Thursday, March 15, 2007

Full Pool

Yeah, it rained a bit yesterday:


Hooking the hose up to the running filter pump usually allows me to pump water out of the pool, but the tap on the pump was only sending out a trickle. I'm new to all this pool stuff, so mild confusion has set in. I read the book Nikki bought me for Christmas, but it didn't enlighten me any. I think maybe the filter pump is too clogged with crap, so I guess that's how I'm spending my day off tomorrow. I may also go buy a pump to drain water independently of the filter system. When I get the pool back to its normal level I'll have to throw loads of chlorine in because what was in there has probably diluted so much that the mosquitos are enjoying the clean sensation. That will keep the pool off limits for 24 hours or so, but if I time it right and the weather holds up, I'll be celebrating Mr. Shanks' birthday on Saturday by watching Scotland salvage some pride from their otherwise disastrous 6 nations performance with a win over France in the morning and a wee swim in the afternoon.

11 comments:

Jen said...

I told you it was clogged. . . .though I was hoping I was wrong. Of course, it's entirely logical to respond with "it must be clogged" when 1) it involves a pool, 2) it's not self draining through the overflow and 3) one knows not what she's talking about when it comes to all things chlorinated.

Ian said...

Plus, it doesn't have an overflow.

Jen said...

Geesh. Is that weird not to have one?

Ian said...

Uh, maybe. Don't know. Different cities have or had different rules at different times on where and when chlorinated water can be discharged. I haven't been able to find anything about Houston's rules, but some cities say you have to dump it down the sewer, others say just pump it onto your lawn. I've been doing the lawn thing so far, since the water is pretty diluted when the pool overflows like that, but I think I found a sewer discharge in the yard yesterday, so I may start doing that now, 'cos it's got to be there for a reason, right?

Jen said...

Um. Sure. Just don't expect me to run barefoot through your yard next time I'm in town.

In any case, I'd throw it into the sewer until someone tells you not to. But then that could have a big ole hefty fine attached to that. Calling the city most likely will get you a headache, so I really don't know what you should do other than to call that engineer patent holding wife of yours.

That should be safe. Right?

Ian said...

Well, in the sewer it gets treated, which is why most places would rather you do that than dump it down a storm drain where it makes its way out to sea without being treated. I just can't find definitive word on Houston's policy on the Internet, which means there is no definitive word. Surely. Dumping it in the lawn is okay too I think, there's not enough chlorine to kill the grass and the ground absorbs the water and stuff.

So, yeah, to sum up, I don't know.

Jen said...

Pools = mass confusion.

Anonymous said...

I'm still jealous of you for having a pool. Stop moaning! ;-)

Meanwhile we will be celebrating Mr Shanks' 35th (how old??) birthday at the Ship Inn. Sans enfants.

Jen said...

Holy crap. I'm still older than, well, everyone. Great.

Anonymous said...

Ah come on Jennifer that's not true, Bob Hope is older and I'm pretty sure that Methuselah guy too....! Luvya! :-)

Anyway hate to urinate on your conflagration but I wouldn't tip thousands of litres (liters) of chlorinated water down the public sewer if I were you. Two reasons, firstly if it's storm drainage it probably goes straight into a watercourse and you will kill the two headed fish that lives in the bayou.

Secondly if it's foul drainage it will go to the water treatment plant and kill all the aerobic organisms used in the sewage treatment plant to neutralise all the poo.

Although the water treatment plant will analyse their flow and if the chlorine level is above a certain level they will divert the flow to a holding tank until it reduces again you still don't want to be a polluter do you?

Sorry for the long post, my wife isn't here and I'm not very good at mixing gin & tonic!!

Ian said...

Shanks is turning 35? Weird. He was only 2 years older than me in University and now he's 6 years older than me. At this rate he'll be 78 by October 2015