I recently bought a house in Grapevine with a chlorine pool that is ~16,200 gallons with a hot tub attached to it. Pool was built in 1991 and I have had the company that built it come out to give my wife and I a "pool school" since it is our first time owning a pool. Everyone says it is in decent condition for being 33 years old. Some tiles are falling off around the top of the pool and we know we need to re-plaster.

So far we have re-done the mastic around the coping and replaced the pool filter ($2200). There is an old system with levers that runs the skimmers, center drain, hot tub jets and fountain and there is a very old pool vacuum that is connected via hose to the side of the pool. I cannot keep this pool or hot tub clean. I brush at least twice a week and even get in the pool to really scrub the sides. However, there is a lot of dirt that accumulates on the bottom of the pool.

We have a chemical testing kit and have two floaters with two chlorine tablets each. Is there any recommendations or tips y'all can share?

We are not wanting to spend a ton of money as we have already sunk so much into this pool and have several more house projects that are higher on the priority list. We had two different pool cleaning companies quote us at roughly $240 per month to clean which I think is too expensive but might be worth it if the alternative is spending more than 5-6 hours per week maintaining the pool.

Thanks in advance!

Pool tiles and plaster are generally cosmetic. Save that expense for when you can afford it.
If there's constantly "dirt" in your pool, there's probably a hole in your filter and it's actually the filter media. Lots of youtube videos show how to take apart, inspect, clean, and backwash your pool filter. Start with that.
Google your problems and there is usually a video or webpage that shows you how to fix it.
If your pool cleaner doesn't work well, get a robot.

I'm cheap so I do it all myself. Have someone else clean the pool if you kids from 0-13 years old. DIY after that when the kids aren't interested in you anymore.

Make sure you have a high quality tester kit and go read through the articles and forums on troublefreepool.com

Also if the bottom is constantly dirty, guessing you have some decent trees, look at getting an electric pool robot, rather than the pump driven vacuum. They will get the pool bottom really clean.

I recommend getting a Dolphin from marina pool and spa, you have to call them for the best price.

Go to trouble free pool and read their pool school. Follow their advice and never have any problems.

As for the dirt/debris in the pool get a pool robot (maytronic/dolphin).

Enjoy!

Trouble Free Pool and follow LSI regarding chemical balance, especially once you replace the tile & plaster. Improper chemical balance will destroy your mortar and eat away at your plaster. I like the Orenda app for LSI calculations. Leslie's will test your water for free, also you mentioned Grapevine and I believe Claffey tests water for free as well. You can just plug those values in with your temperature then adjust accordingly and it'll tell you what chemicals need to be added.

Do you know what kind of filter they installed? I prefer cartridge filters as they are the most homeowner friendly for maintenance. If the dirt is white ish powder then it's DE and there might be a hole in the DE grid. If it's sandy then you may have a sand filter with a misaligned internal filter.

Do you have an automation system with an app? Or do you have to turn all valves manually?

Be careful with the tabs because their overuse can put you in a chlorine lock and you'll have to drain the pool due to your CYA being too high. 30-50 is the sweet spot. This factors into your LSI.

Also if you're getting a lot of organics make sure you're using a quality phosphate remover so the algae can't feed and choline can do its job of killing the aglae. PR-10,000 is what we use when a pool has gotten out of control and bloomed. Then we use CV-700 for weekly maintenance thereafter.

Quote:

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I recommend getting a Dolphin

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I'd be interested in what Dolphin models are recommended. I just purchased one and am not satisfied for the $1000 I spent.

https://texags.com/forums/61/topics/3459053

Thank y'all to everyone who has helped! Claffey was actually the one who installed the pool and came out and put in the new filter. It is not DE (not sure what the other option is but they said the new ones are better since they don't use DE). I have taken chemicals to them and they said we are good to go. I will probably take up chemicals to them every month or so and then just use the at home test strips every week.

Turns out my water level was too low and that was causing a circulation issue. Now that the recent rains have filled the pool back up, its all back to normal. I am gonna spend some time today fishing out some leaves and brushing the walls to get this pool looking great.

My wife and I both agree it is going to be worth investing in a new pool cleaner. Got my eye on the dolphin Active20. Also would be interested in a Polaris since it is a side suction and that is what we have now.

I echo all of the above. Read up on the basics of pool maintenance at troublefreepools. Also their forum is very active and has lots of helpful resources to help answer questions.

Get a pool robot, they work 100x better than the suction side cleaners. I've run the equivalent of the Dolphin S20 for the past 5 years and it works so well that I rarely have to brush, other than my steps and tanning ledge.

Also get a good pool reagent test kit. Trouble free pools has more info on this, but I use the TF-100 test kit. You want to be testing pH and chlorine a couple times a week until you get the hang of your chemistry, and then weekly should be fine. All other test are fine to be tested monthly. Having a good reagent test kit will avoid you having to go into a pool store where they will try to sell you all sorts of stuff you don't need.

Lastly, and as others have mentioned, monitor your chlorine tablet usage and cyuranic acid (CYA) levels. Using pool tabs is fine, as long as you remember that they raise your CYA and over time they could reduce the effectiveness of the chlorine in your pool.

Call up Marina Pool and Spa in Colorado to get a quote on a Dolphin Active 20. They can't advertise their best price online, so you will have to call to get it. I think it will be free shipping, they are easy to deal with.

Most of the dolphin models are the same unit, just branded in different color schemes, so the s200 is the same as the active 20, etc. They will probably tell you that if they don't have a particular one in stock.

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