Sorry if this has been asked before. I have read some posts and didn't understand. We finally got our pool ready after trouble with leveling it out. I did a test on it today. We have the 3-way test kit from Walmart. The Bromine and the Free Chlorine reading are the same the way I understand it. When I first put the water in and added the drops and inverted several times to mix, it read 3.0 to 6.5, then after about 5 mins, it read 5.0 to 11.0. I have been trying to figure out what is what with it and what i need to do to get my pool right. My pool is one of those round pools from Walmart that is 12ft diameter and 3 ft deep. How many gallons is that and how can you tell? And we have some kind of a little red worm floating around in our pool. Last week, I just dropped one of those single chlorine tablets from Walmart in it. Today, it still wasn't all the way dissolved. What is the difference between the bromine test and clorine test, since they are done the same? And do I need to put the chlorine tablets in the water or can I add them to the pump? Is there a difference? Any tips would be nice. And our pool is near a walnut tree. And we get all kinds of leaves in it. It's the only place we have to put the pool. And we have a cover for it from Walmart, is this what they call a solar cover? And there are holes built into the cover and then water gets ontop of the cover and it's a pain to get it off of the pool. Do all covers have holes in them? It's not many holes. Any info would be helpful. Thanks so much.....
New....we know nothing about pools!!!
- Thread starter Kirshykisses
- Start date
Take a deep breath and relax. I will try and answer some of your immediate questions but you need to do something very important. There is a link in the upper right and corner of every page called Pool School.
Click on that and read EVERYTHING in itl
Now read it all a second time.
If you don't understand something read it ALL a third time.
If you still don't understand something post your question in the forum.
If you do this you will have a good basic understanding of what you need to do and you will also be speaking the same language as the rest of us.
We are here to help and hold your hand but you need to do your part!
Now, on to some of your questions:
I get 2500 gallons.
Click on that and read EVERYTHING in itl
Now read it all a second time.
If you don't understand something read it ALL a third time.
If you still don't understand something post your question in the forum.
If you do this you will have a good basic understanding of what you need to do and you will also be speaking the same language as the rest of us.
We are here to help and hold your hand but you need to do your part!
Now, on to some of your questions:
You are using an OTO chlorine/bromine test. It really needs to develop a few minutes to get the correct reading. It only gives your a total chlorine or total bromine. In your pool you are more interested in free chlorine and combined chlorine. I can tell you since your test gets darker on standing that you have combined chloirne (bad chlorine) in your water.Kirshykisses said:
You can use the pool calculator (link is in my sig) to calculate your pool volume. Look on the bottom of the page for pool volume calculations and then look the rest of it over. It might look confusing at first but you will soon master it and it will be your best friend.Kirshykisses said:
I get 2500 gallons.
If you are using chlorine you use the chlorine scale on your testkit. If you are sanitizing with bromine you use the bromine scale. Bromine is more commonly used in hot tubs and some indoor pools. You are sanitizing with chlorine so ignore the bromine scale.Kirshykisses said:
Chlorine tablets (trichlor) are very acidic and can damage your vinyl pool if allowed to sit on the vinyl surface. They can also damage pump and filter parts if you put them in the pump. Get a 'floater" (they are only about $8-$12) and put your tablets in there and let it float in the pool. Better yet, read Pool School and learn why tablets are NOT the best way to chlorinate your pool and you can do it much cheaper and with fewer problems by following the methods we teach in this forum. A good place to start is by reading Pool School!Kirshykisses said:
Pool School will tell you a lot about water chemistry, but it is really geared toward permanent pools. With one of these little blow-up pools you can get away with stuff that would never work in a more permanent situation. Like using the tabs in a floater.
There was somebody on another forum with this kind of pool. He had a pound of dichlor granuated chlorine. I recommended using that an ounce at a time until it was gone, and then using bleach afterward as a chlorine source. The 1lb dichlor would add enough CYA to be worth something in a pool that small, and then it's probably something like 1 cup of bleach per day. Really fairly easy.
Tabs in a floater would work like dichlor, use them until you get enough CYA to be helpful then switch to bleach. Or you can use them all the time, and recognize that eventually you'll have to dump and refill the pool. If you're lucky it'll be the entire season before that happens, and with a cover you might have low enough chlorine usage that it would work out.
Speaking of the cover, what's it made of? A solar cover is basically bubble wrap.
--paulr
There was somebody on another forum with this kind of pool. He had a pound of dichlor granuated chlorine. I recommended using that an ounce at a time until it was gone, and then using bleach afterward as a chlorine source. The 1lb dichlor would add enough CYA to be worth something in a pool that small, and then it's probably something like 1 cup of bleach per day. Really fairly easy.
Tabs in a floater would work like dichlor, use them until you get enough CYA to be helpful then switch to bleach. Or you can use them all the time, and recognize that eventually you'll have to dump and refill the pool. If you're lucky it'll be the entire season before that happens, and with a cover you might have low enough chlorine usage that it would work out.
Speaking of the cover, what's it made of? A solar cover is basically bubble wrap.
--paulr
I know the cover you have. It is the typical intex cover: thin blue, with about 20 holes right in the middle. This cover will help keep major debris out of the water, while letting any rain flow into the pool, thus making removal of the cover slightly easier. This is NOT a solar cover. It will also help keep your chlorine loss to a minimum by keeping the sun off your water (if you are not swimming and leave the cover on.) If you spread the cover tightly over the pool, it should not sit on top of the water. You might need 2 people. If water gets on top, just take the cover off slowly and let it drain through the holes.
The red worms... if they are tiny, they are probably mosquito larvae. You don't want them. After reading pool school and getting your chlorine under control, they will die. If you keep your chlorine at appropriate levels, they will not return.
After you read pool school, read about shocking. If you have worms of any sort, you need to shock!
The pump/filter that comes with intex pools is woefully inadequate. Get a handle on things now, and stay on top of your chemistry, because if you let problems arise, it is extremely difficult to clear up your water.
Finally, you can google Intex pool volume and find the volume. The pool calculator is geared toward straight-sided pools, and not the inflatable ring pools, which are not cylindrical.
The best news is that if you have a really bad problem, your pool is small enough to dump the water and start over!!
Welcome to TFP! I know you are overwhelmed with info right now, but it will become second nature in no time!
The red worms... if they are tiny, they are probably mosquito larvae. You don't want them. After reading pool school and getting your chlorine under control, they will die. If you keep your chlorine at appropriate levels, they will not return.
After you read pool school, read about shocking. If you have worms of any sort, you need to shock!
The pump/filter that comes with intex pools is woefully inadequate. Get a handle on things now, and stay on top of your chemistry, because if you let problems arise, it is extremely difficult to clear up your water.
Finally, you can google Intex pool volume and find the volume. The pool calculator is geared toward straight-sided pools, and not the inflatable ring pools, which are not cylindrical.
The best news is that if you have a really bad problem, your pool is small enough to dump the water and start over!!
Welcome to TFP! I know you are overwhelmed with info right now, but it will become second nature in no time!
Hiya Kirshy 
Fellow West Virginian here :-D . Just take a deep breath and relax. These fine people will help ypu out. I have a 24-ft round above ground, and with their help, the water is so beautiful and sparkily that I just can't wait to get in. Last year was the first full year we had our pool and I HATED it. I spent the whole summer just trying to keep it clean and clear (I was using baquacil at the time...yuck!)
I have since converted over to chlorine with the help of several on this forum and I COULDN'T be happier! My pool is just amazing. Just read pool school over and over and when someone here gives you advice, follow it. They have never steered me wrong. I have learned its a pool to maintain (which takes me about 10 minutes an evening, if that) not rocket science, so just ask, listen and learn and you will find out it's not so bad. Have a good one!
Fellow West Virginian here :-D . Just take a deep breath and relax. These fine people will help ypu out. I have a 24-ft round above ground, and with their help, the water is so beautiful and sparkily that I just can't wait to get in. Last year was the first full year we had our pool and I HATED it. I spent the whole summer just trying to keep it clean and clear (I was using baquacil at the time...yuck!)
I have since converted over to chlorine with the help of several on this forum and I COULDN'T be happier! My pool is just amazing. Just read pool school over and over and when someone here gives you advice, follow it. They have never steered me wrong. I have learned its a pool to maintain (which takes me about 10 minutes an evening, if that) not rocket science, so just ask, listen and learn and you will find out it's not so bad. Have a good one!