Hello there pool aficionados. I've owned an inground, 30k gallon, pebbletec surface, sand filtered pool with waterfall/grotto for 4 years. And once again this summer left me with a disgusting green pool. This round was so bad that I elected to drain it and start from scratch, as the water had not been changed since I purchased the home, again, 4 years ago. Literally, the pool is filling up as I post this message, and will likely be full by this time tomorrow night.
Immediate term: I want to prevent another algae bloom, which in AZ can strike in less than a week. So the initial advice I'm seeking is what to do until I'm able to purchase a comprehensive testing kit (my current kit tests only chlorine, PH, and alkalinity)? Given my limited testing resource I feel I may need to visit Leslie's Pool Supply and get suckered into blowing 200.00+ on chemicals. Let me know your thoughts.
Immediate-term, I need a recommendation on a reliable test kit.
Near-term, I've read that sand filters are the worst for a pool of my size, and that DE filters are the best. My previous home had a DE filter so I'm familiar with their degree of maintenance so am considering changing to this type of filter if this annual nightmare continue. A month ago I changed out the sand in my sand filter after noticing channeling (my sand filter is the Pentair Triton II - part# 140210) but simultaneously the algae bloom arrived so I didn't have a chance to measure the new sand's effectiveness. What is this community's consensus on sand filters for a pool of my size?
Thank you for your feedback. I hope this community inspires and empowers me to get control over my pool, which has been controlling me every summer for the past four years.
Immediate term: I want to prevent another algae bloom, which in AZ can strike in less than a week. So the initial advice I'm seeking is what to do until I'm able to purchase a comprehensive testing kit (my current kit tests only chlorine, PH, and alkalinity)? Given my limited testing resource I feel I may need to visit Leslie's Pool Supply and get suckered into blowing 200.00+ on chemicals. Let me know your thoughts.
Immediate-term, I need a recommendation on a reliable test kit.
Near-term, I've read that sand filters are the worst for a pool of my size, and that DE filters are the best. My previous home had a DE filter so I'm familiar with their degree of maintenance so am considering changing to this type of filter if this annual nightmare continue. A month ago I changed out the sand in my sand filter after noticing channeling (my sand filter is the Pentair Triton II - part# 140210) but simultaneously the algae bloom arrived so I didn't have a chance to measure the new sand's effectiveness. What is this community's consensus on sand filters for a pool of my size?
Thank you for your feedback. I hope this community inspires and empowers me to get control over my pool, which has been controlling me every summer for the past four years.