SWIMMING POOL

Definition: Swimming Pool – a hole in the ground into which you continually throw money.

I have heard of pants wearing out; and I have heard of shoes wearing out; I have even been worn out myself. But who ever heard of water wearing out. Does it feel dry when it is worn out? I don’t know. Actually, I did know water could wear out. When I was in the pool business we warned people about their water getting to the point where you couldn't’t control it. This happened more in hot tubs with the constant heating, but it also happens to pools. There is a test that can be run to test for chlorine demand, but in the end it us usually cheaper to drain the pool and refill it than it is to bring it back up with chemicals.

I was unable to properly care for the pool this year because I was laid up with my knee. So the pool got out of hand. The water looked like it came from Belton Lake, and smelled that way too. Scott and I shocked it and got it looking good. Before I could clean the pool, here came the rains. Nothing will use up available chlorine in the water faster than a good rain dumping all those contaminants into the water. So after the rain, we shocked it again. Then came round two of the rain. Last Wednesday evening I super shocked the pool. Then on Saturday I shocked it again and added PH increase and flock. When I tested the water on Monday I got a negative reading. The reading should have been off the chart with the amount of chemical I put it, but it was not showing any chlorine and the PH was still extremely low. I decided that it was enough and I got out the old pump and drained the pool. Last night Shawn Mc and I used our pressure washers and pressure washed the pool. We have just a little to finish up tonight. Then I will go to the city and get a hydrant meter and hook it up to the fire hydrant and, using 200 feet of 1 ¾ hose, I will fill the pool. It takes 4 hours this way, compared to 5 days with a hose. And bulk water from a hydrant is much cheaper than coming thru the hose. The meter I get from the city attaches to the hydrant and measures the water we use. With any luck, the pool will be ready for swimming by Saturday.