Ah yes, I remember cleaning the DE filter the first time. Trust me, it gets easier each time. Most important thing I learned: remove and clean the filter elements ONE AT A TIME. I remember it was like a puzzle getting them all back into position after I pulled all of them out.
I crunched the numbers once on replacing an old pump with a new/efficient model, and based on how long I run my pump, the savings just wasn’t enough to justify the cost. But in this area YMMV.
Here are the basic things I learned doing it myself:
1. Invest in a robotic pool vacuum (I like Aquabot, about $900) that costs pennies a day to run, but lets you get away with running your main filter only a couple hours per day. Pays for itself quickly in SDG&E country.
2. Pool maintenance companies will tell you otherwise, but you don’t need any chemicals beyond regular laundry bleach (Costco) or powdered pool shock (Costco, but only available in Spring and early summer) and cyanuric acid to keep your water conditioned. If you get an algae outbreak (because you neglected the pool), you might need some YellowOut.
3. Get a high quality pool brush (low quality ones lose their bristles) and brush the walls often. I’m too lazy to follow this one myself, but it is really the best thing you can do to break up algae colonies and keep the pool clean.
4. Cover with a solar blanket (pool cover) when not in use to keep the water clean and toasty warm in summer, and to retard expensive water loss via evaporation.
5. Get a good book on pool maintenance, or join troublefreepool.com and ask for advice when you have a problem.
6. Get a basic water chemical test kit at a pool supply store.
When I tell people I pour Clorox into our pool and not much else, I get some surprised looks. But we’ve been maintaining our pool this way since moving to SD in 2003, and have had no problems.
I have kids, but even if I didn’t, my family gets so much enjoyment from our pool that I can’t imagine living in San Diego without one. They are not that hard to maintain yourself on the cheap once you figure it out.
