First I want to thank everyone for all of the valuable information on this forum. We have bought our pool and are waiting on the install and hope to get a month or so in this summer. My pool package I bought included the aqua smarte system which I was excited about until I started to open my eyes to the proper way to run a pool. I think I will be selling it. Any buyers? I guess my main question is where to start when I get the pool up and running and if I'm correct in ditching the aqua smart system? I have already purchased the Taylor k-2006 test kit.
Advice on where to start with new pool
- Thread starter Squirrelpresley
- Start date
Hi, welcome to TFP! You are correct to avoid anything that adds minerals (aka metals) to the water. You could ask the builder if you could trade it in and use the money toward a salt water chlorine system. To prepare for pool ownership, read ABCs of pool water chemistry .
If you decide to chlorinate the pool manually you will need plain unscented bleach, and CYA (sold as stabilizer or conditioner) to start. Use PoolMath to determine how much of each you will need for your pool. Add the CYA by placing it in a clean white sock, tie off the opening and place it in the skimmer with the pump running 24/7 until it is dissolved.
If you decide to chlorinate the pool manually you will need plain unscented bleach, and CYA (sold as stabilizer or conditioner) to start. Use PoolMath to determine how much of each you will need for your pool. Add the CYA by placing it in a clean white sock, tie off the opening and place it in the skimmer with the pump running 24/7 until it is dissolved.
Welcome! 
While you anxiously await the pool, try out your test kit on your tap water. Don't waste reagents on the FAS-DPD test or the CYA test. What you're interested in is the pH/TA. That will tell you if your pool will need acid or borax to fix pH. It may need nothing. But post up your results, and we can advise you which stuff you'll want to have on hand.
You know you'll need bleach, so start comparison shopping and see who has what for how much.
You know you'll need stabilizer, since tap water will have none. So hunt for that, too. The HTH stuff at Walmart gets good marks, but really all you're after is 99% or better cyanuric acid at the lowest price, so check big box hardware stores, too.
You don't need the aquasmarte system.
It's pretty simple to get the pool going, since you have a good test kit.
Get the pump running and leak check. There's ten minutes. Measure pH and TA and add whatever to adjust as needed. Fumble around with the stabilizer granules and the sock. By the time that's done, pH should be close. Add bleach to get up to 3ish. Take the kids inside and get them changed and slathered with sunscreen. Go blow up the toys. By then, it's safe to get in. As the CYA dissolves, you'll need to raise the target level and add more bleach to keep it above minimum.
Once you're doing it, a lot of what you've read will start making sense.
While you anxiously await the pool, try out your test kit on your tap water. Don't waste reagents on the FAS-DPD test or the CYA test. What you're interested in is the pH/TA. That will tell you if your pool will need acid or borax to fix pH. It may need nothing. But post up your results, and we can advise you which stuff you'll want to have on hand.
You know you'll need bleach, so start comparison shopping and see who has what for how much.
You know you'll need stabilizer, since tap water will have none. So hunt for that, too. The HTH stuff at Walmart gets good marks, but really all you're after is 99% or better cyanuric acid at the lowest price, so check big box hardware stores, too.
You don't need the aquasmarte system.
It's pretty simple to get the pool going, since you have a good test kit.
Get the pump running and leak check. There's ten minutes. Measure pH and TA and add whatever to adjust as needed. Fumble around with the stabilizer granules and the sock. By the time that's done, pH should be close. Add bleach to get up to 3ish. Take the kids inside and get them changed and slathered with sunscreen. Go blow up the toys. By then, it's safe to get in. As the CYA dissolves, you'll need to raise the target level and add more bleach to keep it above minimum.
Once you're doing it, a lot of what you've read will start making sense.
Thanks for the quick responses, you guys are awesome. I already asked the pool store about trading in the aqua smarte and they said no because it was included with my package. You suggested I get a salt water chlorine system. I was told at the pool store that with materials the pool is made from it can't be salt water. I have learned from this forum not to trust the pool stores, but the salt and the metal don't go well together.
Well, there is a liner between the metal wall and the saltwater, but if it will void your warranty to have an SWG then you may want to consider something like a stunner pump for liquid chlorine. And you can still chlorinate by hand if you choose.