Maybe I can shed some light on some of the problems/comments made here.
I'm a AFO/CPO (national aquatics facility/certified pool operator)...and under my care in the summer is a 75'x75 foot public pool, with 4 diferent depths....
Okay..first off... Chlorine should NEVER be "felt in your eyes"...if it is...your water either has too much chlorine, but not enough for a super shock, or not enough chlorine, and too much bacteria....Ever go into an indoor swimming pool, and smell what you think is chlorine? yeah- well that's bacteria...not chlorine...anyway, back to outdoor pools.
A filtration system should be set on a timer, if not run continuously for 24 hours....it should be run when you use the pool most- say 10am-6pm non-stop, and then on/off during the overnight. This keeps the pool much cleaner as the turnover rate of your filters will vary greatly. In my case, I have a 4 hour turnover rate...which means basically that in 4 hours, every gallon of water in my pool, has gone through the filter system...CLEAN WATER....
Backwashing should be done regulary...your filter should have a pressure guage on it, so you are aware of when to backwash....I can't give you the #, as each system is a bit different...once you know where yours runs on a just backwashed system, you can tell, by the drop is pressure when to backwash...
If you have a cartridge filter, please buy more than 1 cartridge..cleaning a cartridge filter, takes 24 hours...if you don't know how to clean one, let me know I'll pm you on Tuesday with the info (it's in my office...I have to follow directions each summer, as I lack in the winter LOL)
if you have a sand filter, you should replace your sand every 2 years or so....once the sand has been beaten down by the water, the granulas are too small to "wash the water".
I could go on and on and on...however, I think that's the jist of what I wanted to say.
Also- automatic vacumes are great, however they take forever to cover the pool.. I can vacumm my 75x75 foot pool in just under an hour...and that's not missing a spot. 1.5 hours my skimmers are all cleaned, and pools vacummed!
OH- I forgot..........your water needs to be tested VERY frequently when your pool is in use...body oil, sun screen etc... cling to bacteria....etc...
Oh- the automatic feeder, I have one as well....it's not as simple as 'turing the dial" you need to know how fast it's going to enter, and how long to keep it where it is....mine's automatic, 100% I dont touch my feeder, once set in early summer, my filtration system, vacumm and backwash keeps my chemicals in check..and thats with upwards of 200 kids swimming in the pool on very hot days!
Okay, thats it
Brandy
I'm a AFO/CPO (national aquatics facility/certified pool operator)...and under my care in the summer is a 75'x75 foot public pool, with 4 diferent depths....
Okay..first off... Chlorine should NEVER be "felt in your eyes"...if it is...your water either has too much chlorine, but not enough for a super shock, or not enough chlorine, and too much bacteria....Ever go into an indoor swimming pool, and smell what you think is chlorine? yeah- well that's bacteria...not chlorine...anyway, back to outdoor pools.
A filtration system should be set on a timer, if not run continuously for 24 hours....it should be run when you use the pool most- say 10am-6pm non-stop, and then on/off during the overnight. This keeps the pool much cleaner as the turnover rate of your filters will vary greatly. In my case, I have a 4 hour turnover rate...which means basically that in 4 hours, every gallon of water in my pool, has gone through the filter system...CLEAN WATER....
Backwashing should be done regulary...your filter should have a pressure guage on it, so you are aware of when to backwash....I can't give you the #, as each system is a bit different...once you know where yours runs on a just backwashed system, you can tell, by the drop is pressure when to backwash...
If you have a cartridge filter, please buy more than 1 cartridge..cleaning a cartridge filter, takes 24 hours...if you don't know how to clean one, let me know I'll pm you on Tuesday with the info (it's in my office...I have to follow directions each summer, as I lack in the winter LOL)
if you have a sand filter, you should replace your sand every 2 years or so....once the sand has been beaten down by the water, the granulas are too small to "wash the water".
I could go on and on and on...however, I think that's the jist of what I wanted to say.
Also- automatic vacumes are great, however they take forever to cover the pool.. I can vacumm my 75x75 foot pool in just under an hour...and that's not missing a spot. 1.5 hours my skimmers are all cleaned, and pools vacummed!
OH- I forgot..........your water needs to be tested VERY frequently when your pool is in use...body oil, sun screen etc... cling to bacteria....etc...
Oh- the automatic feeder, I have one as well....it's not as simple as 'turing the dial" you need to know how fast it's going to enter, and how long to keep it where it is....mine's automatic, 100% I dont touch my feeder, once set in early summer, my filtration system, vacumm and backwash keeps my chemicals in check..and thats with upwards of 200 kids swimming in the pool on very hot days!
Okay, thats it
Brandy