Paradise Should Be Low Maintenance

[iain42]

We are on our third season and have learned some lessons we wish we had known starting out. These things have had the most impact on making our paradise EASY. Hope this is an ok place to post this but our pool keeps getting easier to maintain...

1. TFP method and pool app - Never had a pool guy or trusted the store testing.
2. SWG - No running around looking for bleach and dates on bleach... A steady dose is perfect.
3. Pool Robot - Can clean better than me in two hours than I can in 6 hours. Paradise should be clean.
4. Heater \ Chiller - I was able to swim a few days in march and extend into November. I thought heater would be most important but I think the chiller is.

The last item on our list is adding smart phone control. I think this last item is going to finish our paradise features. Now to build a shed and a bar and a pergola...

 

[kimkats]

Feeling the love for sure!! That sure it one pretty pool and area!!

Kim

 

[woodyp]

Free bananas! Looks great.

 

[iain42]

The bananas aren't edible. I heard musa valentina is almost edible here. Might try it... They get up to 18ft tall so it looks perfect when summer is at apex. If I can't live tropical I can at least pretend for a few months.

 

[YippeeSkippy]

<looking for the little guy shouting "zee plane! zee plane!>

 

[markayash]

We are on our third season and have learned some lessons we wish we had known starting out. These things have had the most impact on making our paradise EASY. Hope this is an ok place to post this but our pool keeps getting easier to maintain...

1. TFP method and pool app - Never had a pool guy or trusted the store testing.
2. SWG - No running around looking for bleach and dates on bleach... A steady dose is perfect.
3. Pool Robot - Can clean better than me in two hours than I can in 6 hours. Paradise should be clean.
4. Heater \ Chiller - I was able to swim a few days in march and extend into November. I thought heater would be most important but I think the chiller is.

The last item on our list is adding smart phone control. I think this last item is going to finish our paradise features. Now to build a shed and a bar and a pergola...

View attachment 138614

I bought a SWG and robot this year and agree 100%!
I still find myself checking the Chlorine and it’s always 5. Finally breaking the habit of “I need to work on the pool”

 

[Arizonarob]

<looking for the little guy shouting "zee plane! zee plane!>

Maddie, that’s not PC. They prefer to be called “vertically challenged”.

 

[JessB412]

I bought a SWG and robot this year and agree 100%!
I still find myself checking the Chlorine and it’s always 5. Finally breaking the habit of “I need to work on the pool”

I’m a brand new pool owner with a sWG trying to find the “happy place” to keep FC perfect. I know every pool is different and it’s a test and see process but I like having ideas what worked for others. May I ask how long you run your pump and at what percent on SWG each day?

 

[JessB412]

We are on our third season and have learned some lessons we wish we had known starting out. These things have had the most impact on making our paradise EASY. Hope this is an ok place to post this but our pool keeps getting easier to maintain...

1. TFP method and pool app - Never had a pool guy or trusted the store testing.
2. SWG - No running around looking for bleach and dates on bleach... A steady dose is perfect.
3. Pool Robot - Can clean better than me in two hours than I can in 6 hours. Paradise should be clean.
4. Heater \ Chiller - I was able to swim a few days in march and extend into November. I thought heater would be most important but I think the chiller is.

The last item on our list is adding smart phone control. I think this last item is going to finish our paradise features. Now to build a shed and a bar and a pergola...

View attachment 138614

Thank you for posting! I am that brand new pool owner here to gain knowledge from the more experienced. If you find a wireless control you love let us know! Although I am hoping once I find the sweet spot of how to run our pump/SWG/heater I won’t have to keep changing settings. In the mean time I’m getting some great exercise running to the pool a couple times a day ?.

On another note, what are sone of your favorite plants? Any you don’t recommend? Landscaping is one of our last big hurdles.

 

[markayash]

I’m a brand new pool owner with a sWG trying to find the “happy place” to keep FC perfect. I know every pool is different and it’s a test and see process but I like having ideas what worked for others. May I ask how long you run your pump and at what percent on SWG each day?

I have the circupool edge 40 and a 22K pool. I run my pump at 1800 rpm 24x7. Found the spot where the water fall looks nice and filter pressure stays around 3psi
Right now I have the Edge40 set on the lowest setting ( 1/out of 8 bars ) and my FC stays around 5,my CYA is around 65

I was checking FC everyday but it stayed the same I am learning to leave it alone.
What is your FC staying at now?

 

[SouthVirginiaPool]

I’m a brand new pool owner with a sWG trying to find the “happy place” to keep FC perfect. I know every pool is different and it’s a test and see process but I like having ideas what worked for others. May I ask how long you run your pump and at what percent on SWG each day?

I'm in the same boat - new pool with 29,600 gallon pool, SWG is Hayward's T-15 cell. I'm still tweaking but I'm currently running the pump 8 am to 8 pm, 12 hours on low speed with SWG at 60%. I'm going to bump up the CYA from 40-50 currently to 70 and see how it does. If I listened to the local pool store I would still be putting in 3-4 lbs of shock every week and wondering why my FC went to zero in 3 days (they didn't pick up that the CYA was only 5 ppm after the pool was built).

 

[JessB412]

I have the circupool edge 40 and a 22K pool. I run my pump at 1800 rpm 24x7. Found the spot where the water fall looks nice and filter pressure stays around 3psi
Right now I have the Edge40 set on the lowest setting ( 1/out of 8 bars ) and my FC stays around 5,my CYA is around 65

I was checking FC everyday but it stayed the same I am learning to leave it alone.
What is your FC staying at now?

So we are similar in pools. I run the Circupool RJ45 and we are still stabilizing chlorine (long story but it’s settling in). Right now we have a CYA of about 80 and chlorine is at 7.5. I have SWG running at 10% bc I need chlorine to come down. Pool has been solar covered and it’s been cloudy so it’s a slow process. I am taking cover off today and in theory the sun is supposed to make an appearance this afternoon lol. Once I get the FC between 4-5 I had planned on upping my SWG to 40% and see what happens. Figuring out how long to run my pump is the also part of the equation and I’m a mess with that. I want it to be efficient so I can justify the VSP to husband ? (every pool professional we talked to said single speed was the way to go but I strongly feel if you can learn how to use the VSP the advantage is there but learning it’s happy run time on the pool has been tricked than expected

 

[JessB412]

So we are similar in pools. I run the Circupool RJ45 and we are still stabilizing chlorine (long story but it’s settling in). Right now we have a CYA of about 80 and chlorine is at 7.5. I have SWG running at 10% bc I need chlorine to come down. Pool has been solar covered and it’s been cloudy so it’s a slow process. I am taking cover off today and in theory the sun is supposed to make an appearance this afternoon lol. Once I get the FC between 4-5 I had planned on upping my SWG to 40% and see what happens. Figuring out how long to run my pump is the also part of the equation and I’m a mess with that. I want it to be efficient so I can justify the VSP to husband ? (every pool professional we talked to said single speed was the way to go but I strongly feel if you can learn how to use the VSP the advantage is there but learning it’s happy run time on the pool has been tricked than expected

Oh I run our pump 22 hours a day with half the time at 1000RPM and the other half at 2000RPM. We just keep stabbing in the dark so don’t ask my logic behind that. After sone more reading on here I plan on lowering to 12 hours run time just have it decided if I should do one solid speed for 12 hours OR 2000RPM for 2 hrs on front and back end and set to 1500 in the middle for 8 hours. I need minimum of 1450 I think to run my heat pump.

 

[markayash]

So we are similar in pools. I run the Circupool RJ45 and we are still stabilizing chlorine (long story but it’s settling in). Right now we have a CYA of about 80 and chlorine is at 7.5. I have SWG running at 10% bc I need chlorine to come down. Pool has been solar covered and it’s been cloudy so it’s a slow process. I am taking cover off today and in theory the sun is supposed to make an appearance this afternoon lol. Once I get the FC between 4-5 I had planned on upping my SWG to 40% and see what happens. Figuring out how long to run my pump is the also part of the equation and I’m a mess with that. I want it to be efficient so I can justify the VSP to husband ? (every pool professional we talked to said single speed was the way to go but I strongly feel if you can learn how to use the VSP the advantage is there but learning it’s happy run time on the pool has been tricked than expected

VSP use a LOT less power ten a single speed..My power bill before and after dropepd about 30% over all. So running your pump won't cost you that much, last time I checked my pump is was pulling 155 watts so less then 2 100 watt light bulbs I just like to run it 24x7, keeps the water cleaner.

 

[iain42]

I must admit that I am still dialing in run time of pump and swg. Right now SWG at 10% as my chlorine is around 7ppm. Right now I'm trying to figure out what is the lowest speed I can run my pump but still have SWG working. This also varies on how clean my filters are. I am going to buy a second pair so I can swap and properly clean the others. The modern sun blocks that are sprays really wreak havoc on my filters. Going to use TSP this weekend on mine.

I should have added variable speed pump to the list as it keeps cost down.

 

[markayash]

Oh I run our pump 22 hours a day with half the time at 1000RPM and the other half at 2000RPM. We just keep stabbing in the dark so don’t ask my logic behind that. After sone more reading on here I plan on lowering to 12 hours run time just have it decided if I should do one solid speed for 12 hours OR 2000RPM for 2 hrs on front and back end and set to 1500 in the middle for 8 hours. I need minimum of 1450 I think to run my heat pump.

Also I played around with my amp meter and different RPM and between speeds it was small power jumps. I would find a setting you like above 1500 and leave it
Also don't spend too much time on FC..If you look at pool math there is a range and if you are in the higher section you should be good.

 

[markayash]

I must admit that I am still dialing in run time of pump and swg. Right now SWG at 10% as my chlorine is around 7ppm. Right now I'm trying to figure out what is the lowest speed I can run my pump but still have SWG working. This also varies on how clean my filters are. I am going to buy a second pair so I can swap and properly clean the others. The modern sun blocks that are sprays really wreak havoc on my filters. Going to use TSP this weekend on mine.

I should have added variable speed pump to the list as it keeps cost down.

Don’t know if it would catch oils but have you tried hair nets on the skimmers?

 

[iain42]

Don’t know if it would catch oils but have you tried hair nets on the skimmers?

I have not I'm not sure what catches the oils. When I had issues with pressure my pool installer said have you been using non lotion sun tan lotion. He said they really cause problems. I soaked and cleaned my filters and it was like they were new.

 

[Rancho Cost-a-Lotta]

I haven't used them, but there are sponges you can place in the skimmer called "Scumbags." They're designed to catch and absorb oils and lotions. Here is one example...

Rola-Chem Pool Oil Absorbing Sponge TB-1-24 - The Home Depot

One Scum bug oil-absorbing sponge absorbs an amazing 40 times its weight in oil and pollen. When placed in a clean pool or spa, the Scum bug improves filtration and helps to eliminate formation of a scum

www.homedepot.com

 

[iain42]

I haven't used them, but there are sponges you can place in the skimmer called "Scumbags." They're designed to catch and absorb oils and lotions. Here is one example...

Rola-Chem Pool Oil Absorbing Sponge TB-1-24 - The Home Depot

One Scum bug oil-absorbing sponge absorbs an amazing 40 times its weight in oil and pollen. When placed in a clean pool or spa, the Scum bug improves filtration and helps to eliminate formation of a scum

www.homedepot.com

Thank you I might just try that...