What did you do to your pool today?

[Dirk]

It's mulberry season here. I like to glare at the two big mulberry trees I have, while washing bright purple bird poop off of my pool ledge.

Just got back from a visit with family. They have a few mulberry trees. I had never seen one before. Sympathies.

 

[phonedave]

Just got back from a visit with family. They have a few mulberry trees. I had never seen one before. Sympathies.

I love them. They are delicious, and also remind me of my childhood - there was a huge mulberry in the woods behind my house that was also perfect for climbing. I used to eat them, and also pick them for my grandfather who made wine out of them.

I doubt they will ever be in stores. They are too labor intensive to pick, and they are extremely perishable.

But they are a messy messy tree

 

[Dirk]

I love them. They are delicious, and also remind me of my childhood - there was a huge mulberry in the woods behind my house that was also perfect for climbing. I used to eat them, and also pick them for my grandfather who made wine out of them.

I doubt they will ever be in stores. They are too labor intensive to pick, and they are extremely perishable.

But they are a messy messy tree

Ha, yes, in the woods or in someone else's yard is the perfect spot for a mulberry tree!

 

[Dirk]

I spent the weekend just watching my pool, from afar. Just the level, actually. There's something wrong with my auto-filler valve, but I was able to verify it was not malfunctioning while away, via pool cam. Yes, I have taken the "pool cam" concept to a crazy level, including my crazier-still pool level ruler, but I sure appreciated both while away on a hot weekend. I could see that my water level was not overflowing nor dropping too low.

3.25-3.5" above the bottom of the skimmer opening is "normal," and means below the overflow outlet and that the auto-leveler system is maintaining level (half-way up the skimmer opening). After a little practice, I can now see the level in 1/16" increments. This morning my level is 3-3/16" above the skimmer opening, where it was most of the weekend: close enough to enjoy my time away without worry. I checked it a couple times a day with a quick glance at my phone's cam app, then back to BBQs and cocktails.

 

[Wolfepack88]

Fellow Jerseyeans here comes the heat!! We had our springlike temps for a while with little humidity and now we are about to get retribution. Gonna miss the low 80's and dry conditions.

 

[jark87]

Fellow Jerseyeans here comes the heat!! We had our springlike temps for a while with little humidity and now we are about to get retribution. Gonna miss the low 80's and dry conditions.

Kinda the opposite here. While our temps were lower than normal throughout the spring, it was because we had SO much rain, which also brought incredibly high humidity. Looks like we’re past that now and summer is settling in. Forecast is sunny and low- to mid-90s for the foreseeable future. Humidity is tolerable. Played golf yesterday and it was actually quite pleasant in the morning.

After a long SLAM due to a SWCG failure (warranty replacement), water is crystal clear and tested near perfect this morning. FC is a little high at 11.5, but nothing wrong with that. CYA is finally testing consistently at 80, but I still loathe the dot test.

With the humidity down to normal, I’ll crank up the chiller. It’s time to enjoy the pool!

 

[Wolfepack88]

Kinda the opposite here. While our temps were lower than normal throughout the spring, it was because we had SO much rain, which also brought incredibly high humidity. Looks like we’re past that now and summer is settling in. Forecast is sunny and low- to mid-90s for the foreseeable future. Humidity is tolerable. Played golf yesterday and it was actually quite pleasant in the morning.

After a long SLAM due to a SWCG failure (warranty replacement), water is crystal clear and tested near perfect this morning. FC is a little high at 11.5, but nothing wrong with that. CYA is finally testing consistently at 80, but I still loathe the dot test.

With the humidity down to normal, I’ll crank up the chiller. It’s time to enjoy the pool!

Love running a little hot and I'm with you a 100% on that CYA test. I hate it and never know if I'm right.

 

[Newdude]

The googley eye mocks us all.

 

[Dirk]

Uhg.
Anyone that ever replaced their own expansion joint knows exactly what that means!
Got all but the last 10' of the old one out. More tomorrow.
On a positive note, it could'a been worse. Three words: Multitool!

 

[dleonard1122]

Interesting day so far.

Tested my water today. FC was down to 4, so I bumped my SWG from 10% to 20%. It's been ultra hot and sunny here lately, and we've been using the pool a ton so I just assumed we're burning more FC now.

Just now we're in the pool and I run my hand across 1 of the 3 returns and notice lower than usual pressure. I check the return on the opposite side and it's got way more pressure than usual. I check the remaining return and it has nothing coming out of it.

I got out of the pool and went to look at the equipment pad. Immediately notice the red light on the SWG for low flow. First thing I did was bump the pump speed from the usual 1250 RPM up to 2500. This purged a good amount of air out of the lines and seemed to restore normal flow to each of the returns. It had been a while since I cleaned my pump basket so I took the opportunity to do that (I should do that more often.)

I'm not really sure what happened exactly, but as best I can tell my low pump RPMs combined with maybe some slight clogging of the pump basket, and fluid-dynamics black magic resulted in this weird situation. 1250 RPMs used to usually be enough to keep my SWG flow switch happy, and I have it programmed to run for 15 minutes at 2500 each morning just to purge any air. I've decided for the time being to bump my base speed up to 1500 just to be safe.

 

[Newdude]

Hopped in the pool fully clothed after work as usual. (I work outside and its my pre-shower). Then i ran some errands and being gross out, hopped right back in upon returning. About 2 mins later it dawned on me i only tabled my cellphone once of the two times.

If any of y'all between here and Michagan wondered why they heard dirty words at 3:45-ish, i apologize.

Supposedly they've been good and sealed for years, which is why its a PITA to change the battery, but i've yet to test the claims. Its also a couple years old and not likely perfectly sealed anymore. Its drying out and i'll see tomorrow.

 

[Mdragger88]

Pool is 89 ish degrees-
Sprinkler Engaged
Needs a little adjustment to get it to the middle of the pool

 

[Wolfepack88]

Came home fro a week's golf vacation with my brothers and the pool is 93 degrees. Will have to open the cover a few nights to see if we can get the pool to cool down a bit.

 

[Dirk]

I had laid down a thin layer of sand on top of my wet expansion joint goop, a couple days ago. I vacuumed off what didn't stick today. The goop had dipped a bit here and there, but for the most part the joint looks great. And will certainly do its job for a while.

I used Sika Pro Select Self-Leveling Sealant. I think there are better choices, based on what I read here, but Sika is a one-step (no mixing!) caulking tube application that is very fast and easy. I didn't mask anything, the caulking gun was easy enough to control. And the Sika wiped up easily with a wet rag in the few spots I spilled over. If the sealant started draining into some bottomless pit, I shoved the tip of a tube of painter's caulk into the cave-in and stopped it up quick. I'm not sure that's particularly sanctioned by Sika, but they said I could use caulk to plug up holes (like backer rod). I don't think they meant while the Sika was already applied, but that's what I did... so be it. The sanded finish looks very much like the grout seams elsewhere in my deck.

I can cross this one off the list, and I'm very happy to have this chore behind me. Next up: clean my filter and deal with the calcium on my edge tile.

 

[phonedave]

Came home fro a week's golf vacation with my brothers and the pool is 93 degrees. Will have to open the cover a few nights to see if we can get the pool to cool down a bit.

Mine was 91F. My wife said it was perfect

Yet, when I keep the hot tub at 103F she says it is too hot.

I don't think I have ever seen my pool in the 90s in June.

 

[phonedave]

I had laid down a thin layer of sand on top of my wet expansion joint goop, a couple days ago. I vacuumed off what didn't stick today. The goop had dipped a bit here and there, but for the most part the joint looks great. And will certainly do its job for a while.

I used Sika Pro Select Self-Leveling Sealant. I think there are better choices, based on what I read here, but Sika is a one-step (no mixing!) caulking tube application that is very fast and easy. I didn't mask anything, the caulking gun was easy enough to control. And the Sika wiped up easily with a wet rag in the few spots I spilled over. If the sealant started draining into some bottomless pit, I shoved the tip of a tube of painter's caulk into the cave-in and stopped it up quick. I'm not sure that's particularly sanctioned by Sika, but they said I could use caulk to plug up holes (like backer rod). I don't think they meant while the Sika was already applied, but that's what I did... so be it. The sanded finish looks very much like the grout seams elsewhere in my deck.

I can cross this one off the list, and I'm very happy to have this chore behind me. Next up: clean my filter and deal with the calcium on my edge tile.

Sika normally makes pretty good products. I have been happy with the ones I have used.

I am also like Sashco's stuff. But I have never used their Concrete Product (Slab) just their caulk (Big Stretch) and sealant (Lexel). The eXact Color stuff they make looks cool, but I have not had a use for it yet.

 

[Katodude]

Got 32oz of 0013 reagent. Expires in 2026 so I can test CYA like crazy. Basically every time I rest FC I test CYA.

 

[AUSpool]

I looked at my pool today, it’s still there. I might run a few tests after I get back from a nice long dog walk.

 

[kellyfair]

Sooooo, the complaints about “no rain” have ended, and I have commenced with the complaints about “too much rain.” Just in time for a tropical storm!

Today I drained water (again) because we’re supposed to get a deluge this afternoon. Surprisingly, my CYA is holding up - I feel like I’ve gotten rid of a bunch with all the draining!

My PH, which normally hangs at 7.8, was 8.2. I’m guessing because we have had such heavy, pounding rain for days on end? So, threw in a little MA.

Charging up the Aiper, to clean up whatever today’s monsoon brings!

 

[Newdude]

Surprisingly, my CYA is holding up - I feel like I’ve gotten rid of a bunch with all the draining!

We had a wet early spring and my CYA appeared to hold well before disappearing suddenly. I chalked it up to the logarithmic scale making losing some being unnoticeable until I lost alot.

You'll know its time when you see the extra FC loss.