable". I know that I'll need to do quite a bit of reading, and invest more time than I have been. Realistically, how much time do you think will be needed on a daily/weekly basis? Right now, I've got some liquid chlorine, some muriatic acid, and some tri-chlor pucks (that I really don't want to use) ... what other chemicals should I add to my arsenal? I'm also thinking (probably a year or two out) about a Salt Water Chlorine generator. Useful investment, or a waste of money?
I stopped by the pool store today, here are my test results. Where do I begin?
Free Chlorine: 5
Total Chlorine: 5
Calcium Hardness: 450
Cyanuric Acid: 60
Total Alkalinity: 110
pH: 7.6
Phosphates: 300
(I'm also not quite sure about the 7500 gallon figure, but the Pool Calculator seems to agree, based on the dimensions of the pool as measured below)