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[melabella]

Hi there, this site has been a wonderful help ! Im a newbie to owning a pool! We installed an above ground 24ft round 52" high pool w/ vinyl liner. We also have a DE jaccuzi pump.
I purchased a test kit at the hardware store and been testing for the past 5 days straight and I just want to be sure that I am doing this right.
The FC has been .5 -that has not changed at all
The PH has been about 7.5 -
The TA is at 100---

So from what I am gathering that the FC is too low?? I entered the info in the pool calculator - and said to add more bleach which I did, but the FC level has not changed.

Am I doing this right? Any other suggestions? I live in Central Maine - we have had nothing but rain for most of the month of June - but have had some nice sunny dasys the last 4 days. It does have direct sun all day.

Thank you for your help!

 

[reebok]

read pool-school/ especially the articles on water chemistry.
your fc is definitely too low. you need a better test kit. have you added any cya to the water?

 

[melabella]

No I have not added any CYA yet. The testing kit is made by hph...the company that sells the pool chemicals. But when I do the test how they say - it says wait till the black dot disappers...well the black dot never disappers. The test cost me $30 - so its not a cheap one?

So I will add more bleach today - should I add more and more each day? To get it to a fc reading of 4?
Thanks for your help!

 

[reebok]

you are losing your chlorine to sunlight. you need cya. see pool school.

 

[melabella]

Do I add large amounts of bleach each day or all at once?

 

[Nod]

You need a real test kit, and only 2 are recommended by this site. The cheaper of the 2 is the TF test kit. Visit http://www.tftestkits.net/ to order the kit. It is $68, but is money well spent. You will save a lot more by being able to test yourself and learning what you need about your pool.

Once you get up and running, you will spend about $20-$30/mo in the summer on chemicals for your size pool.

You need CYA in your pool. (CYA is cyanuric acid, which is also called stabalizer) Go to walmart and pick up some. If your walmart is like mine, then they have 3lb containers. Add just one of those for now.

Add ~60 oz of bleach to your pool everyday for now, until you get your test kit. This should hold off anything in the pool. 60oz is going to be 1/3 container of a big bottle of clorox.

That is not a roadmap to sanitizing your pool. It will hold you over while you wait on your test kit, which is imperative you have if you want to control what goes into your pool.

 

[melabella]

Thanks Nod---that is exactly what I needed to be told.
Will go online and purchase a new testing kit and add more bleach and cya.

 

[Nod]

No problem -

You may want to pick up an extra container of CYA, but do not use it yet. You can use to top it off, once we get true #'s. Also, stock up on the bleach, b/c you will need to add it daily. I go to Dollar General and buy it for 2.50 for 182oz of 6%. It is the cheapest I can find it. Some people find good deals at Aldi's or Sams Club. Be prepared for "the stare" when you pull up to the register with all of that bleach. I normally break the ice by asking if they think that will be enough to clean up the bloody mess... Helps if you have a grin when asking :-D

Once you get your kit, do each test (you can omit the Calcium one since you have a vinyl pool) and then post your numbers in a new thread. We will point in you in the right direction as to what else to add! Good luck!!!