AND THE BOTTOM FELL OUT

Let me tell you about my day yesterday. This was a true Murphy’s Law day. I have been trying to get the pool repaired and cleaned since April. I finally got the pool repaired, crystal clear and blue. So on Monday I turned the pump on and it started right up and then it shut down. I waited a few minutes and started it again. Again it started right up and then shut down. I remember that the pump did this once before, before I went to Utah last year. Scott said he had the same problem last summer, but eventually it would start up. As I played with it again on Tuesday, I realized that I was hearing a “click”, which meant the start capacitor was out. So yesterday I decided to take a couple of hours in off in the morning while it was cooler and change out the capacitor. When I got up, it was pouring rain! The weather report didn’t call for rain, just a 20% chance of late afternoon showers … it was 7 AM and it was pouring rain! So I went on into work and figured I could get it done later in the day.

Later in the day! Right! Chad and I took a capacitor off another pump and put it on the offending pump. It worked perfectly, for about 10 seconds and then the capacitor started smoking. Wrong size. So we went to Killeen Propane (an old fashioned hardware store) and got another one. (I have learned over the years that if you want a repair part, go to Killeen Propane first – saves time) Brought it home and installed it. The pump turned right on, then off, like it was doing before. Deciding that it was not the capacitor, we opted to change out pumps and put on the Hayward (Lincoln Town Car of swimming pool pumps). We got it all installed, but needed a jar of pool glue to cement the pipes in place. Since it was dinner time, we went to Wal-Mart to get the glue, and stopped at McDonald’s in Wal-Mart to grab a quick bite. We ordered the dinner and I went to pay for it with an old Wal-Mart merchandise card I had. McDonald’s doesn’t take Wal-Mart merchandise cards (of course). And to top it off, Wal-Mart was out of the glue. I felt like I was at Target.

Then Tyler called me and wanted to know if he and his brothers could come over and go swimming. I felt so bad because all spring and summer I have had to tell kids no. And I hate telling my grandchildren they can’t swim. This pool will be done and kids swimming by this weekend.

As Chad and I were getting ready to go to Wal-Mart on the above trip, when I closed the garage door; it kept going back up. Then we noticed the garage door was askew. I looked closely at the door and a guide wheel was off the track. I put it back in the track and it did the same thing – again and again. So I had to leave the garage door half up and half down. Can’t get it repaired until after work Thursday (of course).

We got the glue at Lowe’s, naturally. Then we went home and glued the pipes in place and turned it on. It sounded great! So we sat back to wait for the pump to start pulling water and waited for the tell tale bubbles in the pool to know we were in business. They never came. So we looked at the pump and realized that the impeller was broken. It was now 7:05 and the pool store closed at 7. So Thursday morning I will attempt to get the part and Chad will put it together. This is not an uncommon repair; it just came at an inoportune time!

To top the day off, when I was going to bed, I poured me a glass of water and the bottom of the glass fell out. I gave up and went to bed! Murphy 5, Frank 0.

Just a note at the end of this entry. I went to Leslie’s Pool Supplies this morning (Thursday) to get the parts I needed. Now, Leslie’s touts itself as being the largest Hayward dealer and parts supplier in Texas. The Hayward Super Pump II is the best and most commonly used pump in the marketplace, and I have the Super Pump II. The parts I needed, an impeller and pump shaft seal, are the most common repair parts needed with this pump. Leslie’s does not have these parts in stock, AND would take 10 working days to get them in … at the earliest. So I called Ocean Quest Pools in Belton and they are trying hard to get me the part, but as of this writing, I have not heard back. If it isn’t available, then we will change out pumps again tonight. One way or the other Chad and I are getting this blanketty blank pump fixed and the pool ready by this weekend. Or I may just fill it in and plant tomatoes and corn and more potatoes.