Need Help Getting Started

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Dawnd123

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Apr 24, 2011
11
Last season, I did not cover my 18,200 gallon AG pool. Reason for this was I had a leak that I could not find and was afraid that water level would reduce to jeopardize walls of pool. Apparently the leak must be somewhere about where the water comes out, because it never dropped more than 1 foot. I will be searching for this leak as soon as I can get in the pool after it is clean and warm enough it get inside...

So, you can imagine what my pool looks like right now... Dark green with lots of leaves on the bottom.

I have the AquaSmarte Mineral pool system with the chlorine bac packs which are very expensive. This year I was considering not replacing the mineral pack and just going to the BBB method.

My question is what is the best way to start to get the pool back in shape using this BBB method. Would I use a floating chlorinator with 1 inch chlorine tablets and just use the bleach for shock? Also need to know how much bleach I should put in to kill all the algae.

Thanks for your help!
 
The best way to start is to get the pump running and then test all your levels. Since you have been using tricolor it is especially important to find out your CYA level.

The next step is to get as many of the leaves and other debris out as you can and do some reading at pool school.
 
Start HERE

Don't use tablets - they don't dissolve fast enough, and they will add other stuff you may not need and probably don't want.

Before you spend the day reading in Pool School, break out the plastic and order up a decent test kit. They are discussed in Pool School, .

Without the kit, you'll
  • Be at the mercy of the Pool Store
    Probably spend 8-10X as much on snake oils than you will on a test kit
    Still be struggling with it until August
 
Thanks, I will order a test kit today. I am in KY so we are expecting much more rain this week. Once I switch to the BBB method (after I get it clean) how much bleach will I be putting in the pool per week? (Average)
 
Every pool is unique and every pool will use different amounts. You can play with the Pool Calculator and see how much bleach it takes to raise the FC level by 2ppm in your pool, based on your gallons. Most pools average 2-3 ppm loss per day. Then you can guestimate how many jugs a week that is.

You can use tablets in a floater or inline chlorinator swapped out for that Aquasmarte, which is a good choice to get rid of by the way.... if you decide to use tablets, you need to know that they are acidic, they lower your PH and TA, so you'll be adding more chems to keep those in range....additionally, tablets raise CYA levels so you have to start out with a very low CYA level and then replace water or switch to bleach daily when it gets to the top end of the range, and even then the tablets may not produce enough FC to stay up above your "min" FC level. It requires more testing and monitoring than just daily bleach additions.

You can put your pool specs and equipment in your signature - Go to User Control Panel, then Profile, then Edit Signature.

Welcome to TFP :)
 
Used to use trichlor pucks, shocked every two weeks with dichlor, still had algae bloom in July/August. Last year switched to BBB, I use trichlor occasionally just to maintain CYA level. Never shocked once last year, not a drop of green anywhere right up to closing. Also using TF100 kit. TFP is best ever!!
 
Cloudy Water but no longer Green! Need help though!

Got my Taylor kit and here are the results:
Total Hardness: 250
Total Chlorine 3
Free Chlorine 1
PH 7
Alkalinity 40
CYA 25

Pool was uncovered during the winter - so I had lots of algae - I shocked a week or so ago...I still have a few leaves to remove once I can get in it again...

Pool is cloudy blue now and I can't see the bottom... What should I do? New to BBB method...
 
First, raise TA (alkalinity) to 80. Then double check your FC (free chlorine) and TC (total chlorine) test results. If your posted results are correct, you should shock the pool. See the directions on How To Shock Your Pool in Pool School.
 

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Re: Cloudy Water but no longer Green! Need help though!

Yep, the cloudiness indicates that you still need to shock as this water condition is most likely due to the fact that you still have algae.
 
Dawnd123 said:
I shocked the pool and it is still cloudy... See my other post on whether or not I can use baking soda to raise ph and alkalinity which are very low
Click to expand...
How many days did it take?

You do know that shocking is not a one-time thing, right? It's a process, not a product. You need to boost FC way up, and keep it up, even if it means adding bleach every hour or two. There are directions in Pool School.
 
I had shocked several times before. This time is maintained the TC of 10 overnight. Added 12 lbs of baking soda today... Here are my latest readings:

CYA 65
TC 10
FC 9.2
PH 7.6
TA 97
TH 131

These readings were done at my local pool store. The clerk recommended a flocculant to help the sand media. Tried that earlier today - still cloudy. I just poured that product directly in skimmer. Suppose to backwash in 48 hours.
 
Flocculants are typically not worth the money. You have a filter that does that kind of work for you already. Another issue that I see is that the pool store is doing your testing. Have you considered what Richard320 mentioned about getting your own high quality test kit? If you go to www.tftestkits.net, you will be able to find a good kit for a good price.
 
I did purchase the Taylor kit... Just wanted to check their readings against mine and I was right on. Any recommendations on water to do with the cloudy water? Should I take the top off the pump and try and stir the sand to see if there is channeling?
 
The clerk recommended a flocculant to help the sand media. Tried that earlier today - still cloudy. I just poured that product directly in skimmer. Suppose to backwash in 48 hours.
Click to expand...

If you used a flocculant, they should have told you to circulate the water for an hour or so, then shut the pump off and let everything settle overnight and vacuum to waste the next day.

They also did an algae test and their was none.
Click to expand...

:?: Never heard of an algae test. Something new?

With a CYA at 65, I would bring the FC up to 15 or 20 ppm and keep it there until everything clears. You may have to check the FC level a few times a day, and adjust. Use liquid chlorine (bleach), no pucks. I wouldn't add anything else to the water.
 
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