Just built and filled AGP pool....

[Farley]

I just had a 15x30 oval pool installed and I filled it with city hose water.

I bought one of those rubber ducky chlorine floaters, I bought a 40lb pal of pucks from Costco. I put in 6 pucks and set the feeder to 15,000 gallons. Depending on which pool calc I use they say the pool is 10-13k gallons. So I just set it to 15k for now, I can back it down to 10k if needed.

After 24 hours when I test the water, the chlorine level is still showing zero, as in matching the color to the color char the chlorine is clear as day (no color). The PH seems to be spot on according to the color chart.

Should I be shocking the pool from the get go? Just wait several days for the feeder to bring up the chlorine level?

I am a complete newbie when it comes to this stuff.

Farley

 

[JasonLion]

Fresh water won't have any any CYA in it so the chlorine will be lost to sunlight during the day. The tablets will add both chlorine and CYA. The CYA will help protect the chlorine from sunlight, so in several days when the CYA level builds up a little you will be able to hold a chlorine level. Eventually CYA will build up to very high levels and you will need to stop using the tablets/floater.

There are really two approaches you can use here. Tablets are a great way to startup a pool, but not a great long term solution (unless your water replacement rate is high). So many people like to go directly to their long term strategy, often using bleach or a SWG, and add the CYA separately right from the start.

 

[NWMNMom]

Are you using a drops based kit? It sounds like it, but just to be sure. I would suggest you keep an eye on that CYA level and stock up on bleach. By now, your CYA should be at whatever level it should be at (around 30ppm) and you won't want to add any more so the pucks will have to go. Also note that the pucks usually end up droping your PH.

Is your pool covered at any time? Covering for portions of the time can reduce the sunlight burnoff of your chlorine and reduce the amount of organic debris that ends up in there to rot (requiring more chlorine) WITH the added bonus of reducing heat loss to cooler temps and wind.

 

[Farley]

OK I am probably over complicating this, I want to KISS.

Is the easiest and most cost effective measure at this point to use the BBB method, use poolcalculator.com and punch in my numbers and go buy the chems. from the grocery store.

Which means the 40lb jug of pucks I bought from Costco was a $85 waste of money.

Thanks.

Farley

Note: I only have the test kit from the PB that does chlorine and PH. (I plan on purchasing a TFtestkit at some point)

 

[The Mermaid Queen]

The pucks are not a complete waste of money. You can use them to get a nice CYA level in your pool (say about 30ppm) and they are also handy to have if you ever go out of town...

Just keep reading here, and asking questions, and you will be fine!!

You do not say how long you have had the pucks floating... after a week or so, take some water to the pool store for a test but don't buy anything. You need to know what your CYA level is, so you can keep the proper amount of chlorine in your water!

Welcome to TFP!

 

[JasonLion]

Get a good test kit. There is no better investment in your pool you can make. Stick with the pucks till the CYA level comes up. I expect you have a little way to go on that yet.

Then, when CYA is at 40 or 50, switch to BBB.

 

[Farley]

The pucks have been in for 3 days so far.

I am ordering the Tf kit today.

Farley

 

[NWMNMom]

I keep pucks on hand for startup and for vacation - I can't trust my teenagers to be sure the SWG gets reset after a power outage.