New pool going in soon!

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M

msd5052001

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Feb 19, 2014
25
Atlanta
Well we have finally made the plunge! We have been toying with getting an above ground or inground pool for several months. Given that we are in what is hopefully our forever home and considering we probably will not want to care for a pool after our kids (9, 11, 16) have flown the coup we opted for the above ground. We really wanted a nice one so we went with a 16x32 Doughboy Saratoga with a deep end. We will also be adding a pretty nice deck as well and are thrilled with the decision. Also a bit nervous as well since we have only had a community pool, but I quickly realized I don't like other peoples kids and sometimes the adults... LOL
Anyway we are looking at it being in around the second week of May. I am reading all I can and have gotten through a bit of pool school so far. One of our first questions is for those who have had the Baquacil system and also the BBB method. Those are the two we are considering and I am leaning towards the BBB method but we have a friend who as an employee of a company can get us a good bit of Baquacil products Cheap to sometimes free! I really need some feedback on this first so we can get prepared.
We are just north and west of Atlanta and our pool will be getting a good bit of sun and usage, our kids are fish for sure!
We are using a very reputable pool company for the install, so it won't be a DIY job. I will head off to Amazon for a bit and start checking out the test kits.
 
Welcome to TFP!

I am not sure I ever recall a member coming here saying they love Baq ... usually they come here to figure out how to get rid of it.

Be sure to check out articles in Pool School, there is one about test kits. I recommend the TF-100 as the best value. Consider the SpeedStir as well.
 
Welcome to TFP !!
I would vote for going with the TFPC method ( used to be called the BBB method ). It's a lot easier IMO.
Take sometime and do some reading in Pool School. Any questions you have don't hesitate to ask.
 
Ok, new question... When looking in the pool school it gives recommended ranges for levels of various items, but I am a bit confused on that... So basically we just aim to stay within those levels and all is fine or do we go to the higher side for certain reasons and lower on the other for whatever reason? I know I am not done studying but just slightly confused on what numbers to aim for.... Not sure if it matters but they will be using the fire hydrant in the cul de sac to fill the pool.
 
As Jason said, generally within the range is good, but there may be reasons to fine tune, don't worry about that now though, those are more advanced fine tuning details, master the basics first.
 

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Thanks, ok, so I think I have my answer (even though the advice is pretty wide spread) which is to let the pool contractor do his thing and once they are done and gone dump the frog thing and start the TFPC method at that point. Back to studying everything....
 
Unfortunately no, we have beat the **** out of them on price and I can tell they are pretty much at their limit. LOL They had the Saratoga which from what I understand is the premium version for Doughboy on spring special, so we waited a few months and inquired back and that was the only special left. So we ended up getting this pool for the price of the least expensive Doughboy. I knew they wanted to move the Saratoga because a lot of people don't want to spend that kind of money but I think I have pushed my limit. I figure there will be some craigslister out there that will want to give me a few bucks for it....
 
OK, here is my shopping list, suggestions/additions/help me decide?
Test Kit:
Not sure yet, two final contenders are Taylor K-2006 and TF100. Also getting Speedstir.
Bleach:
I was thinking about getting maybe 4-5 121oz of the Great Value plain bleach from Walmart to get started. It's two miles from my house, so convenient. Enough?
Arm and Hammer:
1 - 4 pound bag, enough?
Muriatic Acid:
Will need to run to home depot but what I am reading states I need to look for 31% version?

Anything else chemical wise to prepare for new water coming from a fire hydrant? Thanks in advance for all the help, sorry to keep posting so many questions before I even have the dang pool!
 
1. Get the TF-100. It is a better value.
2. Don't go stocking up on chemicals until you test and know what you will need. For example, most people never need baking soda or borax. HD and Lowes around here mostly sell the weaker acid, I get mine at the pool store. But, again, wait until you know if you need it.

Get the test kit ASAP and then test the tap water, which I think should be similar to the hydrant water (?).

You do know you will need stabilizer and bleach. Use PoolMath to determine how much stabilizer you will need.

How much Pool School have you read? These help with the chemistry:
ABCs of Water Chemistry
Recommended Pool Chemicals
 
Thanks for the advice so far! I received confirmation that the TF100XL test kit with Speedstir is on the way. Another question... The pool company had a "patriot" cleaner configured in the quote. Has anyone had this and is it good or ok enough to get by on for a while? If it's **** I will probably just upgrade it now but if it will get me through the season that would be great! This pool, deck and landscaping is breaking me! LOL
 
I can't answer your inquiries about the *patriot* cleaner because I manually vac my pool weekly... just wanted to say that you're going to love the speed stir! :mrgreen:

Please post pics of your build!
 

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