Testing and balancing pool water most important readings

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KrisIL

KrisIL

LifeTime Supporter
Apr 3, 2012
469
Illinois
Pool Size
21000
Surface
Vinyl
Chlorine
Liquid Chlorine
My cousin purchased a house with above ground pool. He called me last night and asked me to help him with the setup. Previous owner keep the filter in garage for the winter. Here is the thing. My cousin is pretty dumb :D . For example he did not know that skimmer is the section where the water got sucked in to the pump and filter. He don't know where to connect hoses so the water will flow thru the filter :hammer: .
Over the weekend I will go to his house and take a look at the pool. He told me the water looks clear because he lift some of the cover and took a bucket of water out of it and it was clear. I believe it is green anyway. But I will go there with my TF-100 test kit and test everything. Probably show him how to slam the pool and explain it a little.
Over the phone I tried to explain him how he suppose to test the water and what to test for. I only talk about chlorine and he already was confused. I know he will not be able to keep everything in balance so I'm asking you guys. What is most important to keep at balance in above ground pool? I think it is FC and pH. Also what is the easiest way to do it? Should I tell him to use bleach or the tablets?
What I will tell him have to be really simple otherwise he will keep calling me every day to come and check his water :whip: And he is about 30 min. drive from me
 
If you get everything setup for him, the only daily maintenance is adding chlorine. Just at the start it is important to get PH and CYA to reasonable values. CH is rarely an issue in an above-ground pool. TA needs to be roughly right, but it can vary quite a bit without problems. PH will need to be checked and adjusted at least occasionally, but not so often if using bleach.

Trichlor is less carrying, but otherwise is more work in most ways. The PH needs to be actively maintained when using trichlor, and high CYA will eventually become a major problem (though not right away).
 
He won't understand what TA or CYA is and why it is important to keep it in balance. Even if I set up everything for him and then he will just take care of pH and chlorine will he run into problems?
 
I knew my old pool so well, I probably could have gotten away with just dumping an x amount of bleach every other day but the test kit I had was additional insurance that confirmed what I knew my pool needed and was getting.

If you want to tell him anything, I'd sell him on his own TF100 and a free subscription to TFP! He needs Pool Schooled! :mrgreen:
 
Casey said:
I knew my old pool so well, I probably could have gotten away with just dumping an x amount of bleach every other day but the test kit I had was additional insurance that confirmed what I knew my pool needed and was getting.

If you want to tell him anything, I'd sell him on his own TF100 and a free subscription to TFP! He needs Pool Schooled! :mrgreen:
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Believe me he will not get anything from it. He almost cried when I told him he can use bleach to keep chlorine balanced. He was like "Bleach??!! The one that you use in washer? Are you crazy!"
I'm not even sure if he will be able to keep pH at balance. He can only do one thing at a time. I cannot tell him to use more then bleach otherwise he will ask me to do everything for him all the time. I'm not trying to be rude it just I do not have time to go to his house and check his water all season.
 
Cut him loose n give him the local pool store's number. Some people can not be taught. He'll either sink, swim or take the pool down!
 
Casey said:
Cut him loose n give him the local pool store's number. Some people can not be taught. He'll either sink, swim or take the pool down!
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He will do what you tell him to do. If I tell him put such a amount of this every two days he will do it,but if the process includes different amount then his brain won't be able to process the information. I think he will have the pool for one season only. Unless he will find someone who will help him with it.
 
The TFPC method only works for people who are willing to embrace it, and then take the time to learn. It's nearly impossible to convince someone who isn't willing to entertain the idea of maintaining a pool other than the pool store way. If you mention it, and they don't want to hear it, it's not worth your time. The best you can do is just show them your water later on in the summer when they complain about theirs.
 
I visited his house over the weekend. Actually the water is not bad. Some green stuff on the bottom but not much. I tested the water for pH and it seems to be about 7.3 -7.4 . Chlorine of course 0. I set up the pump and filter for him but he did not fill the pool all the way up yet. He do a lot of stuff on the house after work and then he goes to his in laws house to sleep (temporary house) so he do not want to leave the water running while he's away.
I told him to go and get , for now at least, the testing strips. He want me to order him the TF-100 kit. I will but I explained him that he must first learned all the chemicals. And here was another problem. There was his friend there who used to have a pool when she was living with her parents and she say all the time : " go to the pool store and get this and this and after you are done get this and this" . She was so into it that I did not even open my mouth.
After she left I told him if he want to go and do it as she told him so then I cannot help him because I do not use the pool store product unless it is CYA. And he told me that he will not do it her way because her pool water was never clear so she probably did something wrong.
So far it looks like he want to learn but I will have to explain everything to him so it sounds easy. First I told him about the CYA , pH and Chlorine. It looks like he got it but still same question "how much do I have to add?". I told him about the pool calc but did not have time to show it to him how to use it.
 

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Trying to teach TFPC methods to someone when they don't want to read and learn themselves almost always fails. You are nice to help but time after time we see it as unsuccessful. You are nice to help but the odds of a good outcome are probably against you.
 
I decided to try to teach him and if he really fails then I will help him with the pool. He have two small kids that I would not like if they swim in chemically unsafe water.
 
Hahahaha. His wife give up. She called local pool supply store to come over and do everything with the pool. When he was removing pool cover all the leaves dump in the pool. (a lot of them) He was trying to get them out but was afraid to burn the pump because of all the lives in skimmer basket. She have to pay $400 for cleaning and chemical adjustment. They have to provide the chemicals to the pool store guy who will come over and adjust the water.
 
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