4 Little Tricks I've Learned

[CarlD]

Nice post, DS! I really enjoyed it.

The post-mowing spray is a new one to me, but it does make some sense.

The rest of your steps are all sound and logical and work for you. I don't see any cons to them. You seem to have a really good handle on your pool.

To lay out ALL the tips/tricks would take a while, but if you check each topic here at PoolForum.com you'll see threads stickied at the top. The bulk of what many of us do is there. I don't know how you handle your chemicals and testing, but our suggestions will be there.

Generally, pics like yours (great family and friends shots--I really like the dog with his/her tennis ball!) go in the Above Ground Pool Gallery stickied thread in the "Off Topic..." forum. They are GREAT pictures and everyone will enjoy seeing them wherever they are!

Dog hair can be hard on filters, so be careful about that--I would STRONGLY suggest you use skimmer socks to protect your filter. They are cheap, go under various brand names, and go in your skimmer like a Mr. Coffee filter.

Most importantly: Do NOT let the horse in the pool!

[dirtysouth]

Thanks Carl. I didn't know about the dog hair. That's some great advice. We don't let her in the water often but it's good knowing that her hair can cause problems.

Thanks again.

[CarlD]

Thanks Carl. I didn't know about the dog hair. That's some great advice. We don't let her in the water often but it's good knowing that her hair can cause problems.

Thanks again.

You are welcome! The skimmer socks are great to use all the time. I JUST finally tossed the first one this morning. The elastic was getting too stretched to hold it to the skimmer basket. They are something like 3 for $5 or 5 fo $5 and I've gotten over a month out of one.

Dog hair can clog the pump since it gets past both filter baskets, especially if she's shedding. (My dog when she blows her coat, about every 6 months, there is fur EVERYWHERE, indoors and out---that's a Belgian Tervuren for you!)

[VOLDADDY]

DS,

Great pics! Your water looks great. The pictures of the kids having fun is what a pool is all about. Looks like you enjoy your pool, along with family/friends/neighbors. Keep up the good work!

The pic of the little guy passed out in the chair was too cute!

[mammallama]

I also enjoyed your pictures.

Question: How do you get the dog in and out of the pool? Does he/she use a ladder? I have a lab with bad hips and I'm sure she would love to go for a swim, but I'm not sure how I'd get her in and out...

Hints?

(I don't have stairs, only a ladder...)

[CarlD]

For IG pools and AGs with decks, there's a pet ramp that lets them walk in and out of the pool. If you have an AG like DS does, I wouldn't do it--how do you get her out if she gets in trouble and panics?