Pool Maintenance ?s

[porsche4life]

Ok guys, educate me on keeping up a pool. I've decided to fire our pool guy as he doesn't do that good of a job for the money, and he neglects our equipment till it breaks and then tries to rip us off to repair it.

Our pool is around 15,000 gal play pool, pebble tec finish. I have a kreepy krauley in it that I put hoping it would deter the ducks we had a problem with (mostly worked) and knowing I was going to fire this joker. Only issue is for whatever reason the kreepy has started sticking itself in the corner in the last few weeks. Need to adjust the hoses now. Pool guy completely stopped vacuuming when I got this. You'd think he'd at least touch up the step areas for $80/month!!!

What do I need to have on hand to start doing it myself? I know I need a test kit, and a few chemicals, but which ones and where to buy? I think there is a leslies on every corner out here with all the pools.


Also, I'm a realtor so I see lots of pools, need to know what I'm talking about with my clients. I was looking at a house yesterday with a salt water pool. They had the pump diverted to run the waterfall, and I'm wondering how long it had been this way. It had a baracuda in it but it obviously hadn't run in a while with all the leaves in it. All the leaves and patches of the bottom of the pool were white like there was salt buildup on it. Is this common with neglected salt pools?

[VincentVega]

I bought a house with a pool and knew nothing before moving in. I skim it every couple days and check the chemicals once a week. Nothing to it.

I found this site to be very useful Maintaining Your Pool | Pool For Thought

Chlorine tabs, some shock, backing soda, borax, test strips... just about all you need. Keep an eye on the filter pressure and back wash when required. Keep the water level up.

No experience with a salt pool.

[porsche4life]

This is our pool.

[BlueSkyJaunte]

Pool maintenance in AZ generally sucks. Most "pool guys" are only trying to build up a route so they can sell the business to some other guy. I've fired at least 3 pool guys since 2001. My current "pool guy" is a friend who does commercial pool maintenance and takes care of a few residential customers on the side.

I'd really like to just fill the pool with concrete and park a few cars on it but the wife insists it's worth it (for the 2 times a year she goes swimming with the kids). Oh well.

[Rick Lee]

Just buy those AquaChek test strips. eBay and Amazon have them a lot cheaper than Leslie's. The can comes with a color chart to hold the wet strip up against. Adjust chlorine, salt and acid accordingly. I do this once a month in cold weather and every few days when it's hot. Keep your chlorine up or you will end up with mustard algae. Keep your skimmer and filter baskets clean and check your pump pressure gauge. Mine is now at 20 psi, which means I need to tear it all down, clean the grids and then re-add diatomaceous earth (DE) at the skimmer. I have a guy come out about once a year when an issue with the pump, filter, seals, etc. is beyond my abilities. He gets me chlorine at wholesale too.

[porsche4life]

I hear ya. I could do without the pool, but the kiddos like it...

Another agent in the office has a guy he really likes, but I know I can do it, and save 40-80/month...

[BlueSkyJaunte]

Originally Posted by porsche4life

I know I can do it, and save 40-80/month...

Tell us that again when you're outside in 117 degree heat trying to re-assemble your filter.

[Rick Lee]

When I got my current house, I wanted to DIY the pool stuff, but had no idea. I found a guy on CL and explained to him I would pay him his monthly fee to just come once or twice and explain everything to me and I'd definitely call him for jobs that were beyond me. He agreed and showed me everything. Next time I needed his help, he had moved to HI. So I found someone else who's in another band with one of my bandmates. He's totally awesome, knows everything and will walk me through anything he can on the phone. If he has to come visit, I have to pay him, but it's very reasonable.

[Hugh R]

Take a sample to Leslie's initially, they can tell you about dissolved solids, which you need a meter for. If dissolved solids are high, you may need to drain the pool. Take a makeup water sample in as well to see what you're replenishing the pool with. You need to know if the makeup water is high in DS or hardness.

[Rick Lee]

Ah yes, Leslie's will give you a good analysis for free. If CYA is high, you'll need to drain and refill. Water is scandalously cheap in AZ. My pool is 10k gallons and I think it runs about $100-$150 to drain and refill. You can do frequent backwashing and refilling too if CYA isn't too bad. A few good rains help too.

[BlueSkyJaunte]

Originally Posted by Rick Lee

Water is scandalously cheap in AZ.

I have often wondered about this. I don't get it. We live in a friggin' desert and are constantly fighting with California over water rights.

Anyway, our pool is a diving pool, so my experience in maintenance pain may be different from others'.

[jwasbury]

I use TF Test kit...very comprehensive set of tests, and very accurate Free Chlorine level test.

TFTestkits.net

I pay a lot more than you do for valet service but they do a good job...I test the water just to check up on things, but otherwise I do little to no maintenance on my pool.

[porsche4life]

Originally Posted by BlueSkyJaunte

Tell us that again when you're outside in 117 degree heat trying to re-assemble your filter.

I've actually been in that boat before. My grandparents owned a pool when I was younger and I remember spending lots of summer days with dad trying to fix crap! Damn thing was 40yrs old and saw lots of use from the lower end of society. The chemicals were always getting out of whack.

[nota]

my pool is a koi pond now

[KNS]

Originally Posted by BlueSkyJaunte

Pool maintenance in AZ generally sucks. Most "pool guys" are only trying to build up a route so they can sell the business to some other guy. I've fired at least 3 pool guys since 2001. My current "pool guy" is a friend who does commercial pool maintenance and takes care of a few residential customers on the side.

I'd really like to just fill the pool with concrete and park a few cars on it but the wife insists it's worth it (for the 2 times a year she goes swimming with the kids). Oh well.

Our rental house (here in Phoenix) had a large, in-ground spa. Up keep was a pain as the previous owners neglected everything and we spent a fortune initially trying to fix all the deferred maintenance. Even then things kept breaking and the tenant's dogs kept jumping in the spa to cool off - throwing off the ph and clogging the filters (he kept saying they weren't).

Filled it in last year. Best move we ever made with our rental.

[BlueSkyJaunte]

I've been told (I have no way to verify for truth) that keeping things balanced in an AZ pool is a constant fight because of the dust factor. It has plant matter, chemicals from the various agriculture, etc. in it, all of which conspire to alter the water chemistry.

Sounds reasonable, but also could sound like an excuse invented by lazy pool guys.

[porsche4life]

Originally Posted by BlueSkyJaunte

I've been told (I have no way to verify for truth) that keeping things balanced in an AZ pool is a constant fight because of the dust factor. It has plant matter, chemicals from the various agriculture, etc. in it, all of which conspire to alter the water chemistry.

Sounds reasonable, but also could sound like an excuse invented by lazy pool guys.

Can't be any worse than OK... I can remember the pools being black on bottom in june from all the soot in the air when they burned off the wheat stubble all over the place...

[zipinitaly]

I've had a pool for the last 7 years and pools are pretty simple. MOST pool places will test your water FREE, so take your water in weekly and get it tested. Of course, the pool store will make recommendations based on those results, do your homework and only add what is needed. It really isn't hard to keep a pool functioning.

As far as dirty water is concerned, I raised 2 ducks on our pool during the late winter (no cover) and still had the water crystal clear for Memorial day. Keep your filter up and shock as needed.

I now keep a virtually chlorine free pool (wife has a reaction) with a product called EZ-Pool.

[72doug2,2S]

Recently bought a house with a pool in FL. I know nothing about it, but I take my pool water sample across the street to the local Pinch-A-Penny every Saturday and they are great about teaching me the basics (for free). I've added calcium, acid, and conditioner when needed and keep the chlorine up.

[vash]

Originally Posted by nota

my pool is a koi pond now

pics please!! you growing them huge?