First time pool owner

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anton

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May 30, 2013
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Hello
I just bought a house that has an above ground pool. It hasn't been used for two seasons. It was obviously closed properly. Pump was taken off and put in shed. Cover was on but one side slipped free so water in it is pretty green and has some leaves in it. Not too bad tho. I have since put everything back together and everything seems to be working just fine (filter, pump, skimmer, etc.) I have been running filter for the past three days and everything looks pretty good. Yesterday I took a water sample to the pool store and these were the numbers:

Free chlorine 0.1 ppm
Total chlorine 0.1 ppm
Combined chlorine 0 ppm
pH 6.8
Hardness 3 ppm
Alkalinity 88 ppm
Cyanuric acid 2 ppm
Copper 0 ppm
Iron 0 ppm
Borate 0 ppm

The pool is round 18' and 52" depth. Approx. 8200 gallons. Their recommendation is 1 lb of shock (granular), 4 lbs of sodium bicarbonate and 20 lbs calcium chloride. I have been reading the BBB method on here and seems to be the most logical way to go but just need help in going about it the right way. Should I do the pool store's recommendation to start of or what? I see a lot of very knowledgeable people here and I hope I can get some help. I have since bought a K-2005 test kit but have not used it yet. Thank you
 
Welcome to the forum. :lol: Your first best step would be to return the K-2005 and purchase a K-2006 or TF-100. They are the only kits that contain the FAS/DPD chlorine test that is so essential in what we teach.

The pool store tests are pretty worthless so let us know if you can get the correct kit. There's a workaround with the K-2005 if you CAN NOT return it.
 
Thanks for the quick reply. I never even saw that comparison link. I'll try to return this today. Is there anything I should be doing to the pool while I wait for the other test kit. Filter has been running and I have been scrubbing and skimming a lot of algae.
 
Hello again,

First of I would just like to say this is one of the best sites I've ever come across in regard to taking care of your pool. I' ve learned a lot but I'm sure not enough. So with that said, I have since returned the K-2005 test kit and opted for the TF-100. Hopefully, it will come today.
In the meantime, what should I do or prepare for when the test kit comes? I want to hit the ground running on this and I was wondering what I should have on hand (ballpark). I know lots of bleach and what else? My pool was a green swamp when I opened it last week. Since then, I have had the filter going 24/7 (with lots of backwashing and rinsing). Went to the pool store before I stumbled across this site. I have put in 1 lb of calcium hypo (Shock 73) and 4 lbs of sodium bicarbonate. I have also been cleaning, skimming, brushing, raking everyday and I pretty much got most of the gunk out except for some fine gunk on bottom (it comes up when I brush). The pool has now become blue with a slight tinge of green. Yesterday I put in 1 gallon of 8.25 bleach. Also trying to learn the Poolcalc. Is there anything else I should be doing?
There is a wealth of knowledge here and I'm glad I found this site
 
anton said:
Hello again,

First of I would just like to say this is one of the best sites I've ever come across in regard to taking care of your pool. I' ve learned a lot but I'm sure not enough. So with that said, I have since returned the K-2005 test kit and opted for the TF-100. Hopefully, it will come today.
In the meantime, what should I do or prepare for when the test kit comes? I want to hit the ground running on this and I was wondering what I should have on hand (ballpark). I know lots of bleach and what else? My pool was a green swamp when I opened it last week. Since then, I have had the filter going 24/7 (with lots of backwashing and rinsing). Went to the pool store before I stumbled across this site. I have put in 1 lb of calcium hypo (Shock 73) and 4 lbs of sodium bicarbonate. I have also been cleaning, skimming, brushing, raking everyday and I pretty much got most of the gunk out except for some fine gunk on bottom (it comes up when I brush). The pool has now become blue with a slight tinge of green. Yesterday I put in 1 gallon of 8.25 bleach. Also trying to learn the Poolcalc. Is there anything else I should be doing?
There is a wealth of knowledge here and I'm glad I found this site
Click to expand...
All you can do is stockpile bleach. Spread out the back strain a little over time. :mrgreen:
 

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Yes test kit finally arrived. Here are the results as follows:

FC- 0
TC - .5
CC - .5
PH - 8
TA - 210
CH - 17
CYA - 0

Trying to figure out pool calculator and cya/chlorine chart. How do I figure out my shock level when my cya is 0. The chart only goes down to 20. Also how do I get my target figures for the poolcalc. Sorry if these are stupid questions but please bear with me :? Where to begin...
 
anton said:
Yes test kit finally arrived. Here are the results as follows:

FC- 0
TC - .5
CC - .5
PH - 8
TA - 210
CH - 17
CYA - 0

Trying to figure out pool calculator and cya/chlorine chart. How do I figure out my shock level when my cya is 0. The chart only goes down to 20. Also how do I get my target figures for the poolcalc. Sorry if these are stupid questions but please bear with me :? Where to begin...
Click to expand...
Is the CH a typo?

Here's what you do:
Scroll waaaay down on pool calculator to the last yellow box and select vinyl/bleach/troublefreepools and it will put target values in for you. Back at the top, put the size of your pool.

First, add acid to lower pH. While that is mixing, weigh out enough CYA to get you to 30 and pour it in an old sock or a nylon and hang it in front of the return stream. By the time you're done messing with that, pH should be fixed. Double check it, and readjust if necessary. Get it right now, because you won't be testing it again for a while. Once the pH is about 7.4 - 7.5, it's bleach time!

Shock level for 30 CYA is 12. That's your target. Keep FC there until the water is clear, the CC is .5 or less, and the overnight test passes. You've got plenty of time to read up on that test while the green is going away.

[center:3szif52t][attachment=0:3szif52t]1chlorininthemorning.jpg[/attachment:3szif52t][/center:3szif52t]
 

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There are no stupid questions.

You should focus on the shocking process until you pass the three criteria in that pool school article.

Before dosing with chlorine, lower you ph down to about 7.2 using Muriatic Acid.

Then start getting about 20-30 ppm cya in to the water using an old sock hung in front of a pool return.

Your shocking level (per the suggested levels section in the poolcalculator.com) is 10 ppm FC for 0 ppm cya.
 
Add enough CYA to raise it to 30 ppm, about 2 lbs worth. Suspend it in a sock next to a return and give the sock a squeeze every now and then.

Lower the pH to 7.2 to begin the shock process and you don't have to measure this again until the process is complete.

Target the FC to be 10 ppm until the CYA dissolves and then raise the target 13 ppm.

Follow the shock process until you pass all three requirements. After the water is clear you can then work on the TA and other parameters. We can help you with the target figures for now, but with enough "Pool Schooling" you will find the answers in there.
 
Thank you very much for the replies. The acid is the only thing I don't have. Will get it first thing tomorrow. Can I go ahead and do the stabilizer and do the pH tomorrow or do I have to take care of pH first? Poolcalc says 22 oz of acid and 2 lbs 1 oz for stabilizer. Just making sure...

CH I think was 170. Forgot to multiply it by 10...does that sound right? Is that essential right now or can I deal with that later?
 
How long do I wait to check pH after I put in acid? I read on here the test is unreliable till after a week. And do I wait for the stabilizer to completely dissolve, check reading and start shock process? Been squeezing the sock and its almost dissolved.

Do I just pour required of muriatic acid in front of return?
 
You can check ph 1 hour after changing it (leaving the pump run). The acid you use to adjust ph is Muriatic Acid.

It is when you add granular cya (cyanuric acid) that i can take up to a week to show up in the cya test. Cyanuric acid is effectively very close to being ph neutral.

anton said:
Do I just pour required of muriatic acid in front of return?
Click to expand...
Yes, slowly in front of the return.
 
Okay, stabilizer is cya right? I put that in last night per the pool calculator. That was granular. So I don't have to check the reading on that before I start the shock process?
 

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