Sunday, June 29, 2014

Filter And Valve Work At The Bamboo Lagoon

So at the beginning of spring we got word that it was time to replace the sand in our filter for the pool. Unfortunately our filter hadn't been made in over 10 years and finding parts for it was becoming more and more impossible. We were also having issues with the multiport valve. It has a crack in it from the winter and was leaking along the gasket area.

So we decided to bite the bullet and replace both (since replacing one wasn't an option as the new ones are combined). It wasn't a cheap option partly because it wasn't something we could do ourselves, but it had to be done.

In prep for this, I had to remove the pump house from the pump/filter area. I was actually able to do this part by myself. I had to unbolt it from the deck and then just kind of lifted it off onto one side and then rested it on another spot on the deck on its roof.

Old multi-port valve

Old sand filter
Once I had that done, it was in the hands of the professionals. Bill from the pool company that I use came out and dissembled the old, put in the new filter/valve and re-piped it all.

In process of putting in the location

After installation but before I put the "house" back over the top
Once it had been dry for a bit, we turned it on and made sure there were no leaks and that the system was at the right pressure. It had to sit for a few days with the "house" off until I had help to lift it back over the new taller system and bolt it back down.

The new filter and multi-port valves means that the system works so much better than it did before and the pool is much easier to keep clean!

Saturday, June 7, 2014

Screens For The Bamboo Lagoon

Tools of the trade
The downstairs rooms have needed new screens for the last two years (and probably way before that) because some of our lame ass renters ruined them by using the windows as exits instead of using the doors like normal people.

I have been stalling on doing the screens because I knew the one for the weight room was going to be a pain in the ass. That window is older than the others in the house (probably original) and the track for the screen is totally different from any others I have seen. I think it might have had a wood screen for it originally.

Someday, I would like to replace a lot of the windows in this place, that this not in the budget any time soon, so we will make due for now.

Cutting the frame to size

I have had experience creating screens from scratch and just re-meshing a screen, but the created ones didn't seem to fit the way I wanted them to, which also made me hesitant.

Reading to add screen

I have to say on these ones, they came out great...even the one for the weight room is usable. The key to it all was taping down the frame once it was put together and then taping down two sides of the screen as it is being installed. Both screens came out nice and flat, and tight.

Weight room screen finished

Work room screen finished

To install the weight room one, I had to go outside to push it in a bit, but that was to be expected since that window is so weird. the fun part was that I was running the sprinkler system at the time, so I got a bit soaked...LOL