New pool owner.. Want to go BBB but very very nervous.. Help calm my nerves.. :)

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tbird2340

Well-known member
Jun 3, 2014
224
Youngstown, OH
So we are going to be buying our first pool within a week or so.. It will be a 24' x 54" pool.. I have a few questions as I really know nothing.. I mean I've read A LOT but still, without actually DOING anything I really don't know what to even expect..

I want to try this BBB method.. Here are some of my first questions / worries..

1. Do I need the SWG? I didn't plan on getting this but it looks like a lot of folks here have one..
2. I'm going to be filling my pool up with city water.. Is this going to be a problem starting out?
3. Should I have a good supply of bleach, borax, baking soda, and acid before I get the pool? If so, how much?
4. What exactly should I be expecting with this pool? Clear water going in from my hose.. It's all filled up.. Then I test it and go from there?
5. I have numerous co-workers and neighbors who own pools and could help me.. However, if I go the BBB route that pretty much rules out any help from them as none of them use it..
6. One of my co-workers, I had mentioned this to him, and he said "liquid bleach/chlorine dissolves/evaporates/leaves the pool faster than if you use shock and chlorine tablets. this behavior will be the worst when it is hot with a lot of sun" and that I would have to be adding bleach a lot more often and shocking my pool more often..


Anything else I may be missing please feel free to give input.. :)

Thanks so much!
 
1) No.
2) No. It's ideal.
3) No. You know you'll need bleach, and you know you'll need stabilzer. You can buy a few gallons of bleach a few days in advance, and you will need about one 4 lb container of Cyanuric Acid Stabilizer. The other stuff depends on the fill water. If you already have your test kit, test the fill water. Then you'll know if it has high TA and will be using muriatic acid, or if it is low TA and you'll need baking soda. Order a test kit now.
4) Yep. Fill it up, start the pump, test it, and get to work adding the stabilizer and bleach and whatever else it needs to adjust the pH.
5) Excellent! Just don't try mixing and matching advice. Standard pool store/ chemical industry methods don;t mix well with ours. You'll just end up broke, disgusted, angry, and confused.
6) He's right about bleach disappearing if you don't use stabilizer. Pucks and powders have stabilizer in them. Some is good, more is not always better. Pucks just keep raising it and raising it until no amount of chlorine can get ahead of the algae. At which point the pool store diagnses high TDS and recommends draining. Pretty good racket, huh? Sell you the stuff to cause a problem, sell you a bunch more to fix it, then announce it's out of their hands and you need to drain and start all over again. Follow our methods and you may never need to "shock" the pool.

Have you ordered your test kit yet? Without it, you won't be able to use the TFPC method (BBB is old-school) and you might as well just go buy a bucket of pucks and listen to your coworkers and the pool store salesmen.
 
This website is all about education and letting you know how the chemicals you add will impact your water. This website will help keep you from becoming ripped off by the pool store. There is a lot of information to take in at first, but once you "get it" you will gain the confidence to take control of your pool and will be the envy of your co-workers and friends.

First, you should order the recommended test kit:http://www.troublefreepool.com/content/124-pool-test-kits-comparison

Second, while you awaiting for your test kit, read pool school a few times: http://www.troublefreepool.com/pool-school/

1. Some people have automatic dispensers to add liquid chlorine (bleach) and some are manual "jug tossers". I use a combination of a tab feeder and manual liquid chlorine because I work long hours and have yet to find a pool boy who will actually "service the pool" :angel:
2. Using city water is ideal.
3. Can't make any recommendations without knowing a) the test results of your city water using the test kit from above, and b) the size (volume)and type of pool (plaster, pebbletec, vinyl, above ground). At minimum, you will need several gallons of plain bleach which many of us buy at Wal-Mart because they tend to have fresh and cheap bleach.
4. Once we know the size and type of pool, we can guide you to the right amount of CYA and how much other things you will need (borax, baking soda, acid) to keep your pool water clear.
5. BBB is just knowing what chemicals impact your pool chemistry. There is no need for magical pool potions once you understand the relationship of chlorine and CYA (stabilizer) and keeping the PH, Alkalinity and Hardness in balance with your pool type. Your co-workers and neighbors will envy you because you will have the knowledge to keep your pool sparkly all year, every year.
6. Most of us here rarely have to shock because we frequently test our own water and add what is needed when it is needed. Several members spend very little in chemicals each year because we don't rely on expensive pool store potions and their bad advice.

Please add the type of pool, size of pool, type of filter you have to your signature... and order that test kit!

Also, I hope you have a wonderful summer swimming in your new pool's sparkly water.
 
tbird2340 said:
Thanks for the reply..

I ordered the K-2006 today.. Should be here Friday..

I thought BBB and TPFC were the same just different name.. More reading to do...........
Click to expand...
They are the same. The name was changed because many people assumed that Borax and Baking Soda were mandatory and stockpiled the stuff when they weren't needed. I've never needed to add either one, since my fill water is very hard.
 
Once you get your kit, post a full set of results from your fill water and we can point you in the right direction on what to do after your initial fill. Get some CYA and chlorine. Do you have any Ollie's Bargain Outlets in your area? They usually have some 12.5% chlorine (they call it Shock) at good prices. Whatever type you stock up on, we'll need to know the strength you get - 6%, 8%, 12.5% etc... in order to show you how to use pool math to add it to the pool.
 
The responses you've already gotten are more than adequate, but I'll add a few things.

I was in the same place as you 2 years ago. Was getting ready to have my first pool installed, asked some family and friends what they do to take care of their pool, found this place and kept reading all the issues people seem to have with pool stores over the years. I was on the fence of just following the crowd or following the advice given here.

I am SO GLAD I never put anything in my pool (besides stabilizer and 1 dose of tablets) that the pool store gave to me in their start-up kit.

I have a 24'x54" AG pool, I'm in update NY (similar climate), I filled with Tap water, I do not have a SWG.

Some things I recommend, a good test kit. I have the TF-100, I see you ordered the K-2006, that is fine. I believe the TF-100 is worth a little extra due to the extra reagents.
Go ahead and get some bleach, someone mentioned Ollie's, that is where I get all my bleach. It's 12.5% and is great. I get a coupon for 15% off at ollies every so often and use that when I get my bleach. Comes to 2.49/gal. That's a really good price.

You will hear stories from friends/family about how they use pucks and throw powered shock in every so often and that's it. It's working for them now, but who knows how long till they get a green pool that won't hold chlorine and need to drain the pool. I can tell you that my son's swim in other friends pools and can't believe the difference in the clarity of the water. They use goggles and still say they can't see in some of the other pools.

Now is the time to do this. starting with good clean water, it will be easy, low maintenance and less expensive than what your family/friends are doing.

Good luck! There are plenty of people here who are ready to help with questions or when an issue surfaces.
 
kcindc said:
1. Some people have automatic dispensers to add liquid chlorine (bleach) and some are manual "jug tossers". I use a combination of a tab feeder and manual liquid chlorine because I work long hours and have yet to find a pool boy who will actually "service the pool" :angel:
Click to expand...

There are automatic dispensers that can be used if I go the TPFC route?

Also, what do people do when they go on vacation for a week and can't add the bleach / test daily?
 
tbird2340 said:
There are automatic dispensers that can be used if I go the TPFC route?

Also, what do people do when they go on vacation for a week and can't add the bleach / test daily?
Click to expand...

Yes there are systems to add bleach automatically. one is called the "liquidator" others build their own system using a stenner pump.

Many will use tab floaters in this scenario. The key is to have your CYA in a place where adding the tabs won't put it out of the recommended range.

I've only had a pool full of water for about 3 wks. The learning curve isn't all that harsh on pool chemicals. once you (with the help of others here) get your pool up and running, and all the levels ironed out. You shouldn't have much trouble keeping them there. The big thing is to stay on top of it. If you ignore the pool for a few days you may very well pay for a cpl weeks.
 

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tbird2340 said:
There are automatic dispensers that can be used if I go the TPFC route?

Also, what do people do when they go on vacation for a week and can't add the bleach / test daily?
Click to expand...

Did you have a "pool frog" or "Aqua Smarte" installed with your pool? I use mine only for vacations.
Other options:
Once you get used to seeing what your pool consumes, have a friend stop by every few days and add some chlorine.
Bring the pool up to shock level and cover before you leave.
 
tbird2340 said:
Aren't those mineral systems too? Or do you just not put the minerals in if you use them..
Click to expand...

Haha.. good question.
There is a mineral pack that gets installed and then a chlorine pac that hold the pucks.
I drilled holes in the mineral pack and emptied all the minerals out. With the way it is configured, you need the mineral pac installed to place the chlorine pac inside. After using my first mizermax (chlorine tab) pac to empty, I cut it in half. I then refill it with tabs and use electrical tape to seal it up.

I install the pac once or twice a year when I go on vacation for a week and have had great success.
 
Start with just ph and total alkalinity. CYA and CL we know will be zero. did you start stocking up on liquid chlorine? You'll need 5lbs of stabilizer for your pool to get to a cya level a little over 40. Once that is dissolved in the pool you don't need to worry much about it. Maybe test every few weeks if you find you have to add a lot of water from splashing out. With cya at 40, you want CL to be in the 3 to 7 range. I keep around 6. NEVER go below 3. I have the exact same pool and I have 12.5% chlorine. Using pool math, I know one cup of chlorine adds .6 FC. So if I test and have 4.5, I add 3 cups to get back over 6. That's it. Very easy daily maintenance. Just need to use pool math and know the % chlorine you have on hand.
 

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