Grosses me out, too!
My dad (RIP) used to have two signs on his pool:
"We don't swim in your toilet. Please don't pee in our pool!"
and
"This is our OOL. Notice there is no 'P' in it!"
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Grosses me out, too!
My dad (RIP) used to have two signs on his pool:
"We don't swim in your toilet. Please don't pee in our pool!"
and
"This is our OOL. Notice there is no 'P' in it!"
Always with the folksy asides, Carl, love it!
While awaiting your morning numbers, I have a silly question. You have mentioned vacuuming but I don't think you've ever mentioned brushing the sides. May I assume you are doing that? I am just trying to think of anything and everything!
Uh-oh! Am I in trouble again?Quote:
Originally Posted by FormerBromineUser
So CarlD- think they still make those signs? (altho my very understated husband would freak if I put a sign up).
What trumps pee in the pool? Finding a dead critter, maybe. This morning I found a dead vole (I'm guessing) in the skimmer, gave a shriek, all the kids came running out and took pictures for instagram. "cool mom!"
Well, yesterday's FC numbers stayed constant all day w/ FC=30. CC went up and down (3 to 2 to 2.5 yo 3).
Yesterday evening @8:15 FC=30 CC=3 first time ever the cup of test water smelled like heavy chlorine….it was overcast all day.
This morning tested @ 7:00 FC=30 (one test read 31- not sure how that is possible), and CC=2
oh-FBU: yes I brush the sides, feel them often for slickness. also have the kids and hubby do this while they are in the pool, but I haven't vacuumed since I started the shocking process. Is this something I should do now?
Only need to vacuum if there's stuff to clean up. You should, however, brush floor and walls. How much bleach did you use yesterday?
I didn't add any bleach yesterday. The FC was 33 at 7am and went down to 30 in the afternoon and and stayed @ 30 all night.
It's good to hear that the chlorine demand has subsided. Now to get a few sunny days to clear the CC.
OK- so, as long as the pool is holding chlorine, the sunlight will lower the CC level? Sunlight lowers CC?
We are on the cusp of a severe thunderstorm with high winds, hail etc. No sun today unfortunately.
I should continue testing, right? If FC is at 30 now, at what number should I add more bleach?
Chlorine and sunlight sould work together to clear CC. But remember, we still don't know what caused the chlorine demand and the CC in the first place, so we're following a general rule and not working to remove a known contaminant.
Yep, keep testing in the evening and morning - doesn't sound like there's any reason to test more often than that. Since each jug adds about 5ppm FC to your pool, add another jug when the FC gets to 28-30ppm.
How about finding a dead body in your pool! That's what trumps both pee and dead critters. A few years ago, one of the former moderators found that her neighbor had committed suicide in her pool.Quote:
Originally Posted by mary jo
Makes a little pee seem insignificant, doesn't it?
Watermom wins. I never want to hear about anything worse. I don't remember that, was it posted on the forum or, hopefully, privately discussd?
Yikes! :eek: ....I think I'll stop complaining about spiders in the pool.Quote:
Originally Posted by Watermom
She told us privately and then much later it was mentioned on the forum as well. It happened a long time ago, Dave, before you joined the forum. Talk about an awful nightmare to have to deal with!
I don't remember it. Was it even before MY time, Lisa?
And most of us are unhappy when our neighbor's trees dump stuff in our pool.Quote:
Originally Posted by JimK
Dumping bodies in your pool is REALLY the sign of a bad neighbor!
Didn't really want to be reminded of that.... What a nightmare. :sad:
I much prefer the plastic toy snake that appears "coiled and ready to strike" in my skimmer occasionally. Don't know how it gets there...
Ha! Ask your kids or your "significant other"! (Of course, they'll all answer "Not Me!")
About Pee in Pools:
Basically, any kids who were hydrated when the left in the house, and who remain in the pool 2 hours (where they aren't sweating) have probably pee-ed in the pool.
Dedicated US Swimming participants (year round swimmers) pick up the habit of doing so during 2 hour practices during which they aren't allowed to leave the pool. (Coaches HATE having to retrieve swimmers who are tired and taking an extended break in the rest room.)
I know it's gross -- till you get mentally adjusted to it. Urine is normally sterile, which is why doctors can test for bladder infections using a simple presence/absence test for bacteria. Consequently, it's not really a health problem. But urine DOES use up quite a bit of chlorine, and it combines rather badly with chlorine at that. On outdoor pools exposed to solar UV, the combination of chlorine + UV destroys the byproducts rapidly. The one place where pool UV systems have a REAL value is on indoor pools where these combination products accumulate in the absence of solar UV.
But, if you want to keep pee out of your pool, you either have limit pool sessions to 1 hour or less OR provide an EASY alternative. Many homeowners exclude dripping kids from the house: if you do, you also have a pee-filled pool, unless you've worked out an alternative. This can be -- depending on your fences and family's modesty standards -- as simple as a designated pee-bush! Others set up a camping type portable outhouse. Of course a dedicated pool house with a flush toilet is the ultimate solution, but you'll need an extra $20,000 or so, plus enough yard, if you want to take that route.
About Mystery Chlorine Loss:
The most common identified causes of 'mystery' chlorine loss include:
1. Unrecognized algae or bacterial growth, like mustard algae deposits or water mold (in light fixtures, etc)
2. Prior use of a bromide product for mustard algae, or just about any product made by United Chemicals
3. Low CYA, due to an earlier algae / biofilm bloom.
4. Unrecognized heavy bather 'load', such as REALLY oily swimmers, or swimmers with full bladders.
5. Regular use of algaecides.
Fertilizer will not affect chlorine use EXCEPT by helping to fuel algae or bacterial growth, as in #1 above.
My next-door neighbor has a summer "pool bathroom" that's outdoors, sort of, but built into the house. They have to winterize it, of course, shutting off the water and filling it with pool anti-freeze every fall. No idea what it cost.
We don't but in an emergency it's just steps across a tile floor to bathroom off the kitchen--and it's a rough tile we put deliberately put in because it isn't deadly when wet.
Plus, after an hour, we get kids out.
@watermom- Indeed a dead body is the ultimate ick factor. Sure took my mind off of pee in the pool…
so today's stats:
Yesterday pool stayed at FC30 most of the day, dipping down to FC29 that evening.
I added 1/2 jug of bleach and re-tested @10:00pm FC=31 CC=2.5
This morning tested @ 7:15 FC=30 CC=2.0
I'm not sure what else to clean! I fear we are approaching the end of the flow chart, and the dreaded "d" work (drain) is coming up….
.
NO! Don't be discouraged.
FC numbers are looking good, especially with the very sunny morning today and taking the measurements at 7:15. Your CC is down to 2 so it is showing progress... albeit slow... but maybe you found the culprit in the light niches, filters, Nature2, or somewhere.
Hang in there! Besides, you have a vinyl liner so "draining" is not a realistic option.
I'm not about to suggest that you drain. It looks like you are down to normal chlorine usage rates and the CC seems to be creeping down in spite of the cloudy skies.
FormerBromineUser's post reminded me: You did remove the Nature 2 cartridge, yes?
It turns out the pool guys removed the cartridge- either at last year's closing or this year's opening. The vessel is empty and clean.
OK- I wanted to add one more thing: my husband- who loves water but is pool illiterate- noticed "an extra hole" in the side of the pool while he was cleaning the light fixtures. I told him it was a dedicated return jet that the pool installer added assuming that we were going to go with the Legend's automatic vacuum system (an extra $1000). So the return jet was never used. Is this something that needs to be cleaned/maintained? I didn't think so since the other returns don't, but wanted to mention it just in case. I'm going to brush everything down today.
That extra return line is a place where "stuff" can grow and hide. is the other end of that line connected to anything or just capped off?
It must be connected because water comes out of it constantly- however, the pressure is lower than the other returns. It doesn't have a directional attachment on it- literally a 3" threaded opening.
Can you reduce the flow to your returns and increase the flow at this extra line? If so, do it for an hour or so to really force the shock level water in there. You would do the same thing for other water features: fountains, slides, etc. periodically, and especially at high CL levels.
Absolutely don't know how to do that!
Is there a valve for the "extra" line? If so, we can tell you how.
i was never told about an extra valve- was told not to worry about the extra hole…..I have 3 "T" valves. I turn off 2 when vacuuming.
(I probably need to review pool terminology)
When vacuuming, you leave on the skimmer valve. You apparently close the main drain. What changes when you close the third one?
As long as it has pool water flowing through it, I wouldn't worry about it.
So continue to keep the pool at shock level- 30- and see what happens to the CC.
btw: the skimmers again have a very thin line of sticky, greasy, black stuff around the waterline. I was going to wet a cloth with chlorine and wipe. Never had this before last Sunday.
The shock seems to be working, I wouldn't stop now. Like PoolDoc said - clean that goo off while you can.
Might try using a paste of baking soda and water to scrub it with.
I occasionally get the same black goo in the skimmers. I just clean it off when I notice it. It's been happening for years, but I've never notice a negative impact on the pool from it.Quote:
Originally Posted by mary jo
A big thank you to FormerBromineUser- yesterday I got a "house call" from her to look at my pool - an extra pair of eyes might help. Everything that could be cleaned was cleaned EXCEPT----when I turned the in-line chlorinator OFF several weeks ago, I forgot to take the pucks out! Luckily FBU caught this and the petrified pucks (about 6 of them) were removed and the empty tower cleaned (with hose water). There was a rust-colored looking stain on the tower walls, a bit of sediment on the bottom, so I soaked it w/ hose water and sprayed it out w/ the hose on jet spray setting. It does look much cleaner and water in it is clear, so I turned it on just a bit to let water trickle thru it- there's no shut off value for the chlorinator and Nature2 unit (which are located next to each other on their own line).
Not sure if that was a contributing factor, but it's now empty and clean.
Numbers:
Yesterday FC went from 30 to 27 (dawn to late afternoon) so I added about 1/2 jug of bleach.
Last night tested @ 8:30pm FC=30 CC=2.0
This morning tested @ 7:15am FC=29 CC=2.5
I didn't get to the brushing yesterday- will do it today.
Sounds good, 0.5ppm is the error in the test so those readings are pretty much the same. Have you had any sun?
I'd like to try a little experiment If you'll indulge me. For the next FC/CC test, use two dippers of DPD powder. Post any observation you have about the test.
Yes, we had lots of sun yesterday, and today as well (so far). Should I do the 2 scoops when I test this afternoon or wait until this evening?
Also, a question: my husband is coming back in town and has already asked me if he can swim tonight. I now know (and now he knows) it's safe to swim @ FC30, but will it mess up the FC/CC levels if he does? I'd rather wait until we're in the clear- POP, right- but wanted your opinion on whether this would set us back any.
Go ahead and swim - in an old suit. Next time you test, I'm curious if you'll see a difference at 30ppm FC.
Just sterilize the hubby before he jumps in! ;)