Well she's open!

[LoneWolfArcher]

The good? This is my third opening and the pool had some algae, but not nearly as much as the last two years. I attribute that to TFP! In fact, I opened last night and you can already see the bottom.

The bad? Had a couple of pretty good leaks, mostly related to some flex PVC that has been exposed to UV for 18 years. Soooooo.

I spent the better part of the day replacing all the bad and cracked flex PVC and anything (rigid PVC) that it was glued too. Let it all cure up tonight and it is now running with no leaks!

Did a chlorine test tonight, and CYA. I've been fighting high CYA since 2018 when I bought the house. Now after three drains to close the pool my CYA is at 50-60 (I'm calling it 60, but it was pretty close to 50!l FC was 11 and CC was 1.

So all in all a good opening. Filter is running to finish clearing the pool.

Also, anyone have any ideas for sun shades over the pad? That sun is brutal on the equipment.

 

[ajw22]

Also, anyone have any ideas for sun shades over the pad? That sun is brutal on the equipment.

Lots of prior threads on the topic. Browse...

Google search results

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[pypeke]

I had to replace PVC, too. My "professional" plumber used the wrong pvc. He did not use pipes/connections that could handle pressure. We have had a slight leak for years, but can't find it. Since it is a small leak, we are not paying "leak detectors" to tell us "yep, you have a leak." I am pretty sure our leak is under the concrete pool deck, so that will be a huge expense.

As for shade for the filter and pump, this is what we bought to shade our grill, but we decided to use it for the pool equipment. It came with led lights and 2 glass shelves with hooks for hanging grilling tools. I think we have used it for 3-4 years, but I need to remove the top and sew up a split in the fabric.

You can always find sail shades on Amazon. They can attach to a pole or your house. We like Cooleroo raised dog beds for our dog to keep cool. The beds use the same fabric as the sun shades. Here is a picture so you can see the fabric. There are other brands, but I only know Cooleroo. They have 3 thicknesses depending on how much light you want to allow through. We will probably use Cooleroo fabric to make a side panel shade. Google "pool equipment shade" for ideas on things you can build or buy. The cheapest stuff is on Amazon, but it sounds like it is pretty thin. You could use 2 panels for those cheap prices and double them. I believe Cooleroo fabric has grommets, but you can also staple it onto wood. Here are some ideas...

 

[LoneWolfArcher]

Thanks guys, I went with an industrial tarp over the equipment pad. It worked perfect with the frame for the electrical and an old gas heater that is on the pad. Still need a cover for some of the plumbing but I've got an idea for that. Next year I plan on replacing the pump and filter so I'll redo the entire pad.

 

[LoneWolfArcher]

Latest tests:

FC 5.5
CC 0
PH 7.8
TA 70
CH 180
CYA 60

Pool water was clear with dead algae on bottom. Running my brand new Dolphin Nautilus Plus for the first time. It is stirring up quite a bit of dead algae, which I see as a positive so the filter can filter some of it. I think the combo of running the Dolphin and the filter filtering will clear it up over the next few days.

 

[LoneWolfArcher]

Dolphin finished its first run. (We started calling him Dolph.) Amazing what it picked up. As I said, the dead algae did stir up and the water is now cloudy due to that. It will clear up over night. I may have to go to my hand vacuum method where I do not stir it up as a I vacuum it. Did that last spring to great success. Regardless, the robot is going to be awesome this year!

 

[LoneWolfArcher]

So day 2 with the experiment of getting rid of all the dead algae at the bottom of the pool following my opening slam, by running the Dolphin Nautilus Plus, and running the filter 24/7, instead of my tedious method of using a pvc pipe to in the vacuum hovering over the dead algae powder an inch at a time!

Yesterday I thought it was a mistake because the Dolphin, while it removed some, stirred up a good amount. My pool went from clear, to cloudy (due to the suspended dead algae). Today it was clearer (could see main drain in deep end). And Dolph is running again right now.

The pool is 50% clearer than when he ran yesterday. And the pressure on my filter is going up (I will be cleaning it this evening). Which tells me the filter is doing its job on the suspended dead algae.

So I am liking the progress of this approach, rather than spending hours myself hand vacuuming it! I think by this weekend the pool will be clear, the bottom will be clean, and Lone Wolf will be a happy camper!

 

[LoneWolfArcher]

This is working out great. Day three running the bot, filter still chugging along. Pool is mostly clear, can see bottom of deep end, almost no dead algae left, some on tanning ledge and some on the steps. I can hand vacuum that this weekend, or brush it. But the combo of the filter running and the bot vacuuming and stirring up the dead algae worked to clear the water and to get rid of that fine dead algae from the bottom. This bot saved me hours of hand vacuuming that I had to do the last two springs!!

 

[LoneWolfArcher]

Woke up this morning to a crystal clear pool! Some usual debris accumulation over night, some settled dead algae in the corners, and then the aforementioned steps and tanning deck. Decided to take the easy way out and after adding daily chlorine, I brushed the steps and the tanning ledge.

On a side note, I have noticed the suction and jet force from the returns are much stronger since I replaced the bad plumbing on the pad! It is amazing and I think the water turnover rate being so much higher is another reason that the filter worked so fast to clear the water this year over the last two openings. I am so glad, that while a pain in the butt, I finally took the time to replace that plumbing! Between that and the bot my life is so much easier this year.

 

[Newdude]

It is amazing and I think the water turnover rate being so much higher is another reason that the filter worked so fast to clear the water this year over the last two openings

I saw firsthand what flow can do when my 3HP pump and 500 sq ft filters cleared a swamp twice in no time flat. (Once from SWG failure / end of life, and once from a wildly warm winter). So much so that I made it a project to secure the equipment again for my new build before even having a build contract. That important. I wasn’t leaving it to chance of what was available at the build.

it wasn’t easy either.

The equipment struggle is real / 2 steps forward 1 back

Hey all. Hopefully this thread will morph into a build thread but at the moment, I’m not so sure. I told my PB that we wanted to go ahead with a build this year and he said that he could do June/July but he couldn’t garauntee what equipment he could get between now and then. He agreed to...

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[LoneWolfArcher]

Funny, I was going to replace my pump and filter this year. Go with a VS and a bigger cartridge (or dual cartridge). I had them in a shopping cart online and everything, but have several expenses this spring (daughter graduating high school, etc). So decided to hold off for now. Hopefully next spring things will be back to "normal".

 

[LoneWolfArcher]

Hit the motherload today!!

Found an old school pool store, off the beaten path within driving distance. It is in an industrial park which is why I never knew it was there.

They sell Taylor testkits and the big replacement reagents! They still LC by the 55 gallon drum. I'm so stoked to have found them. Won't listen to any advice they give, but will just them for LC and reagents!!

 

[Newdude]

Won't listen to any advice they give, but will just them for LC and reagents!

(Repeat after me). Great advice guys !!! Funny thing I just got some XYZ from Amazon yesterday. I’ll go right home and add it. Just dump in the whole bag, right ? No need for testing ever ??? Cool. I love this store.

practice a few times before going.

 

[LoneWolfArcher]

Just was out adding my LC. Robot vacuum had just complete its work. Pool is clean....but the water clarity continues to astound me! Using TFP methods the water is so crystal clear you cannot hardly believe it!!

 

[LoneWolfArcher]

Had an interesting discussion with a former pool owning friend. (His son also has a pool.) He was telling me the secret to his pool was that he would jam as many chlorine pucks into his skimmers as he could. His goal was to keep the chlorine level high, then he never had to worry about algae etc. I tried to explain to him about CYA stabilizer and how it builds up over time and he looked at me like I was from another planet. He said he never had any problems (I don't believe it if he was using that many pucks at a time!) He had an AGP vinyl liner. I would imagine with the acidity of his water he was eating through liners fairly regularly. But we didn't get into that. I just told him I used LC because it added nothing else to my water, and that the first year I had the pool the stabilizer was so high that I was having problems with algae.

It is funny to me how many people refuse to understand what CYA and why too much of it is a bad thing!

 

[MITBeta]

A thread like this ought to have pictures.

 

[LoneWolfArcher]

We had severe t-storms come through Sunday night. pH jumped from 7.6 to over 8. I added 2 cups of MA yesterday, and reduced it but it was still high. Added another cup today and the pH is now at 7.6 again. First time I've seen the pH jump that high after rain. It did pour though and I think it really aerated the pool (And I gained 3"+ of water (it was a little on the low side so that was fine).

More heavy t-storms predicted for this weekend. Fun.