16x48 Intex new pool questions

[unkyjoe]

Greetings,

Just got my 16x48 pool setup and full of water.

Going to use the BBB method for maintaining the water.

I have some questions:

1: Stuck with the stock paper filter unit provided with the pool until I get my sand filter and pump from my old AGP adapted to the new intex. The question is how long should I initially run this filter pump? 24 hrs 48 hrs? And then after that how long a day should this filer run? The manual says for my pool only 4hrs per day.

2: The PH and Alkalinity are spot on at this time, but no chlorine registers on the test strips I am using "yes I will be using the proper test kit as soon as it comes in" the pool calc says I should add 33oz of 6% chlorine bleach to get the level up to 3.

I used to have an above ground pool years ago and now understand why I was chasing PH and Alk everytime I shocked or added chlorine tablets to the pool, which is why I am going to use the BBB method.

Any help you can give would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

 

[unkyjoe]

FC=0
PH=7.8
Alk=120

These are with the test strip, just checked it a few minutes ago.

I added 33oz of liquid bleach yesterday as per the pool calc for 5300gal of water but the FC never registered.

 

[Richard320]

Welcome!

Well, obviously, you know about the shortcomings of test strips, so I'll spare you the scolding.

I doubt you have an algae problem yet, since it's a fresh fill. Unless it was filled from a pond or a well, then it's anybody's guess. But you will have one if you don't get on top of the chlorine issue right away! If you haven't added any stabilizer, the sun will break down any bleach you add in a big hurry - like, within an hour or two. So.... you might want to pick up some stabilizer aka CYA aka cyanuric acid and add about 20 ounces by weight to get that up to 30 ish.

Alternately, you could use dichlor or trichlor to chlorinate, but not too much, because they add CYA and lower pH and can cause problems if overused. No more than 3 lbs of dichlor in total, added no more than 1/2 measuring cup at a time when you need to raise FC, so it may take a few days. Or no more than 2 lbs of trichlor, added about 2 oz by weight when FC needs to be raised. http://www.poolcalculator.com/ can tell you how much to add if you select the right chlorine source in the dropdown. That will get CYA up into the 30 zone, anyway.

However, using two different products to raise CYA and FC tends to make for simpler math.

Have you been studying Pool School? There are good articles about basic chemistry, starting up seasonal pools, and figuring out pump run times. You may find the answers to questions you haven't even thought to ask yet.

 

[unkyjoe]

Richard,

Thanks for the info, I think I am going to start with the Dichlor first as this will get the Chlorine up and add some stabilizer while I wait for my test kit to come in.

Then once I get proper readings on the other items I will know better where to add what.

So can anyone help with the question on how long per day I should run the filter? Our main problem here is with bugs on the surface looking for water as we are out in the country, there is a small tree near the pool "ash" but it is not close enough to drop leaves and it is a small tree.

Thanks

 

[unkyjoe]

Richard,

According to the pool calc if my FC is 0 and I want to get it to 3 it stated to add 33oz of bleach to reach that level.

Shock value for a pool of this size using Bleach would be what? This is what I am not understanding.

I added 33oz of bleach yesterday but as I said earlier it did not even register on the strip.

So if I were to shock with bleach tonight instead of using the Dichlor what PPM value would I put into the calculator to get the chlorine level up fast on this new water? 10ppm 15ppm? I ask because Momma is going to pick up the bleach tonight on her way home and I want to get an idea of how much to get.

Also off brand or Clorox ?

Thanks

 

[Richard320]

Richard,

According to the pool calc if my FC is 0 and I want to get it to 3 it stated to add 33oz of bleach to reach that level.

Shock value for a pool of this size using Bleach would be what? This is what I am not understanding.

I added 33oz of bleach yesterday but as I said earlier it did not even register on the strip.

So if I were to shock with bleach tonight instead of using the Dichlor what PPM value would I put into the calculator to get the chlorine level up fast on this new water? 10ppm 15ppm? I ask because Momma is going to pick up the bleach tonight on her way home and I want to get an idea of how much to get.

Also off brand or Clorox ?

Thanks

Okay... target FC and shock FC are based on CYA level. If you have zero CYA. enter zero in the NOW column. Down at the bottom of the chart there's a yellow bar that says Suggested Goal Levels. If you select the right source - bleach - and troublefree pool and the surface, the blue box just above that will give you suggested goals to put in the target box. Bes ure you also enter the pool size correctly.

Shock level for zero CYA is 10. But since it's a fresh fill, that's probably overkill. Just target 3 and dose accordingly using either bleach or dichlor.

Clorox is the big name brand; anything else, Momma needs to read the label and be sure it's 8.25%. If it doesn't say, it could be as low as 2%, I kid you not. Plain bleach - not splashless, not outdoor, not scented.

Remember - without any CYA, that bleach will be gone in a hurry.

 

[unkyjoe]

I figured the test strips were junk per information here, and that is correct, they registered no chlorine at all.

Went out tonight and bought the HTC 6in1 test kit from Walmart while waiting on the one recommended on the board.

Chlorine is hard to read in shades of yellow on this 6in1 kit but the best guess is as follows.

FC=3-6 PPM Keep in mind I tested in the house with house lighting and not outside in the sunlight so the color variations were hard to see.
PH=7.8
Alk=120
CYA=0 does not even react or turn cloudy when mixing, they use a black dot method with this test kit, I filled the black dot container with the 7ml pool water 7ml reagent after mixing and filled the test black dot container to the top but the black dot could still be seen even when filling the container to the top so I assume this means 0

So I assume I will need to get some stabilizer in the pool, I will re-check the chlorine level in the morning in the sunlight to make sure the color is reading correctly.

Thanks