Pools....A sucker's game.
14
I am looking for pool help. When I first bought a house with a pool, I ended up going to the local pool store for help and ended up with a trunk load of expensive chemicals. Over the years I kept doing so, thinking I was helping myself by purchasing all of my chemicals at the 30% off Spring Sale. pfft…
Then a few years back I figured out (don’t judge me, just help) to just buy Arm and Hammer Baking Soda at Sam’s Club to replace the expensive Bioguard alkalinity increaser - duh.
So know I found out I can use 20 Mule Team Borax for my ph increaser (we will get into the measurements later).
What else should I know. What do you use for your chlorine sticks, algicide, etc? Help me to reduce my pool maintenance costs, and other poor suckers out there like me.
As much work as a pool takes it brings my kids so much enjoyment all summer it is worth the trouble 
- 32 comments, 130 replies
- Comment
@denboy
(103)
You’ll definitely need this:
https://www.amazon.com/Swimline-90630-Giant-Penguin-Ride/dp/B01A7J82R6
@PlacidPenguin I knew you would be here with that (and not the penguin)
@mfladd
You mean the 103? But of course. I’m generous that way.
But seriously, you’ll need the penguin floating raft.
Unless you prefer to see this:
Salt water…saves you from all the crazy chemicals…and the kids can swim with their eyes open…best investment EVER!
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Intex-Krystal-Clear-Saltwater-System-15-000-Gallon/19336123
@mikibell too expensive to convert at the moment.
@mikibell
Yay Supraorbital gland.
@mfladd drats…it is sooo cheap to maintain too…
@mikibell wait…you ninja’d with your link. I was told the conversion is expensive. Can something like this just be piped in to replace my chlorinator? Ok, a knowledgeable person is going to have to explain this.
The one you posted still isn’t big enough for my pool, but has me thinking.
@mfladd I am no expert…we bought our filter @ toys r us…but I don’t know how many gallons it is… Sorry, too tired to do the math…
How To Convert your pool to a Salt Water System in 5 easy steps. - …http://www.poolsupplyworld.com/blog/how-to-convert-your-pool-to-a-salt-water-system-in-5-easy-steps/
@mfladd Depending on pool size I think a new unit like I have (aquapure) is around $1.5k. I know I’m about to find out how much a controller board is as it seems mine went out over the winter. There are probably cheaper models and they are based on how big your pool is.
The chlorinator gets piped in between your filter and the water return and electrolyzes the salt water to generate chlorine. It seems expensive for what it is but it is simple one you get everything in balance and the water is gentler on you (and on everything but metal pool stuff). It may not be something you can jump on this year but it’s worth saving up for.
@djslack I knew it wasn’t a few hundred dollars. I was quoted thousands. Yeah, definitely not doing it this year. My wife can save up for it
@mikibell I wonder if you could use multiple setups for larger volumes? Not really sure why not…
@mfladd the system linked is for an above ground pool. Maybe that’s why it’s so cheap compared to the others.
@RiotDemon I figured that when I saw the price tag. Trust me, nothing, but nothing for an inground pool is that cheap
@mfladd location of pool should not be as big a factor as volume IMHO. I am still curious if you could put a couple of smaller chlorinators to work at the same time (piping might be an issue, but it seems like it should be a cumulative sum kind of process…) If the above Walmart linked setup really will cover 15k gallons, it seems that 2 should cover a 19k pool easily… or maybe I am missing something from a chemistry point of view…hmmm?
@chienfou "Most chlorine generators cost $700-$1,000. With installation, the total cost usually ranges from $1,200-$1,500. However, keep in mind that prices vary depending on the type of chlorine generator, the size of your pool and your location. Most chlorine generators last three to seven years, but they can last longer if well-maintained.
Salt for the chlorine generator runs just $20 or so per year, saving hundreds of dollars annually over chlorine. For an average swimming season of four to six months, most people spend $250-$300 on chlorine tablets.
Saltwater Pool
Converting to a saltwater pool may or may not save money in the long run. If you pay $1,200 for a chlorine generator and installation, and the generator lasts five years, it will likely pay for itself in saved chemical costs. If it lasts less than five years, that’s not the case. Because its a gamble, the best reason to convert is to make your swimming experience more comfortable."
@mfladd I agree.
@mfladd I am now entering year 7 on my chlorine generator. I generally run it 8-12 hours a day in summer, less in the winter. Still showing about 20% of cell life left! Of course, YMMV.
@chienfou Nice!
Life has changed where I do not have a pool anymore. Now I just get to throw money at my boat
@mfladd “they” say that a boat is a hole in the water you throw $$ in!
Any pics?
@chienfou “they” also say a pool is a hole in the ground you throw money into.
“They” must not like fun things.
@chienfou Haha…it is also. I have already been throwing money at it. But expenses will come way down once I get everything ship shape on it. It’s just a small older 14’ aluminum v-hull with a 15hp engine. Something to take the kids out (fishing, tubing), since we are surrounded by water.
You can see it here (further down).
https://meh.com/forum/topics/besides-meh-what-has-been-your-coolest-purchase-of-2019
I tried to repost the image but imgur is being an asshole about it!
@mfladd image failed… ooops, never mind!
@mfladd OK, found it. Looks nice and like lots of fun. I had an older ski boat years ago and loved it. Also owned a ‘snark’ sailboat that was a blast when the kids were little. Got it for free from someone I was doing a home repair for. They had it sitting out and the sail was shot to shit so I got it back in the water for the price of the sail. Used it in Pensacola in Sabine Bay and on Lake Martin for years…
EXPERT SWIMMING POOL MAINTENANCE
The Manual for Professionals.
Step 1
Empty Pool
Step 2
Get great medical and homeowners insurance.
Step 3
Buy a kickass skateboard
Step 4
Wheeeeeeeee!
Step 5
Emergency Room
Step 6
Traction
Step 6
Leave hospital, go to court. Your neighbors are suing for you having an attractive nuisance. Their kids sprained their ankles doing tricks in your pool while you were in the hospital. (PS you are now permanently a crip and permanently in pain. Don’t take painkillers, tho. Ever. They’re bad for you.)
Step 7
Negotiate for settlement that gets your neighbors off your case and means you can never ever again purchase homeowner’s insurance.
Step 8
Hire Backhoe and other industrial earth moving fun big machines. Practice with them a bit.
Step 9
Attempt to fill in pool
Step 10
Fuck that up.
Step 11
Hire pros to fill in pool.
Step 12
Replant grass/sod/flower beds and redo patio/deck.
Step 13
Build 16 foot fences around your back yard.
Step 14
Install industrial and government level hardened security for your house and backyard.
Step 15
Hire a professional and expensive landscaping service to make your yard look half decent.
Step 16
Hire gardening and yard services to keep your yard looking decent now that it’s been fixed…
Step 17
Throw an incredible cookout in your now fairly safe backyard.
Step 19
Purchase homeowner’s insurance. Now that they pool is gone, they’ll let you.
Step 20
Did you forget to pay for your medical services? I know you are a bit busy. Pay them, fucker. You are now in debt for the next 4 billion years. Consider bankruptcy. Consider moving to the innards of an active volcano.
Step 21
File for bankruptcy
Step 22
Get screwed by bankruptcy court.
Step 23
Be done with bankruptcy court
Step 24
Move to the innards of a highly active explosive volcano
Step 25
Continue to pay for the mortgage, insurance, security services and gardening services as long as the volcano has not yet exploded with you in it.
Step 26
Keep your local newspaper subscription going also. We need to support local newspapers.
Step 27
Pay your property taxes regularly, on time
Step 28
Pay your federal and state income taxes on time without whining. American citizenship is a privilege. Don’t take it for granted.
Step 29
Have your newspapers and mail delivered to the volcano where you live, so that you can pay bills and keep track of things properly and be a responsible citizen.
Step 30
The Volcano Explodes.
You are now free of responsibility.
CONGRATULATIONS!!!
The PH in your pool is now balanced forever, and the water in the pool is perfect!
/giphy "swimming pool"
@f00l
That’s more complex than me changing a lightbulb.
@PlacidPenguin
@mfladd wants to do this right. I know he does.
@f00l
@mfladd
Which Volcano?
@f00l I’d like to say TL:DR but …this was fucking HILARIOUS!!
I just noticed my title makes this look like it’s about office or NCAA pools perhaps.
@mfladd
Neither of those came to mind.
@mfladd Timing is everything. I wish it was time for your intended pool instead of the snow and sports pools.
@mfladd personally my first thought was “hey, he forgot the apostrophe” (in pool’s) as in billiards… Duh
Sure glad I checked it out anyway… if only for the opening gif!
@chienfou @mfladd I thought green felt and numbered balls too.
As for pools, those of us that don’t have one have absolutely no sympathy for you. (Unless you live close enough for us to use it.)
Use regular bleach for shocking your pool. It’s cheap and if you learn to read the date codes (the ones I get just show day number and year IIRC) you can buy the freshest they have for the most potency.
Also www.troublefreepool.com has a ton of good info and tools including the pool calculator for your chemicals.
@djslack
I was wondering about the house bleach rather than shock bags. I am guessing for the chlorine sticks is just to find the cheapest (like In the Swim), and to look for any algicide as long as it is 60%.
@mfladd You could use bleach for regular chlorination as well, just the tablets or sticks do a better job of dissolving over time as I understand it. Chlorine only lasts maybe a day or two (sunlight breaks it down) and has to be continually replaced so with bleach you’d be out every day doing it.
I’m a new pool owner myself (7 months, most of which were not pool season) and acquired one with salt already in place so i don’t have a lot of tips yet. Those TFP forum guys seem to now their stuff though.
@mfladd This. All of this. I had an above ground pool for years when the ex was here with her kids. Only took me a few weeks to get bored with the high price of chlorine. I used regular bleach for the next few years.
Pro tip: as @djslack says, sunlight breaks down chlorine. Add your chlorinator after dark for best effect. This gives the chemical several hours to do it’s job before being broken down by the sun.
In the end I wound up getting a salt system from Walmart for about $150. I saved at least that much in reduced chemical costs easily within the first 6 months.
@ruouttaurmind he didn’t like my salt water system suggestion
https://meh.com/forum/topics/pools----a-suckers-game#58c9bd047d295f0bdc86fcd4
@mikibell I saw that. I just wanted to make another pitch for the chemical maintenance savings.
:
@ruouttaurmind my kids love the lack of chlorine
@mikibell When I first installed the system I didn’t really know what to expect. I guess maybe I thought it would be like swimming in the ocean. I figured the salt would burn my eyes. I was pretty surprised at the actual result.
I doubt I’ll ever have another pool (big hole in the ground to throw money into) but if I ever do, salt system all the way!
We put in a pool and hot tub with spillover about 5 yrs ago. It’s gunite and about 30K gallons, with a deep end and diving board.
6)Walmart, Sam’s etc sell salt cheap. You only have to put salt in VERY rarely to replace any that is lost due to splash out (Damn those cannonballs…) or if you get enough rain to push some out the overflow. The salt is made into the chlorine and goes back and forth but does not get ‘lost’ in the process.
Overall, this was a great ‘investment’, and was one of the enticements to get my parents to move down out of the St Louis area and away from the snow and ice (and potential increased fall/hip fracture scenario). On the other hand, I know several folks that have filled in their pools so YMMV.
TL:DR save up your pennies and switch to salt.
@chienfou yes, I forgot about the muriatic acid.Thank you for the information.
Is that your pool?!
@chienfou
Nooiice!
@mfladd yes, it is., It’s taken from the top floor of the “pool house” which is a converted 2 story 16x16 building like you see on the parking lot at Home Depot. It was on sale when they changed to a different design for the interior staircase (to meet ADA requirements I think) so it was about 20% off AND it had extra windows and 12 inch centers on the floor joists. Built a covered porch across the front and painted it in Carib colors to match the tropical theme (palm trees, banana plants etc) around the pool. Ran a separate power meter so I can use it as a ‘guest house’ and keep the shop and pool equipment on it as well. Downstairs is a 3x8 ft bathroom with a toilet, sink and shower, the rest of the space will have a fridge (think: cold beer!) and a small galley kitchen (think: microwave, sink, margarita blender…) and seating areas. Upstairs will be beds for when the kids/grandkids or friends spend the night. It works as a ‘tiny house’ and I may one day decide to list it with AirBNB. I took out the front barn doors and put in a glass slider, and the water heater is one of the Isreali ones that Woot sells (part of the reason it’s on its own meter…the damn thing draws 50 amps! But that way there is no tank holding water I am not using.)
Here’ a view from the diving board side toward the pool house:
@f00l Thanks. It’s one of the benefits of doing the work myself. It saves a ton of cash and yields results that are tailor-made to suit our needs/tastes. I am currently installing the drywall downstairs and will tape and mud it in a couple of weeks. Next week we will be in Orlando with the grandkids for the week to do Legoland etc. Hope to have the whole project done by mid summer, once I make the cabinets for the kitchen and finish wiring and drywall upstairs etc.
@chienfou @mfladd
I love your pool! If thats the pool house i’m seeing, i’d love to live there!! Yes, in your pool house! It might even be bigger than my condo! I’m so excited, dreaming is much better than my reality these days. I’m SO over done with caring for my mother-in-law. Long term nursing care isn’t looking so bad. Sorry, I digress… Again, BEAUTIFUL pool!
@Lynnerizer @mfladd
Thanks. The pool and paver/planting designs were SWMBO’s work. I did the poolhouse convert (from a Home Depot lot storage shed, as mentioned above). It is now a ‘tiny house’ with 2 16x16 stories (two queens upstairs, galley kitchen, full (but tiny) bathroom and living room downstairs and an 8x16 ft porch) and gets used for our out of town guests when they come visit. Wife and I are actually staying in it currently (for the first time) since my 9 y/o granddaughter is visiting (from Nashville) on her own until later this week when brother and parents join her for the weekend. Just spent 4 hours with her in the water yesterday. Let us know if you are ever in Central AL.
As also mentioned above it was a major enticement to get my parents (ergo SWMBO’s in-laws) to move down 8 yrs ago. And YES… that can be a challenge some days. Dad passed away 3 yrs ago, but Mom is still next door and pretty much independent but forgetful. Because I work 2nd shift at the ER, she comes over for lunch every day, and we play some Rummikub. In the summer she comes back after her nap in the afternoon for 1/2 hour in the pool, which is most of the exercise she currently gets. I try not to get too much in her business, but have to drive her to the store and dr appts, plus the library every 2 weeks, etc. We will have to get someone to come by and regularly do a bit more thorough cleaning in the house shortly–mostly for the shower and bathroom. She doesn’t really kick up a lot of dust! Of course, she is 89…
@chienfou @mfladd
It’s hard to believe that your “tiny house” pool house started off as 2 storage sheds. It’s also hard to believe that the house i’m seeing there is considered a “tiny house”! My cousin started his pool house with the same kind of shed, unfortunately his STILL looks like nothing more than someplace to park the tractor!
Sounds like you guys are pretty busy and have your hands full. It’s great that you have some alone time with your granddaughter before her parents come. During the winters from the time I was 5 to 18 years old i’d fly every year to Florida for a 2 week visit with my “snow bird” grandparents. It was always so much FUN, and till this day those are some of my most cherished memories. I’ve never been to Alabama but IF I ever do i’ll definitely give you a shout. Thanks!
Taking care of family is both one of the most wonderful and difficult things to do. I’ve been taking care of various family members throughout the years. Before my disabling car accident I was a CNA doing private duty work. I loved it! It’s SO true what they say about taking care of yourself first, I can’t help others IF i’m broken down myself. I’m learning this the hard way! My MIL is 85 and physically she is in great shape, it’s her mind thats a problem.
It’s time for Johnny and I to call in the reinforcements! Whoever they may be, that’s the next step. I’m curious, what do you do at the ER?
@Lynnerizer
I’m an ER nurse (RN). Work at a small community hospital since early 90s after a 4yr stint as an EMT. 7 on/7off with 8 hour shifts means being semi retired for almost 30 yrs. Of course, since we are often shorthanded there is always the option to work more if I want, but mostly I find if I work less I can travel more and have less shit to maintain. Oh … And I work 5 minutes from home …
As for the pool house, it was actually one 2 story shed to start. They took it apart and brought it to the house where I had the foundation already set up for them to reassemble it on. They put new shingles on it and I took it from there. Design and planning were done jointly with my wife. I did all the plumbing and electrical work and put up most of the sheetrock before I ran out of stream (plus I tore a meniscus in my left knee taking care of my dad in his last days) so hired out the upstairs sheetrock finish and painting then I did the kitchen with IKEA cabinets and countertops and put an IKEA sleeper sofa in and a small dining table. It’s been a great place to keep friends and family that come for a few days or a week in my off week.
BTW, you never gave any specs for your pool:
size
in ground vs above ground
liner vs gunite
(also a rough geographical area might be helpful).
@chienfou sorry, inground, 6ft deep, 19,000 gal, eastern shore of MD, can’t remember dimensions.
@chienfou I think it is 18’ x 36’ rectangular
@mfladd Not sure what you are spending on chemicals each year, but I know I don’t go thru $100 which is mostly for muriatic acid, with an occasional bag of salt or some cyanuric acid if I lose enough due to splash out etc. Only had one bad experience early on with algae during a super hot spell in the summer when I was gone to Canada for a week and didn’t leave the pool running. When we came back it had been overrun by black algae YUCK
. Turned out that my cyanuric acid level was way low so my chlorine didn’t stay elevated enough while I was gone (sunlight breaks it down - cyanuric acid retards that process).
Lesson learned! Now I check all my chems before I leave, and either leave the pool on or get someone to run it every few days. I will probably get a timer later this season so I can automate it when I am gone.
Can’t offer much here with respect to pools. Salt stings the eyes though. Not sure why people are saying that is easier on the eyes (my impression was that it was the interaction of pee and chlorine that caused both the smell and red eyes - could be wrong here). I can open my eyes underwater in a regular pool. No way can I do that in the ocean.
Our “pool” was my 17’ grumman canoe filled with water that my kid said she could “easily” flip the canoe to dump the water out when she was done LOL.
@Kidsandliz if my math is right the ocean is about 12 times saltier than a saltwater pool. Pools stay around 3000ppm of salt, and the ocean is around 35000ppm.
@Kidsandliz If they had fun that is the only thing that matters. Kids adapt - they are awesome.
@djslack yeah, normally saltwater is not an irritant at low enough concentrations. The pool is actually less concentrated than regular saline eye drops (which are typically 0.9% concentration or 9 grams per liter)
@mfladd
How is the pool quest going?
I have been running my polaris every few days and getting the overflow from the hot tub running to try to get a few degrees of solar gain to pick the temp up so I can start getting in mine. Last check water temp was about 72 degrees. Have been really temped after mowing or yard work on the upper 80’s low 90’s recently.
Bought a new (used) 80cu ft tank so now I can play with my scuba gear as well. Maybe I will get out the wetsuit and go on in and change out that bottom step on the ladder now, before it breaks like the other ones. (Changing to metal treads) Won’t be long now and it will be officially pool season here abouts…
@chienfou @narfcake (you know why.)
Penguin learns to swim.
@PlacidPenguin
http://shirt.woot.com/offers/poorly-prepared-penguin
@chienfou Hey, thanks for checking in. To make a very long and convoluted story short - no action on the pool yet - it still sits there. It wont look pretty. I will let you know when I do.
Glad to here you have everything up and running.
check this out
@chienfou @mfladd
Is that your automated lawn system? It’s very cool!
Nice… guess it’s lucky she was in captivity…
@chienfou What do you test the pool water with?
Do you the test strips, or do you use a test kit? 3 way? 5 way?
I have always just used the 3 way strips. And the local pool company whose machine always wants you to the add the world of chemicals.
@mfladd I use some 6-way test strips (Aquachek 7, oddly named for something that does 6 things) for day to day checks, and save the test kit for when real science needs to happen or I have a lazy Saturday and need something to do. As much fun as I thought titration and chemistry would be (hey, it was fun in school, right?) it turns out ain’t nobody got time fo dat. So dipping a strip, waiting 15 seconds, and looking at a chart wins out most of the time.
The tests covered by these strips are:
I then feed my numbers into the pool calculator and let it do the thinking for me. It seems to work out ok.
@djslack Thanks! I have been doing some reading on the pool forums and many people really recommend the test kit. I was looking at this one.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00107039U/ref=ox_sc_mini_detail?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER
@djslack 7th check is water quantity. IF the strip is wet, you have water in the pool!
@mfladd I use a test kit essentially like your link but from Taylor. Get my chems in bulk online (ebay etc). I like the way the results work, and being able to add reagent to determine the amount of bump I need up or down in the pH is handy as well. Also can determine other changes as well.
@chienfou Can you post me links to ebay chemicals you use? I would be very appreciative.
reagent? What is this of what you speak?
@mfladd guess I never saw this request… sorry. Did you get this resolved already? If not, I’ll keep an eye on this (now resurrected) thread.
The reagent is a solution you can add to the water after you test it. For instance if you test the water and the pH is too high you can add drops from the reagent to the solution you are reading until you get in the desired range. Counting the drops and knowing the quantity of water in your pool allows for pretty simple calculation of the quantity of chemical you need to add to drop the pH where it needs to be. In my case a drop of reagent means about a half gallon of muriatic acid to add. There is a separate reagent if your pH is too low.
Pool Info FYI
Quote Originally Posted by waterbear
This might help:
1 1 lb bag of 35% lithium hypo will raise 10000 gallons 4 ppm FC
1 1lb bag of 48% cal hypo (the most common kind) will raise 10000 gal 5.5 ppm FC
1 1lb bag of 68% cal hypo (the most common super shock strength) will raise 10000 gal 7.5 ppm FC
1 1 lb bag of 73% cal hypo (getting very difficult to find) will raise 10000 gal 9 ppm FC
1 gal of 5.25% bleach will raise 10000 gal 5.25 ppm FC
1 gal of 6% bleach or liquid pool chlorine will raise 10000 gal 6 ppm FC
1 gal of 10% liquid pool chlorine will raise 10000 gal 10 ppm FC
1 gal of 12.5% liquid pool chlorine will raise 10000 gal 12.5 ppm FC
@mfladd
I never thought to do the math on the 5.25, 6, or 10% bleach, but it makes sense that each percent in one gallon translates to 1ppm in 10K gallons. Ain’t math grand!
Hope you are getting ready to wage war on the algae. I have used the hot tub the last two weekends, but never made the plunge into the pool, though I normally do at this temp. Current hot tub temp 83% with cover on it for solar gain (after 2 days withouth any supplemental heat), main pool is about 70 right now. Counting down the days…
I bought a pool cover from woot. (16x32 above ground pool with deck) I later managed to put a 3-4 inch rip in it while trying to siphon rain water off the top of the cover with a manual gravity pump thing. I put a square of foam under the cover and let the rip sit out of the water a bit to dry. I then used some duct tape on the end of a pole to patch the hole. I have no idea how, but that was enough to keep water from seeping up from the pool onto the cover. It’s lasted a couple months like that so far. Saved me from removing the cover and getting debris in there. I plan on patching it properly once I open 'er up for the season.
We just bought the house last July, so I opened it late in the season last year. Previous owner didn’t take care of it very well. Water level was low and the cover was all ripped up. To open it last year, I used a kit that included several steps. That flocculant stuff sure makes for a lot of vacuuming. After that, however, I was pretty lucky. Just had to add some Alkaline stuff once. Beyond that it was just keeping a couple giant chlorine tabs in the skimmer and running it constantly.
I’m eager to see what the water is like when I open it. I left a stabilizer ball in there that is supposed to winterize it and make opening easier. We’ll see.
@medz I know this is late, but how did it go? Have been using my pool for the past couple of months and finally got around to putting a timer on the pump/chlorinator. Now it turns on automatically and runs about 8 hours a day. Getting ready to change the time to run at night so the overflow will allow the water to cool off instead of heat up since the water is running about 90 right now. I can always hit the bypass switch to run when we are in the pool if we want.
@chienfou It went well! The water was crystal clear when I took the cover off. Since I had such good luck with it last year, I used the same opener kit with the flocc even though I didn’t really need it. Stabilizer levels were a bit high, but after vacuuming and adding more water, it balanced out. Same as last year, added some alkalinity and I was all set.
I still run the pump constantly. When it’s windy I get a lot of leaves in the skimmer so I have to empty it 3 times per day. Pool water hit 90 degrees yesterday and it felt nice!
Previous owner had a cholorinator thing. It’s still in the garage, so I may look into hooking that up next year. Right now I add the tablets to the floaty thing or direct to the skimmer basket if I need the levels to come up faster.
OK, so it’s been getting into the upper 80’s this week and I’ve been working outside a good bit, so
THE POOL IS OFFICIALLY OPEN!
Current water temp is 77-78 in mid-afternoon so it feels really good when you get off the mower or out of the shop etc.! I have a solar blanket on the hot tub, and run the overflow during the day to get a bit more temp gain since I know that is a bit cold for some folks (like my wife…!)
Let the rum drinks begin…
Our above ground is around 5000 gallons. All we had to do this year was connect the chlorinator , add 4 bags of salt and turn on the pump. I check the levels once a week and boost the chlorinator accordingly if needed. Crystal clear water for the past 2 months now. The pool water smells slightly of chlorine, but nowhere near as bad as before we switched, and my wife’s and daughters’ bathing suits aren’t disintegrating into oblivion like they did before. I’m certain that we saved a bundle in the long run by making the switch.
@capguncowboy pfft… ours is like 15,000 gallons. (oval with a deep end)
Maybe we don’t swim often enough, but I haven’t noticed any harshness to clothing.
@medz maybe. my wife and girls swim almost every evening for an hour or two. Their suits would fade pretty quickly (even if they rinsed them every time) and start deteriorating shortly after, like a few weeks or so
@capguncowboy Our pool is clothing optional.
No kids here, though. Just the two of us old farts. And the fence keeps it pretty private.
@mfladd
I think the consensus is in favor of salt water systems.
I found one for you.
When I moved from miami I swore I would never own another pool. We now live about 300 yards from what was the mill recreation building, when we moved here it was $50/yr for a family pass. Life tends to work out. I never swim now and I rarely got to when I owned a pool.
what was the question? i didn’t make it past the kate upton gif.
Temps in the 80’s 3 days last week (record highs for the individual days) so fired up the hot tub yesterday and took a couple of dives into the main pool which was at about 71 degrees. Not bad for February! Won’t be long at this rate before the pool with be truly open for swimming.
BTW @mfladd what did you decide to do about your pool last year?
@chienfou Yup. Managed it the best I could.
The pool is no longer my responsibility anymore.
nuff said.
But thank you for asking and checking in on me
Enjoy the Hot Tub!
@chienfou Nice. We’re a long way off from opening ours. I’ve been looking into solar pool heaters so we can get more use out of it this year. I’ll likely do a separate, cheap pump as not to muck with my main pump/filter. (wouldn’t circulate well enough and may be too much force for the small solar tubes)
Any recommendations on a heater? Approx 15,000 gallons.
@mfladd
So I don’t need a pool float anymore?
@medz I have likewise been tempted to get into some sort of solar array, either on the main house (one side faces south) or on the pool house which has a ‘barn roof’ so the top is pretty flat and gets sun most of the day. Haven’t really run the numbers yet, but like you I feel that having a separate pump (or at least a separate line with a valve control) would be imperative. Generally can get into the main pool comfortably about mid-April and can use it til mid-late Sept. already, so not really sure how much extra time I could really expect to generate. Plus, I am (still) working on the inside of the poolhouse (insulation and sheetrock upstairs, small kitchen area etc… plumbing and electrical, and bathroom are already up and running) It’s a 16x16 two story building (see posts above from mid-March last year for pics) that will ultimately be spare lodging for guests, grandkids, etc with a possible Airbnb option later. Having a hard time getting my ass motivated to get back out there and get to work on it, but have a family reunion planned for late summer so better get on it soon!
@mfladd Well, how’s the pool doing this year?
) finally broke down and hired someone to do the sheetrock work in the poolhouse, so I have been finishing the electrical and getting ready to put in some cabinets/small kitchen and a couple of beds upstairs for out of
I (actually my wife
towncountry guests next month. Had the grandkids down last month for a week and spent most of it in the water with the 6 year old who has made great progress this year.@medz ditto to you
@chienfou Hi. I have a 15,000 gallon above ground (mostly, anyway) pool. Pic shortly after opening:
This year, I hooked up one of those solar heaters. Like this one
I originally had it mounted vertically on a fence, but gravity didn’t like that (water pulling down when not in use tried to suck air in from the top fittings) and it didn’t get as much sun. For now, it’s on the ground with makeshift stands underneath it to get it off the ground a bit to try to prevent killing all the grass under it. (sorry no pic)
I couldn’t find a diverter kit that came with a good valve, so after a trip to the hardware store and reusing some PVC and fittings I had, this is what I cobbled together.
Allows me to mostly bypass the solar array when it gets too hot or when I need to circulate the pool faster. When forcing all the water through the solar heater, It seems to raise the water temp by at least 5 degrees on mostly sunny days. I do have a garage in the back where I could mount the solar panel on the roof, but that would be a lot of pipes and hoses and I’m not sure I want to drill holes in the roof. Next year, I’ll probably build a better set of stands that I can move around periodically for better sun exposure and grass relief.
@medz cool. I have been inundated with various projects, family visits, loss of a parent, work etc this year and have not pursued the solar heater option yet. I have switched the timer on the pool to run primarily at night (upper 70s), which allows me to shed a few degrees of pool temp so it’s not so warm during the day. It’s toasty at the surface when you first jump in with the pump off, but then once the water gets mixed (or if I go ahead and turn on the pump during the day while we are swimming) it’s more comfortable than if I run it primarily during the 90-100 degree daytime.
Still plan to look into solar “some day”. BTW where did you source yours?
@chienfou It’s a SmartPool brand I found on a site called amazon.com. I paid around $150 for the 2-panel one when I think they’re usually closer to $200.
@medz
Wow… I think I may have read about them… is their site safe? ¯_(ツ)_/¯
So, I know we’re very permissive about cursing and stuff here, but is it ok to be a typical, pervy hetero-dude and objectify women?
'Cuz when I saw that first gif, the first thing that popped into my head was, “Wow, I’d like to suck 'er game.”
Sorry.
@DennisG2014 You’re free to post, but I generally try to avoid too many misogynistic comments.
The chicks get upset.
@therealjrn Gotcha.
But, you know, they can always have some of this:
(Assuming they’re hetero-chicks… …and something tells me I better just stop here.)
@DennisG2014 @therealjrn i dont have a pool, but /buy
@DennisG2014 @therealjrn why didn’t that work??? Lol
How do you keep birds from pooping in pool? We apparently have some that roost on the railing and poop all night. Trying reflective strips. Ordered spikes. Figured I’ll “glue” them to the rail with silicone caulk so I can remove easy to cover the pool at end of season.
@medz wow… never have had that problem, but now that you mention it birds will start to do that here in the next few days I am sure!!
spikes will probably work, but I would be afraid of someone falling on them…
You could also try a rubber snake zip tied to it.
@chienfou @medz
I know of a hotel that had this prob. I presume you are talking about waterfowl?
The hotel installed high fencing on the sides of the pool and ran multiples wires from one fence to the other over the pool.
They hung many of those triangular flags on the wires.
The birds can’t see the wires until they get kinda close. But they can see the flags from a good distance.
Apparently this tells them it’s not safe to land?
I’m sure if you google this or go talk casually to some hotel maintenance people, you can get some specifics.
Ok. I didn’t read closely and realize they were roosting on the fencing. My bad.
Still, talk to some hotel people. Any prob you’ve had w birds, their chain has had. Or talk to some pool maintenance people.
@chienfou @f00l @medz Possibly putting up a fake owl. Depending on the kind of bird they view it as a predator.
@f00l @medz yeah, I’ve seen that done as well, sometimes with, sometimes without, the flags. I think the idea for the flags is so they won’t clip the wires as easily. Without the flags they hit the wires, and will learn not to make an approach eventually. The flags just make it easier for them to see the obstacle. My feeling is F#$% the little mothers. They need to keep out of my pool… let 'em hit the wires.
My only problem with that would be finding a way to attach the wires. So far, I haven’t needed to find a solution so I will continue to do what I have been doing–nothing.
OTOH I have persistent frogs that will get in every now and then, but they are pretty easy to scoop out and they fly really well when launched by the net on the end of a 12 foot pole… but landing…ahem… not so well…
@chienfou @medz
If the birds don’t hit the wires that saves you from the bio-cleanup. : )
@chienfou @f00l @medz try hanging sparkly things?
/youtube shiny things to deter birds
@f00l @medz
Plus the PETA protesters on your lawn
Of course here, PETA stands for:
@medz @Kidsandliz is on to something. We had these birds that build a mud nest on our back porch. We got this sparkly owl silhouette (looks like a birthday party decoration from the dollar tree more than an owl) and no more birds.
Looks fake af to me but it also freaked out one of my dogs. Apparently it’s good enough to trigger instincts to avoid it.
@djslack @medz When I used to work on schooners on most boats we had a fake owl in the rigging to keep seagulls off the boat. Worked great on seagulls and most other sea birds. Not so much so on pelicans.
@Kidsandliz that’s because pelicans are badasses
@djslack @Kidsandliz
Other birds be like, …
“Uh-Oh, We got a baddass up in here”
@djslack Years ago I was snorkeling and all of a sudden something that looked like a miniature missile came straight down between the two of us, snatched a fish and rocketed back up to the surface. Pelican.
@djslack @Kidsandliz
Did the fake owl work to deter herons? Or did herons not mess with you?
I have a real thing for watching herons, when I’m lucky enough to be able to.
Florida is, or used to be, a heron paradise.
@djslack @f00l I have no idea. You could try it and see. We didn’t really have herons close to the boats I worked on so no first hand experience. It was seagulls that were the big messy pain.
@djslack @Kidsandliz
/image heron in flight
Still waiting on the spike things. I added a string a reflective strips over the pool. I believe it is being done be these large black birds with shiny green/blue heads. (common grackles?) F these birds, man… I do still have some BB guns from my country boy days…
People who have backyard pools and enjoy them:
What do you do in the pool?
I am going to go ahead and assume that you are all skinny dipping and having sex in your pools, so you don’t have to mention that.
How else do you enjoy your pool?
@Limewater
With kids and a deep end and a diving board, there is always someone diving, doing cannonballs/jackknives etc.
With “pool noodles” you can do all sorts of fun stuff with younger kids such as trying to balance on one while in the deep end, making a chair out of a couple of them (one behind your knees, one under your arms and around your back…) etc.
With the seating around the edge, you can just hang out and drink/converse.
With the spa you can totally relax on a cold winter day/night with friends… drinking is again encouraged.
When you get hot from working out in the yard, a quick dip will drop your core temp to something manageable again.
When you get hot lying on a lounger while reading the paper or a book, you can always jump in to cool off, rinse/repeat.
Oh and that part about skinny dipping and sex… yeah, that too.
@Limewater tried sex in a pool once… water is not good lube
@chienfou @Limewater Had a basketball backboard and hoop in my pool (poolmaster splashbacksystem if anyone is interested). Used to go out there and practice and play around all the time. A person that I went to elementary through high school with came over and we relived our one on one basketball games of close to 50 years ago. Made 6 straight shots from 15 feet out. He looked at me shaking his head-I said hey-my home court advantage. Also played horses using the pop up cleaner to see how many I could make in a row before missing.
@Limewater @medz
Vasoline FTW!
Why not tell the other fun side of pool ownership-approx an extra $ 100 a month for electricity for the pool pump plus $ 75 for the monthly pool maint to the pool company. After the gas heater gives out after 8 years-another 2k to replace it. Pool motors break and need to be replaced periodically-thrown in another $ 600 for that. Then if you have a salt water pool-the cell needs to be replaced every couple of years for $ 200 a shot. And pray your salt water generator doesn’t break. Ours didn’t before we sold our house and we were told if it broke we would have to have the entire system replaced due to parts for a 13 year old system were not available. And last but not least-had to have the pool drained twice and and the bottom muriatic acid washed-first when some oily gunk got on the bottom and it was the only way it could be removed and second when we sold the house to remove the stains on the bottom of the pool-at approx $ 800 a shot. Happy but poor swimming everyone.
@Felton10 above ground is the way to go! You may look like white trash but I already am so who cares. And if something gets messed up they’re like 300 bucks for a whole new one.
Anyone care to update their views/issues? I’ll start…
Had to replace the salt cell on mine last year. Then had a lightening strike that messed up the cell control panel. Still works, but only on max output, but can limit the amount of time it runs with a timer so no biggie.
Also replaced a pump this year when the old one failed while we were out of town in the winter. Neighbor contacted me to tell me about a ‘loud high-pitched squeal’ coming from the house. Had her turn off the timer so the pump wouldn’t burn up, which of course put the rest of the system at risk. Thankfully that was the only victim… Used an aftermarket one from Doheny. Had to change a bit of plumbing but so far I am liking it.
Still loving our pool. Kids and grandkids are due this week to ‘break it in’ for the year.
@chienfou Since getting my pool resurfaced ten years ago, I use very few chemicals. I keep the floater filled with chlorine tabs and I use a product called Perfect Weekly. It removes the phosphates from the water. Once a week during spring and summer and after the first freeze, I drop it down to once a month. I haven’t had an issue with algae since.
By memorial day, it’s usually warm enough to swim in but not this year since we have had an unseasonably cooler May. A friend that got rid of his pool had a never used thermal cover… Basically a giant sheet of bubble wrap. I put that on today to see if that warms it up a bit.
Luckily the Texas deep freeze didn’t damage the equipment. I only lost power for a minimal time and I had put a couple of shop lights and a tarp over the pumps. The heat generated by the lights kept the exposed pipes from freezing.
Think we are the only one on our street that didn’t put in a pool-either builder installed or after the house was built.
Builder wanted 45k to put one in, but that would have been basic with no frills. Still most of the people who got one have never lived in FL and of course you have to have pool if you are in FL. After 15+ years of having a pool and seeing how much we used it plus the extra $ 200 a month for cleaning and electricity for the pool pump, it was a hard pass although my wife is having 2nd thoughts about maybe putting in a spa.
Keep going back the time our son bought his dog down to FL in December and wanted to take him in he pool-no problem-heated up the pool and he took the dog in three times for a total of maybe 30 minutes. Gas bill next month was $ 250 higher for a 30 minute dog swim.
We recently opened our pool. Though we probably won’t be able to use it again now for at least a week because Oregon.
@sillyheathen Is that a palm tree? Every pool should have a palm tree. It’s too cold here.
@sammydog01 it is. We have four or five I think. They’re wonderful but also a giant pain in the arse! Thankfully I recently found some volunteers in the yard so I’m going to put them in pots in the green house so we can cut these down and replace them in a few years.
@sammydog01 @sillyheathen
Most palm trees I’ve seen lately were severely damaged or killed by the Great Texas Freeze of Feb 2021.
I’ve seen palm trees with dead fronds as far south as right-on-the-gulf, sw of Galveston. I don’t know if the trees around Corpus Christi or Harlingen had a better outcome.
Some property owners have cut off the dead fronds and left the trunks. I don’t know what’s next. Can the trees come back and make new fronds? Or no?
@f00l @sammydog01 typically once the top dies it is a goner. You can’t cut back the tops or the whole plant dies. They grow up and that’s about it fir the most part. I’m amazed we didn’t lose any with the ice storm we had here. I guess they were somewhat sheltered by the firs.
@sillyheathen I’ve been to Oregon in August. Average summer temperature in the low sixties. Do you take therapeutic ice water baths, too?
@Limewater I’m not sure what part of Oregon has temps in the sixties on average in summer but it surely isn’t here.
That’s where we are currently but are spring is what I fondly refer to as schizophrenic. We’ll be in the 80s next week. We usually get 1-2 weeks in the 90-100 range but not often. I’m really okay with that. Especially since we usually only have about 20-40 percent humidity. I will say we absolutely have a pool heater because we would only really be able to use it for 4-6 weeks a year otherwise.
@sillyheathen I based my averages on Wikipedia, but these averages were over a 24-hour period, not average highs. My brief time in August was in Medford, and it was in the fifties at night.
@Limewater Medford is about 4-4.5 hours from Pdx. Their climate is cooler overall but yeah I would say at night it’s 50-65. Honestly I love it.
@sillyheathen What little I saw of Oregon was gorgeous. Way too cold for me long-term, though, and definitely too cold for me to go swimming. I definitely wouldn’t mind visiting again.
You can actually see a little bit of the murder shed in the background.
@sillyheathen What a gorgeous property, all those trees. I had no idea palm trees grew in Oregon!
@Kyeh a few types of palm do well here. The Portland area has a super temperate climate all year. Other parts of the state like the coast and high desert/ mountains are far more dynamic. We have a weird bubble here.
@sillyheathen I had no idea!
@Kyeh @sillyheathen Me either.
@Kyeh certain annuals I absolutely have to start in my greenhouse because we don’t have the heat long enough for them to direct sow like tomatoes and chiles etc. I usually put large Christmas lights in there around Feb and start the seeds so they’re ready to go in the ground around Apr/May and then I’m usually harvesting large fruits mid to late summer. All depends on the craziness that is the weather.
@sillyheathen That actually sounds quite similar to the weather here in CO, but no way do we have palm trees. The winters here are probably colder than yours, although they’re really variable, not constant cold like North Dakota or Minnesota.
Other reason I’d be reluctant to build another pool is that it could never match the one in the house we sold (the one my brother’s dog went in swimming. Although the house came with a pool, we upgraded it. The guy who drained the pool to clean the stains before we sold the house (and who was the one who built the pool for the builder) told me if he was to build that pool today-13 years later it would cost 85k to build.
@Felton10 Was that an indoor pool?
@Kyeh No under a screened cage as are most pools in FL to keep out unwanted visitors-alligators specifically.
@Kyeh
@Felton10 Oh, I see. Alligators - yeuchh!
That certainly is a beautiful pool.
@Kyeh Yes it was. And cage keeps out snakes also. Although we found one in the pool at our previous house. Wife went in the pool after dark and came in saying there is something at bottom of the pool that is moving. Was able to fish it out with the net and put it in the lake in back of our house. Found out that if it was at the bottom, it was harmless and if swimming at the top, get away from it quickly.
@Felton10 Scary! Around here there’s an occasional news story about a bear getting into someone’s pool or hot tub.
@Felton10 @Kyeh
YouTube “Alligators in a pool” short clips
If you look closely in my first pool picture, there is a crocodile floating on a little raft. He is a little sun faded but very realistic when up close. This is what he looked like.
@Felton10 Oh! He looks solid blue in your picture.
@Kyeh the salt water in the pool and the sun probably effect his coloring.
@Felton10
A N American Crocodile? Unusual, in the wild on this continent.
But Florida, so anything goes.
Friends w @Walter, I hope?
@f00l Nope=Since Walter flew into the pool (twice), he shyed away everytime I took him out near the pool.