When do I do my 1st test?
Now? The cover is still on, haven't opened yet.

After cover cover comes off? When once uncovered, ASAP, brush then ASAP, after 24 hr pump running, 48hr?
Thanks

You can wait till the pool is open and the pump has been running for at least an hour before doing your first water test. For the CYA test in particular it might be worth waiting 24 hours with the pump running, just to be sure everything is throughly mixed.

Ok & thanks.
So I am creating a checklist of proceedures to do, in order & when, to open my pool each season.

1- After pump has been running for at least an hour before doing your first water test.
For what test(s)? All but CYA?
In any order?
Add them chemicals after each test & wait o do the next test?


2- After 24 hours pump running- do the CYA test.

DE powder goes in 1st, right?

I need a checklist.
I haven't opened the kit or pool yet so I will get to the kit today & that may help, but I really need a checklist, oder, time to wait, etc

Here is a basic outline. There may be some additional steps, depending on exactly what equipment you have and where you are starting from. For example, I am not listing any of the steps to open the pool for the spring because I don't know how it was winterized.

1) Fill the pump strainer basket with water and put the lid back on.
2) Turn on the pump. Be prepared to turn the pump off quickly, see step 3.
3) Turn the pump off if you see a major leak, very high filter pressure, or the pump fails to start or fails to prime.
4) Add DE
5) Wait an hour and then test everything except CYA
6) Start making chemistry adjustments based on your test results. The details depend on the test results and the water appearance.
7) After 24 hours with the pump running the whole time, test CYA and adjust as needed.

Jason: "I am not listing any of the steps to open the pool for the spring because I don't know how it was winterized."

If this helps:
It was winterized "properly w the proper chemicals" per the pool store. Only one thing we didn't do that we usually do was run to get air in the pipes because I had a plumbing project to do in fall/spring.

Cover came off yesteday.
Will get her running today. Water color is a light green, not too bad & can see the bottom, have seen the water far worse when w eopen too late(too hot); plenty of yellow pollen on the surface. Some DE powder on the surface from last year's grid tears- brand new grids start now.

Spring opening generally means removing plugs from the skimmer(s) and return(s), replacing drain plugs in the filter, pump, and heater (if you have one), making sure valves are in the correct position, raising the water level to operating level, removing and storing the cover and any water bags, turning electrical and gas (if you use gas) service back on, etc. If you get stuck on any of those steps you should post pictures of the part you are having problems with.

Merged from "Johnny B.'s test numbers, will update on this thread" in "Testing the Water" section for continuity by TFP Moderator.
4/5/09; 1:30pm
pH -7.8
TA - Total Alkalinity 150
FC - Free Chlorine between 0.0 - 0.5
TC - Total Chlorine between 0.0 - 0.5
CH - Calcium Hardness 480-500
CYA - Cyanuric Acid (stabilizer) - advised not to test until 24 hrs

I'll be going to the calculator but you pros please chime in ASAP.
Thanks

Hi, first things first get some chlorine in there....go to at least 2 or 3 ppm till you know what your CYA is then once you know the CYA level, you can shock according to the chart(see my sig). Your PH and TA are up a bit and can be lowered, but one thing at a time.....Chlorinate first, and tomorrow you can add acid to lower the PH and TA. Read about lowering TA in Pool School.

If you know what your CYA was at the end of last season, that could help, but it's possible it's gone down over the winter, so just keep the FC at around 2 for now till you know for sure....You'll need to keep checking the FC level over the next 24 hours, it may be consumed rather quickly by whatever is causing the green tint to your water. So don't be surprised if you can't hold the FC at all. This simply means frequent additions of bleach, dosing according to the Pool Calculator.

Thanks for the help !!

How do I get "at least 2 or 3 ppm till you know what your CYA is then once you know the CYA level, you can shock according to the chart(see my sig)."

I went to the chart & I don't see where I can calculate how many gallons of bleach to use.
Sorry I am not able to figure this out.
How much bleach?


"If you know what your CYA was at the end of last season, that could help..."
I do not
"You'll need to keep checking the FC level over the next 24 hours, it may be consumed rather quickly by whatever is causing the green tint to your water. So don't be surprised if you can't hold the FC at all."
Ok, will do. Check it hourly? every 3 hrs, 6 hrs?

"This simply means frequent additions of bleach, dosing according to the Pool Calculator."
I am unsure if I am entering the data correctly- what are my "targets/Goals?

Thanks

And if I don't know my CYA, I do what on the calculator in the two CYA columns, zero both out? How can a calculation be made if some data is unknown?

Th calculator says goal 3-7, and it wants me to enter a figure in the Target column? I pick a # I like betw 3-7 or the 2 or 3 figure you said in your post?
Thanks

If you go to the Pool Calculator, enter your pool gallons. Then in the "Now column" you post your current test results, then in the "goal" column you enter your target. So your target would be "2" and your current result is for all purposes 0.

I came up with 164 oz of 6% which is almost and entire biggie jug of the bleach, or 1.7 small jugs.
You'll need several jugs of bleach on hand, if you don't already.

Keep the pump running (24/7 until the water is clear) and pour the bleach slowly EDIT: in front of the return -END EDIT.

You can retest every 2 to 3 hours. Or more or less frequently, up to you. You may see your water turn greyish as the algae dies off, keep the filter running and it may seem cloudy but eventually it will clear, just keep the FC up and the filter running.

When we know what your CYA is tomorrow you'll be able to bring it to the correct shock level and then it will clear that much faster, because you'll be raising the FC much higher... But for now, just pour in one of those biggie jugs or a little more than one and a half of the small jugs.

You'll have to re-test and then the new result will be your "now" and your target is still 2. Then the calculator will tell how much to add again. So if you have a FC of 1 in a few hours, you'll have to add less bleach then to bring it back to 2.

Hope this makes sense?

Ignore the CYA for now, until tomorrow when you test. Tomorrow put the result in the "now" and your target 30-50 in the goal. You may not need to adjust it at all...

Good luck.

2:40pm- I put in 96 oz (1 bottle) of 6% bleach, calculator said 82oz one time then 164oz at another time because I don't know what I am doing.Please advise if I need more

All the moderators have asked me to keep posting to prove to all the newbies that if I can do it then you can too.

Why is this? Did you just add CYA?
The level of chlorine you need is based on your CURRENT CYA, not on what it might be tomorrow or next week.
Go ahead and test it.

EDIT: I just found your other threads and now I see why you waited. I am going to merge this thread with the previous ones so we hav a complete history of what's been going on. Please do not start new threads for this reason!

I may have lost a post in the moderator's merge ( & sory about the wrong new thread)

I have put in 164 oz of 6% bleach per the post above by frustratedpoolmom, all the bleach went in over the course of about an hour or less

When I said pour slowly, I didn't mean that slowly.... Just slowly enough that it doesn't splash on you or the equipment.

No, 1st half wnt in in over about 2-3 min, then 50 min later same thing.

Update:
5:45pm- high pressure (from 10-12 to 25), removed top of DE cannister, hosed the grids clean while still in the cannister, junk out the plug hole, probably removed 80-90% of the junk. Added 80-90% new DE

6:45pm
pH - 7.5-7.8
TA - Total Alkalinity 140
FC - Free Chlorine 0.5
TC - Total Chlorine 4
CH - Calcium Hardness 460
CYA - Cyanuric Acid (stabilizer)- advised to delay til tomarrow.

My try on the calculator said I need 620z of 6% bleach.
1- Is this correct? Can someone please also run my #'s, I'd be grateful. I'll await a reply before adding the bleach.
2- add nothing else right? Don't worry about acid etc now, right?

3- You want me to run all 5 tests each time, right?

Thanks

You can just test FC and CC for right now. No need to keep checking the TA and CH right now. The PH you can test daily. When and if your FC is above 10 your PH will test "high" and should be disregarded. As long as it's under 7.8 right now your ok.

Definetly something is happening to see your CC jump up to 3.5.

On the calc, I get almost 3 qts which is a small jug. What did you have in the gallonage space in the calc? What do you have for your "Now" and "Target" I put 0 for now and 2 for target and get 2 qts, 2 cups of 6%.

With CC at 3.5, it is a good idea to shock. You might want to read this article on shocking your pool at Pool School. For now we can assume that CYA was used in this pool at some time, but is otherwise near zero, so an FC shock level of 10 is good for today.

To raise FC from 0.5 to 10 in 19,800 gallons requires 3 gallons of bleach (actually 390 oz, but 3 gallons is fine).

With CC that high, it is likely that it will take several rounds of adding chlorine before things stabilize. You want to test the FC level and raise it from where ever it is back up to 10 as frequently as is practical for you, as often as once every half hour.

I’ll go put in the 2 qts, 2 cups of 6%.
I’ll come back & fiddle with the calc.

” What do you have for your "Now" and "Target""

I think I put Now 0.5 since that is what my FC was.
My Target was 2

Using your #’s I get : add 82oz of 6% bleach.

I did add the 2 qts 2 cups, now I see Jason's post so off I go to make it 3 gallons total. Testing very half hour can't happen, I'll do my best

Yes, sorry for the confusion on my part, make 10 your target for FC until we know your actual CYA level.