Advice needed to open above ground pool

[samanthamartin777]

My husband and I are renting a house with an above ground pool. After weighing the pros and cons of draining vs SLAMing we decided to take the risk of draining, scrubbing it down and refilling with clean water. The vinyl liner is fairly new so I think we'll be okay if we work quickly and leave at least a foot of water in the bottom.

That being said .... I found almost a full 5 gallon bucket of chlorine pucks that the homeowner left behind. From what I've read of pool school, I know that using the tablets can raise the CYA. Is there something that can be added to keep the CYA in check and still use the chlorine tablets? It seems a shame to waste them, but I'm willing to skip them in favor of bleach if that's the best way to go. We're probably only going to have the poool open May through August so not a terrible long time. And this is probably the only season we'll be living here since we are building a house.

Should I invest in a good test kit for just one summer? Is something like this not worth anything? I'm not opposed to ordering a good kit, just wondering what you guys think of this one.



Here's a picture of the "swamp" we're starting out with:


Here's the pump I found out behind the house in the shed. Is this a decent one?


Thanks in advance for any advice!!!

 

[jblizzle]

You can not "counter" the CYA that is added by the tablets. You can use PoolMath to track how much CYA they are adding and then stop using the pucks when the CYA gets to the high end of the recommended range.

I would highly suggest investing in one of the Recommended Test Kits as it will help you KNOW what you need to add to the pool and ultimately save you money.

How much Pool School have you read? Start with these:
ABCs of Water Chemistry
Recommended Pool Chemicals
How to Chlorinate Your Pool

 

[samanthamartin777]

Thanks jbizzle. I will read over those again. I'm also going to order a test kit. I was trying to find something local, but alas all the pool stores only sell the strips. Bleh.

So you think I should use the pucks while testing for CYA and then just stop when CYA gets to the correct level? I wonder how long that will take to max out CYA and if it would even be worth starting out with the Trichlor ...

 

[jblizzle]

Well, you need to test and see where the CYA is now before you know if you can get by with the puck for awhile.

How big is your pool? At the bottom of PoolMath you can see what each 8oz trichlor tablet adds to your pool (make sure you put the volume at the top).

 

[woodyp]

Those pucks will keep just fine for use on vacation/trips and such. Heck, you might even need them at your NEW house and NEW pool! Get this one right and you'll be spoiled and hooked!

 

[Casey]

I would definitely get the TF 100 to get this pool cleared. Once you see how simple TFPC is, you could get a new pool of your own at your new house. Because you;ll want one!