Reviving out of service pool: FG & deck Refresh
- Thread starter dianedebuda
- Start date
The cover makers have no idea what they're talking about. They just pull numbers off of the first reference they can find. They make zero effort to come up with a logical number. It also gives them a reason to deny a claim when the cover falls apart.
mguzzy
Gold Supporter
Ok, you've convinced me. 
Will check chem levels in a bit after pool's been running for a couple of hours, add MA and then cover this afternoon. High temps here for the next few days: 89°, 88°, 85°, 94°, 99°, 97°; lows: 63°, 69°, 67°, 70°, 72°, 60°. Hopefully that'll get the water temp in the mid 70s. Bought a wetsuit too, so we'll see... Cold water really makes my back hurt.
The niche is odd and did not fit the Pentair Intelibright that we tried in there a decade earlier; the fiberglass refinisher used wedges ... which fell out after the water level was lowered. This time bought a CMP stainless steel ring adapter for the new Florida Sunseeker Pool Tone that seems the most likely to fit, but felt like it (the ring) was a little bit large when I tried to see if I could install it from the deck back when the water level was at its lowest. Niche is too low to see into from that perspective, but felt like there might be a little lip that might be managed from a direct on approach. Or possibly the ring could be bent a little to work. Then there's those tiny set screws and Allen wrenches that'll have to be used underwater ... and me with no bifocal mask.
Just another pool hurdle. Like I'm always saying - Why should it be easy if it can be hard?
Edit: cover on at 4:00; water temp=69°
Will check chem levels in a bit after pool's been running for a couple of hours, add MA and then cover this afternoon. High temps here for the next few days: 89°, 88°, 85°, 94°, 99°, 97°; lows: 63°, 69°, 67°, 70°, 72°, 60°. Hopefully that'll get the water temp in the mid 70s. Bought a wetsuit too, so we'll see... Cold water really makes my back hurt.The niche is odd and did not fit the Pentair Intelibright that we tried in there a decade earlier; the fiberglass refinisher used wedges ... which fell out after the water level was lowered. This time bought a CMP stainless steel ring adapter for the new Florida Sunseeker Pool Tone that seems the most likely to fit, but felt like it (the ring) was a little bit large when I tried to see if I could install it from the deck back when the water level was at its lowest. Niche is too low to see into from that perspective, but felt like there might be a little lip that might be managed from a direct on approach. Or possibly the ring could be bent a little to work. Then there's those tiny set screws and Allen wrenches that'll have to be used underwater ... and me with no bifocal mask.
Just another pool hurdle. Like I'm always saying - Why should it be easy if it can be hard?
Edit: cover on at 4:00; water temp=69°
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Pool light is in. 
Will have to rewire at pad 'cause I'd disconnected it so it couldn't be accidently turned on while above water.
Adapter sitting on diving board worked fine after a little persuasion with a hammer & pliers.
Was only able to get water up to 72°, but with wetsuit was fine. So I can say officially that I have been in the pool this season.
Nope, I'm not an Esther Williams.
Will have to rewire at pad 'cause I'd disconnected it so it couldn't be accidently turned on while above water. Adapter sitting on diving board worked fine after a little persuasion with a hammer & pliers.
Was only able to get water up to 72°, but with wetsuit was fine. So I can say officially that I have been in the pool this season.
Nope, I'm not an Esther Williams.
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IPool light is in.
View attachment 165687
Adapter sitting on diving board worked fine after a little persuasion with a hammer & pliers.
View attachment 165686
Was only able to get water up to 72°, but with wetsuit was fine. So I can say officially that I have been in the pool this season.
View attachment 165688
Nope, I'm not an Ester Williams.
U You are a true Inspiration 
bet there were some adult words said as well! LOL BUT you did it! You got it in and will get it working like it should be! WELL DONE!
WONDERFUL!!! You look great!
mguzzy
Gold Supporter
Not really 'cause I was expecting a lot more trouble. Worst was using a hacksaw where the original installer had apparently used the fiberglass shell to make a squared "M" type slot for the bottom of the light. That had to be cut off even with the niche. Fortunately no problem keeping head under water with the snorkle, but trying to stay in position ... kick, kick, kick, no I don't want to turn, kick, kick, kick to turn back (repeat).
Whole thing took about an hour.mguzzy, yeah, I'm a big fan of classic films and have a LOT of Esther's films. My favorite is Million Dollar Mermaid (1952), the source of your gif.
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mguzzy
Gold Supporter
ooh.. me too. I used to stay up late at night with my mom watching old movies on the tube.. musicals, gangster movies, you name it.... So, perhaps this a better reference for swimming in a Cold pool...Outside, Babymguzzy, yeah, I'm a big fan of classic films and have a LOT of Esther's films. My favorite is Million Dollar Mermaid (1952), the source of your gif.
Esther endures The Wrath of Kahn as they sing it up
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Well, here we are, 6 months since the last post. I've developed arthritis - perhaps because of overuse during my earlier pool efforts or not - and had to deal with physical therapy for several months. Just before the big Texas freeze in mid-Feb, the pool started leaking again and was having to add 1-1/2" water daily. Then came the freeze. Was going to just run the equipment, but chickened out on the first freezing day and took everything apart. Was spooked to pull the pump drain plug, so turned the pump upside down. Good thing 'cause we lost power a lot. Only freeze problem was one irrigation line in the pool pump area and I had repair parts & glue already on hand to fix it. A week or so after the freeze event, tried to call the same pool repair folks that did the patches, but no response. Not really surprised since so many pools were damaged and I had indicated that my leak was not urgent.
So decided to not add water and see where the stabilization point was (assuming it wasn't the main). Ended up just below rim of light niche, so that seemed like a prime suspect.
Was pretty much able to keep water clear with just the robot & manual surface scooping since the water temp was low. In mid-March, finally put the equipment back together except for the filter. Same dilemma as with the last leak: how to load DE into the filter when water level is below the skimmer.
Just running the pump w/o the filter & manually skimming worked ok for the rest of March. I bypassed the skimmer with the same pvc setup that I had used last year when the water was low. Pics are repeats from then.
By early April, with the temps rising and the live oaks dropping huge amounts of pollen and pods, the water was starting to green inspite of chems, running the pump in Recirc, using the robot & manually skimming. I needed the filter, but how to load it with DE without an operational skimmer? When I was dealing with the prior leaks, one of our great TFP members, @Brett S, had an above ground skimmer that he no longer needed, so I bought it from him. The pool repair guys had been able to fix those leaks quickly then, so I didn't need to try to figure out a way to use it. Now it was a must. Somehow I needed to tie it into the temp skimmer bypass. This is what I came up with & it worked great.
The skimmer is mounted backwards to make it easy to pour the DE slurry into it. I did add another union to the pipe connected to the skimmer flex hose to make pulling the skimmer out of the water easier in case I ever need to use this again. Here's a "dry dock" view after that mod:
Shocked for a couple of days & now clear again.
Tried to contact pool repair folks again & was successful. Owner of the company came out yesterday & agreed that light niche was the leak problem. Plan is to completely replace the niche by lowering the water a little more, cutting a section out of the deck behind the niche and replace it from there. Going to get rid of the diving board and add a removable hand rail at the shallow end for hubby at the same time. Hopefully be able to do this in a couple of weeks. In the fall, they're going to put a new gel coat on the pool and repair/refresh the cool deck. Should look almost new then.
Good thing 'cause we lost power a lot. Only freeze problem was one irrigation line in the pool pump area and I had repair parts & glue already on hand to fix it. A week or so after the freeze event, tried to call the same pool repair folks that did the patches, but no response. Not really surprised since so many pools were damaged and I had indicated that my leak was not urgent.So decided to not add water and see where the stabilization point was (assuming it wasn't the main). Ended up just below rim of light niche, so that seemed like a prime suspect.
Was pretty much able to keep water clear with just the robot & manual surface scooping since the water temp was low. In mid-March, finally put the equipment back together except for the filter. Same dilemma as with the last leak: how to load DE into the filter when water level is below the skimmer.Just running the pump w/o the filter & manually skimming worked ok for the rest of March. I bypassed the skimmer with the same pvc setup that I had used last year when the water was low. Pics are repeats from then.
By early April, with the temps rising and the live oaks dropping huge amounts of pollen and pods, the water was starting to green inspite of chems, running the pump in Recirc, using the robot & manually skimming. I needed the filter, but how to load it with DE without an operational skimmer? When I was dealing with the prior leaks, one of our great TFP members, @Brett S, had an above ground skimmer that he no longer needed, so I bought it from him. The pool repair guys had been able to fix those leaks quickly then, so I didn't need to try to figure out a way to use it. Now it was a must. Somehow I needed to tie it into the temp skimmer bypass. This is what I came up with & it worked great.
The skimmer is mounted backwards to make it easy to pour the DE slurry into it. I did add another union to the pipe connected to the skimmer flex hose to make pulling the skimmer out of the water easier in case I ever need to use this again. Here's a "dry dock" view after that mod:
Shocked for a couple of days & now clear again.
Tried to contact pool repair folks again & was successful. Owner of the company came out yesterday & agreed that light niche was the leak problem. Plan is to completely replace the niche by lowering the water a little more, cutting a section out of the deck behind the niche and replace it from there. Going to get rid of the diving board and add a removable hand rail at the shallow end for hubby at the same time. Hopefully be able to do this in a couple of weeks. In the fall, they're going to put a new gel coat on the pool and repair/refresh the cool deck. Should look almost new then.
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mguzzy
Gold Supporter
Amazing! you can jury-rig anything with enough PVC! I love that first pick.. it looks like the Incredible Hulk pulled everything out.. blocks and all!
I think she needs to paint the white PVC yellow. That white is just....naked looking. I mean, compared to the pretty other pipes.
Bigpaws
Well-known member
- Mar 29, 2020
- 93
- Pool Size
- 14000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45
You are an inspiration. I really liked the colored pipes to keep things
in order.
-Bigpaws
in order.
-Bigpaws
Yellow is already taken by the pipes going TO the (future) solar array. No paint 'cause don't want those temp pipes to think they have a green card and seek permanent residence.I think she needs to paint the white PVC yellow. That white is just....naked looking. I mean, compared to the pretty other pipes.
Syrr
Well-known member
This was incredibly informative and proof that you are willing to work really hard for it.
mguzzy
Gold Supporter
So wait.. let me get this straight...
Green pipes are your irrigation, right?
So if the Yellow pipes are going to the future
Then the White pipes are in the present
And Blue pipes are coming from the past
Which means the Orange pipe... the Orange pipe must be a portal to another dimensional plane
if you'll please excuse me, I have a telephone booth to catch.
CraigChing
Gold Supporter
- Jun 15, 2019
- 202
- Pool Size
- 22000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
You stick to the telephone booth, I’ll use my portal gun
( weak Dr. Who vs Rick and Morty reference 
)
- Sep 1, 2011
- 547
- Pool Size
- 21000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool Universal40