What to do in the meantime?

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M

marybaileyy

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Jul 5, 2014
97
Rincon, GA
Hello! We have just bought a house with a pool, and we don't know what we are doing quite yet. I have been reading as fast as I can, but I almost feel like I need a Dummies guide to the dummy guide.

I listed the information I know so far in my signature, and I have a couple pictures I will attach. I have started skimming out the pool, there is still some stuff at the bottom, the water is very green as well.

I am going to order a test kit, but I was wondering what should I be doing until then? I ran the pump 2 hrs this morning and I will run it again this evening for 2 hrs. Also I saw salt is on sale next week at our pool store, should I pick it up while its on sale even though I don't know what I'm really doing with it yet? I think we are already in swimming season so I am ready to get the pool in shape!

I did read the stickies but I am sorry if I have missed some forum rules or guidelines
 

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I sure wouldn't wait for the test kit - I would take a sample in and at least find out where you are - and get started on the algae problem - it can get worse overnight.
 
Welcome to TFP Mary, :wave:

As much as you hate to do nothing, now is the time you can start work on what is most important. Knowledge. While you wait for the kit, begin with ABCs in Pool School. Come back and ask all the questions you want. We are glad to help for as long as you are willing to learn. I would not buy Salt. Even if you miss a sale, it isn't too expensive. My advise is to wait until you have good numbers from your kit before proceeding with chemical additions or purchases.
 
Welcome to TFP!

You have two choices, either dive in and spend some time on it now, or ignore it and have more work to do later. From the look of the water, fairly good but starting to go bad, you will save some time if you get right on it now.

The first couple steps are to order a really good test kit, go to a pool store and get some water test results right away (without letting them talk you into buying anything), and to pick up a couple of gallons of household bleach (no additives, no scents, no special features).
 
Welcome to TFP Mary!!

The first two steps are the simplest to explain, order one of the recommended Test Kits and read the ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry. If you order from TfTestkits.net your test kit should arrive by the weekend (likely sooner). I would skip the trip to the Pool Store personally and wait it out. All too often we see Pool Store test results so far off that the member needs to spend additional money to reverse their suggestions. Simply add 2PPM chlorine daily and wait until you can use your own trusted test results. It stinks having to wait it out, but in short time you'll be enjoying your new simplified pool. :D
 
Well I ordered a test kit from that website, so hopefully that will get here soon. I read the things you recommended, but I am missing something. Do I need to know how many gallons my pool is to figure out how much bleach 2ppm is?

We are having another problem, our pump only turns on normally sometimes. Most of the time it makes a buzz noise and trips the breaker. Tonight we tried twice and it just buzzed and breaker. But it worked earlier so I don't know whats wrong there, Im trying to figure out what the impeller is and how to find it.
 
Yes, you need to know how many gallons your pool is. There is a pool volume calculator in the PoolMath page if you don't know how many gallons your pool is.

Sorry, can't help with the pump issue.
 
Yes you need to know volume, but if you can give some dimensions we can help with volume calculations/estimates.

It sounds like you should get a technician out to look the pump over. The impeller is inside the pump body opposite the back end of the motor. It's what draws water into the pump, and moves it through the system. It sort of looks like a fan blade or more closely, the intake turbine fan if you were looking into the front of a jet engine. You have do do a good deal of dis-assembly of the pump to get to it.
 
If you do end up at the pool store to get water testing, tell them your water is crystal clear! :mrgreen: Don't buy anything!
 
Okay, my husband is a mechanic and we are both pretty handy. I think we are going to look at the impeller ourselves this evening. Im going to measure the pool now, and pick up bleach this evening. Thanks so much everyone!


Just measured the pool and came up with 23000 gallons. 32x16, average of 6 ft deep. I did measure with a shoddy tape and a baby on my hip but I think I'm pretty close

SO many frogs!
 

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You need to have the pump running first. While you're waiting on a test kit and the pump repair I would have the pool store test the water. It probably has no free chlorine since it's green. I'd also be interested in the CYA (stabilizer) level. If it's high you will have to drain some water to lower it. Otherwise you can start adding plain bleach to bring it up to SLAM levels and follow the SLAM process.

http://www.troublefreepool.com/content/125-slam-shock-level-and-maintain-shockingl
 
Little doubt if it's green, FC very unlikely. We will not suggest adding more than 2 PPM FC/day until we have solid numbers, and the pump is going. First priority while learning and waiting is getting that pump going. That ought to keep you occupied. :mrgreen:
 
okay some updates:

changed the capacitor, pump is working! Hopefully stays that way.

Pool store water test results: FC 0.0, Total Chlorine 0.0, pH 7.4, Hardness 170 ppm, Alkalinity 110 ppm, CYA 0 ppm, salt 2500 ppm

the pool store also had our pool in their computer at an estimated 18k gallons
 
Is this a freshly filled pool? If not, how have you added chlorine in the past? The zero CYA level is questionable. I wouldn't add anything besides 2ppm chlorine until you personally can confirm this.
 
It is not freshly filled. It is SWG but other than that I don't know what was done in the past. We were unable to talk to the previous owner about the pool. I have bleach that says it yields 7.8% Chlorine. So if I did pool math correctly, I should add 57 oz for 2ppm. Just dump it around the pool then with the pump running?
 
I always eyeball when adding to the pool. I usually need a 1/4 gallon or a third when I add. I don't keep my CL on the lower edge usually a few ppm from that after what it burns during the day.
 

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