Camping at Yellowstone National Park?

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Bcomer21

My husband, daughter and I are going camping at Yellowstone National Park this summer. Problem is we have a pop up camper and campsites are very limited that allow pop up campers. Anybody know of any sites that allow?

Answer
The Fishing Bridge site is centrally located and has hook-ups. Although the NPS website says soft-sided campers are not permitted, when I was there two years ago there were several setup at that site and they had no problem at all with my Hybrid. Reservations are recommended, but I could have got a a spot on July 3rd for one night even without a reservation, but I wanted to stay in the area for a week and didn't want to pick-up and move. Note that campgrounds in the parks don't have all the amenities that private RV parks have outside Yellowstone.

There's a cluster of campgrounds just outside the West gate of Yellowstone in Montana. I've stayed the KOA there and it was top notch but a bit on the pricey side. Beautiful park, clean bathrooms, heated pool, lots of views. But this is a popular area so traffic can be a bit heavy heading in and out of the park. Wagon Wheel and Yellowstone Grizzly are both well reviewed in that area, though I can't vouch for them.

I've also stayed at the Grand Teton Park campground in Moran, Wy, and advise you to stay well clear in spite of its location. I stayed there in 2008 and it was one of the most horrid RV parks I've ever encountered. And although it looks close to Yellowstone, Grand Teton and Jackson, everything is at least 30 minutes or more drive. Weeds, broken equipment, freezing/dirty pool and spa, filthy grounds and bathrooms and never enough staff in the office/store. Avoid at all costs.

I'm thinking of going back this year and if I do it will definitely be at the KOA in Montana.

Strange things have been happening help?

Okay so I have recently rented a storage unit for my pool supplies because I own a pool cleaning service and keep it there i go there often but every time I go there is a pice of equipment moved like it was thrown againts the wall. So I told the manager and he said he would keep a look out. So I was on vacation and when I checked up on it the unit was comletly ransacked. I told the manager what had happened and he said that every night he here'd some loud noises coming from it but he couldn't get in (I have the only key) then he let my even review the security tape and you can see the unit doors shaking violently. So I had had enough and I put a camera in it. The results where shocking. You can see in the footage a white mist moving all around the unit and moving things around. I showed the manager the footage and he said that he did not know what it was. What could it be? I moved my stuff t another unit and it happened again. I can't move locations because there is not a rental place for miles.

Answer
Dude who did u piss off in past life? This thing is out to get your pool supplies! Do you really have it on tape? Call a ghost hunter, now! That's amazing (probably not for you, but wow). Sounds like a ghost to me. Get rid of it any way you can think of.

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I'm looking to buy an automatic pool cleaner for an in-ground pool. Any suggestions on best brand and type?

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Lynn

Answer
You didn't mention your budget. If you're looking to spend 300 dollars or under, then from a service guy's point of view on effectiveness, cost, ease of repair, least things that go wrong with them, it's a Kreepy Krauly, hands down.
Sure Baracudda markets itself as having no moving parts, but the one part that does all the action also wears out on a yearly basis. If you ask me, it's also a moving part, so their literature is pretty misleading.
If you're budget allows spending over a grand, then the Polaris vac sweep 360 or 380 is most certainly the way to go. The only issue here is if your pool currently has a plumbing line going to the pool it can use. Without one, you'll have to go the over deck route, which then is a hose to trip over, lying on the deck. That's the only drawback.
These two cleaners are totally different in their collection and operation. The Kreepy uses suction side plumbing (debris to the pump basket and filter), the Polaris uses pressure side, with it's own booster pump and it's collection is a bag attached to the Polaris head.

how to use pool chemicals to correct problems?

Q. The pool is green!i put stuff in it and it only killed the frogs!-(my mom)

Answer
Shocking your pool IS putting chlorine in your pool. You need two 2.5 gals of chlorine jugs. Your going to use one today and one tomorrow. FIrst you need (we have"Stop Yellow") a 6 oz. one time treatment bag of sodium bromine (which is basically crushed up bromine tablets). then you need to put the 2.5 gal of chlorine in the pool. then the bag. you need to brush the pool and let it run for 24 hours.---if you have an automatic cleaner, take it out----. TOMORROW you need to clean the filter. After you clean the filter you need to put the SECOND 2.5 gal of chlorine jug in. Then you should see your pool start to clear up within a day or so.

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How much does an average inground swimming pool cost?

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My family and I really want an inground pool, but we are looking to save money. I need a nice pool but at a great price.

Answer
Inground pools are quite a bit more expensive that above ground. I paid about $35k for mine about 10 years ago. But that's including all the associated costs involved ( concrete around the pool, lights around the pool, a small shed to house the pump, sand filter, and pool accessories, the wiring for everything, the building permits, and inspections, retractable pool cover, automatic pool cleaner, and other pool-related bits. I highly recommend *not* trying to contract out each part of the job, it's a headache, as certain people need to do their jobs at certain times during the construction, and alot of the time one company's ability to do their part of the job will be completely dependent upon when another company does their part of the job. If there's a single problem or hold up by one outfit the whole project is affected. I made that mistake, and if I had to do it again, I'd much rather pay the extra $1500 to have one company perform the entire job.

No way in hell you're getting a quality inground pool for $2000-$5000 though. Reaslistically, $15k-$20k will likely be about as low as you can expect.

How much chlorine will I use in my pool?

z400wood

We just bought a house in MI with a 16x32 inground pool. I am getting ready to buy chemicals for it. The pool has an automatic chlorinator and I am wondering whether or not to buy 3" or 1" tabs or the sticks or whatever else there is. Also how many pounds of chlorine will I go through in the summer running the pump for 12 hours a day. Any other pool tips or chemical advice would be greatly appreciated.

Answer
You definetly DO have to chlorinate a private residential pool, otherwise you will very quickly have a swamp rather than a swimming pool. Go with the 3" tabs, they dissolve less quickly so you won't have to add tabs but about every one to two weeks ( I have some pools on my route that I only have to add once a month). As far as how much to buy, as with everything, the more you buy the more you save. It does not expire so if you have some left at the end of the season, just store until the next.

As far as other tips, the key to keeping a nice pool if preventative maintenance ( as with any investment).
I recommend taking one day a week (only an hour or so) and perform maintenance:
*clean the water line (with a tile/vinyl cleaner from your local pool store)
*Remove large debris from bottom of pool with a leaf rake (large deep net that attaches to the end of telescopic pole)
*empty skimmer and pump baskets
*vacuum pool
*clean filter according to filter type (backwash sand filter, *clean cartridge elements in cartridge filter, and for DE backwash and recharge with DE)
*Test chemicals -- Test Chlorine and pH weekly, Total Alkalinty biweekly, and Calcium Hardness monthly.

Recommended chemical levels:
Chlorine: 1-5 ppm
pH: 7.2-7.6
Total Alkalinity: 80-120 ppm
Calcium Hardness: 200-300 ppm

In addition to chlorine, you will need to purchase other chemicals for balancing, namely Sodium Bicarbonate (for Total Alkalinity), Soda Ash (for pH), and Calcium Chloride( for calcium). If you would ever need to lower the pH, use Muriatic Acid.

You can buy these chemicals at your local pool store. They will most likely try to sell you BioGuard or some other brand of pool chemicals. The ones that I named are what we call bulk chemicals, they come in 50 lb. bags and are much less expensive. They are the exact same thing, you're just not paying for advertisement. Again they do not go bad, so you can save them for years. Just make sure you store chemicals out of the elements.

I recommend getting yourself a good test kit (the best is made by Taylor). Do not use test strips as they are difficult to read and often wrong.

I see that you are in michigan. If you happen to be near the Saginaw/ Bay City area there is a great company there called Cherokee Pools. They have a retail store and also do service if you would ever need any repair work done.( My husband got his start with them years ago and we now own our own business in Myrtle Beach).

If you have any other questions I would be more than happy to answer them.

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Does the baracuda g3 inground pool cleaner work?

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DisneyFrea

I'm looking for an automatic pool cleaner to save time, does this cleaner work? It normally retails for around $400 and it is on sale for $200. Is it worth the money?

Answer
They work. The only thing I'm not fond of on any of the Barracuda's is the diaphragm that is part of it's propulsion system. They tend to wear out and require replacement on a yearly basis. Barracuda used to offer that part as a free warranty one, dunno if they still do.
I'm more of a Kreepy Krauly fan myself, they're a bit more robust and do the same job but if you're getting a G3 for 200 bucks, that's a steal.

How do I use a Polaris 340 pool cleaner?

Amber S

We are renting a house with an in ground pool. It has a Polaris 340 automatic pool cleaner. I have searched everywhere on the net for an owners manual and can't seem to find one. Can anyone steer me in the right direction? Or tell me how to use it?

Answer
try contacting stores that sell pools and accessories. maybe they can be of assistance.

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What Chemicals Should I Use To Remove Green Algae From My Swimming Pool?

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kenne727

My pool has been looking very green lately. I have noticed that the bottom (the floor) and the walls of the pool are frequently greenish and needs to be vacuumed very often. But I want to know why this is the case. Is this because of algae growing? What chemicals should I buy. I know that shock and phosfree is needed. What effect will these chemicals have on the algae and water, and what do these chemicals do?

Thank you

Answer
Every pool owner has, at one time or another, done battle with the occasional algae bloom. Algae spores constantly enter the pool, brought in by wind, rain or even contaminated swimsuits or equipment.
Algae are a living aquatic creature that multiplies rapidly on warm, sunny days. Containing chlorophyll, algae utilizes photosynthesis to grow. That is, they take in carbon dioxide and expend oxygen as a byproduct. There are over 21,000 known varieties of algae and they classified into colors âgreen, yellow, black, pink.
Proper chemical balance and sanitizer residuals will prevent many opportunities for algae to bloom. High pH and low chlorine (or other sanitizer) can give algae a great start to genesis. General cleanliness of the pool is also important. Organic material and bacteria can contribute to algae growth.
Regular brushing of seemingly clean pools is not only good exercise for you, but prevents dirt from harboring in the pores of the plaster, which is a good start for an algae colony. Add unstabilized clorine granules (shock) to the pool. the amount of chlorine you add will depend on the capacity of your pool (150gr/10,000L or approx. 5oz of chlorine/2500gal of water). Vacuum the white residue from the bottom of the pool the next day. Clean your filter to remove any alga residue. Rebalance your pool water.
The cause of reoccurring algae, especially if it keeps appearing in the same places, is poor circulation. Often we find the return(s) of the pool (where water reenters the pool from the filter system) directed towards the surface of the pool. Dead spots are areas where little or no water is circulating. Even with main drains, the returns pointed upward to the surface mean little or no circulation on the bottom or lower areas of the walls. This results in little or no algaecide reaching these spots and algae never really being eradicated.
The there are ways to increase the area of circulation is to run your automatic cleaner. Even when the pool is not dirty, it helps to bring clean, just running your cleaner once a week can make a big difference in preventing algae from reoccurring. The best

How much chlorine will I use in my pool?

z400wood

We just bought a house in MI with a 16x32 inground pool. I am getting ready to buy chemicals for it. The pool has an automatic chlorinator and I am wondering whether or not to buy 3" or 1" tabs or the sticks or whatever else there is. Also how many pounds of chlorine will I go through in the summer running the pump for 12 hours a day. Any other pool tips or chemical advice would be greatly appreciated.

Answer
You definetly DO have to chlorinate a private residential pool, otherwise you will very quickly have a swamp rather than a swimming pool. Go with the 3" tabs, they dissolve less quickly so you won't have to add tabs but about every one to two weeks ( I have some pools on my route that I only have to add once a month). As far as how much to buy, as with everything, the more you buy the more you save. It does not expire so if you have some left at the end of the season, just store until the next.

As far as other tips, the key to keeping a nice pool if preventative maintenance ( as with any investment).
I recommend taking one day a week (only an hour or so) and perform maintenance:
*clean the water line (with a tile/vinyl cleaner from your local pool store)
*Remove large debris from bottom of pool with a leaf rake (large deep net that attaches to the end of telescopic pole)
*empty skimmer and pump baskets
*vacuum pool
*clean filter according to filter type (backwash sand filter, *clean cartridge elements in cartridge filter, and for DE backwash and recharge with DE)
*Test chemicals -- Test Chlorine and pH weekly, Total Alkalinty biweekly, and Calcium Hardness monthly.

Recommended chemical levels:
Chlorine: 1-5 ppm
pH: 7.2-7.6
Total Alkalinity: 80-120 ppm
Calcium Hardness: 200-300 ppm

In addition to chlorine, you will need to purchase other chemicals for balancing, namely Sodium Bicarbonate (for Total Alkalinity), Soda Ash (for pH), and Calcium Chloride( for calcium). If you would ever need to lower the pH, use Muriatic Acid.

You can buy these chemicals at your local pool store. They will most likely try to sell you BioGuard or some other brand of pool chemicals. The ones that I named are what we call bulk chemicals, they come in 50 lb. bags and are much less expensive. They are the exact same thing, you're just not paying for advertisement. Again they do not go bad, so you can save them for years. Just make sure you store chemicals out of the elements.

I recommend getting yourself a good test kit (the best is made by Taylor). Do not use test strips as they are difficult to read and often wrong.

I see that you are in michigan. If you happen to be near the Saginaw/ Bay City area there is a great company there called Cherokee Pools. They have a retail store and also do service if you would ever need any repair work done.( My husband got his start with them years ago and we now own our own business in Myrtle Beach).

If you have any other questions I would be more than happy to answer them.

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I have a rock under my pool liner?

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iamasurvey

We bought an above ground pool and installed it ourselves. It took us 5 tries but we finally got it up and filled and then noticed that there is a pointy rock about the size of a 50 cent piece sticking up under the liner. I have no idea how we missed it but we did so now we don't know what to do! We are afraid to try and push it down because it's probably going to poke a hole in the liner.. Does anyone have any ideas on what to do with it? We have 6 kids so I'm sure if we leave it in there its going to eventually get a hole there with the kids walking on it all the time. Its a 24' x 52" pool so we really don't want to drain it and start over, cause like I said this is the 5th time and 2 other times we had it half full and had to drain it. Someone please help!!!

Answer
Couple of options.
1/ New liner and new install so it's not going to be a hardship on that liner to drain it, crawl under from a convenient spot, grab that offending rock , retrace your crawl and smooth the bottom as you retreat.
2/ Live with it until it holes. Unpleasant for the feet and will happen sooner if you have an automatic pool cleaner.
3/ Bite the bullet and grab a knife. Have a patch kit and liner sample large enough to to the patch. Slice at the rock, grab it and apply your patch quickly so that your sand bottom doesn't start creating a channel as it erodes.

04 Mazda RX-8 First Car?

Edgar

I'm thinking in getting an automatic 04 Mazda Rx-8 for my first car but I've read that it needs lots of maintenance and care but aside from that they have lots of issues. It has less than 35k miles on it and I think I can get it for 10 grand. Should I get it or look for other options.

Answer
I wouldn't usually recommend an RX8 as a "first car", but if you were to do so the automatic version would be the better choice as the 6 speed model is too powerful and twitchy for a novice driver. Way too many end up wrapped around a tree in the hands of novice drivers. The automatic version (especially the 04 & 05 models) have much less power and are more forgiving of a newbie driver learning the handling characteristics of rear-wheel drive. You can keep all your RSX's, Civics, and GTI's. They're all FWD and cannot EVER handle as well as a properly tuned RWD chassis.

Wankel Rotary engines do require some extra maintenance and care, but not a huge amount. More frequent oil changes (every 3000 miles/5000 KM) and Ignition component changes (plugs/wires/ign coils) are required.

Learning the "quirks" of the Rotary engine is required. Many of the reported problems you read about are from people who treat the RX8 as if it were just some everyday piston-driven car. It's not and it cannot be treated as such. A design limitation of the motor leaves it open to flooding much easier than a piston engine. If the motor is stopped while still running high-idle the excess fuel being pumped in can collect at the bottom of the rotor housings and thin or wash off the oil. This can results in loss of the seal between the housings and the apex seals on the rotors making the motor very difficult (or impossible) to start. There are a couple "de-flooding" procedures to learn or better yet prevent the issue from happening by ALWAYS letting the motor drop to low-idle (~900 RPM) before shutting it off. If it must be shut off cold you can rev up to 3000+ RPM and hold that for 10 seconds before shut down. This reduces fuel flow to "normal" while allowing any excess to burn off thus preventing flooding.

Another quirk is that the motor will build up carbon deposits easier. To prevent this you need to run the engine hard occasionally. Getting the motor up to red-line (while under load) frequently and when safe to do so really does a good job of this. "A Red-Line a Day will keep the Mechanic away" is a phrase every Rotary engine owner needs to know. A good, long highway run (6 - 8 hours) does this as well, so go for a long run on the occasional weekend. See the sights while cleaning your motor!

There is NO PROBLEM leaving an RX8 sitting for days at a time (contrary to C7S's post). I stored mine for 5 months every winter and for up to 2 weeks at a time while on business travel and NEVER had a problem starting my RX8 (which I owned for 5 years). You should disconnect the battery, though, if it's going to sit for more than 2 weeks as the electrical components will drain the battery. A weak battery CAN contribute to flooding because if it cannot start the motor the injected gas will pool as mentioned above.

One other note. 2004 was the first model year of the RX8 and as such did have more problems than later years (just like every new car). You will want to check to ensure all recalls were completed. There are some TSB's (technical service bulletins) that should be looked at as well. There was an upgraded starter TSB for the 04 & 05 models which spun faster and helped prevent flooding, for example.

Good luck on your decision. The RX8 is a great, fun car and there are a lot of owners that are quite passionate about this vehicle. Go check out the owners forum at:

http://www.rx8club.com

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Bought an above ground automatic pool vacuum, suction too intense?

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babagirls1

I bought a Dirt Devil automatic pool vacuum, hooked it up my hose, and the suction is too intense so it won't move around. Am I doing something wrong? I paid $150 for it and haven't used it once.

Thinking about selling it & getting a robot cleaner instead, but I'm afraid the suction might still be an issue. Help!!
What valve? lol On the filter?

Answer
i own a pool company.how long has it been since you back washed you filter? sounds like the pressure in your tank is too high

What pool vacuum should a buy to clean an 18'x42' Easy Set Pool? Manually vacuuming it is not working!?

Tabitha Sc

Are there any automatic pool vacuums that will clean this type of pool? Thanks!

Answer
Try the website below. They have a good Hayward and Polaris model that are designed for above ground pools. They also have a section dedicated to inflatable pools.

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