PoolTalk

Put a sock in it -- or on it

Do pool filters need socks? They don't cost very much. A pack of five filter socks is under $10. As we continue to expand our knowledge of pool maintenance, we learn about the many products intended to help us do the job. Now there is a sock on our filter and it is trapping some of the debris that would have gone directly to the big DE filter at the pump.

The robot that climbs walls

Rick came over with a helper to power wash the deck and tackle some other odd jobs. He has a Maytronics Dolphin Deluxe that he kept running in our pool the entire day, so that debris from the power-wash project did not accumulate in the pool. Watching the Dolphin chug along leisurely throughout the day, making the water cleaner and taking some of the workload from the filter, made us think that this might be a good summer present for our pool -- and for the normal maintenance crew.

Getting the chemistry right

For about two weeks, the water has been less clear, more cloudy. Today was the day to finally take a water sample to the pool supply store. Let's just say we'll never get into a graduate program in chemistry with these results. Water pH. ideal range 7.4 - 7.5. Our pool: 6.8. Total alkalinity. Ideal range: 80 - 100 ppm. Our pool: 20 ppm. Right to the register to purchase a big tub of AlkalinityUp. Now we're pouring in 14 cups of the white powder every four hours. After the first two applications, the numbers look slightly better. Without the right alkalinity, the chlorine won't do its job. You guessed it. Our water tests results for free available chlorine: 0. (Ideal range 2.0 - 4.0 ppm.)

Salt-generated chlorine

The PoolGuy's post on salt-generated chlorine is worth reading for anyone thinking of spending their own money -- or tax dollars -- on this technology.

The shocking truth about chemicals

A chemist and a new pool owner learns -- and relearns -- some chemistry lessons:

When it comes to buying pool chemicals, the real shock comes at the pool store. Let's face it, many are basic commodity chemicals, but they aren't necessarily sold that way. Cheaper bulk quantities are available, but there are also pricey single-use packages. And something as simple as sodium bicarbonate can be called anything from the incomprehensible "Balance Pak 100," to a more understandable "Alkalinity Up," or simply "Total Alkalinity Increaser." One company manager notes, "Not everybody is a chemist, so we try to put everything in an easy-to-use, foolproof format."

A cow in the pool

There are family members in the pool, neighbors in the pool, cars in the pool, ducks in the pool, and now: a cow in the pool. From CBS (with video):

(CBS) PITTSFIELD, Mass. A family in western Massachusetts saw a strange sight in their swimming pool Tuesday night: a 1,000-pound cow.

Several cows had wandered off from a Pittsfield farm the day before, and one of them ended up taking a dip in the pool.

The homeowners called Pittsfield police. One of the officers said it was the first time he had ever heard of a cow ending up in a swimming pool.

The officer called a nearby farmer to see if he was missing a cow. It turned out it was one of George Noble's cows.

Noble along with several farmhands brought over a large ramp and were able to remove the cow from the pool and bring him home.

Swimming reflections

Some reflections on swimming and summer, from Carla Rolfe, who started a trip down memory lane as she did pool maintenance: "Last Friday being the day the RolfeWorld backyard pool officially opened, I was doing what I do every day after pool opening season: cleaning it. It’s a highly glamorous job to be sure, but someone’s got to do it." Click for her memories of summer. Many pool owners are able to make time for basic maintenance chores. Others hire a local student. Any teenager eager for work will be better prepared after reading the blog from myfirstpaycheck's ceo. There's advice about finding work, pleasing the boss and even starting your own lawn care or pool maintenance business.

First-time pool owner on the learning curve

A blogger named Jayne writes that she and her husband had a lot to learn about pools when they bought a house that happened to have one. (Great photo, too.) They were smart enough to have an expert from a local pool store show them the ropes:

Well, Gary arrived on Friday morning, and boy, what we didn't know! We'd been playing around with the knobs and valves, but found out that we fully had no water going through the clorinator (gee, is that a problem?) and that when we back wash we were also supposed to be rinsing else it all just goes back into the pool. Umm... oh. Within three days the water is so much cleaner and clearer, it's amazing. Now, we feel like informed pool owners!

Here are some of our stories of pool maintenance. We are on our third summer.

Reading test strips

Environmental Test Systems of Elkhart, Ind., is the subject of this article in The Indianapolis Star about a digital reader for pool test strips: "The Aquachek TruTest Digital Test Strip Reader. Consumers no longer have to eyeball test strips and guess whether the chemical levels in their pools are appropriate. With this invention, they simply dip a test strip into the pool or hot tub and then slide the strip into the digital reader. Within 15 seconds, the device transfers the colors on the test strip into a mathematical equation, analyzes the equation, and presents the consumer with a specific number representing the water sample's chemical content in three areas: free chlorine/bromine, pH and total alkalinity."

Opening the backyard pool

The very special stick makes it easy to release the straps from the screws in the pool deck. One quick flip of the wrist is all it takes. The pool cover is off, and today the pool team arrived to get the pump going.