Swimming pool question(s)

[2biguns]

With the baby on the way (Nov 29 due date) and the rash of recent bad weather in the southeast, Amy and I abandoned the metal mansion and bought a house in town. It has a large (70,000 gallon) gunnite pool built in 1959.

My jr high biology teacher is now drawing a nice state retirement check and services pools as a side job. He says it pays for his deer hunting in the fall. He has given me a list of chemicals to buy and will handle the water (make sure everything is balanced) and the filter (backwash, etc.) and do a little bit of vacuuming for a modest fee. All I have to do it keep it clean and promise to not screw up his good work.

QUESTIONS:
1. He recommends Bioguard chemicals. That crap's expensive. Any good substitutes?

2. The Polaris I currently have is an old 180 that needs a rebuild terribly. Polaris is now offering a $125 rebate if I upgrade to a 380, which I have found on e-bay for $435 (shipping included). Anyone have any experience with this model and is this a good dea.

3. Any pool tips or warnings?

My only fear is that Amy is going to like the pool so much that she won't want to go to the lake :o

[Fish boy]

With a baby on the way, have a good guard installed all the way around the pool. DOn't rely on the little folating splash alarms. Better to be proactive than reactive.

[harbormaster]

I have a 15000 gallon pool.


I buy the big buckets of chlorine/shock.

READ the label carefully and check how much of it is really chlorine. I got a good deal on some and it was only 75% chlorine and 25% inert ingredients. The inert ingredients go to the bottom getting in your polaris bag and filter.

As for the Polaris; update it! I have spent a fortune on rebuilding my polaris when I should have traded it in. I have the one that has its own booster pump.

On a side note, I have been looking at the electric aquabots. They vacuum as well as have brushes that scrub the pool sides and bottom. They retail for about 800 dollars. I have seen them on ebay for less. I do not personally have any experience with them but I have heard good things.

[BUIZILLA]

My pool guy charges me $21.75 a week, sweeps, vac's, chemicals, cleans the filters when needed...

I can't do it myself for that cheap. Get a quote on a service.

J

[vonkamp]

I upgraded from the 180 to the 380 about 4 years ago. It is definatly worth the upgrade and the $425 price is about right. They were offering the same rebate when I bought.

Are you sure your pool holds 70,000 gallons eek! ? Thats a lot of water.

The only chemicals I use are liquid chlorine and muratic acid. In the spring when the water gets warm enough to swim, I add chlorine stabilizer. It helps the chlorine last longer. It's the only product out of the thousands of additives out there to "improve" your pool water that I have found to work well.

Enjoy your pool, keep an eye (and ear) to the sky and make sure the kids know that when you say "out of the pool!" that means now.

[2biguns]

Thanks to all. I knew this was a great place to start.

Fish boy: We have already told the builder to put a separate fence around the pool and install gate latches like those used at motels (mounted at the top of the gate and requires you to pull up on the latch to get in).

Amy is quite the fanatic (nice way of saying FREAK) about safety issues. We currently live in a mobile home that was almost hit by last year's tornado. Now, every time the weather radio sounds a warning, even if it's just a flood watch for surrounding counties, we're packing up and heading to town to hide out in the new house's basement.

The stinking pool is huge. It's over 10 feet deep and long and wide. I think my maintenance guy estimated 65,000 gals.

My local pool supply dealer wants $524.95 plus tax for the 380. I just called and told them what I could get it for via e-bay and asked for a deal. If they'll come down to $450 to $475 I'll buy local just for the goodwill.

[RedDog]

Best solution - fill it in. My kids hardly use ours (36,000 gals? - 20 x 40). They would rather go the the local health spa's pool where the girls hang-out. Can't blame them but I'm stuck with the cleaning.

Oh - I use the cheapest chemicals I can find. But like the HM suggested, do check the concentrations to ensure you really do get a value. Try Walmart, Sams Club, Lowes, Home Depot, etc.

[HyperDonzi]

Not sure how this would work in a lot of water, but for our 400 or 450 gallon hot tub, we use bleach to up chlorine level
Vinegar to drop PH
and Baking Soda to raise PH.

[Ed Donnelly]

Bromine is a lot easier on the skin than chlorine, costs more though. The Arneson pool vac is what I use, 8 yrs and the only parts I replaced were the pads at $12.00 Ozinators will save you a bundle on chemical costs.Injecting Carbon Dioxide into the pool will drop high PH and its dirt cheap. Solar blankets reduce the cost of heating,reduce chemical and water lose also. I have a Stolar Automatic solar blanket. When the kids want to go swimming, they just flick a switch in the kitchen and it retracts automatically...Ed

[knots2u]

Do some research on Ozone Generators, they will turn your pool water into drinking water and cost only pennies a day to run. All bottled spring water is purified with ozone and no chlorine. Speaking of spring water, I can remember drinking spring water out of a garden hose, now its available by the bottle???? Bioguard chemicals are about the best available.

[MOP]

Did not notice did anyone recomend getting a test kit, important if you go with the chlorine. Chemicals are cheap at SAMS, BJ's etc. The ionizer sounds intersting.

[Ed Donnelly]

Yeah Mop, being such high tech guys, I guess we all forgot the basics. test kit is a must and get a comlete one. NOTE. Never add chemicals or shock the pool in sunlight. Always add chemicals and shock at night. Read the labels as there are time spans before adding different chemicals to your pool. Now back to boats..Ed

[Ranman]

Tommy,

In a hot tub, bleach, vinegar and baking soda are the worst things you can use. The baking soda is not so bad, but I still don't recommed it. Here is a quote from the Spa Depot:


Sodium Hypochlorite (household bleach)
Do yourself a favor, and keep household bleach away from your spa!


Avoid it! Not only is it a poor sanitizer at higher water temperatures, it readily affects pH balance and tends to have a much harsher chlorine odor. Being a liquid, it easily splashes on surrounding surfaces, including your spa cover, and may cause permanent damage. Bleach also reduces filter life when used for cleaning.
I spend maybe $35.00 a year on the CORRECT hot tub chemicals. It's really not that expensive and will save the pumps, seals, motors, lines etc in the long run. I know bromine is most popular in hot tubs, but I prefer chlorine. If using chlorine in a hot tub, you should ONLY use granulated Sodium DiChlor. Sodium TriChlor, which is OK for pools is not suited for hot tubs. If the chlorine is low (which you should't let it get that way), just pour in an ounce of the granulated stuff a minute or two before you get in to bring it up.

Better yet, here's the link for some great hot tub information. Read and learn. :D

http://www.spadepot.com/scyclope.htm


2biguns,

I like to buy my hot tub chemicals from the Spa Depot. www.spadepot.com. (http://www.spadepot.com.) They are primarily a hot tub source, but they do have pool chemicals also. I have been quite impressed with their products, prices and service. Their prices easily beat my local hot tub store. Finally, shipping is free and the sales tax is up to you to pay. this site is my one stop hot tub shop. Good luck with the pool.

[Ed Donnelly]

Ranman, I checked out Spadepot. Even adding 45% for the Canadian dollar,their bromine and Starite filters are still nearly 50% cheaper than what I am paying in Canada. Will contact them Friday re shipping to Canada. Thanks for the lead...Ed

[Team Jefe]

I can't help with pool maintenance, but your concerns about the pool affecting your boating "hold some water".

A long time boating freind of mine recently installed a pool. We used one of his two boats mostly every weekend in the past summers.

This year, neither boat has been in the water yet, and he has only been out with me once. His wife, who was an avid boater, is now only interested in the pool and having pool parties. He is having to support that program. Maybe he's just getting old, but that pool is a big expense (like a boat) and it needs to be used. Just be mindful of having two big toys.

[2biguns]

Neglecting the boat should not be a problem. Everyone knows that if a boat is not regularly exercised, the oil will turn to curd and the engine(s) will have to be replaced (at least that's what I've been telling Amy eek! )

Thanks to all the great advice from my board buddies, Bioguard is now the chemical of choice and I'm picking up my 380 Polaris this afternoon. My sense of civic goodwill guilted me into buying it from a local dealer. At least if it ever breaks I have someone to take it to and if (heaven forbid) they ever need a lawyer, maybe I'll have a chance of earning my money back. wink

One piece of pool advice my maintenance guy gave me that I'll pass along is the importance of USING a swimming pool. He said that the more the water is churned, the healthier the pool will be (kind of like exercising the boat I guess). Luckily, I have a younger sister who lives 1/4 mile away whose 2 kids should be glad to do their duty.

Thanks again to all the great advice. Now, if we can just get the rest of the carpet out of the house, change the cabinets, install the flooring and doors, trim the hedges........... :mad: