Hey guys, anyone have a in ground swimming pool or above ground pool that could give me some advice on how to maintain one. something like a maintance program.

The pool is my grandfathers and he is no longer able to care for it. It is about 30 feet long and 15 feet wide. It has a divingboard on one end, that end is about 9 feet deep, it then tapers off to about 4 feet deep.

The pump/filter is about a year old. Its a modulator media deal. Has two filters in it. A large one and small one.

Anyone have a idea of a maintance program?

I have no idea where to start.

Aaron... I do not know what city the pool is located in... but if it is in a city that has lots of pools I would look into getting a reputable company to service the pool.

I had an in-ground in Phoenix. I could not buy the chemicals for the amount of money that the company wanted to mainatin the pool and that included the cost of chemicals.

Maintaining the chemical balance of the water is critical and during the summer the pool needs lots of chemicals especially if it is used frequently.

Larry

This pool is not in the city.

Its WAY out in the country.

I do have a guy that would work on it for $25 bucks a week or $1300 a year.

Not sure what chemicals would cost me a year.

I would like to try to do it myself and save a buck. However, that might not be the case if I have to spend more $1300 a year on it.

I have a 26" foot above-grounder that I erected about 3 years ago. When I first put it up I had no clue what do to maintain it. 2 local pool companies had me buying their products for the first two years for a pretty healthy price. I was bringing them pool samples weekly and going back and fourth from purchasing their PH reducers, increasers, and everything inbetween. They keep you on the borderline of your pool being where it should be and cost you a ton of money buying their products. This year I went with my knowledge that I've acquired from maintaining my pool and buy my chlorine and chlorine tabs from Wal-Mart and when the water really takes a down-turn I buy 2 gallons of muriatic acid from my local hardware store. I've spent much less this year then the previous ones and have a much more stable clearer pool for a fraction of the cost I was giving the pool people. It just takes a little while to get the knack, but you will after a few months.

Davis95

This is exaclty what alot of people have told me!!!

I have been trying to maintain this thing since January. I have been buying the stuff from Wal-Mart as well.

My biggest problem is an algea (sp) problem.

Seems like it wants to pop up every two weeks or so.

I have heard about the muractic acid deal.

Get the test strips to check the water, they have a range on them to tell you where everything is supposed to be. Walmart, KMart, & building centers have em. When it turns green you have to hit it hard with chlorine, PPM 10 + range, of course then you can't use it for a few days.
Hope that gets you started.
BTW chlorine isn't cheap. $33 for a 12 lb. pail of granules the last I bought.

77 cruiser

Thanks!!

My deal is I would love to do it myself IF it is cheapier than 1300 a year. I could hire a guy to do it at that price. He would provide everything.

Aaron what color is the algae?
Big problem dont buy the Walmart crap.
Your chlorine dosent need to be any higher than 3.0
Dont go any higher than that its a waste.

Chlorine 1.0 to 2.0 max normal conditions
PH 7.2 to 7.4
AL 120 PPM
Calcium 200 to 250
Stabilizer Cynaric Acid 35-55 PPM

Davis95

This is exaclty what alot of people have told me!!!

I have been trying to maintain this thing since January. I have been buying the stuff from Wal-Mart as well.

My biggest problem is an algea (sp) problem.

Seems like it wants to pop up every two weeks or so.

I have heard about the muractic acid deal.

My pool-keeping habits may be considered unorthodox by many but the muriatic acid will kill just about anything in your pool. And the great thing about it is that just an hour or two after you put the acid you can swim in it because the acid neutralizes with the water and is harmless after it blends with the pool water.

From time to time I do also use an agaecide (that you can get at Wal-Mart). My kids are swimming in my pool as I write this and it as close to clear as it has ever been.

Fill it with dirt and plant a garden, much less trouble to maintain. All that aside, the acid would be to correct the PH level. First you would need to test the PH to determine if adjustment is necessary and which way. Acid will change it one way and soda the other. If the PH is not close to being right it will reduce the affect of the chlorine. Get a test kit and learn as you go, it's not that difficult. Keeping the PH and chlorine in the zone and steady is the key in most cases, good luck with the garden.

Aaron what color is the algae?
Big problem dont buy the Walmart crap.
Your chlorine dosent need to be any higher than 3.0
Dont go any higher than that its a waste.

Chlorine 1.0 to 2.0 max normal conditions
PH 7.2 to 7.4
AL 120 PPM
Calcium 200 to 250
Stabilizer Cynaric Acid 35-55 PPM


Its green. Like the wall and floor. Use the brush it comes right up.

What is wrong with the WalMart stuff?

I do know how to test the Chlorine and and PH. My PH usually stays pretty level at 7.2 and Chlorine stays at 3.0

I have no clue on the last three you mentioned.

Thanks for the last three post: CANTED, davis95, 1badss396.

You need to have your Cynaric Acid checked.
If you are using a Chlorine feeder that uses the pellets you might have too much Cynaric Acid in the pool. With too much Cynaric Acid in the pool above 100 PPM you can be in a Chlorine lock out.. Example: you have 3.0 on chlorine on your test kit and your PH is 7.2 or 7.4 perfect But your pool is green.. That is a chlorine lock out too much Cynaric Acid wont let your chlorine work and clear up the pool. To fix it is to drain 2 feet of water from pool and refill and add 2 gallons of liquid chlorine to pool and add 1/2 gallong of murtiac acid after you refill pool.
Its better to get your Cynaric Acid checked and tell them how big the pool is or if you know the amount of gallons the pool is.

Note: using chlorine pellets, Tablets, Hockey puck, ect type od chlorine has Cynaric Acid built into them and over time it will add alot of Cynaric Acid to the pool and the only way to get rid of too much Cynaric Acid is to pull a partial of water from the pool. Drain water.

Note: too much Cynaric Acid can cause cataracts in eyes over time and is unhealthy.

How do I know all of this, hehe Iam a commercial swimming pool contractor:yes:

See if this helps you understand the fundmentals of pool chemistry.


Water must be properly balance and sanitized to be safe for swimmers. Proper chemistry must be maintained year round to prevent problems such as staining of your pool’s surface and damage to pool equipment. The first step in maintaining your pool water is adjusting water balance. Unbalanced water is dangerous water! It can cause damage to pool surfaces and to equipment through corrosion or scale deposits. Corrosive water will pit the finish of a pool and ruin filters and copper heat exchangers by dissolving the metals. Corrosive water will also stain a pool finish. Scaling water can cause deposits on tile and other pool surfaces. It can also cause circulation problems by clogging pool filters. A cloudy pool is often a sign of scaling water.

Water balance is determined by Total Alkalinity, pH, Calcium Hardness, Temperature and Total Dissolved Solids (TDS). Temperature and TDS are minor factors. In this area of the country, your main concerns should be Total Alkalinity and pH.
Total Alkalinity (TA)
When dealing with unbalanced water, always adjust Total Alkalinity (TA) first. TA buffers the water from drastic swings in pH. Drastic swings in pH can quickly lead to the problems discussed above. The recommended range for TA is 80-120 ppm. To increase TA add Sodium Bicarbonate. To decrease TA add Muriatic Acid to the deep end of the pool.

pH:
Always make sure that TA is within range before adjusting pH. pH measures the acidity of water on a scale from 0-14. 7 is neutral. Below 7 the water is acidic, above 7 the water is alkaline. The pH of the human eye is 7.5. The recommended level for pool water is 7.4-7.6. To increase pH add Sodium Carbonate. To decrease pH add Muriatic Acid—apply at various points around pool.
High levels of chlorine can give you a false TA or pH reading.
Sanitation

Once your water is properly balanced it is time to work on sanitation. Although there are other forms of water sanitation, the most common form of water sanitation in this area is chlorine sanitation. Chlorine sanitation is the only type discussed here.
Proper pool water sanitation is essential for a safe swimming environment. A sanitizer is used to reduce the level of microorganisms in water to safe levels. Chlorine is used to kill or inactivate the microorganisms. It is used to kill and control bacteria and algae and destroy and break down organic waste. Undestroyed, disease and infection causing microorganisms can be transmitted to swimmers.
There are three measures of chlorine residuals: Free, Total, and Combined. Free chlorine kills germs and oxidizes organics. At acceptable levels it has no taste or smell and causes no irritation to swimmers. Free chlorine is what is pool owners normally test. Combined chlorine is formed when chlorine reacts with ammonia wastes. Combined chlorine causes the “chlorine” odor of heavily used pools. When the level of combined chlorine becomes high the sanitizing ability of the chlorine is hindered. It then becomes necessary to super chlorinate or “shock” the pool.

Cyanuric acid, known as stabilizer or conditioner is the compound that prevents the dissipation of chlorine residuals by sunlight. It is added to a pool when the pool is initially filled and more is added with the use of stabilized chlorine tablets. If the cyanuric acid levels are too high or too low in a pool the chlorine will not be effective.
At a minimum a pool owner should regularly test the pH and free chlorine. If there is trouble keeping one of these in line, a full water analysis should be done. APES offers professional water analysis free to all customers.
In addition to water chemistry, proper circulation and filtration must be maintained in order to offer clean, safe, inviting pool water. Check your manufacturer’s guidelines or call us for information about backwashing and establishing a maintenance program for your filter.

I add about a quart of algaeside (10%) every weekend, shock once a week, and a tablet whenever the one in the basket is gone. My pool stays sparkly and clear all season. The more it is used the easier it is to maintain it. I've had mine for 13 years and it gets easier every year. Just make sure to vacuum it about once a week too.
Ron

WOW!! Thanks Brad! I will have to sit down to read this!

I add about a quart of algaeside (10%) every weekend, shock once a week, and a tablet whenever the one in the basket is gone. My pool stays sparkly and clear all season. The more it is used the easier it is to maintain it. I've had mine for 13 years and it gets easier every year. Just make sure to vacuum it about once a week too.
Ron
Ron, putting a tablet in the skimmer is bad. You might be lucky in your enviorment heat conditions, ect but here in Florida I see alot of people do it down here and it eats up your pump impeller, seals, filter media, corrodes all metals from the chlorine gases sitting in the pump when the system is off.
And with the tablet sitting in the skimmer when the pump is off over time from the gases it can give off it can kill a small child if they were to swim up to the skimmer with all the gases sitting in one area for a long time and can cause major lung problems if inhaled. Or if they were to pull the lid off and happen to take a deep breath and ingest the deadly fumes.
Chlorine gas is deadly.
How do I know this I have seen it happen.

Brad

I have a kit in a blue box. You can do several test with the kit. However, I need to find out what they are.

I do know how to check PH and Chlorine.

Like I said my chlorine and PH are about right, however, I'm having algae problem (not bad).

The water is milky somewhat and the stain on tile where the water meets it. that stain has been there a long time.

When I brush the walls of the pool, I get alot of cloudy looking water.

Thanks

Ron, putting a tablet in the skimmer is bad. You might be lucky in your enviorment heat conditions, ect but here in Florida I see alot of people do it down here and it eats up your pump impeller, seals, filter media, corrodes all metals from the chlorine gases sitting in the pump when the system is off.
And with the tablet sitting in the skimmer when the pump is off over time from the gases it can give off it can kill a small child if they were to swim up to the skimmer with all the gases sitting in one area for a long time and can cause major lung problems if inhaled.
How do I know this I have seen it happen.


Holy Shiite Muslim!!!

Brad

I have a kit in a blue box. You can do several test with the kit. However, I need to find out what they are.

I do know how to check PH and Chlorine.

Like I said my chlorine and PH are about right, however, I'm having algae problem (not bad).

The water is milky somewhat and the stain on tile where the water meets it. that stain has been there a long time.

When I brush the walls of the pool, I get alot of cloudy looking water.

Thanks
What kind of finish is the pool?

Fiberglass can get old and milky when brushes.

Marcite finish can cause very slight milky if it was going bad and ruff to the touch feels like 30-40 grit sand paper.

Diamond Brite Finish no milky

Pebble TEc finish no milky

What kind of finish is the pool?

Fiberglass can get old and milky when brushes.

Marcite finish can cause very slight milky if it was going bad and ruff to the touch feels like 30-40 grit sand paper.

Diamond Brite Finish no milky

Pebble TEc finish no milky


I have not idea. Looks and feels like concrete. Pool was built in 1987.

Don't know if it's been said but I will say it anyways------when you vaccum up the dead algie put the setting on your filter to drain ,that will pump it out the drain pipe ,if you leave it on filter it will still let some of that back into your pool,you have to get the algie out of the pool altogether!!! I have not seen a filter that will filter everthing out.

Ron, putting a tablet in the skimmer is bad. You might be lucky in your enviorment heat conditions, ect but here in Florida I see alot of people do it down here and it eats up your pump impeller, seals, filter media, corrodes all metals from the chlorine gases sitting in the pump when the system is off.
And with the tablet sitting in the skimmer when the pump is off over time from the gases it can give off it can kill a small child if they were to swim up to the skimmer with all the gases sitting in one area for a long time and can cause major lung problems if inhaled. Or if they were to pull the lid off and happen to take a deep breath and ingest the deadly fumes.
Chlorine gas is deadly.
How do I know this I have seen it happen.My system runs full time from mid April to late September, I never shut it off. My pump and filter are 13 years old and I have never had to replace anything except the hoses every 3-4 years.
Ron

Aaron PM sent call me tomorrow.:yes::D
I will get you all fixed up:yes:
Aaron is going to pool school, LOL