My Swimming Pool Guy Is An Idiot

[simon43]

I have just discovered that the staff guy at my (ex's) hotel who looks after the swimming pool has - for the past 3 years, been throwing the very fine powder that should be placed on the filter assembly directly into the swimming pool itself....

Apparently he never bothers to test the PH and CL of the water either...

and I wondered why it goes green so often

Simon

[Chaichara]

I have just discovered that the staff guy at my (ex's) hotel who looks after the swimming pool has - for the past 3 years, been throwing the very fine powder that should be placed on the filter assembly directly into the swimming pool itself....

Apparently he never bothers to test the PH and CL of the water either...

and I wondered why it goes green so often

Simon

He may be even more of an idiot than you think - I've never heard of a fine white powder that should be placed on the filter assembly

[simon43]

He may be even more of an idiot than you think - I've never heard of a fine white powder that should be placed on the filter assembly

No? This is what our original pool guy did - just like it says here:

http://www.ehow.com/how_4453214_use-de-fil...mming-pool.html

Simon

[rubik101]

It should only be put in the filter/pump system to make sure it is quickly distributed around the pool. Chucking it in the pool is not a problem but just not as effective.

Not checking the ph regularly and often is just stupid, especially in an hotel pool which is well used and full of bacteria.

[Chaichara]

He may be even more of an idiot than you think - I've never heard of a fine white powder that should be placed on the filter assembly

No? This is what our original pool guy did - just like it says here:

http://www.ehow.com/how_4453214_use-de-fil...mming-pool.html

Simon

'on the filter assembly' is ambiguous, and that article refers specifically to diatomacious earth filters - is that what you have?

[Naam]

I have just discovered that the staff guy at my (ex's) hotel who looks after the swimming pool has - for the past 3 years, been throwing the very fine powder that should be placed on the filter assembly directly into the swimming pool itself....

Apparently he never bothers to test the PH and CL of the water either...

and I wondered why it goes green so often

Simon

He may be even more of an idiot than you think - I've never heard of a fine white powder that should be placed on the filter assembly

the reason for that might be that you never had a pool

[Chaichara]

That, 'Naam', is bordering on flaming , and I don't consider it particularly funny. I've been building pools since 1974, and was a rep in France for Certikin for 12 years. There is so much nonsense blathered in this forum that I sometimes wonder why I even bother.

Edited December 26, 2008 by Chaichara

[Who, me ?]

That, 'Naam', is bordering on flaming , and I don't consider it particularly funny. I've been building pools since 1974, and was a rep in France for Certikin for 12 years. There is so much nonsense blathered in this forum that I sometimes wonder why I even bother.

Don't bother.....Leave !! ;-)

[toptuan]

That, 'Naam', is bordering on flaming , and I don't consider it particularly funny. I've been building pools since 1974, and was a rep in France for Certikin for 12 years. There is so much nonsense blathered in this forum that I sometimes wonder why I even bother.

Don't let it bother you. Naam frequently reminds us of his "hi-so" status, by assuming the rest of us are the have-nots. His maid, gardener, and pool boy are not for rent, either.

[simon43]

..and that article refers specifically to diatomacious earth filters - is that what you have?

Er ... yes. That's why I referred to that article!

Simon

[neverdie]

Hey Simon, I'm good with pools, do you reakon I can get a WP to be ur pool man.....I'd work for free accomodation & the occassional feeed.

Also seen some interesting movies with pool maintance staff in them

Now aint that just the job

[richm7]

Well, if it IS a DE filter it won't matter much since the DE will ultimately end up in the filter anyway. Of course, it sounds like he was not backwashing so who knows how much DE is now clogging up the filter! Check the pressure, that will tell you. It is quite possible (and I speak as a pool owner/ maintainer, not a professional) that what he's been doing is the only way (with your pool plumbing) to get the DE into the filter. With my pool you just chuck the appropriate amount of DE into the skimmer sump (after backwashing the old DE, of course), but not all pools have skimmers. My ex (for obvious reasons) pool guy did contaminate the whole pool with DE once but it cleared pretty quickly once it had been pumped through the system.

Not checking the water is another matter...............

[Naam]

That, 'Naam', is bordering on flaming , and I don't consider it particularly funny. I've been building pools since 1974 and was a rep in France for Certikin for 12 years. There is so much nonsense blathered in this forum that I sometimes wonder why I even bother.

" I've never heard of a fine white powder that should be placed on the filter assembly - I've been building pools since 1974"

The most common use (68%)[citation needed] of diatomaceous earth is as a filter medium, especially for swimming pools. It has a high porosity, because it is composed of microscopically-small, coffin-like, hollow particles. It is used in chemistry under the name Celite as a filtration aid, to filter very fine particles that would otherwise pass through or clog filter paper. It is also used to filter water, particularly in the drinking water treatment process and in fish tanks, and other liquids, such as beer and wine. It can also filter syrups and sugar. Other industries such as paper, paints, ceramics, soap and detergents use it as a fulling material.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diatomaceous_earth

Diatomaceous Earth (D.E.)

The D.E. filter is the most efficient type of pool filter on the market. It can trap particles down to 3 - 5 microns; well below what the naked eye can see. As with sand filters, the pressure gauge indicates a need for backwashing when it reads 8 - 10 lbs. higher than its clean reading. After backwashing a D.E. filter, a new application of D.E. filter powder is added to the filter by pouring into the skimmer. An annual breakdown of the filter is necessary to thoroughly clean D.E. filter grids.

A D.E. filter requires that the operator (you) add D.E. powder to coat the filter grids inside of the filter tank. This widely available, inexpensive powder is actually the microscopic skeletons of Diatoms, an ancient, sub aquatic creature. Under the microscope, these skeletons appear to be tiny sponges. This is where the dirt gets trapped in your filter. The powder, which is added at your skimmer, dissolves in the pipe on its way to the filter tank.

http://www.poolcenter.com/filter2.htm

addendum: 95% of all pools in America have D.E. filter units. in Thailand every pool builder offers a choice and every thai pool supply shop sells Diatomaceous Earth.

NOW WHAT ALL YOU WISE CRACKS?

[Naam]

Well, if it IS a DE filter it won't matter much since the DE will ultimately end up in the filter anyway. Of course, it sounds like he was not backwashing so who knows how much DE is now clogging up the filter! Check the pressure, that will tell you. It is quite possible (and I speak as a pool owner/ maintainer, not a professional) that what he's been doing is the only way (with your pool plumbing) to get the DE into the filter. With my pool you just chuck the appropriate amount of DE into the skimmer sump (after backwashing the old DE, of course), but not all pools have skimmers. My ex (for obvious reasons) pool guy did contaminate the whole pool with DE once but it cleared pretty quickly once it had been pumped through the system.

Not checking the water is another matter...............

what you wrote is all correct but the problem is the remaining, partly dissolved D.E., which lets the hardness value of your pool water jump up considerably and might cause scaling on the tiles before it is filtered out.

[Naam]

That, 'Naam', is bordering on flaming , and I don't consider it particularly funny. I've been building pools since 1974, and was a rep in France for Certikin for 12 years. There is so much nonsense blathered in this forum that I sometimes wonder why I even bother.

Don't let it bother you. Naam frequently reminds us of his "hi-so" status, by assuming the rest of us are the have-nots. His maid, gardener, and pool boy are not for rent, either.

i am sure that all pool owners are grateful reading your valuable advice on pool filters especially that our staff is not for rent. but there's something missing. we don't have a poolboy. whatever little maintenance of our pool is required is carried out by my wife's driver.

by the way, keep up the good job and tell me more about my "hi-so" status

[Naam]

what happened to

"I've been building pools since 1974"

[Who, me ?]

what happened to

"I've been building pools since 1974"

Gone for training ??

[astral]

Thanks for your commonsense in this thread,

and "Who me"'s calming words.

[Chaichara]

what happened to

"I've been building pools since 1974"

I suppose anybody can cut and paste stuff from Wikipedia.

Four posts in a row - is that how you crank up your membership clock? I may be retired, but I still have other things to do than just sit in front of encyclopedias and ThaiVisa all day every day.

'Nuf said - flaming is not my sport.

[Naam]

flaming is not my sport

but irrelevant bla-bla seems to be as you try to connect my number of postings to one of the topics in this thread. anyway, i have been wrong in many ways and many times too. but when i realise that i am wrong i admit it instead of trying to get away with a cheap diversion.

[UncleFrank]

I've been around money. Most wealthy folks don't show it.

Those that think having money make them smart are a bore.

As for idiotic pool maintenance guys...are there any other type?

Edited January 12, 2009 by UncleFrank