Switching from Pristine Blue to... something else? when I open in the summer.

[jaboc]

Hey all - first real post here. We got our 30' above-ground pool up late last year. We got a solid month or two out of it, so I feel like this will really be the first summer to enjoy it.

We never had any real issues with care and clarity of the water with Pristine blue, but every few weeks we'd get a slimy buildup on the liner. If i shocked and bushed it was fine for a few weeks. That being said, I always felt like I wasn't tracking enough... With the equipment that the pool store gave me i could only monitor 3 things: Alkalinity, pH, and Copper level (pristine blue). The only chemicals I added regularly were shock, pristine blue, and muriatic acid. I think I used pristine check and pristine extra once during the summer. I closed the pool up with a kit I bought from that same store... so I don't fully know what to expect when I open back up this summer... but I think I'm ready to get my hands around it a little further! I'm just starting to read bout the kits recommended here, so I'm all ears to any other recommendations!

Here's the pool - swim deck will be built on a nice day in the next few months! I may post about that in another thread..

 

[Mdragger88]

Welcome to TFP
We do things a little different here - the main premise is to test your own water regularly with a reliable test kit Test Kits Compared & give your pool what it needs - no more, no less, while following some basic guidelines & using PoolMath.

This means no magic potions
& following the FC/CYA Levels.
It’s all here for you to peruse

Pool Care Basics

Unfortunately the Pristine Blue system is a menagerie of various potions that must be used in conjunction with the aim of preventing algae at lower than recommended fc levels with no regard to cya level.
The main component- pristine blue, is copper sulfate which may keep algae away sorta but does nothing to prevent person to person transmission of cooties
Just because water is clear doesn’t mean it’s sanitary.
Even low levels of copper can cause staining of surfaces & turn hair, nails, & the water green! For this reason they want you to use their sequestrant (pristine check).
Unfortunately the only way to remove copper from the water is to replace it with fresh water. The sequestrants only “hide” the copper, they wear off & must be replenished or staining will occur.

Copper in Pool Water - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

Their “shock” product- pristine extra, is just expensive dichlor which not only adds fc to the water but also an equal amount of cya. The fc gets consumed daily but the cya remains until the water is replaced, you can see how this would make it hard to maintain sanitary water conditions according to the FC/CYA Levelsin short order.
It only takes a few “shock” doses of dichlor to have cya in range of recommended levels
& a few more to for it to be through the roof.
Here’s an example of the effects for your pool’s volume

The alternative to all this riggamaro is to just use appropriate & adequate amounts of chlorine in relation to your cya level to sanitize the water & prevent algae.

How to Chlorinate Your Pool

Before chlorinating your pool, you should know these simple tips. Learn the best way to add chlorine to your pool.

www.google.com

I know I’ve left you with alot to read & think about over Christmas break & your head is probably spinning
but your 1st step is to get a Taylor k2006c or TF100/pro so you can know where you stand 1st thing upon waking your oasis up from it’s winter slumber.
When that time comes, do all the tests & post the results. We’ll be glad to point you in the right direction.

 

[PoolStored]

Welcome to TFP!!!

You will find we are a bunch of pool and chemistry nuts, and have years of experience with over 300,000 members. We also have the details of WHY...the chemistry behind the recommendations. That is what sold me on TFP. Proof is in the pudding...Link -->How Clear is TFP Clear?

I am PoolStored, because I was pool stored. I was sold $1000s of dollars of un-needed equipment (UV) and chemicals (the chemical list is too long to list). Once I learned and understood, I am a TFP convert. The team here helped me tremendously, for that I am grateful. So grateful I now spend my "social media" time here to help others. Oh and it transformed my relationship with my pool.

I had algae, daily trips to the pool store, more chemicals, no result, same chemistry test results, a different chemical was recommended and sold to me. Got A's in chemistry in HS and college, I told myself, I can figure this out. Lots of searching, with little explanation that made sense. This is the thread that sold me on TFP. I could understand the chemistry behind pool maintenance. This is a bit of a deep end discussion, but it was the first reference that completely explained the chemistry behind the FC/CYA relationship and what levels of FC and CYA make a pool safe (sanitization) and algae free. The truth shall set you free (from the pool store).

Pool Water Chemistry

This thread presents my findings so far on pool water chemistry including the following: More Accurate Calcite Saturation Index (CSI) to replace Langelier Saturation Index (LSI) Calculation of ppm HOCl (disinfecting chlorine) at various levels of Total Free Chlorine (FC) and Cyanuric Acid (CYA)...

www.troublefreepool.com

I only use chlorine, salt (I have a Salt Water Chlorine Generator to make Chlorine), and muriatic acid. I spend less than $50/year on chemicals. Last year, before I got the SWCG, I only used liquid chlorine and muriatic acid. Probably about $400 total, but all that was on chlorine, that is it. No algaecides, no scale and metal inhibitors, no clarifiers, no sequestration chemicals, no enzymes, no "shock." Pool is a joy to maintain. Truly, trouble free.

Everyone that comes to visit is amazed at the water quality in my pool.

I hope you will stay and learn, and in the process reduce your spend on the pool, both in $$ and time. We are all volunteer crew and here to help!