Im drowning and I cant get it right

[SeanThePoolFreshman]

I hadn’t see the note about the surface of the pool being painted. Are you sure it’s painted or is that just plaster your thinking is paint. There Are some people that do have paint over the plaster and it fails in a big mess kinda like that. Just be aware of that.

Also, your CYA is either 30 or 40. And so your slam level will be one or the other. If it’s over 30 it’s 40 and you should SLAM/chlorinate appropriately.

My SLAM numbers are based on 35 CYA. The reason for the 30-40 (which I suppose in hindsight I should have just said 35) was because the little vial is not graduated for increments of 1 or 5 at that range so did not want to make an inaccurate value, but the black dot is no longer visible pretty much middle of 30 and 40.

***EDIT***: I just reread what you wrote. So with CYA, there really shouldn't be any middle numbers. So if it is getting fuzzy just bove 30 and disappears middle of 30 and 40 than it is not 35, it is 40? If it disappeared just above 30, would it still be 40 since you wouldn't want to go lesser than what you have and it's clearly above 30, or would you go down to 30 since that is the nearest line?

I am 99% certain it's pool paint over plaster, attached below is why I assume such....

There what is over a layer of blue, you can see in the porous sections and in the scratches of the stairs.


You can see in this photo areas where the white is flaking up and the blue is exposed.

It's hard to tell which is over what or what exactly each layer is, but I am nearly positive that there is paint over the blue over the concrete.

The one thing I am 100% certain of is the entire surface of the pool needs to get resurfaced. I just need the economy to settle down so I can afford it.

 

[kimkats]

fixing some major issues with some other portions of the house and doing some remodeling

Feel free to show of your work and the whole property fix up. We love to cheer on every part of things like that!

yep,after I get all the dirt off me with the house, "Nobody better even dare put a drop of dirt in this pool!" RAWR!!!

LOL LOVE IT!!! I will tell you there is nothing better than jumping in the pool while mowing the yard. Mow, jump in, finish mowing!

with CYA,

CYA - OH how I hate this test!!! Lets dial you in a bit for this test. First off we need to get the terms correct. It is a googly eye you are looking at. Next you don't LOOK for it. You GLANCE in then look away. You can do it over and over again as you learn it. Pour the water in to each line. GLANCE in, look away. If you can see the googly eye then pour to the next line. Keep doing that until you can't see the googly eye at a GLANCE. Go line by line and use the larger number for you CYA number. Better to be a bit high than low.

I am 99% certain it's pool paint over plaster, attached below is why I assume such....

sigh...................yeah it does look like paint over plaster AND some messed up plaster in those pitted places. After the SLAM is done and the water is clear make sure to keep your CSI as found on Pool Math as close to 0 as you can get it. Make sure to know the water temp when working on the CSI.

 

[Newdude]

I am beginning to feel 'protective' over the pool water and condition now

It'll probably pass quick. It's my favorite mid project bath as Kim said.

So with CYA, there really shouldn't be any middle numbers

Correct. You have 11 pages of learning going on. You're bound to have some of it go in one eye and out the other. There are no small #s that we care about, only 10s. As such, fill to the 10s and save yourself the trouble. Take a lightning fast glance and it's yes or no. If you stare your brain will see it either way. If you are still undecided at two choices, pick the higher one. A 30 or 40 is a 40, for example.

Rest assured, the test mocks us all. So take charge and establish dominance. Toss a handful of googely eyes on the patio and crush them with your heel 1 by 1. Show Mr Funnyman who he is messing with. Go slow and painful to make the point.

 

[Orion7319]

Rest assured, the test mocks us all.

Yes. I keep hoping someone invents a drop test for CYA.

 

[Bperry]

***EDIT***: I just reread what you wrote. So with CYA, there really shouldn't be any middle numbers. So if it is getting fuzzy just bove 30 and disappears middle of 30 and 40 than it is not 35, it is 40? If it disappeared just above 30, would it still be 40 since you wouldn't want to go lesser than what you have and it's clearly above 30, or would you go down to 30 since that is the nearest line?

You got it. Always round up to the nearest 10. The CYA test tolerance isn’t all that tight anyway and a bit subjective as you can see. So don’t bother filing it up drop by drop. Fill to one line and check. If you see the dot, fill to the next line and so on. Will
Make your life a tad easier that was as well.

 

[SeanThePoolFreshman]

I will grab pictures next time, I got excited and forgot. Announced "POOLS OPEN!" and the first on in the pool WAS ME the mini Australian Sheppard!!! Dove in before I got a chance to finish saying it the little rat. Kids and I splashed around a couple of hours and it was such a blessing. Got out of the pool, no itching, no dryness, it literally felt like taking a bath!!! (It just smelled like pool water).

We really needed that!! Thank you to everyone here in this thread and TFP for making it possible!

 

[kimkats]

Go doggie! GO!! Just could not wait! I am SO glad to hear everyone enjoyed it! It will only get better as we get that water TFP clear and balanced!

Psssssssst did you know you can become a supporter of TFP? Lookie here: Become a TFP Supporter

Kim

 

[SeanThePoolFreshman]

Go doggie! GO!! Just could not wait! I am SO glad to hear everyone enjoyed it! It will only get better as we get that water TFP clear and balanced!

Psssssssst did you know you can become a supporter of TFP? Lookie here: Become a TFP Supporter

Kim

Just waiting for my PayPal account to finish setting up and verifying my banking info. I have to make a contribution for the "mole cricket" discovery (oh, and also the absolutely incredible amount of help and support found here!).

 

[SeanThePoolFreshman]

Ok... SERIOUS SERIOUS ISSUE......

FROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOGS!!!!!!!

They are cute, my kiddos love to catch them, the dogs love to chase them and try to eat them (sometimes they do and that just becomes a foamy mess, YUCK!).... but they come out by the droves during the night and I am either fishing them out of the skimmers because they die or rescuing them each morning. Any way to mitigate this?

 

[Orion7319]

Ok... SERIOUS SERIOUS ISSUE......

FROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOGS!!!!!!!

They are cute, my kiddos love to catch them, the dogs love to chase them and try to eat them (sometimes they do and that just becomes a foamy mess, YUCK!).... but they come out by the droves during the night and I am either fishing them out of the skimmers because they die or rescuing them each morning. Any way to mitigate this?

https://www.amazon.com/Swimline-FrogLog-Animal-Saving-Escape/dp/B08QX5MN28

 

[Lilypad]

For the Ribbits they can take a spa day and not become a skimmer victim!

FrogLog: Keeps Frog & Other Animals Out Of Your Swimming Pool

The FrogLog allows animals to escape from your swimming pool. The FrogLog saves animals while keeping your water clean. Order the FrogLog products online now!

froglog.us

 

[Turbo1Ton]

I had the frog logs my first season as a pool owner. They were great, but they started to grow algae. I switched to these... Home Page - Critter Skimmer.

I still occasionally find one or two in the pool but mostly they all seem to be able to get out. Either that or they quit falling in. My bet is on the former.

--Jeff

 

[Bperry]

I had the frog logs my first season as a pool owner. They were great, but they started to grow algae. I switched to these... Home Page - Critter Skimmer.

I still occasionally find one or two in the pool but mostly they all seem to be able to get out. Either that or they quit falling in. My bet is on the former.

--Jeff

I may have to try something like that. Sometimes I’m afraid to reach down into the skimmer to empty the basket. We get frogs, turtles, chipmunks, squirrels, rabbits, and a bunch of insects. Rabbits are the only thing I haven’t had to fish out/rescue yet.

 

[ghall6292]

Just guessing, but as far as the frog remedies go, I'm assuming you have already canceled the Boom Sticks and/or the cement truck mentioned at the very beginning of this odyssey, correct? JUST KIDDING!

Ours is an above ground pool, so no frogs. But the neighbors use the frog log things, and they work.

 

[SeanThePoolFreshman]

Just guessing, but as far as the frog remedies go, I'm assuming you have already canceled the Boom Sticks and/or the cement truck mentioned at the very beginning of this odyssey, correct? JUST KIDDING!

Ours is an above ground pool, so no frogs. But the neighbors use the frog log things, and they work.

Hahaha, TFP has literally saved my pool from brutal deletion and becoming a basketball court. The water is beautiful, the community here is absolutely beyond comparison and incredible, the kids and wife are happy and I am beginning to enjoy the experience of being a pool owner.... not to mention, my bank account is REALLY beginning to enjoy not visiting a pool store every 3-5 days.

How about yourself? Do you have a thread on the forums about your progress and journey, would love to see how things are going for you as well! Hope all is good.

 

[SeanThePoolFreshman]

Alright! As noted above, the pool is in a much better place!

However, have a few questions and watching some trends with the pool. My pool gets daylight exposure from roughly 10am until 8pm in the summer time. This seems to be eating my Chlorine up. While doing the SLAM and maintaining the FC at 12, it would lose <1ppm overnight. During the day I am losing 8-9ppm at the moment. I do not own a solar cover at the moment, will make this investment later, everything I have found is $1,000+ for cover and the bar to roll it onto. Current CYA is actually at 30 (now that I have learned better on how to do this test) should I increase the CYA due to the amount of sun during the day?

Another question, should I use the big eye on my returns or the little eye? 3 returns, 2 on skimmer walls at shallow and deep and then 1 in the middle on opposite wall. How should I have them pointed, currently they just face the the floor of the pool in straight lines.

I have gotten my CSI to almost exact 0, currently -0.010 according to pool math, not sure what to do to get this to 0 just because of the current condition of the paint/gunite of the surface.

Thanks all!!

 

[Orion7319]

I do not own a solar cover at the moment, will make this investment later, everything I have found is $1,000+ for cover and the bar to roll it onto.

It’s probably double the price, but the next thing you might want to consider investing in is a salt water generator.

 

[Newdude]

I do not own a solar cover at the moment, will make this investment later, everything I have found is $1,000+ for cover and the bar to roll it onto.

$180 cover
$240 reel

those were just a quick search. You can likely find cheaper covers with some effort but that appears to be a popular reel for a steal.

 

[SeanThePoolFreshman]

It’s probably double the price, but the next thing you might want to consider investing in is a salt water generator.

Looking up solar covers with good quality and reviews... ouch! Like $2700 for my size of pool. SWG around $3500, thinking I agree with SWG first.

 

[Newdude]

See post #218