Ool Newbie - Notice there's no "P" in it?

[gbod]

Obviously, by now you have a test kit.

Actually, if you read through the thread, you will find that the O.P. does not yet have a test kit, as it was ordered on the 13th.

Then use an algaecide to kill what's in the pool.

Uhh... chlorine is an algecide.

Using the TFP method, algecides are usually only recommended for winterization, as the are better at preventing algae than they are at killing it.

Perhaps a trip back to Pool School is in order.

 

[Beens]

Actually, if you read through the thread, you will find that the O.P. does not yet have a test kit, as it was ordered on the 13th.



Uhh... chlorine is an algecide.

Using the TFP method, algecides are usually only recommended for winterization, as the are better at preventing algae than they are at killing it.

Perhaps a trip back to Pool School is in order.

+1

O.P. has ordered one of the recommended kits so does not have it yet.

Please don't put any algaecide in the pool. It is best used for prevention and not killing a huge green mess. Some also have copper in them which causes staining! Not to mention the foaming issue. I didn't know that when I started and I learned the hard way -- all you need is chlorine to kill that algae!

Don't worry about Phosphates! What does it matter if there is "algae food" in the water if algae can't live in the water in the first place? SLAM level (maintaining chlorine at the proper shock level for your cya) chlorine will take care of it! 100%

Chuckie your method sounds a lot like the pool store method not the TFPC method!

 

[lynzizzle]

Everyone keeps saying chlorine ... Now I'm confused. Am I to be using chlorine or bleach?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[JVTrain]

Everyone keeps saying chlorine ... Now I'm confused. Am I to be using chlorine or bleach?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Chlorine (or hypochlorite) comes in many forms. Solid forms, liquid forms, gas forms. Chlorine/bleach are used interchangeably as names as all bleach adds to your pool is chlorine (and a small amount of salt). Chlorine also is in trichlor and dichlor solid chlorinators. They however contain CYA. Cal-hypo also contains chlorine as hypochlorite, but also will raise your CH due to the calcium. Commercial pools even add chlorine to pools as a gas. Pure Chlorine element. All of them are different methods for introducing chlorine to the pool, some with bad side effects.

Liquid chlorine = bleach. It's just a naming difference. Chlorine is the chemical you want. Bleach is the liquid solution of that chemical.

EDIT: To give an example, you buy syrup to put on your pancakes, but it's the sugar that makes it sweet. Syrup has the sugar you want, bleach has the chlorine you want.

 

[lynzizzle]

Got it! Well the plan after the SLAM is to use the 3" tablets.

 

[Beens]

Chlorine is bleach is chlorine. Sodium Hypochlorite is the ingredient in "liquid chlorine" and bleach. The concentration is different and the price varies. Sometimes bleach is cheaper and sometimes liquid chlorine (usually higher concentration) is cheaper. We go back and forth between whichever concentration we can get at the best price and convenience.

 

[lynzizzle]

Can I mix both? Like if I use bleach one week and liquid chlorine the next?

 

[gbod]

The active ingredient in grocery store "bleach" is Sodium Hypochlorite. The active ingredient in pool store "liquid chorine" is Sodium Hypochlorite. Its the same stuff! (the only difference is concentration)

Around here "bleach" and "chlorine" are sometimes used interchangaebly.

Dichlor powder and Trichlor pucks also contain chlorine but they also contain cyanuric acid which can lead to problems when the levels in your pool get too high.

That's why bleach (a.k.a. liquid chlorine) is recommended around here.

 

[lynzizzle]

Re: Ool Newbie - Notice there's no "P" in it?

OMG I'm so confused. I'm going to stick with getting the tester in first, followed up by SLAM. And go from there. haha

- - - Updated - - -

So to reiterate my question: Besides bleach, what other products should I have on hand to do the slam. JUST BLEACH?

- - - Updated - - -

Another update: I purchased a different brush for the pool. It has metal bristles worked into the other bristles. The bristles are white so whatever material that is.

 

[brian4110]

You DO NOT want to use the tabs for the SLAM. For the SLAM, you want to exclusively use the bleach (bleach = liquid chlorine = bleach = liquid chlorine...). If you can't return the tabs for a refund, pack them away and keep them in a cool/dry place.

I see you are still confused over some of the terms used around here. That is understandable.

Bleach is the same as Liquid Chlorine. They are the exact same thing! The only thing that will differ by brand is the concentration. You want to make sure that you make a note of the concentration because you will need to plug that into the Pool Math calculator to determine how much bleach to add to reach your target FC. If you have a few minutes, go play with the Pool Math calculator now.

Trichlor/Dichlor tabs are the tabs pucks you have. If you use them, they will indeed add chlorine to your pool but they will also add a chemical we call CYA. This is a side effect you do not want, especially until we have your test results for the amount of CYA already in your water. A certain amount of CYA is necessary, but too much will weaken the effect of your chlorine requiring you to add massive amounts of chlorine just to maintain the pool. Just remember that using these tabs, while they may seem convenient at first, is increasing your cost of pool ownership tremendously over the long run.

Here's all you need to know:
Step 1: Get as much gunk out of the bottom of your pool as humanly possible by brushing/raking.
Step 2: As soon as you get your test kit, run all of the tests and report them back in this thread. We need to know those results to give you detailed SLAM instructions.
Step 3: Follow the advice the experts will provide to execute the SLAM process based on your test results.
Step 4: Patiently wait a week or 2 while you watch your water turn from green, to blue, to crystal clear.

 

[Beens]

It really is a lot less confusing once you get started. Promise!!

For now just stock up on bleach/liquid chlorine until you can test. You may need something to raise ph, or you may need something to lower it, or it may be fine. Same with stabilizer/conditioner. It's best to wait so you don't waste money buying something you don't need.

The white bristles are probably nylon. That's my guess at least.


Now, visual reference. LOL They say a picture is worth a thousand words...let's find out.

The bottle on the left is Target brand Up and Up bleach from the laundry section. 8.25% Sodium Hypochlorite
The bottle on the right is Great Value (Wal-Mart) brand bleach from their laundry section. 8.25% Sodium Hypochlorite




In this picture the bottle on the left is Austin's Pool Tech Shock I found in another store (Ollie's Bargain Outlet) 12.5% Sodium Hypochlorite
The bottle on the right is Essential Everyday (Farm Fresh Grocery Store Brand) from their laundry aisle. 8.25% Sodium Hypochlorite.



These are all empty bottles floating around in my kitchen. (Too lazy to put them in the recycle bin?)

As you can see I'm using a combination of whatever I find for cheap when I'm in the mood to buy something. Right now I'm sticking to the Target brand because even though the "Austin's" was a better deal because it's more concentrated, I don't like the shape of their bottle and the Target stuff is easier to get because I'm *always* in Target.

There you go. A picture *and* a thousand words!

 

[lynzizzle]

It could take two weeks? ::throws self on ground and throws a temper tantrum:: ... How exactly do I measure my pool to find out how many gallons it is and everything. As you can see from my photo, it is the oddest shaped pool I've ever seen. I'm quesstimating that it is 25k gallons, but who am I to judge. I didn't even know that I had to remove the leaves prior to shocking it, my super smart pool guy told me the shock would take care of it. Until it didn't, and he tells me after running up a $1000 bill.

 

[brian4110]

It might take 2 weeks to finish the SLAM...or it might take less. Depends if you need to drain. Depends how much gunk is on the bottom. Depends!

But that is to complete the SLAM and get into "Trouble Free Maintenance Mode" on the pool. You should be able to swim before the SLAM is over.

 

[lynzizzle]

Oh shoo! My kids would have a heart attack if their entire summer is swim-free. So tell me, will the bleach help in deteriorating whatever is on the bottom that I can't get up?

The local pool store here, who are just getting back to me from before I found this said there is stuff called Drop n Vac. To use that AFTER I have shocked and algaecided it. Obviously, that didn't work the first go round but.

 

[Coonspool]

Obviously, by now you have a test kit.

I'd start here:
Bring the PH to where it needs to be.
Then add chlorine to get on the high side of the scale.
Then use an algaecide to kill what's in the pool.

The next day, hopefully most of the gunk has settled to the bottom. Then check your chemicals again, and if you can, vacuum your pool into a waste location other than back into the pool.

You should see some progress. When you get the pool clear, and you've met all the specs you can with your test kit, then have your pool tested at a pool store, and see how you are doing and what you need to do to finish it off. Be prepared for high phosphates.

The bottom line is to kill the gunk, let it settle, vacuum it out of the pool. Diluting the water is a good thing because your phosphates are probably really, really high, so that's more $$

Personally, I'd drain it and BTW, first check that your main drain cover is of the new type (won't entangle hair). If it's not, bite the bullet and replace it. Then lastly, scrub the pool walls with chlorine, then refill it. A pump at Harbor Freight is ~ $ 60.00 or so.

Depending on your options, algaecide + acid + chlorine + shocks + plus phosphate remover + CYA + + + It all adds up. If you start fresh it may be cheaper in the long run, and you will not be fighting an expensive battle with money as your main weapon. The pool store will be glad to finance your fight on your credit card. . IMO, your money would be better spent on fixing the hardware.

That's my .02

I don't think this is TFP advice, I wouldn't follow much or any of this advice..... just my .02

 

[lynzizzle]

Yea I wasn't going to listen to him bc it was exact opposite of what EVERYONE said on here haha

 

[brian4110]

Oh shoo! My kids would have a heart attack if their entire summer is swim-free. So tell me, will the bleach help in deteriorating whatever is on the bottom that I can't get up?

The local pool store here, who are just getting back to me from before I found this said there is stuff called Drop n Vac. To use that AFTER I have shocked and algaecided it. Obviously, that didn't work the first go round but.

You do not want to use algaecide to clear your pool. Might as well just toss the cash directly into the pool. At least the cash won't add copper.

Also, I don't know what is in Drop n Vac, but it doesn't sound like it is recommended. Sounds like a floc/clarifier which won't do you any good.

It looks like you are searching for a silver bullet. There is no product that will help you bypass the SLAM.

 

[Coonspool]

lynzizzle,
You sound a lot like I was when I started this, as Richard said...RELAX.....it's a lot to take in right at the moment. I just kept reading pool school over and over for 3 or 4 days before it FINALLY soaked in, I would suggest that. You're not going to do much and won't get much help until you get some numbers listed from the test kit......stay calm...these people will help you once you have some numbers.

 

[Cylon]

Oh shoo! My kids would have a heart attack if their entire summer is swim-free. So tell me, will the bleach help in deteriorating whatever is on the bottom that I can't get up?

The local pool store here, who are just getting back to me from before I found this said there is stuff called Drop n Vac. To use that AFTER I have shocked and algaecided it. Obviously, that didn't work the first go round but.

To speed things up, continue to scrub everything you can. The floor, the walls, in hard to reach places..scrub scrub scrub

Also, the more leaves and debris you remove the quicker the process will be. Let the bleach target other organics while you remove the big stuff.

Bleach = Chlorine, please remember that. There is no difference other than the % you can see in the ingredients. Higher %, less of it you will need to reach your target.

What I would do about your pool gallons, is break it off in sections. Try to make squares and add up all the squares using a pool calculator to get total gallons.

 

[lynzizzle]

I'm tryin! I think I'm beyond frustrated at this point. And now I think I could have found bleach cheaper, elsewhere. Debating returning it and getting the cheap stuff from dollar general or somewhere like that ... I paid almost $3/gallon at Sam's Club for clorox concentrate. I'm going to look around. I have a few days before the SLAM anyway so ... Step One: I have a new brush so lets see if I can kick arse tonight on that scum at the bottom!