bridie

Thanks I may well do as we're also a bit stumped trying to get the vacuum to work

THanks for all the replies - could be the chlorinator as it was caked up and OH cleaned it sunday late afternoon... we've just had a new cell in it so shouldnt be on its way out. Also the water is warm (32 degrees usually) AND on Saturday we took the cover off so the rainwater could top it up a bit.

I've put some chlorine in and it's got rid of the green already (and a poor old frog I found floating this morning ) - hope it's ok for Xmas as it's the one day of the year I definitely want to be in the pool!!!!

themerlin

I find adding buffer (pool sunscreen) helps to keep the chlorine level up in summer, it stops the sun breaking it down too quickly.

DadAgain

Ok - just remember that if you have too much chlorine in the pool when you add salt it can go green sometimes. Its not a problem, just a temporary thing until it settles down!

After our recent storms our pool was surprisingly still quite high in chlorine (despite LOTS of rain) - but had no salt in whatsoever. The pool guy told us to stabilise and add buffer, switch the chlorinator off for a day or 2 (with cover off to try and drop the chlorine levels) before adding salt. It worked a treat and we now have a crystal clear sparkling water, with good stable chlorine and pH levels and plenty of salt, at a pleasant 30C ready for the crowds decending on us on Thursday! (watch it rain tomorrow now I've said that! )

EvannTel

Buffer used for pH, it will be stabiliser you add as a sunscreen (usually isocyanuric acid if you read the label)

Interesting as you cant make chlorine without salt so there must have been salt there! Glad it worked out for you though.

bridie

Vacuum now working (thanks David)

Evann: I'll give you a ring over the hols though as been meaning to invite you round for a coffee anyway! Have a lovely Christmas xx

worzel

Just curious; what sort and what did you do to fix it?

themerlin

Ah yes thats when I ment

bridie

we just have the normal vacuum that connects to the pipe and you do it manually... no idea how it was fixed - the only thing I can think is he submerged the pipe in the water rather than using the blowers to blow the water in....

Have a good Christmas Worzel

worzel

Yeah, ours takes a couple of hours for the air to blow through before it gets effective.

Merry christmas to you too Bridie.

EvannTel

Worzel,

If you can submerge the hose before hooking up to the pump suction (skimmer basket or port on the pool). This way the pump will pump water and suck almost straight away. The pumps are designed to pump water, not air, and running like you are causes the pump to cavitate - this will shorten the life of your pump.

worzel

Yeah, I know. But it can be a right pain trying to submerge 10 metres of pipe that wants to float. I really ought to stand in the deep end on top of the pipe while the missus connects it but its not often I can be bothered.

EvannTel

Nah there's an easy way!

1. Fit hose to sucker end (Creepy Crawly, manual hoover end, whatever)
2. Throw said end into pool (remember to keep hold of other end)
3. Then feed hose downward into water - doesn't matter if it proceeds to float again as it will now be full of water.
4. When at end of hose you should now see water in it
5. Connect up
6. Open stubby
7. Sit back and drink
8. Watch pool get clean!

Repeat steps 6 to 8 until satisfied

steveyp

Hold the hose over the return jet and blow the air out...takes 20 seconds

worzel

I have done that in the past with only partial success (not the open stubby bit - I am very good at that)

Now that does sound like a good idea. I will try that next time, thanks!

australianinleicester

try to figure out how big your pool is in litres and take a sample of water to a local (good) pool shop for testing, get all the stuff you need and add, give it a few days and test it again, remember you will need to add stablizer to prevent the chlorine burning off in the sun, backwash the filter weekly and keep it clean of leaves, pool maintenance is not a chore, did it for 6 years, easy, test chlorine weekly or after heavy rain