Yes: Pools are worth it....

[immamac 42870]

Do they make any no maintenance pools now? Like pools that will shock themselves and whatnot? 

[dcbc 14492]

36 minutes ago, immamac said:

Do they make any no maintenance pools now? Like pools that will shock themselves and whatnot? 

Neighborhood pool membership.

[TexEx15 17545]

1 hour ago, dcbc said:

Neighborhood pool membership.

Private pools come with perks that the HOA would frown upon if tried in the neighborhood pool.

[PantsTent 2002]

Do they make any no maintenance pools now? Like pools that will shock themselves and whatnot? 

A SWCG is half way there. If you have a steady consistent supply of chlorine, you never need to “shock” it.

I’ve found I need a couple of cups of acid every two days though. Hopefully that slows down once the pebble is older.

[Hefeweizen 5328]

8 minutes ago, PantsTent said:

 

A SWCG is half way there. If you have a steady consistent supply of chlorine, you never need to “shock” it.

I’ve found I need a couple of cups of acid every two days though. Hopefully that slows down once the pebble is older.

 

My old pool was saltwater and about all I ever did was add salt and acid.  It was wonderful.

 

My current pool is a lot bigger, no saltwater so it requires a little more TlC to keep chlorine at the right level and I use borax to make it feel a little softer too.  Either way, the key is never let it get to no residual free chlorine or you’re going to work to get it back with shock and cleaning.

[Brew 3049]

13 hours ago, immamac said:

Do they make any no maintenance pools now? Like pools that will shock themselves and whatnot? 

Pay the pool maintenance company to come by once a week. I have found that’s the only way I get any enjoyment out of having a pool at this point and the maintenance is the main reason I had no plans to build another one. However, I’m married so that didn’t go as originally agreed upon.

The biggest issue we have is even with all the automated shit on pools now, keeping the free chlorine in line has been a pain in the ass. We have more rain and probably a wider band of temps than you guys do, but it’s constantly something.

[Bevo 13579]

Mines pretty much no maintenance although shit breaks on occasion - no trees, swg, and intellichem system which automatically adds acid. The tank is too small though so I probably have to add acid to the tank every 3 weeks. The only issue I have is that I need to install 30 feet of gutters to keep roof water out of the pool.

[HouTex 1885]

My old pool was saltwater and about all I ever did was add salt and acid.  It was wonderful.
 
My current pool is a lot bigger, no saltwater so it requires a little more TlC to keep chlorine at the right level and I use borax to make it feel a little softer too.  Either way, the key is never let it get to no residual free chlorine or you’re going to work to get it back with shock and cleaning.

This. I don’t have a pool any longer but I miss my old house and pool. It got to where I needed to add maybe a quart of acid every two weeks or so and that was pretty much it. The Polaris 280 kept my pool spotless. No need for a pool guy.

[dcbc 14492]

On 6/11/2021 at 9:27 PM, TexEx15 said:

Private pools come with perks that the HOA would frown upon if tried in the neighborhood pool.

Sure, but "no maintenance" isn't one of them.

[BillyBadAss 189]

I'm now looking at putting a Stenner pump/tank in to automate bleach additions instead of a SWG. Anyone have experience with these?

 

Looks like it will cost about $500. Looking at perhaps this one: 

https://www.freshwatersystems.com/products/stenner-single-head-fixed-output-pump-with-30-gallon-tank-2-tube-10-gpd-system

TFP has a pretty good thread explaining it: 

https://www.troublefreepool.com/threads/stenner-liquid-chlorine-pump-how-to-choose-and-install.169591/

[mchookem 16338]

my pool is already 91 degrees. usually only got up to 90 and not until late July. cost of the darker plaster...and we lost a LOT of shade from trees and giant palms that died during the freeze. wow.😳

Edited June 16, 2021 by mchookem

[feces hurling monkey 2]

Dumb question but how do you guys keep your pools from getting too hot in summer? Signed, guy from Minnesota who is moving to Texas soon and knows nothing about pools.


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[HouTex 1885]

Dumb question but how do you guys keep your pools from getting too hot in summer? Signed, guy from Minnesota who is moving to Texas soon and knows nothing about pools.


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The cheap way is to get some PVC pipe and make one or two fountains that screw into your pool return lines in the pool. The idea is to spray small streams of water at least 6 feet into the air. The evaporation process lowers the temperature of the water. In about 24 hours I could lower my water temp about 5 degrees. You have to run the pump 24/7. The TFP site has some DIYs on it.

[Quagmire 2147]

Saw this the other day seems like it would work to drop the temps

https://lilychillers.com

[MonkeyDoughnut 10324]

9 hours ago, feces hurling monkey said:

Dumb question but how do you guys keep your pools from getting too hot in summer? Signed, guy from Minnesota who is moving to Texas soon and knows nothing about pools.


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I personally like it on the warmer side, but have heard great things about Glacier chillers ("swamp" style coolers) in the Houston area.

[MonkeyDoughnut 10324]

On 6/13/2021 at 1:53 PM, BillyBadAss said:

I'm now looking at putting a Stenner pump/tank in to automate bleach additions instead of a SWG. Anyone have experience with these?

 

Looks like it will cost about $500. Looking at perhaps this one: 

https://www.freshwatersystems.com/products/stenner-single-head-fixed-output-pump-with-30-gallon-tank-2-tube-10-gpd-system

TFP has a pretty good thread explaining it: 

https://www.troublefreepool.com/threads/stenner-liquid-chlorine-pump-how-to-choose-and-install.169591/

Any reason you aren't just going SWG?  Asking as I'm weighing switching over at end of this pool season.

[El Tri 412]

Saw this the other day seems like it would work to drop the temps

https://lilychillers.com

Gonna have to try this. My pool hit 90 today. Direct sunlight all day


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[joe dirt 285]

at this point i’d kill for 90 degree temps. according to the aqualink app, mines is hitting mid 90s by 3p. also direct sun all day.

got one of those pvc fountain things coming today. also changed the pump schedule to run 4 hours overnight and then 5 hours during the day. hoping that circulating the water when it’s “cooler” will help. fuuuuuck. 

[Skipper 6136]

On 6/16/2021 at 7:53 AM, Quagmire said:

Saw this the other day seems like it would work to drop the temps

https://lilychillers.com

Funny.  I actually ordered this yesterday as well as pool temp already hit 90.  We cut down a couple of trees that provided more shade but were massive pains in the ass as far as leaves, etc.  Win some lose some.  Hopefully these work.

Edit:  Just received a notice mine should arrive late afternoon tomorrow so fast turnaround.   Will report back next week.

Edited June 17, 2021 by Skipper

[Quagmire 2147]

Funny.  I actually ordered this yesterday as well as pool temp already hit 90.  We cut down a couple of trees that provided more shade but were massive pains in the ass as far as leaves, etc.  Win some lose some.  Hopefully these work.
Edit:  Just received a notice mine should arrive late afternoon tomorrow so fast turnaround.   Will report back next week.

Report back if they work, still waiting for them to start my build but interested to see if I should get some.

[Bevo 13579]

3 hours ago, Quagmire said:

Report back if they work, still waiting for them to start my build but interested to see if I should get some.

I have a Glacier pool chiller but it is installed incorrectly so I don't use it. Maybe one day I will get it fixed but it is very loud when it is running. It is suppose to be installed separate from any other systems. Looking at the design, it seems like that is a necessity. Water sits at the base of the unit so the inflow and outflow need to be closely matched. Otherwise, water will splash out of the unit.

I have a large waterfall over a grotto and 3 smaller waterfall water features. Part of my pool is covered by a deck and when the pool temps get too high, I just run the waterfalls more often.

[BottleRocket 647]

SIAP but I'm just finding out about the chlorine shortage due to C19 and a fire at one of the plants in LA.  Holy shit $190 for a 40lb bucket of Chorbrite from Leslies.  Anyone know of cheaper alternatives?  My BIL has gone to liquid chlorine but I haven't asked where he gets it from or how much he pays.  

[Quagmire 2147]

Ouch , glad I’m getting saltwater

[Hefeweizen 5328]

I bought a giant container of granules in may so I’m set for summer.  My go to has always been liquid hypochlorite from Walmart but it’s probably gone up too.  Plus I really don’t want to go into Walmart every again.

[Bevo 13579]

5 hours ago, BottleRocket said:

SIAP but I'm just finding out about the chlorine shortage due to C19 and a fire at one of the plants in LA.  Holy shit $190 for a 40lb bucket of Chorbrite from Leslies.  Anyone know of cheaper alternatives?  My BIL has gone to liquid chlorine but I haven't asked where he gets it from or how much he pays.  

I didn't look at the price but it was available at Costco.

[BillyBadAss 189]

On 6/16/2021 at 8:42 AM, MonkeyDoughnut said:

Any reason you aren't just going SWG?  Asking as I'm weighing switching over at end of this pool season.

My PB doesn't want to do travertine coping on a free-form pool - says the travertine coping pieces are smaller than other natural stone and will end up with pizza slice pieces on the curves. I'm not sure I totally buy that, but at the same time I don't know why he'd care to lie...  My next choice is Lueder limestone, which I'm less certain will do well with salt.  I'm not actually sure whether the salt thing with natural stone is overblown or real, but using a auto-feed liquid chlorine system looks almost as easy as SWG - so thought I'd go for it and save myself the worry (and initial cost). 

 

[Bevo 13579]

27 minutes ago, BillyBadAss said:

My PB doesn't want to do travertine coping on a free-form pool - says the travertine coping pieces are smaller than other natural stone and will end up with pizza slice pieces on the curves. I'm not sure I totally buy that, but at the same time I don't know why he'd care to lie...  My next choice is Lueder limestone, which I'm less certain will do well with salt.  I'm not actually sure whether the salt thing with natural stone is overblown or real, but using a auto-feed liquid chlorine system looks almost as easy as SWG - so thought I'd go for it and save myself the worry (and initial cost). 

 

If you are in Austin, it might be worth it to drive to https://stonecreekpavers.com . I thought their products looked pretty good, although I didn't go that route and instead bought travertine online. They manufacture concrete pool coping that looks like natural stone and are in Manor.

[TexEx15 17545]

Coping and tile started this week.  Once the coping is done they are going to try and get moving on the deck and outdoor kitchen and fireplace.

[Hornlover 8830]

On 6/18/2021 at 3:06 PM, BottleRocket said:

SIAP but I'm just finding out about the chlorine shortage due to C19 and a fire at one of the plants in LA.  Holy shit $190 for a 40lb bucket of Chorbrite from Leslies.  Anyone know of cheaper alternatives?  My BIL has gone to liquid chlorine but I haven't asked where he gets it from or how much he pays.  

Liquid chlorine is available at Home Depot, Lowes, Leslies, etc.

It doesn't have cyanuric acid in it, so you may need to add stabilizer, but otherwise it's pretty simple. You can even just use Clorox - it's the same stuff - although it is typically a lower concentration than the liquid chlorine marketed for pools.

[HouTex 1885]

Liquid chlorine is available at Home Depot, Lowes, Leslies, etc.
It doesn't have cyanuric acid in it, so you may need to add stabilizer, but otherwise it's pretty simple. You can even just use Clorox - it's the same stuff - although it is typically a lower concentration than the liquid chlorine marketed for pools.

This. If you need chlorine you can just go to Walmart or Costco and buy as much Clorox or generic liquid beach as you need. The pool calculator app will tell how much you need to add depending on the concentration of the liquid chlorine and the size of your pool. Make sure to buy plain bleach with no scent or other additives.

[PantsTent 2002]

9 hours ago, Hornlover said:

Liquid chlorine is available at Home Depot, Lowes, Leslies, etc.

It doesn't have cyanuric acid in it, so you may need to add stabilizer, but otherwise it's pretty simple. You can even just use Clorox - it's the same stuff - although it is typically a lower concentration than the liquid chlorine marketed for pools.

If you've been using pucks for a long time, you probably have too much CYA.

[TexasEd 8067]

Our new fence went up yesterday. It’s nice having the privacy of an 8 ft fence on one side. 

[Hornlover 8830]

3 hours ago, PantsTent said:

If you've been using pucks for a long time, you probably have too much CYA.

Our pool company told us to use a mix of liquid and tabs. Favor the liquid, and use a small amount of tabs every other week, otherwise the tabs will eventually put too much stabilizer and then you are screwed. 

[gyroprotagonist 2594]

I have a pump that must have slightly expanded or something during icemagedon.  It was not leaking or anything when the crew came to replace some cracked plumbing the first time around.  Fast forward a month later and a tiny drip is starting.  No big deal, we think it's just the collar that needs tightening.  It starts leaking at little more so I try to get back on the pool repair schedule.  lol.  By the time they can come out just to look at it, it's a leak coming from the bottom of the pump.  Crap.  dude says cracked pump.  4 weeks later and they are finally supposed to come out on Tuesday to fix.

- Other shops I called were running 8 weeks.  This plus the new AC we just put in yesterday are really making me short the family's medical/food/well being to keep my drug and gambling 'problem' going full tilt.  thanks a lot Obama

[Lhorn 4919]

On 6/18/2021 at 6:18 PM, Bevo said:

I didn't look at the price but it was available at Costco.

My wife says she got 40# bucket from Costco for $90 or so.  Clorox brand. 

[freyguy 4278]

That's not a bad price

[Lou 264]

On 6/17/2021 at 12:11 PM, Skipper said:

Funny.  I actually ordered this yesterday as well as pool temp already hit 90.  We cut down a couple of trees that provided more shade but were massive pains in the ass as far as leaves, etc.  Win some lose some.  Hopefully these work.

Edit:  Just received a notice mine should arrive late afternoon tomorrow so fast turnaround.   Will report back next week.

How have these worked out for you?

[Skipper 6136]

23 hours ago, Lou said:

How have these worked out for you?

They definitely help.  Noticeable difference.  I have 20 total and I'm guessing that gets me somewhere around 70% coverage.  Water temp only went up 1-2 degrees during the day time this weekend.  Taking them out before swimming is a bit annoying but not that big of a deal.  The only downside is that when it's windy (like it was this weekend) some will fold in half or blow together so you definitely lose some coverage or have to go back out and reset them.  My pool area is surrounded by a fence on one side and house on the other so is relatively wind protected but it was still a problem with the gusts we had.  So if you have a more open pool area these may not work for you any time it's windy.

[fattyflattie 4639]

3 hours ago, Skipper said:

So if you have a more open pool area these may not work for you any time it's windy.

Can you hang a small weight from them, like a decoy? 

[Skipper 6136]

12 minutes ago, fattyflattie said:

Can you hang a small weight from them, like a decoy? 

I think it would be tricky to make it work and it sounds like way too much effort.  It would also significantly overcomplicate removal and temporary storage for 20 separate floats.   I would probably just try to come up with a different solution if pool wasn't somewhat protected from wind.

[BradInATX 9208]

Worth it.

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[PantsTent 2002]

Well shit, my yard/pool can’t take the length of this rain. I’m watching dirt just flow into the pool.

[williemackgarza 1826]

Damn pants feel for you. Same shit got me twice this year. 1 was terrible. Mud, grass trash all kinda shit. Another was light.
Where you at?
Just let the system run and run your robot many times

[PantsTent 2002]

Damn pants feel for you. Same shit got me twice this year. 1 was terrible. Mud, grass trash all kinda shit. Another was light.
Where you at?
Just let the system run and run your robot many times

I’m in Circle C area. We got about 3” in 45 mins or so today. Yeah this is the third or fourth time. It’s not so bad, just frustrating. It clears up in a couple of days after doing exactly what you said.

[Buzzrock 14926]

Pools are worth it, but I’m beginning to wonder about children. Just got back in town from a week trip to find that one of my kids left the Polaris on the pool deck all week. We had storms and the water is down below the skimmers and the pool is full of trash. I don’t have an auto-fill of any kind.

I’m topping off the pool now and really hope the pump works when I turn it on. Will try not to murder the kid.

[milkman 428]

Looks like I'm going to bite the bullet and put a pool in at the new house.  I don't know the first thing about a pool other than it holds water.  I just got a preliminary drawing back from my pool builder and its less than mesmerizing.  Could some of you help me out here? 

Beach entry looks a little on the small side.  I would like enough room for two lounge chairs in the water there.

On the equipment placement I don't want it next to the house.  Has anyone seen the equipment located remotely in the backyard?

Thanks in advance!

Edited July 12, 2021 by milkman

[Dbeasy 15072]

Installing a pool with no spa is an American tragedy.

[BurntOrange&White 39934]

15 hours ago, milkman said:

Looks like I'm going to bite the bullet and put a pool in at the new house.  I don't know the first thing about a pool other than it holds water.  I just got a preliminary drawing back from my pool builder and its less than mesmerizing.  Could some of you help me out here? 

Beach entry looks a little on the small side.  I would like enough room for two lounge chairs in the water there.

On the equipment placement I don't want it next to the house.  Has anyone seen the equipment located remotely in the backyard?

Thanks in advance!

Nice deck homey

Edited July 12, 2021 by BurntOrange&White

[Anastasis 23478]

So 150k for pool and double level pergola?

[Tailgate 3022]

On 6/15/2021 at 11:10 PM, feces hurling monkey said:

Dumb question but how do you guys keep your pools from getting too hot in summer? Signed, guy from Minnesota who is moving to Texas soon and knows nothing about pools.


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Glacier Chillers. The most efficient ones I’ve seen. Costs like $30-50 a month to run everyday. I have to dial back on the number of hours it runs as my pool can actually get too cold for most swimmers (<80 degrees).