First time home (and pool owner)!!

Jump to latest Follow Reply
T

TheRev

0
Jun 21, 2015
10
North Providence, RI
Hello All,

I've stumbled across this forum looking up how to get a pool that I don't believe (at least the neighbors say it wasn't) was opened last season up and running. It is an above ground pool with a starbright pump and DE filter. I live in RI if that helps.

I'm 100% new to this, and have no idea what I'm doing. I ordered up a K2006 that should be here Wednesday. Until then, I've been skimming the pool and getting stuff off of the bottom of the pool. (See photos) I've already made a few rookie moves. I purchased that green to blue kit from walmart, threw in some household bleach, etc. I also had to manually spin the impeller shaft while flipping on the power switch to get the unit "jump started".

I'm sure this was a mixture of the pool not being maintained and me adding random chemicals to the pool, but the flow of filtered water is lacking. I took the filter apart, hosed it off, pulled out a ton of old DE and got it all hooked back up and for about 15 minutes the flow was very powerful, suction was great, and then the same lack of flow happens. Is this an issue of the pool being so dirty the filter keeps getting clogged? I can't vacuum the pool bottom because I have such little suction.

Sorry for the novel here, but here is my question..

What do I do until I can get the water tested? The water is clear...but there's the dead algae from the HTH green to blue flocculant coating the bottom of the pool. Do I keep adding bleach? Clean the filter again? Get some filter cleaner and soak the filter, put it all back together, add DE, then vacuum?

I called a local pool cleaning company and they said that DE filters clog very easily and he told me I should expect to fully disassemble and hose the grids off multiple times to get this up and running.


Again, sorry for the novel and I'm looking forward to getting this bad boy crystal clear!!
 

Attachments

  • Pool1.jpg
    Pool1.jpg
    71.6 KB · Views: 143
  • pool2.jpg
    pool2.jpg
    97.9 KB · Views: 142
  • Pool3.jpg
    Pool3.jpg
    77.6 KB · Views: 145
Filter, clean, filter, clean, over and over and over :(

Do you think you could pick some of it up with a pool net?

Oh and you have put a filter sock on the basket BUT it will clog up fast also so be there to take off and clean.

You are already doing so much right that you will have a clear pool soon!

Go to this thread and read it. Casey has a good idea how to get that stuff off of the bottom!

Need to Vacuum to waste with a DE filter w/ out Multi-valve or waste option

Kim
 
Sorry for not having a better "last" picture. I got all but a handful of leaves from the furthest section away from me out of the pool.

Kim I will look into that thread, if I could somehow vacuum that crud off the bottom without going through the filter that would make my life easier, and by "clean" do you mean taking apart the entire filter, cleaning the grids, and reassembling?
 
pooldv I will do that, Sorry.

https://youtu.be/9NqXp89NZfc here is a video of what I am working with. The pool is 18' round 48" deep so, 7,600 gallons they're telling me online.

I tried to create a siphon and to vacuum like you said Kim, but that didn't work well. I'm going to use the skimmer drain which is only about 10" off the ground to fill the pool hose and try that. That may not be for a few days. On a sidenote, I got my Taylor K-2006. I'll figure out how to test the water and post results shortly.

Thanks for all of your collective help TFP community. I need to get this pool clear by the 4th. I put my foot in my mouth and want to host a 4th cookout here just 2 weeks after closing on the home. Ambitious, yes.
 
That pool volume is correct if the water is 48" deep and not the That pool volume is correct if the water is 48" deep and not the pool is 48" deep. Nice test kit! That'll help! If the pool is 48" and the water is a few inches shallower then the volume is more like 7100 gallons.
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
Here are the readings from the K2006

FC - 3 (3 3" chlorinating tabs in the pool, blaming my 3 year old for that one)
CC - .4
PH - A tad lighter than 7.0, the shade isn't quite a 7.0. (I've seen how to make sodium carbonate by heating baking soda to 200 degrees for an hour, sound right?) I also have some Sodium Carbonate here from the previous owner, I'm adding the ~1.7 lbs needed to get me up to 7.4-7.6.
Total Alkalinity - 20 ppm as calcium carbonate
Calcium hardness - 100 ppm
CYA Test - I must have failed, because the "black dot" thats supposed to go away did not go away for me,

Aside from adding the Sodium Carbonate, what should I be doing/adding to the pool to get it in line?

I just finished moving in after 3 days of having a uhaul, my vacation is now over and I'm back to work.

The water is clear to the bottom but has dead algae over the bottom of the pool. I hope I have time to vacuum tomorrow.

Thanks everyone!
 
You should use soda ash to raise PH and TA together. More here, http://www.troublefreepool.com/content/139-recommended-pool-chemicals
I don't know about that cooking baking soda thing.

With no/low CYA your chlorine use will be high during the day. Keep chlorine above minimum and at target so the pool is sanitized and algae free, Chlorine CYA Chart

Put 30ppm of CYA in a sock and put it in the skimmer or hang it in front of a return with the pump running. Squeeze it a couple of times a day to speed it up. It won't show on the test for about a week but assume it is in there and chlorinate accordingly.

Congrats!
 
I have the k-2006 too. Great kit, although you will go through your reagent quickly. The portions are smaller than is sold with the tf-100. I would sooner rather than later order supersize it: http://tftestkits.net/XL-Option-p62.html Also, depending on the frequency of your CYA testing you'll blow through the k-2006 supply of r-0013 you might want to get both on hand and just store them in a cool dark place to have them last a couple of seasons: http://tftestkits.net/R-0013-CYA-Refill-8-0z-p52.html
 
I just ordered those 2 items up, thanks wrems.

Tomorrow I am optimistic I can get out there and somehow create a siphon to get the dead algae off the bottom of the pool. I got my floating chlorine tablet holder today, so the 3 chlorine tabs my daughter threw in are now floating around in that.

I am also going to try to find some CYA locally tomorrow. They say Ocean State Job Lot is the best place for pool supplies in RI.

Thank you all again.....I will be more than happy to post that "crystal clear" pool photo. I need this all done by 7/4....big party at my house :neutral:
 
Greetings Rev and welcome to TFP.

FC - 3 (3 3" chlorinating tabs in the pool, blaming my 3 year old for that one)
CC - .4
PH - A tad lighter than 7.0, the shade isn't quite a 7.0. (I've seen how to make sodium carbonate by heating baking soda to 200 degrees for an hour, sound right?) I also have some Sodium Carbonate here from the previous owner, I'm adding the ~1.7 lbs needed to get me up to 7.4-7.6.
Total Alkalinity - 20 ppm as calcium carbonate
Calcium hardness - 100 ppm
CYA Test - I must have failed, because the "black dot" thats supposed to go away did not go away for me,
Click to expand...
Once you get your CYA, you can do one of two things. Measure to raise the CYA level to 20ppm and leave the pucks in the floater until they are used up OR take the pucks out of the floater and target a level of 30ppm of CYA. Either way, do not use the pucks any more after this, they are adding CYA to your water. Higher CYA= higher levels of Chlorine=$$$ (a level of 30ppm CYA will be about optimum to shield the chlorine from the sun). If it were me, I would just get the pucks out now and just aim for a 30ppm level. The pucks are going to take time to dissolve and that is something you are running short on, the 4th is 8 days away. Test for CYA in a week,

Next, get your Ph down to 7.2-7.4 using muratic acid. Add slowly with pump on in front of a return jet. Do not add any other chemical for 30 min while that mixes in. Retest Ph in 30 min. If in target range, proceed on with chlorine.

After that, get chlorine in the water. Do that by using plain, unscented bleach, or pool chlorine. Raise it up to SLAM level and keep it there (Pooldv posted the link to the chlorine/CYA chart in post #12). Use 30ppm as your CYA level even though its dissolving in a sock. You will have to test every couple of hours when you first start, but the more you maintain now, the quicker it will clear up.

Only test FC, and CC at this point, every thing else is secondary. Clearing up the algae is primary.

If you can get the siphon working, that would get the easiest way to get the stuff off the bottom without clogging your filter. Filtration is going to take the longest, but take daily pictures. It will help to go back to them to see progress.
 
Here is hoping things go your way this weekend. Keep it up and it should be clear for the 4th. We will sure give it a go!

Maybe pick one area of the pool and vacuum it REAL slow until your filter needs to be bumped or cleaner. Do what your filter needs you to do and start again. It may be slow but it will be so worth it.

HUGS!

Kim
 
For your FC and CC tests you two options: 10 & 25 mL samples. The 25 will give you more accuracy but will use up more of your testing reagents. Especially for SLAM and for general checking of your pool a 10 mL sample with .5 degree accuracy is plenty and will save your reagent. Use one scoop of the powder.
 
And the math is easier! Use 10ml of water and multiply the number of drops times 0.5. +/-0.5 ppm is plenty close enough. And you get to count waaaayyyy less drops!
 
wrems said:
For your FC and CC tests you two options: 10 & 25 mL samples. The 25 will give you more accuracy but will use up more of your testing reagents. Especially for SLAM and for general checking of your pool a 10 mL sample with .5 degree accuracy is plenty and will save your reagent. Use one scoop of the powder.
Click to expand...

I don't recall the taylor kit suggesting to use only one scoop of powder for the 10 ml test. Is that from the TFT kit? Does it matter?
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
You must log in or register to reply here.
Thread Status
Hello , This thread has been inactive for over 60 days. New postings here are unlikely to be seen or responded to by other members. For better visibility, consider Starting A New Thread.
Top Bottom
Back
Jump to latest Follow Reply