Results for "manufacturing"

Always assumed pool chlorine was just bleach in a fancy package until my chemistry teacher neighbor said it's actually manufactured completely differently. Now I'm curious — what exactly goes into making pool chlorine and is there really a difference between the cheap and expensive stuff?…more

After years of perfect pool maintenance, my filter sand suddenly turns cloudy and clogs up every time the temperature hits 85 degrees outside. The new sand I bought looks pretty dusty and I'm wondering if I need to clean it first before putting it in the filter system.

I'm really concerned about water quality and don't want to introduce anything harmful or make the water cloudy for the kids. Should I be washing this sand before installation, or is it ready to go straight from the bag? What's the safest approach here?…more

Finally moved into my new house and discovered the previous owner left a storage room packed with mystery pool chemical bottles that could be years old. My 20,000-gallon inground pool requires quite a bit of chemicals throughout the season, so I tend to buy in bulk when there are sales.

I've got liquid chlorine from last summer, some granular shock that's been sitting for about two years, pH increaser and decreaser from various seasons, and alkalinity increaser that I honestly can't remember when I bought. The containers don't all have clear expiration dates, and I want to know which ones I can safely use this season versus which ones I should replace.

What's the typical shelf life for different types of pool chemicals? I don't want to waste money replacing chemicals that are still good, but I also don't want to add ineffective chemicals to my pool and mess up my water balance.…more

Called three different pool companies this year about whether my fiberglass pool needs a liner and got three different answers—I'm done with the confusion. With vinyl pools, I understand you need a liner that eventually needs replacement every 8-10 years. But what about fiberglass pools - do they also require some type of liner system to hold the water?

I'm specifically looking at installing a 16x32 fiberglass pool (approximately 24,000 gallons) and want to understand all the long-term maintenance requirements. The sales rep mentioned something about a gelcoat surface, but I want to make sure I'm not missing any liner costs in my budget planning. Do fiberglass pools need liners installed, or is the structure itself sufficient to contain the water without additional waterproofing materials?…more

Somewhere in my garage I've got old pool chemicals from last season, but I can't afford to replace them all — is there a way to test if they're still good for under $20?

Specifically looking for technical specifications on how long liquid chlorine maintains potency versus granular forms, and whether chemicals like sodium bicarbonate and muriatic acid have definitive expiration parameters. Storage conditions are controlled temperature and humidity, so assuming optimal preservation environment.…more

Opened my pool storage shed yesterday to find my cover completely shredded after years of patches, and now I'm stuck with this massive tarp I can't dispose of properly. I really don't want to just throw it in the dumpster if there's a better option - it seems like such a waste!

I called my local recycling center and they had no clue what I was talking about. The cover is one of those vinyl ones with the foam backing, so it's not like it's a single material. Does anyone know if there are places that actually take these things? I'm hoping there's some specialized facility or program I don't know about, because sending this thing to a landfill feels wrong.…more

Wondering if my pool renovation is draining my savings account because I keep second-guessing whether my inground pool actually needs a liner. My neighbor just had to replace his pool liner after like 10 years and it was a huge hassle, but my other friend says her concrete pool doesn't have a liner at all?

So which types of inground pools actually need liners and which ones don't? And if I do end up with one that needs a liner, how often am I looking at replacing the thing? Trying to figure out the long-term maintenance costs before I commit to anything!…more

This morning I discovered my pool cover pump completely dead after last week's torrential downpour, and now I'm questioning whether four years is actually normal lifespan. I'm looking at replacements and there's such a huge price range - from like $50 cheap ones to $300+ fancy models.

Before I drop the cash, what's a realistic lifespan I should expect? Is it worth spending more upfront, or do they all basically crap out after a few seasons anyway? Mine gets pretty beat up sitting outside through our harsh winters, so I'm not sure if that's just the nature of the beast or if I should be getting more years out of these things.…more