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Home Repair - - If it ain't broken, don't fix it. Otherwise look here.
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Posted by on December 19, 2006, 9:53 pm
Need some help and advice
My sister in the SF Bay Area CA is buying a home with a pool. She
doesn't have a clue about pools... how to maintain the pool / water
etc.
Some people say buy some tablets, buy an automatic moving cleaner.
Others say get a pool service.
What should she do ? What tablets are these ? Are these tablets
expensive ?
is it easy to do by oneself ?
Would any one with experience, pls shed some light on this.
Thanks
Linda
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Posted by buffalobill on December 20, 2006, 2:21 am
you'll need to ask the neighbors who have identical construction
material, rainfall, and fresh water supplier. even the tree types make
a difference to the water handling. once you learn their localized
basics for that it will be easiest. do not buy any chemicals or
equipment yet. some pools like my above-ground in buffalo ny just get
daily chlorine test and feeding and a weekly ph test. you need to talk
to the home seller for their particulars about the electricity and pump
and filter equipment and any buried pipes etc.
find the neighbors with pools from aerial shots at:
http://maps.live.com/
lindagoldstein100@yahoo.com wrote:
> Need some help and advice
>
> My sister in the SF Bay Area CA is buying a home with a pool. She
> doesn't have a clue about pools... how to maintain the pool / water
> etc.
>
> Some people say buy some tablets, buy an automatic moving cleaner.
> Others say get a pool service.
> What should she do ? What tablets are these ? Are these tablets
> expensive ?
> is it easy to do by oneself ?
>
> Would any one with experience, pls shed some light on this.
>
> Thanks
> Linda
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Posted by buffalobill on December 20, 2006, 2:26 am
July 17, 2006: Buffalo NY: Our Pool: Theory and Care and Feeding of our
12,000 gallons of pool water, which is 3-1/2 ft. deep: Above ground
24ft round flat bottom, Hayward sand filter S-144T, 2-speed pump.
Note: There is a left low / "center off" / right high speed pump
switch on the far side of our pump.
1. ADD WATER [hose fills the pool at only one-half inch per hour].
Water level in the skimmer box should be 2/3 full plus whatever you are
about to use for vacuuming and backwashing. Skimmer Box Level must not
be below 1/2 or the pump will suck air thru the skimmer box, damaging
the pump. Skimmer Box Level must not be full, or the skimmer can't skim
the floating leaves off. Add water as needed for vacuuming to waste,
backwashing, and rinsing, and to replace evaporation and splashed
water. Hose water to fill the pool: At 11 Upper kitchen, it takes 30
seconds to fill a one-gallon pitcher with cold water. Hose delivery
will be faster at the pool [at ground level without kitchen fixture].
Use 2 hoses without nozzles for refilling in spring. 12,000 gallons at
only 2 gpm takes 6000 minutes divided by 60 minutes in an hour = 100
hours, to fill to 42 inches. But that's at a fill rate of only .42" per
hour.
Our average water depth is 3.5 feet. Walls are 4 feet tall. The
capacity of a Circular shaped pool, which measures 24 feet in diameter
with a depth of 3.5 feet of water , is approximately 11894.4 gallons.
2. Manually clean the Pool: Use hand skimmer to remove leaves, etc.
3. In your swimsuit, whirlpool your bottom leaves to the center, use
hand skimmer to remove debris and to make vacuuming easy.
4. Pump off, Empty skimmer basket.
5. Pump off, Empty pump basket.
6. Vacuum to Waste never to Filter.
Vacuuming requires a higher level of genius intelligence than usual!
Find the skimmer box's insert adapter, vacuum hose, and brush head on
extension handle.
a. Hose dirt off the vacuum hose. Connect 30-foot hose to brush head
with extension handle, submerge vacuum brush head with vacuum hose
attached.
b. Turn pump on in Filter mode. Fill the floating vacuum hose with the
fast return hose from filter [or slow garden hose] until air bubbles
stop. This will take several minutes. You may encourage the air
bubbles to move along by tipping the vacuum hose to allow the air
bubbles to get pushed out the submerged brush head.
c. Pump off. Quickly attach vacuum hose thru from pool to skimmer box
insert adapter while keeping brush submerged. Pump on in WASTE mode.
7. BACKWASHING: Pump's SAND FILTER likes low 10 pounds pressure on
the gauge.
When pressure reaches over 16 pounds:
Pump off.
Shift to BACKWASH.
Pump on for at least 3 backwash minutes [or even better until waste
water discharge hose is clear].
Pump off.
Shift to FILTER.
Pump on
and FILTER. [Watch the clock or you will pump out your water to the
bottom of the skimmer box and cause pump damage. The water cools the
pump!]
page 2
POOL CHEMICALS: Do not mix chemicals. Choose the most suitable one for
the dose.
Leaves, dirt, and sunshine reduce the chlorine level. 1. Avoid skin
contact. 2. With filter running, and when swimming is over for the
day, add to empty skimmer basket and run pump overnight. 3. Rinse
hands, measuring devices, and bottle. Circulate liquid bleach 5
minutes or dissolve 5 oz. granular 10 minutes minimum.
8. Bad Water? If water is cloudy or green algae or "heavy bather
load" or chlorine smell is present:
a. If going swimming now add big 22 oz. scoop of granular Oxygen
[sodium persulfate] to skimmer basket with pump running for 10 minutes
or until return hose is clear.
b. If after swimming time add shock dose to skimmer with pump running:
22 oz. granular chlorine for our 12,000 gallons. Also use shock dose
of 22oz. weekly during 80-degree hot weather, and August algae season.
Note August hose water may arrive with higher levels of chlorine, so
it's always best to test.
9. Testing. If water is sparkling clear [object on the floor of the
pool appears in focus], test the water at 18-inch depth with 5 yellow
drops in chlorine tester.
TYPES OF CHLORINE we choose from, depending on temperature and bather
loads:
Pool "hockey pucks" are EXPENSIVE STABILIZED CHLORINE: maintain
1.0 to 1.5 ppm chlorine. One 3" tablet per week or as needed to
maintain proper chlorine levels. Dosage may vary depending upon water
condition, bather load, time of day and geographical location.] When
tester shows 1.0 ppm or less, just add a chlorine "hockey puck"
tablet to an empty skimmer.]
GRANULAR CHLORINE: If tester results are clear [with zero ppm], add
routine chlorine dose with pump running: 5 oz granular chlorine for
our 12,000 gallons. Maintain 0.6 to 1.0 ppm chlorine when using
granular chlorine.
CLOROX: If you are going swimming now you may use Regular dose of
liquid Clorox: Add One quart (32 ounces) will raise the pool 1.0 ppm.
There are 4 quarts in a gallon (128 oz.) CLOROX LIQUID BLEACH (5.25%
sodium hypochlorite) (800) 242-7482 from product bulletin 224-83 FOR
OUR 12,000 GALLON POOL
Regular dose of Clorox: One quart (32 ounces) will raise the pool 1.0
ppm.
Shock dose of Clorox: Two quarts (64 ounces)
Cloudy Water/Algae dose of Clorox: One gallon (128 ounces)
Bill's Note: Clorox is more expensive than granular chlorine. It
works faster in the pool. It weighs more, so is less convenient. Read
% ingredients when using other chlorine liquids.
EXPERT Department: Never let your water be less than crystal clear. If
pool is a not crystal clear, algae is beginning to cloud your water.
Liquid acts faster than granular.
Tester used with proper chlorine added will bring pool water to similar
levels required for drinking water. Because of dirt it is not for
drinking, of course.
Pool chlorine tester may also be used for testing refilled fish tanks
when removing chlorine.
11. PH Test [red drops] Skip it unless you have water trouble. ph
range should be 7.2 to 7.6 (It usually stays in this range by itself,
due to "acid rain" in our area.
lindagoldstein100@yahoo.com wrote:
> Need some help and advice
>
> My sister in the SF Bay Area CA is buying a home with a pool. She
> doesn't have a clue about pools... how to maintain the pool / water
> etc.
>
> Some people say buy some tablets, buy an automatic moving cleaner.
> Others say get a pool service.
> What should she do ? What tablets are these ? Are these tablets
> expensive ?
> is it easy to do by oneself ?
>
> Would any one with experience, pls shed some light on this.
>
> Thanks
> Linda
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Posted by HeyBub on December 20, 2006, 1:05 pm
lindagoldstein100@yahoo.com wrote:
> Need some help and advice
>
> My sister in the SF Bay Area CA is buying a home with a pool. She
> doesn't have a clue about pools... how to maintain the pool / water
> etc.
>
> Some people say buy some tablets, buy an automatic moving cleaner.
> Others say get a pool service.
> What should she do ? What tablets are these ? Are these tablets
> expensive ?
> is it easy to do by oneself ?
>
> Would any one with experience, pls shed some light on this.
There are two advantages for your sister in engaging a pool service:
1. No mistakes,
2. Pool boy.
When picking a service, make sure they show your their album of pool boys.
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Posted by Tony Hwang on December 20, 2006, 7:38 pm
lindagoldstein100@yahoo.com wrote:
> Need some help and advice
>
> My sister in the SF Bay Area CA is buying a home with a pool. She
> doesn't have a clue about pools... how to maintain the pool / water
> etc.
>
> Some people say buy some tablets, buy an automatic moving cleaner.
> Others say get a pool service.
> What should she do ? What tablets are these ? Are these tablets
> expensive ?
> is it easy to do by oneself ?
>
> Would any one with experience, pls shed some light on this.
>
> Thanks
> Linda
>
Hmmm,
Pool in the middle of quake zone?
Nothing is perfect as far as maintaining pool goes.
Lots of work for sure. Also if small children are around,
MAKE sure to prevent accidental you know what.
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