Thank you, I came across this forum on Monday, I believe. I can't remember now what the initial inquiry that led me here was because since I've absorbed quite a bit of knowledge that wasn't imparted to me by my pool builder or the guys down at the store. It's led me from one thing to another.

We had a gunite pool built in the spring of 2007. The pool company claims it's 20000 gallons. My best "questimate" is that it's probably a little closer to 17k. It's a SWCG system.
I'm on my 4th cell now. I blame the advice I've been given over the years for this. Luckily the warranty covered the last two cells and in retrospect should have covered it the first time. I was armed with very little knowledge about how to take care of the pool, clean the cell, and balance the chemistry and it's been trial and error and OJT for me to get to this point. I get a lot of mixed advice from the boys down at the warehouse, some has been contradictory.

Great forum. I've come across some great reading and advice. Some of the things that I've been looking into are:


I found the "Great Sodium Tetraborate Experiment" thread interesting because my builder tried to get me on the Mineral Springs system. I've always wanted to know what additional "minerals" were in that expensive bag and have been intrigued by it's claims but uninterested in dropping that much cash on it. I'm the kind of guy that tries to figure out how to do-it-myself. Last summer I was trying to formulate my own Frontline Plus for my poor flea ridden pug.

I've been interested in a DE filter for some time now and I'm inclined to try adding DE to my sand filter.

I'm one of those saltwater pool people that is constantly battling my rising pH. I know my TA is around 120-ish

I don't have a thorough enough pool chemistry tester to tell you my CYA levels but I'm now wondering if I need to adjust them. I've never messed with the CYA and as far as I know my pool builder didn't either.

I have more questions and curiosities but that all I can come up with.