The Ps

http://www.procopi.com/expl/fr/index.php You will find something here and an English button to click on. Procopi are big company in France and will be able to help you.

I lost my wallet containing my UK driving licence today and now need to set about replacing it. I called the DVLA and they said that I needed to get a French one from the French authorities. I wondered if anyone else had been in this situation and if so, how they got on. I can imagine me going to the prefecture and asking for a licence because my UK one is lost and them asking how I can prove I can drive etc. I envisage being stuck between UK and French Bureaucracy going round in circles as generally I imagine if you want French licence they would take the UK one from you in exchange. Any useful advice would be gratefully received.

Hold the horses here! I always install pools with zeolite as it is a small percentage of the overall cost but I thought we were referring to existing pool owners.   Neither am I disputing the superiority of zeolite. With regard to garden zeolite and some zeolites being carcinogenic, I have only typed what I heard though that was from BZc (who are a UK company that own a mine in South Africa).   Like I said, I don't know if it true or not. With regard to confining my comments I see no issue in anything I have said and would defend the right to free speech regardless of any bullying tactics.   I have stated that where I am not sure of something I don't know what is true or not and I am entitled to offer an opinion.  With regard to stumping up evidence on anything, it really is not that important to me.   How many times throughout this forum on any subject to you get people saying they have heard this or that and then some-one normally offers guidance...........only not so aggressively. You know what Andrew, I am sick and tired of all of the ridiculous pontificating that goes on in the forums from so many people.   I have always tried to contribute to debates to help people or to find out information myself.   I will never, ever post on here again (that'll make your day; corner the market a bit more).   I am certain you will post a response but don't expect to hear from me again.  

There are hundreds of thousands of pools throughout the world that are all functioning perfectly well with sand.   It is not worthless, it is all about degrees.   Not everyone can afford to 'take the plunge' initially because of the outlay to start with.   I made the point that the zeolite option is the cheapest on lifetime costs but that doesn't take away the pain for some people in the initial outlay so sand will provide an option and it may be the worst option but it functions; as hundreds of thousands of healthy pool owners will testify.   That adds a bit of sense to it, rightly or wrongly. I would love to see everyone change to zeolite and the pools I install are all supplied with zeolite and only zeolite.   I may not quite be a 'zeolite zealot' but I sell the stuff and I also help customers with affordable solutions.   This is not to say no-one else does, merely that is spite of lifetime savings, some clients don't want to lay out the money in the first place because they are on a budget.   I will not walk away from such people when I can help them with alternatives. I also sell the best I can.   Can you believe, there are people out there whom, it is reported to me, sell garden zeolite re-branded for pools.   I don't know if that is correct or not but if so, it is not right in my opinion.   I didn't even know garden zeolite existed but there are 149 different types of zeolite out there, most of which are artificially produced with the rest being mined.   Some of these are carcinogenic and not allowed near any usage that could result in ill health.   Only two zeolites are approved for use in pools though they are available under several brand names, most of which are produced by a UK company, BZc (British Zeolite Company).   They supply 7 different brands and own label product to the French market.  

[quote user="Barbel Bob"]Hi, We recently changed the sand in our filter due to a small amount of sand at the bottom of the pool each morning after being filtered overnight. When we changed the sand we checked each lateral to ensure they were not damaged. We also refilled the filter with sand being very careful not to damage them. So my question is: Can there be any other reason for the sand at the bottom of my pool? other than damaged laterals. It is an above ground pool. Thanks again J[/quote] Did you half fill the chamber with water prior to pouring in the sand?   If not you can damage the laterals when pouring sand in. Gravel should be used first as Chrish states. Until zeolite, which is much better than sand, is cheaper than current prices, there will always be a demand for sand.   Sand does a job and I see many clean clear pools with sand filters.   However, people should consider lifetime costs and then you get a more favourable outcome for zeolite.   With sand it will have to be changed before zeolite and you will use more water and chemicals with sand than you would with zeolite.  

Always rinse after backwashing. 

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Hi Daniel It would seem your comments in your original posting are correct.   We will all go down the pan if we all start panicking and talking things down.   The unemployment rate is plunging around the globe and will settle at around 10% I think in most mature markets.   That is a terrible thing and I feel sorry for all caught up in that but there are also going to be 90% of the available workforces still in employment......that is a much more positive number. Come on guys, it is a little unfair.   It was a wet weekend and I sat on the laptop and thought I would join in some debates.   You will see from other subjects how much I contributed in forum topics I don 't normally bother with this weekend.   I also thought I was just telling it like it is, nothing more.   Would you rather I was having a bad time also?    Would that honestly make you feel better or would you prefer to hear about a success story from a Brit who has moved to a foreign country, embraced life and language here and done something that ensures he can stay here? I feel sad that innocent comments were twisted in such a way.   I will post on this forum again but only now in the pools section where sometimes I have managed to help people without any benefit for myself.   Of course, you may see my reply as cynically as you chose to read the first one as well......um, I guess that is your right and if you are so moved to add further comment than so be it but as I say, I will only stick to the one subject now.   Thanks.

SORRY!..................

I don't do them but know that when quoting, certain things have to be taken into account - time and cost of travel to a job, is it a full day or part day, if part, can the rest of the day be used, what fittings need to be removed or protected, current state of the pool, materials etc. Sorry I cannot give you a definitive answer now but I will ask around the people I know and see if I can get a from/to type figure for you early next week.

Can't help as we have three already but ................. how can people do that?   Good luck.

..............stand next to what you want to look at!     I'm sorry......it's Sunday, it's wet and I'm bored.

merguez - best sausages ever (spicy beef or lamb).   Great for barbecuing. 

I agree, CA are brilliant; at least here in the Languedoc.   I don't know the charges and my finance director is baking hot cross buns at the moment (and my six sisters thought they had beaten any sexism out of me long ago!)