New to pools not sure if the pool store is trying to sell me every chemical they have

[fatzbear]

As stated I am a sever skeptic and would like the advice of another DIYer. Here is the background:
I purchased the pool new 6 years ago and installed it at a previous house. During that time I was plagued with algae and constantly had to change the paper filter. I took the pool down and kept it and just now decided to put it up again now at my current house. Now that I have finally got the pool installed (took me two months of leveling and grading) it is full and needs chemical. I filled it using county water from the garden hose. I took the sample to one of my local stores (Leslie's Pool Supply) and received the following numbers and a shopping list valued at around $300.00.

FAC 0
TAC 0
CH 30
CYA 0
TA 50
pH 7.8
Copper 0
Iron 0
TDS 0
Pho 300


Can a newbie get a little advice, please?

 

[ckk81]

Hi!

You really need to get your own test kit. You're basically dead in the water depending on the pool store. Get a kit on the way.

Until you get the kit add enough bleach daily to get your FC up to 3. Use http://www.troublefreepool.com/calc.html to figure out how much.

You also want to get some CYA going. Again follow Pool Math- I'd plan to undershoot the CYA a bit until you can get a kit to test.

Pool School - Recommended Levels

 

[Isaac-1]

In addition I would strongly advise spending some time reading the pool school link in the upper right, start with the ABC's and go from there. Also you are going to need a good test kit, I suggest the TF-100, link in my signature, they ship out of NC usually same day so you should have it in hand soon if you order today.

 

[ping]

Welcome to TFP!

Since the pool is newly filled with fresh water you will need to add chlorine and CYA to protect the chlorine from the sun.

I suggest using liquid chlorine, aka bleach, and put in 3/4 of a gallon of 8.25% common bleach each day until you get your test kit.

You should also put in 5lbs. of CYA to raise the level to 30ish to begin with. We recommend adding CYA in a sock over the pool return so it dissolves in the water and doesn't get stuck in the filter.

Some suggested reading which are found in Pool School:
ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry
Recommended Levels

 

[Casey]

Make sure you do not give the pool store any money! You can get everything you need at Walmart!

The test kit is fantastic and so is pool school. Don't he afraid of diving in. Read the ABC'S of Pool Water Chemistry first.

 

[fatzbear]

Thanks everybody. I have the test kit on order until it arrives I have been testing daily using a smaller Taylor kit and taking samples to the pool store. I am happy to say that I have got the water to balance out using the BBB method. I did cheat a little and use shock and liquid chlorine and I broke down and bought calcium up. Now my readings are:
fc. 3
ch 160
cya 30
ta 100
ph 7.6
pho 500

I am being told that the calcium is still low and the phosphate are too high. How important are these two and is it necessary to get them on money. I have read information arguing both sides. Also how much chlorine loss should I expect and how often should it be added. Thanks again. Btw I have never swam in such clear water.

 

[needsajet]

Welcome to TFP! Good to have you here and congrats on the new pool

Your numbers are fine, but we see so much unreliable pool store testing that no one here is likely to trust them. Don't spend money to lower phosphates or worry about phosphates at all; the chlorine will prevent algae.

Glad you have a test kit coming to supplement what you have, and from here on, trust your own numbers only. Members here are volunteers with similar objectives: safe, sparkly water that never turns green the day before a party. And unlike many internet forums, there's experts here that monitor and correct anything written that's not reliable.

Happy swimming, soaking, bombing, games and floating with coldies!

 

[PAGirl]

Thanks everybody. I have the test kit on order until it arrives I have been testing daily using a smaller Taylor kit and taking samples to the pool store. I am happy to say that I have got the water to balance out using the BBB method. I did cheat a little and use shock and liquid chlorine and I broke down and bought calcium up. Now my readings are:
fc. 3
ch 160
cya 30
ta 100
ph 7.6
pho 500

I am being told that the calcium is still low and the phosphate are too high. How important are these two and is it necessary to get them on money. I have read information arguing both sides. Also how much chlorine loss should I expect and how often should it be added. Thanks again. Btw I have never swam in such clear water.

No need to be concerned with calcium levels in an AGP. We don't worry about phosphates in these parts, if you avoid the algae in the first place, it's irrelevant. You should strive to always keep your FC above the minimum for your CYA. YOu can use http://www.troublefreepool.com/calc.html to figure out how much. I generally check mine in the morning and again in the evening at the beginning of the season until I get a feel for usage. Great job on the clear pool!

 

[gt6974a]

Be careful of the Leslie's pool conditioner. People on here will want you to have a little CYA, but not too much, and that's exactly what pool conditioner is and is the hardest compound to remedy. So, just be careful with the pool conditioner and CYA

 

[Isaac-1]

As the others said Calcium is not important in vinyl pools, it is only needed to keep plaster from deteriorating in gunite / plaster pools, all buying that did was help fill the cash register at the pool store. The same goes for phosphate remover, except it is generally not needed in any pool.

 

[Davejavu]

I did cheat a little and use shock and liquid chlorine and I broke down and bought calcium up.

Before adding the calcium up, think about why you might, or might not, want calcium in the water. If you have a gunite pool, low calcium can leach it out of the plaster. In a vinyl pool, there is no problem with low calcium. Calcium is one of the main components of hard water. When hard water evaporates, it leaves white deposits that are difficult to remove. If you have extra calcium in your vinyl pool, then you are more open to hard water stains when the water evaporates. I purposely replace evaporation in my pool with some reverse osmosis water to keep the calcium down.

 

[fatzbear]

A huge thank you to everyone. The water has been stabilized for about a week and I'll call it a success. Now on to water leaks and filter problems. I'll start a new threat for those. Again thanks for taking the fear out of pool chemistry.