Just joined with the hope of getting help and giving it if I can.
I live in the Phoenix area and I've owned my pool for 20 years and have developed a routine that keeps it maintained with a relatively small amount of work and expense. It has worked well for me excluding two occasions (will be posting about that shortly). Additionally, all of the equipment is original except a Baracuda G3 that replaced the original Baracuda G1. So, I'm hoping to gain insight on what type of replacement equipment will be best for my pool when the time comes.
My Pool:
Built by Shasta Pools in July 1995
Approx 12,000 gallon, 5ft at deepest point, 3ft at shallowest point
Pebble-Tech surface
Sta-Rite Dyna-Glas 1hp pump running 9hrs/day summer and 6hrs/day winter
Sta-Rite sand filter (400lbs sand media, not sure of model or surface area).
Zodiac Nature2 M25 mineral sanitizer (formerly Vis-ION)
Deck-Chlor chlorinator (now unused in favor of a floating chlorinator)
Baracuda G3 automatic cleaner with Hayward W560 leaf canister.
My Preventative Maintenance Schedule:
- Brush entire pool once per week.
- Empty skimmer basket twice per week and after every storm or windy day.
- Check filter pressure twice per week: when filter pressure >5psi above normal, backwash for 2 minutes or until water is clear.
- Empty pump and canister leaf baskets once per week and after every storm.
- Check floating chlorinator twice per week and make sure it never empties.
- In warm weather only, shock once per month or after a dust/wind storm.
- Replace Baracuda diaphragm once per year in spring.
- Replace mineral sanitizer cartridge once per year in spring.
- Drain and refill pool once every 2 years in spring.
The exceptions to the above are:
- Replacing broken/worn-out parts
- Replaced the sand filter media once in 2008
- In early June, usually a small but visible amount of yellow algae clings to the walls. Brushing twice per week for one or two weeks eliminates it.
- In July and August, occasionally green algae grows above the water line where there is scale build-up on the pebble tech (no tile at the water line) and it stays wet but doesn't get much chlorine. At this time of year, I have to backwash about every 2 weeks. If the algae is present when I backwash, I spray 16oz of liquid Chlorine in a 3-inch-wide strip at the water line all the way around the pool. The algae is gone before the pool finishes refilling.
Most of this was based on recommendations from the pool builder when we had the pool built and it works pretty well. Outside of two extreme problems I'll be posting about later, I don't do anything else (for better or worse), including testing the water or adding any other chemicals.
I live in the Phoenix area and I've owned my pool for 20 years and have developed a routine that keeps it maintained with a relatively small amount of work and expense. It has worked well for me excluding two occasions (will be posting about that shortly). Additionally, all of the equipment is original except a Baracuda G3 that replaced the original Baracuda G1. So, I'm hoping to gain insight on what type of replacement equipment will be best for my pool when the time comes.
My Pool:
Built by Shasta Pools in July 1995
Approx 12,000 gallon, 5ft at deepest point, 3ft at shallowest point
Pebble-Tech surface
Sta-Rite Dyna-Glas 1hp pump running 9hrs/day summer and 6hrs/day winter
Sta-Rite sand filter (400lbs sand media, not sure of model or surface area).
Zodiac Nature2 M25 mineral sanitizer (formerly Vis-ION)
Deck-Chlor chlorinator (now unused in favor of a floating chlorinator)
Baracuda G3 automatic cleaner with Hayward W560 leaf canister.
My Preventative Maintenance Schedule:
- Brush entire pool once per week.
- Empty skimmer basket twice per week and after every storm or windy day.
- Check filter pressure twice per week: when filter pressure >5psi above normal, backwash for 2 minutes or until water is clear.
- Empty pump and canister leaf baskets once per week and after every storm.
- Check floating chlorinator twice per week and make sure it never empties.
- In warm weather only, shock once per month or after a dust/wind storm.
- Replace Baracuda diaphragm once per year in spring.
- Replace mineral sanitizer cartridge once per year in spring.
- Drain and refill pool once every 2 years in spring.
The exceptions to the above are:
- Replacing broken/worn-out parts
- Replaced the sand filter media once in 2008
- In early June, usually a small but visible amount of yellow algae clings to the walls. Brushing twice per week for one or two weeks eliminates it.
- In July and August, occasionally green algae grows above the water line where there is scale build-up on the pebble tech (no tile at the water line) and it stays wet but doesn't get much chlorine. At this time of year, I have to backwash about every 2 weeks. If the algae is present when I backwash, I spray 16oz of liquid Chlorine in a 3-inch-wide strip at the water line all the way around the pool. The algae is gone before the pool finishes refilling.
Most of this was based on recommendations from the pool builder when we had the pool built and it works pretty well. Outside of two extreme problems I'll be posting about later, I don't do anything else (for better or worse), including testing the water or adding any other chemicals.
Welcome to TFP!!!
