AnnaK
04-15-2012, 06:07 PM
I returned home after a harrowing few days on the West Coast to find the pool filled and ready for opening.
Tested the water, 60 F. pH 7.5, FC 0.5, CC 0, TA 50. Didn't bother with CYA, it's near zero. Lots of tree debris on the bottom, those flowers from birch trees that disintegrate into tiny little brown specks. First order of business was to vacuum but first first was to make sure the new pump works. It does. I vacuumed. Ahhhhh . . . I LOVE doing this by hand.
I use an inline chlorinator with trichlor at the beginning of the season so I filled it and poured in some bleach as well. Not sure how much, it doesn't really matter at this point. I just wanted to get the FC up there over 0.5. The water was clean but not really clear. Not cloudy or anything, just not sparkly, probably because I had stirred up those tree bracts while vacuuming and brushing.
We ran the pump all night on low speed and this morning the water was much clearer. This is always so gratifying when things work well. We spent a little time this afternoon cleaning the wedding cake steps and getting them seated and then . . . ready for action!!!!
The dogs had been panting at the gate, up and down the stairs on one end and the ramp on the other. When we built the deck we put stairs and a ramp just in case we get a dog that can't do stairs anymore. I kept telling them, "No, not yet. Not time yet," but they knew it was going to be time really REALLY soon.
And then it was! Both shepherds got to dive in and retrieve their Wubbas and Frisbees and fire hoses several times before we made them get out. 60 F really is still pretty cold water, even for dogs with an undercoat which protects them like feathers do a duck.
We've never opened this early. It's very cold when a dog shakes himself while standing right next to you. I'm not going in there until the end of May, I bet, but they'll start their swim exercises RIGHT NOW.
Tested the water, 60 F. pH 7.5, FC 0.5, CC 0, TA 50. Didn't bother with CYA, it's near zero. Lots of tree debris on the bottom, those flowers from birch trees that disintegrate into tiny little brown specks. First order of business was to vacuum but first first was to make sure the new pump works. It does. I vacuumed. Ahhhhh . . . I LOVE doing this by hand.
I use an inline chlorinator with trichlor at the beginning of the season so I filled it and poured in some bleach as well. Not sure how much, it doesn't really matter at this point. I just wanted to get the FC up there over 0.5. The water was clean but not really clear. Not cloudy or anything, just not sparkly, probably because I had stirred up those tree bracts while vacuuming and brushing.
We ran the pump all night on low speed and this morning the water was much clearer. This is always so gratifying when things work well. We spent a little time this afternoon cleaning the wedding cake steps and getting them seated and then . . . ready for action!!!!
The dogs had been panting at the gate, up and down the stairs on one end and the ramp on the other. When we built the deck we put stairs and a ramp just in case we get a dog that can't do stairs anymore. I kept telling them, "No, not yet. Not time yet," but they knew it was going to be time really REALLY soon.
And then it was! Both shepherds got to dive in and retrieve their Wubbas and Frisbees and fire hoses several times before we made them get out. 60 F really is still pretty cold water, even for dogs with an undercoat which protects them like feathers do a duck.
We've never opened this early. It's very cold when a dog shakes himself while standing right next to you. I'm not going in there until the end of May, I bet, but they'll start their swim exercises RIGHT NOW.