New to pool ownership and care

[TheOzz]

I joined the forum and then read the note at the very bottom of the "New Directions for PoolForum in 2018 (in revision)" page saying that this site is not for pools filled with well-water. What are the issues with well-water? For issues specific to well-water, can you point me to a resource to help?

I am a new pool owner...never owned or cared for a pool in my life. I bought a house over the winter with the following:

In-ground Pool
Small to Moderate size
Fiberglass construction
Fresh Water Chlorine based
Full Sun Light
Canvas covered since before I moved in (secured with latches that unscrew from anchors in cement)

Hank O
Ridgeville, SC (near Charleston)

[PoolDoc]

upgraded membership to *General*.

Moved thread to "Testing & Adjusting Water Chemistry" section.

Renamed thread to "What's the Problem with Well Water?"

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And the answer is . . . well water often contains chemicals that greatly complicate pool care.

In various parts of the country, well water contains iron, manganese, silica or other metals that cause no end of problems with stains, clouding or deposits.

I've succeeded, many times, in OPERATING commercial pools with difficult water and for years, mistakenly thought I could help homeowners do the same thing. Unfortunately, as best I can make out, my batting average with helping homeowners via the Internet is 0.000! Managing difficult well water seems to be too complex, and to require too much consistency in treatment, for homeowners to manage it successfully. It's not impossible, in theory, but in practice it's proven too much for people.

Not all well water is difficult: limestone water (karst wells) can be very easy. Coastal sulfur water may not be a problem, but I have no experience and simply do not know.

If well water -- like yours -- is COMMON, than local pool stores MAY have a solution. Unfortunately, most pool store 'solutions' are 1/3 function and 2/3 useless (or worse) profit driven recommendations. So be careful. And keep in mind, if water LIKE YOURS is not common, then their advice is likely to be useless.

Managing well water summary:
Requires ACCURATE knowledge of the problems: iron? manganese? sulfur? silica? magnesium? high calcium? acid?
Requires (in almost all cases) a properly matched and well-functioning pump and filter system (which few above-ground pools have)
Requires accurate day-to-day testing
Requires a complex management plan that is 1/3 chemistry and 2/3 methodical, consistent pool care.

So what's the BEST solution?
Get lucky, and have well water that happens to NOT be a problem, OR
Get lucky, and stumble onto something that works for you. It happens in a minority of cases.


. . . sorry!

[TheOzz]

Pool Doc,

Thanks for your frank feedback on well water. Based on my reading of the forum posts and your Pool Solutions site, I think there is still plenty here for me. I have a lab report from the well water done just before I purchased the house. There is nothing of concern and I am going to try to manage my own pool this year. I will keep it simple and deal with only one thing at a time. I am sure I will come up with some questions along the way that I can find answers for here.

Thanks Again!
Hank