Pools are much easier to maintain these days than they used to be. As long as you keep on top of it, the time you spend maintaining it will be minimal. Get yourself a good drop-based test kit (see link below for more info). Test at least twice weekly until you're sure it's stable and you get used to how it behaves, then you can stretch it out to once a week (you may want to go back to twice a week during heavy bather loads). I don't have a salt generator like you do, but I've heard from my buddy that has one and from people here that they are even less maintenance than a pool with chlorinator.

I think you're supposed to backwash a DE at least quarterly, more if it's a fairly new pool as plaster dust will build up in it. I've also been told that you have to open it up and clean the grids out twice a year.

Here is a link that might be useful: http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/pools/msg0314212613317.html?5

Thanks tresw,

One other thing that the pool service guy has said is that since I have Solar heating, the PH of the water should be on the higher side, close to 8. Everywhere I have read, the ideal reange is 7.4-7.6. Do pools with Solar heating require higher PH's?

--Scal

Hi scal:
We finished our pool last July. We have aprox. a 40,000 gallon pool, 3 pumps, a quad DE filter, salt water system and Hayward Navigator cleaner.

Like you we started out with a weekly service at $100/month (in San Diego). However, I quickly became extremely disappointed with the service. Most of the work that was supposed to be done was not being done - the guy would spend 10-15 minutes tops each week working on our pool. I complained several times to the service company owner who insisted his guy was doing a proper job. Then one morning in October I found green algea growing on all the north facing walls. That was it... I fired them!

I then asked a neighbor's pool guy if he would be able to take us on. He took one look and said he just did not have the time in his schedule to take it on due to the size and complexity of our pool. He said it was a 60-90 minute per week job. He gave me a few pointers on helping to erradicate the algea and said that he would be happy to come out twice a year to clean our DE filter ($90 per clean)when he does our neighbor's filter clean.

Thus, I have been maintaning the pool ever since. It's not very difficult and saves us $100/month. I actually enjoy the time I spend out there working on the pool. During the summer months I was checking Chlorine and pH daily. During the winter I check it a couple of times a week. I add chems as needed. I skim the surface, brush the sides and Baja shelf and dump the skimmer basket aprox. twice a week. I clean out the the main pump basket about once a week. In total, I would estimate that I spend about an hour each time I go out to do maintenance... so about 2 hours per week... but that's only because I enjoy it. I'm sure I could easily get away with just one hour per week.

Thus far it really does seem rather simple... knock on wood. The most complicated part is the filter. I am happy to pay $90 every six months to have that looked after... there are too many warnings of "severe bodily harm" or "death" on the outside of the filter and in the manual for me to feel comfortable poking around the thing ;-)

Hope this helps.

Scal, you should check out trouplefreepool.com (tresw, I'm surprised you didn't send him there!). Like this forum, there are all kinds of levels of folks into pools over there. They take great pride in and are so very helpful with water balance and pool maintenance. I'm still building my pool so I don't have any experience with this yet, but I plan to take care of it myself with the help of the TFP folks.

Chlorine is taken care of by the salt generation system. We put in 8 bags of salt in November. The CL level as seen on the jandy in-house controller and measuring kits is fine. I will put in another bag once I notice the level falling. Similarly, Ph and alkalinity does not seem to be difficult to deal with. I am concerned about Cyanuric acid. I saw another thread discussing stabilizer measurements. What are symptoms of stabilizer getting low?. Are their any other chemicals ratios I need to be measuring?

Do I need to brush the pool surfaces once a week? How long does that need to go on, at that frequency?

Regards
--Scal

Hey scal.

You've come a long way from that job. Hallmark wasn't it?
I've found after 25 years that people are never going to feel their monthly service fee is worth it. either the guy spends too little time, or does not show at all. When I left the service end of things, i set out to empower people like yourself. You CAN do the weekly if you are set on a good course. We offer a service where we go out for the first visit and spend an hour for less than what you will pay the poolguy in the first month. We then schedule you accordingly for a look at the things that need looked at. That is usually quarterly. In three months, you pay less than 1/3 of what you would have paid the poolguy and you get a pro who is leading you along the way and at the same time watching out for your investment. Quarterly services can include checking up on your work, checking the equipment, salt, etc, doing a filter clean if needed and then doing a big once per year service. Just like a car. The great part is we're a phone call away when the needs is there and you get someone who knows your system. You should look into something like that. It gives you freedom and security in case you're unsure.