Good afternoon. I've been reading TFP for a long time and joined almost a year ago, but never got around to posting. I guess it's time. 
About 6 years ago I bought a house in Phoenix with a pool and knew nothing. Now things are lots better, I know next to nothing. It's a 12.5k gallon saltwater play pool with a couple waterfalls, a shallow kids play area, a broken aerator valve and lots of mistakes.
First couple years I didn't really understand chemistry and the pool just kinda took care of itself. I'd add chlorine tabs or shock if things went south but that only happened once or twice a year.
At some point the water became sorta "itchy." Then I learned you had to add acid every so often.
Then I learned you need to clean the chlorine generator with that same stuff.
Then I learned you have to clean the filters.
Then I learned you have to remove scale with a razorblade and that takes forever.
I also learned birds can fly under the pool net (we had a Kid Net put in when we moved in) but they can't fly out.
I learned that when the pump is off, you can take the filter apart and then go get dinner. When you come back 1/3rd of your pool will be gone. Because timer.
I learned auto-fills are supposed to fail "off" but they don't.
I learned if you don't clean the filters, then you get to replace them. I learned filters are expensive.
At one point I learned not to store unpainted metal things close to the pool acid. Also, Vice Grips.
I guess the coolest thing I learned was I could walk across the Kid Net and my ankles would get wet but my knees wouldn't.
Now I'm learning about pumps and impellers and part numbers and how things that look the same aren't. This is turning into one of those expensive lessons.
I've bought a couple gimmicky things over the years and a few tried and true things. The gimmicky things didn't always work and the tried and true stuff I managed to lose.
Luckily I've got a killer set of tools and a great attitude so, this pool and I, we can dance with the devil in the pale moonlight as long as it takes, I'm going to win.
About 6 years ago I bought a house in Phoenix with a pool and knew nothing. Now things are lots better, I know next to nothing. It's a 12.5k gallon saltwater play pool with a couple waterfalls, a shallow kids play area, a broken aerator valve and lots of mistakes.
First couple years I didn't really understand chemistry and the pool just kinda took care of itself. I'd add chlorine tabs or shock if things went south but that only happened once or twice a year.
At some point the water became sorta "itchy." Then I learned you had to add acid every so often.
Then I learned you need to clean the chlorine generator with that same stuff.
Then I learned you have to clean the filters.
Then I learned you have to remove scale with a razorblade and that takes forever.
I also learned birds can fly under the pool net (we had a Kid Net put in when we moved in) but they can't fly out.
I learned that when the pump is off, you can take the filter apart and then go get dinner. When you come back 1/3rd of your pool will be gone. Because timer.
I learned auto-fills are supposed to fail "off" but they don't.
I learned if you don't clean the filters, then you get to replace them. I learned filters are expensive.
At one point I learned not to store unpainted metal things close to the pool acid. Also, Vice Grips.
I guess the coolest thing I learned was I could walk across the Kid Net and my ankles would get wet but my knees wouldn't.
Now I'm learning about pumps and impellers and part numbers and how things that look the same aren't. This is turning into one of those expensive lessons.
I've bought a couple gimmicky things over the years and a few tried and true things. The gimmicky things didn't always work and the tried and true stuff I managed to lose.
Luckily I've got a killer set of tools and a great attitude so, this pool and I, we can dance with the devil in the pale moonlight as long as it takes, I'm going to win.