Thanks for bringing back the joy!

[CarlD]

MPetrillo:

This makes it all worth-while. Thank you. Whether someone posts and says "help" or someone learns from them while lurking, it's what we are in this for: so we can all enjoy clean, sweet safe pools at minimal effort and cost.

And don't forget the contributions of our 4th moderator, Poconos. Al's been our expert on pool mechanics (pumps, filters, plumbing, etc) and the pioneer in home-made solar systems and using DE in sand filters to super-charge them!

Plus he's a WHIZ at ice-fishing in his pool during the winter! (but I don't think he stocks it!) He gets all the fun of ice fishing, the convenience of not having to go out to a lake, and he doesn't have to clean fish!

[poolmom06]

Well my kids are waterdogs in the summer, two years ago we bought one of those Intex easy set pools, they swam in that thing all summer! We loved it, having been around pools all my life, I took good care of it even with its subpar filtration system.
Last summer one of our neighbors was moving, they had an above ground pool and didn't want to take it with them and we approached them about buying it, they said $200 and its' yours!! We wrote them a check as fast as we could then got to work!! We took their advice on how to get the ground prepared, mind you this is the middle of July in Texas, it was HOT~! Our problem was we had to take it down at the old place and put it back up at ours... It went smooth and it really helped to see how it went together as we took it down. We told our boys that it would be their birthday present(they have summer birthdays) and they were thrilled. All total we spent about $500 total by the time we purchased all the needed materials and did all the work ourselves but we have a beautuful AG 18ft round pool that we love!! It was the best $500 we have ever spent.
I found this site a week ago and I truly believe it saved my sanity!! I was spending $$ at the pool stores to avail, I read everything here and paid close attention and it has paid off! My pool was cloudy and green a week ago and my son swam in it today thanks to the BBB method. I went yesterday and bought 2 boxes of Borax, a gallon of bleach and a 4 lb box of Baking soda, I have muratic acid already ( pool store purchase, in search of an answer~) I spend less than $10!!! My husband is much happier that I have a blue pool now and it's clearing of the cloudiness, slowly but surely, I will vaccum twice a day to clear it. My neighbors have had problems with theirs this year, I am going to recomment the BBB method to them as well!!!
I can come here with a question and get an answer very quickly. I am going to continue to take my water in for testing once a week or so just to be on the safe side.

[Watermom]

I am going to continue to take my water in for testing once a week or so just to be on the safe side.

Better yet, get a good test kit and test the water yourselves. The one Ben sells at www.poolsolutions.com is the best you can buy and the one that most of us use. Definitely worth the money! Enjoy your pool.

[drumr]

The first year I had my pool I dealt with algae, cloudy water, and other things we all fight. Even though the store we bought the pool from had a "pool school" for new pool owners the information was at best vague, because they sell so many different kinds of pools they keep the information very general. I found poolsolutions.com a month before I opened my pool on the 2nd season and couldn't believe the BBB method. I asked the evironmental engineer at my workplace about the chemical names Ben referred too and asked him if it all made sense and sure enough he said it did. So I opened my pool and introduced the BBB method to it and have had sparkling water ever since. This is now the fifth season using the BBB method and we have perfect water. It's amazing how easy it is, no algae problems, just keep the water balanced per the instructions here and poolsolutions. I live in middle Tn. and my pool gets sun all day, my neighbors using baquajunk always have cloudy water and in August seem to get algae real bad, I try to convince them BBB is the way to go, but they always say you only have to check your water every couple of weeks and it is easy, but when I see their cloudy water vs. my clear water and it only takes 2 minutes to pour a bottle of bleach in everyday or every other day and the money I have saved....IT'S A NO BRAINER!!!
I am thinking seriously about a SWG for next season, but need to do more research first.

A huge thanks to all here who make my pool so easy to care for!!!
JD