A Swimming Pool ~ Wonderful Idea!! Now what??
 

Hi folks ~ We were so pleased to eventually get our pool installed yesterday after a month of friggin about with the pool store and installer.......... Now they talk to us as if we should already know all there is to know about pools and are of little help!

Yesterday we had a brand new pool full of 60,000 ltrs of crystal clear water ~ This morning it had turned a yukky brown colour and now we cannot see the bottom. We have put in 800g of Oxidiser last night and a heap of bromine tablets (wont use clorine) in the skimmer (once we discovered what a skimmer was) the pump has been running all the time.

Any ideas guys? In real dumb dumb language please ~ We haven't a clue, just fancied a swim!!

Re: A Swimming Pool ~ Wonderful Idea!! Now what??
 

Do you use a sand filter? If so, it is probably discolouraion from the new sand. They should have rinsed it to waste for some time before putting it onto recirculation. It should go in a day or two. You could a flocculant of some sort to the filter to speed it - speak to a pool chemical supplier for what's available locally.

I would just let it run for a couple of days - it will filter out more than likely.

What's wrong with chlorine.....?

Re: A Swimming Pool ~ Wonderful Idea!! Now what??
 

I use chlorine in our pool, once you get into a routine, it's not too bad - I put 1 stabilized chlorine tablet into the skimmer basket every other day and then about 1L of liquid chlorine in per week.

Not sure what the problem with chlorine is? A well chlorinated pool doesn't smell at all (unlike public pools).

If it doesn't clear I'd suggest taking a water sample to a pool shop and getting their input...

Pic of ours attached ;)

Re: A Swimming Pool ~ Wonderful Idea!! Now what??
 

Thanks for your input - We knew we had some learning to do but expected a little more post sale help from the pool store....... Very good on selling!!

The clorine thing is all about an allergy.

Re: A Swimming Pool ~ Wonderful Idea!! Now what??
 

Go to a different pool store - most do free water testing/advice, should clear up within a couple of days with the right advice.... Ours was a green mess to begin with, but cleared up quickly...

Re: A Swimming Pool ~ Wonderful Idea!! Now what??
 

I knew I shouldn't have clicked on a swimming pool thread in July. Now I want a swimming pool but my back yard barely fits a BBQ

Re: A Swimming Pool ~ Wonderful Idea!! Now what??
 

Piss poor service from the pool company:thumbdown:.

1st Job, find a decent pool company who will help you look after the water.

2nd Job, do what they tell you to add, from the water sample they have analyzed for free, cause they are going to make their money from the chemicals.

Our pool costs us about $25 per week in chemicals.

$395 to Open, $295 to close we have a 2 month season :ohmy:

Re: A Swimming Pool ~ Wonderful Idea!! Now what??
 

I reckon it costs about $5 per swim....... :(

Re: A Swimming Pool ~ Wonderful Idea!! Now what??
 

thats quite a lot for 2 months !

But for people who have a longer season then definatly worth it !

Thanks for posting upkeep costs.

Just curious, if you have space in your back yard, how much would it cost to have a pool installed?? Kind of the size like the one in the pic a few posts up?

Thanks
the blairs

Re: A Swimming Pool ~ Wonderful Idea!! Now what??
 

The Winnipeg season is a bit shorter than here in Ontario, but it's a convenience thing :thumbup:

An inground pool will cost anything from $30,000 for a fish pond to $60,000 for something nice by the time you've got everthing sorted (Deck etc) ~ Our pool is 27' diameter above ground, $105 for a permit, $2000 to have the excavating done, $150 for underground cable - the pool cost just $3100 to buy plus a gas heater $950, $1350 to install the pool, (cant get anyone to do the gas heater!! $400 for the water, $100 for chemicals (in one day), $50 for a longer pipe.

A cheaper option but be aware there are lots of "extras". We will no doubt spend a furtHer $2000 at least on the deck, access, landscaping, lighting etc.

Of to another pool shop today to hopefully get an answer or two!

Re: A Swimming Pool ~ Wonderful Idea!! Now what??
 

$25 in chemicals is a lot for a week but I have been told that bromine is cheaper in the long run (and kinder on the skin and hair). We have a bromine pool and put in about 10 pucks per week and use bromine shock every 2 or so weeks - that's it.

For the OP, definitely get yourself a good pool company to check your water for free. Also, if your neghbours have have a pool then have a word with them. :)

Re: A Swimming Pool ~ Wonderful Idea!! Now what??
 

I buy my chemicals from Canadian Tire. I use HTH chlorine shock once in the spring when it opens and after that I buy Oxysparkle, non-chorine shock and I shock it with this once a week. I also buy pucks from Canadian Tire. I probably buy two buckets of Oxysparkle and two buckets of pucks a season, but I always have some left over. I also use Algecide once a week too. You need the 40 percent stuff. You can get it from Walmart as well. Make sure it costs around $20 -- if its $4 its the weak stuff and not worth using.

In the spring you also have to use something to take out the metals - I forget the name.

I agree with what mbrealtor says about the pool company. When my pool is opened, my pool guy leaves me a list of what to do -- when to shock - how much to shock etc. etc. I can't believe that these people built a pool and left you to get on with it.

They should have given you a water sample bottle and told you to take a sample when the water warmed up and to take it in and get a water analysis. That's the first thing you should do. Maybe you need algecide, but I wouldn't guess at it -- you can make things worse.

Its far easier to spend the money; do it right and fix it before the problem gets worse. If you get water problems its much more expensive to fix.

I have bought various things from these people:

http://www.interpools.com/webstore.t...0C8B704A589088

They have quite a few stores - in Ontario, but I have had things shipped and they arrive very quickly and their prices are reasonable.

My opening and closing costs are probably a bit less than MB realtor's. But you don't have to pay someone. You can do it yourself. I just don't feel like doing it myself.

If I was getting a new pool, I would get a saline one.

Re: A Swimming Pool ~ Wonderful Idea!! Now what??
 

What you putting in there? Sounds a lot...

Re: A Swimming Pool ~ Wonderful Idea!! Now what??
 

We have loads of trees around us, and every leaf that drops finds the pool.

Squirrel's seem to regularly commit suicide in the pool, as do other occasional vermin, one of the hazards of living by a river. I seem to spend a lot of time pulling small dead things out of the water.

So it seems to need extra chemicals due to plant and animal life using the pool more than we do. :thumbdown:

Re: A Swimming Pool ~ Wonderful Idea!! Now what??
 

What happens in the winter guys? I'm presuming the pool needs to be either completely emptied or the water levels reduced? Otherwise I am presuming freezing might cause splitting of the structure? It's surely cold enough in all parts of Canada that that volume of water could freeze pretty quickly and stay frozen. Do you "blow out" all the pipework like the garden irrigation systems here?

(could it be an ice rink? :sneaky: ).

We had a pool in the UK which was great fun, but a considerable amount of work and expense and I don't think I'd ever willingly repeat the experience. :(

But there is something so fantastic about leaping into your own pool on a gorgeous day :thumbup: