Do I add clarifier?

[Ban26ana]

I just found this forum the other day, and I should have come here before I even bought my Toys R Us pool. I had algae, got a "green to blue" kit from Walmart, and promptly realized that I don't have the type of pool/vacuum to be able to get the waste out. TFP suggested a siphon, and I've now successfully gotten all that Crud off the bottom of my pool.

In the process, I lost a lot of water. So I'm currently adding more water to bring it up to level. In the meantime, here are my test results. I'm using an HTH 6 way kit, so anything not listed is because I can't get it.

TC: 1
pH: 7.2
CYA: 0 (I never knew I needed to add this. Oops.)
TA: 100
TH: 0

According to the pool calculator, I added 9.1 oz bleach and 24 oz stabilizer. The other day I bought HTH Clarifier from Walmart. It says "clears cloudy, dull pool water." It says to add 5 oz per 5000 gallons. The active ingredient is cationic polymer. My water is a little cloudy right now, but I also just added the bleach and stabilizer a few minutes ago. Do I add this clarifier now, or wait, or never add it? It's not opened so I can easily return it.

 

[RobbieH]

I wouldn't use it. Just hold on and see what happens now that you have chlorine in the pool. Do you know how long it sat without chlorine?

 

[linen]

I agree with RobbieH, I wouldn't use it. You should not need it if you follow the methods on this site. Have you read: Beginners Guide for Seasonal/Temporary Pools, you can ignore using dichor (mentioned in step 5) since you have made the smart move to granular stabilizer already.

Keep you chlorine level at 6 ppm per the poolcalculator. If your pool remains cloudy by tonight, I would do a OCLT...see: http://www.troublefreepool.com/pool-school/overnight_fc_test and post the results.

 

[Ban26ana]

I've been adding chlorine and/or shocking about every other day since I put it up in the beginning of June. But I guess since I didn't have the CYA stuff, it was just being eaten up.

I haven't read the guide to seasonal pools (or pool school for that matter...I know, I know!). I'll get right on that. I'll see how the pool does today as everything circulates. I'll do that night test tonight.

And when I go to work at midnight, I'll start reading the guide, and pool school, and everything else I should have read before I bought a pool and thought I could handle it with Walmart knowledge.

 

[linen]

I've been adding chlorine and/or shocking about every other day since I put it up in the beginning of June. But I guess since I didn't have the CYA stuff, it was just being eaten up.

And shocking is a process not an event, you shock until you meet criteria and only then do you stop...you will read about it in pool school. See: http://www.troublefreepool.com/pool-school/shocking_your_pool

I haven't read the guide to seasonal pools (or pool school for that matter...I know, I know!). I'll get right on that. I'll see how the pool does today as everything circulates. I'll do that night test tonight.

And get a good test kit ASAP, it will make your life with a pool much easier to manage. See: http://www.troublefreepool.com/pool-school/pool_test_kit_comparison

And when I go to work at midnight, I'll start reading the guide, and pool school, and everything else I should have read before I bought a pool and thought I could handle it with Walmart knowledge.

You will get it, and if you need help/clarification...that is what this board is for!

 

[Ban26ana]

Thanks. I feel like an idiot for not researching anything beforehand, and just listening to some minimum wage teenagers for my pool supplies. Eh, live and learn.