(Why the best pool is someone else's or is owned and maintained by the Homeowners Association)
I must admit to suspecting there is a bit of a curse going on here - perhaps the Gods are just having some fun with an old man.
The pool opening ritual isn't something I delight in - the truth is I dread it. However it does mark the begging of true summer. - I'm a summer guy. For your reference - 24 ft round with deck - a Johnny Weissmuller (a.k.a. the Devils tub). We were away and left early to return home in time to get it done. A storm was threatening - the remnants of some tropical storm was on its way. Water is one enemy of removing the pool cover., leaves are another, so is brittle plastic but stay with me here..
1. Get the filter out of the garage - careful not to jostle it or it will leak like a sieve, at least the old one did. The Filter winters in the garage on the kid's old red wagon. It came out and was placed on its brick pad without incident. At least this time (yeah that's another years story)
2) Attach hose from filter to skimmer (I think to myself I'll let the DS 17 do this he needs more screwdriver time) I show him how to position the hose clamps. Then It all happened so fast - He begins tightening down the clamps, leans against the skimmer and I hear a lout snap. I look and there is 2 inch crack on the skimmer. I articulate my displeasure with some colorful language - Yes I am an imperfect being. ( I knew it was $100 snap to say the least). We put that task aside. We attach the other hose to the return without issue.
3) We attempt to remove pool cover .. But there is 300lbs of nasty decomposing leaves, pine needles and a green slurry on that darn cover that must be dealt with first. (I live on a woodsy lot which means the pool gets shut promptly around September 1.) we run two hoses and attempt to siphon off the smelly brew until it runs gets clogged - we jiggle the hose and it runs some more and repeat the process many times Then at least 2 hours of siphoning and using a bucket with a rope and a hoe to haul out the muck. The pool water level is low-
DS football playing son stops by and I figure with the extra muscle we can do it. We all haul away and bam - 100lbs of leaves and unspeakable smelly mess fall into the pool. After several minutes of articulating my unhappiness with my stupidity. I duct tape the vacuum hose to one of my extendable net poles. We create a suction and I begin sucking up the mess. I have been through it all. The Mrs. heads off to buy a new skimmer. Over the next hour and half standing and sitting on the deck (my knee doesn't appreciate long durations of standing) carefully vacuuming up the mess up trying not to poke a hole in the liner. My Son then says hey Dad you sure you don't want some sun block - you look red. Of course if you are already red you know it is too late.
The wife comes home with the new skimmer. With the SILs help we unscrew the old skimmer but wait - the new skimmer doesn't come with an inner and outer gaskets like the ones we removed -it has a new fangled split gasket that's straddles both the inner and outer the the square opening. We struggle with it but It doesn't appear to be a perfect fit? More colorful language and finally DS friends is able to tighten the screws and bam it is all together. I am convinced it is going to leak. The rain comes...
I run the water to fill the pool until 9PM and I turn it off - it is about three quarters there. Tomorrow is another day... Now where is that timer?
We are ordering a 27ft leaf cover and new cover today today - can't wait to close the pool at the end of August.
I just know it's going to leak.
Sent from my iPad using Early Retirement Forum
I must admit to suspecting there is a bit of a curse going on here - perhaps the Gods are just having some fun with an old man.
The pool opening ritual isn't something I delight in - the truth is I dread it. However it does mark the begging of true summer. - I'm a summer guy. For your reference - 24 ft round with deck - a Johnny Weissmuller (a.k.a. the Devils tub). We were away and left early to return home in time to get it done. A storm was threatening - the remnants of some tropical storm was on its way. Water is one enemy of removing the pool cover., leaves are another, so is brittle plastic but stay with me here..
1. Get the filter out of the garage - careful not to jostle it or it will leak like a sieve, at least the old one did. The Filter winters in the garage on the kid's old red wagon. It came out and was placed on its brick pad without incident. At least this time (yeah that's another years story)
2) Attach hose from filter to skimmer (I think to myself I'll let the DS 17 do this he needs more screwdriver time) I show him how to position the hose clamps. Then It all happened so fast - He begins tightening down the clamps, leans against the skimmer and I hear a lout snap. I look and there is 2 inch crack on the skimmer. I articulate my displeasure with some colorful language - Yes I am an imperfect being. ( I knew it was $100 snap to say the least). We put that task aside. We attach the other hose to the return without issue.
3) We attempt to remove pool cover .. But there is 300lbs of nasty decomposing leaves, pine needles and a green slurry on that darn cover that must be dealt with first. (I live on a woodsy lot which means the pool gets shut promptly around September 1.) we run two hoses and attempt to siphon off the smelly brew until it runs gets clogged - we jiggle the hose and it runs some more and repeat the process many times Then at least 2 hours of siphoning and using a bucket with a rope and a hoe to haul out the muck. The pool water level is low-
DS football playing son stops by and I figure with the extra muscle we can do it. We all haul away and bam - 100lbs of leaves and unspeakable smelly mess fall into the pool. After several minutes of articulating my unhappiness with my stupidity. I duct tape the vacuum hose to one of my extendable net poles. We create a suction and I begin sucking up the mess. I have been through it all. The Mrs. heads off to buy a new skimmer. Over the next hour and half standing and sitting on the deck (my knee doesn't appreciate long durations of standing) carefully vacuuming up the mess up trying not to poke a hole in the liner. My Son then says hey Dad you sure you don't want some sun block - you look red. Of course if you are already red you know it is too late.
The wife comes home with the new skimmer. With the SILs help we unscrew the old skimmer but wait - the new skimmer doesn't come with an inner and outer gaskets like the ones we removed -it has a new fangled split gasket that's straddles both the inner and outer the the square opening. We struggle with it but It doesn't appear to be a perfect fit? More colorful language and finally DS friends is able to tighten the screws and bam it is all together. I am convinced it is going to leak. The rain comes...
I run the water to fill the pool until 9PM and I turn it off - it is about three quarters there. Tomorrow is another day... Now where is that timer?
We are ordering a 27ft leaf cover and new cover today today - can't wait to close the pool at the end of August.
I just know it's going to leak.
Sent from my iPad using Early Retirement Forum
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