Opening my pool and want to do it real nice this time

[Newdude]

It's totally normal. The pool store has you add and add and add and add because they sell you the poison and the cure. Except it's really poison and more poison.

You're going to like being one of us.

 

[Pauls234]

Completely normal for those that follow the TFP way, liquid chlorine doesn’t impact any other relevant metrics. We keep it simple.

 

[Deb04]

I haven't adjusted by pH or TA in the 5 weeks since the pool was opened. I may not have to adjust it all summer.

 

[Mdragger88]

My ph & ta have never really changed since adjusting them upon filling my pool 5 years ago.
They are literally the same every time I test unless I have used something that would adversely affect them like using a few tablets while on vacation.
I understand that you feel you need to add things all the time because that’s what the pool store wants you to believe due to the way their business operates (as Newdude described) but it’s just really not that complicated to care for the pool when you stick with what you actually need.
They sell many multi function “miracle” products that fix one thing but screw up another then sell you the cure for that too!
Like “Use this Trichlor/dichlor” then “now your ph/ta is low so you need ph/ta up” or “use this cal hypo” then next “now you need this scale solution” or “ here’s this copper Algaecide but now you also need this sequestrant”.
You’re not on that ride anymore so don’t keep going in there to get your ticket stamped & come out with an armload of unnecessary stuff & an empty wallet.
The TFP way is to use simple products that, for the most part, affect each parameter separately. It is much easier to keep a handle on things this way as you have already experienced in your short time aboard the TFP train

Recommended Pool Chemicals

There are thousands of different pool chemicals companies attempt to sell you. These pool chemicals are cheap, easy to find, and have little side effects.

www.google.com

Non-Recommended Pool Chemicals

These pool chemicals should not be added to your pool. While stores may try to sell you these products we share why you should avoid each of them.

www.google.com

 

[monsterman]

??

I haven't adjusted by pH or TA in the 5 weeks since the pool was opened. I may not have to adjust it all summer.

g-d willing I won't either--

Hey listen I do have a weird question-- My backyard is butted up against the other side of the block's backyard also. They have quite a few large trees and guess what is constantly falling into my pool- tons of leaves, especially with the rain and wind so far this year. I am truly thinking of getting someone (I do not know who) to put up a huge net attached to my white vinyl fence from end to end on stilts so that it will catch many of these leaves and make them fall harmlessly toward his yard. It is causing me so much extra work. I am constantly skimming and vacuuming and I mean constantly-- I opened my skimmer basket earlier this evening and it was FULL with small twigs and stocked full of leaves. This has got to stop. Any ideas - as ridiculous as it sounds?

 

[Mdragger88]

They sell mesh tarps at harbor freight- in fact my husband just bought one today.
I am not sure how you can make that work from your side of the fence though. The only way I have seen it done is for the net to be attached to the tree itself (people do this for trees that drop nuts).
You might also consider a mesh leaf cover for your pool. I have one but I only use it on top of my winter cover.

 

[Newdude]

What about a wind screen like many tennis courts have. I would worry that the leaf net worked great, and you had 500 leaves stuck in the net where you couldn't reach it.

 

[monsterman]

It is Sunday at 12 pm- last night I added just 2 cups of liquid chlorine- just to keep things going. I did not test- but it seemed a little lower than my target so I added half of what I did the night before. It looks beautiful now- I will attach a pic and a pic of my yard showing those pain-in-the-butt trees causing me so much extra work- I need some sort of netting.

 

[monsterman]

another thing- what happens when I go away for any length of time during the summer- let us say 1 week-- I need to find those NONstabilzed tablets and I really do not want to spend that much- and where would be the best place to get them. I really have no one to take of my pool when I go away- so what shall I do to make sure things do not go awry?

 

[Newdude]

Under normal circumstances you could use (trichlor) pucks and if it raised your CYA by 10, it wouldn't matter. But not this year.

Bring the pool to SLAM level and use Cal-Hypo pucks if you go away. If it costs a little more this year (it won't break the bank), so be it.

Ace hardware seems to have 5.5 lb buckets for $44.

 

[monsterman]

They sell mesh tarps at harbor freight- in fact my husband just bought one today.
I am not sure how you can make that work from your side of the fence though. The only way I have seen it done is for the net to be attached to the tree itself (people do this for trees that drop nuts).
You might also consider a mesh leaf cover for your pool. I have one but I only use it on top of my winter cover.

I also put a leaf cover on top of my pool cover in the winter and it works great. But I am talking about during the summer - I am weirdly thinking about putting 2 holes in the ground by the vinyl fence u see in the back one on either side of the backyard and attaching something like a volleyball net that will be up high and stretched the length of the yard and let it sort of wrap itself in front of those trees ??

 

[monsterman]

Under normal circumstances you could use (trichlor) pucks and if it raised your CYA by 10, it wouldn't matter. But not this year.

Bring the pool to SLAM level and use Cal-Hypo pucks if you go away. If it costs a little more this year (it won't break the bank), so be it.

Ace hardware seems to have 5.5 lb buckets for $44.

and what process in layman's terms again would be slam level( step by step if you would) and when would I start this procedure( 2 days before I go or ???)

 

[monsterman]

and what process in layman's terms again would be slam level( step by step if you would) and when would I start this procedure( 2 days before I go or ???)

From a google search-- How much chlorine do you need to slam a pool?
12.5% Liquid Chlorine Pool Shock – Normal Dosage: 1 gallon of shock per 10,000 gallons of water. Shock Dosage: 2 gallons of shock per 10,000 gallons of water.Oct 15, 2019
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is my reply--------I use 10% liquid chlorine-- so I should bring my pool's level down first? OR keep it at 8 as I have it now and then before I go away- let us say the night before- I should just add that large amount of chlorine into the pool so it sort of has a great big lead so to speak in the chlorinated field- and then when I go away- it will slowly come down and by the time I get back- hopefully it will still be pretty much OK ?
How about using a bag or two of calcium hypochlorite shock that I have NOT used yet this year?

 

[Newdude]

and what process in layman's terms again would be slam level

You'll add chlorine (liquid or calhypo powder) to bring the FC into the 20s, right before you go. Then you'll add some cal-hypo tabs in a floating dispenser to slowly release chlorine over several days. Between the two, you hopefully stay above minimum by the time you return.

Let us know closer to going and we'll hatch a plan.

 

[Mdragger88]

From a google search-- How much chlorine do you need to slam a pool?
12.5% Liquid Chlorine Pool Shock – Normal Dosage: 1 gallon of shock per 10,000 gallons of water. Shock Dosage: 2 gallons of shock per 10,000 gallons of water.Oct 15, 2019
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is my reply--------I use 10% liquid chlorine-- so I should bring my pool's level down first? OR keep it at 8 as I have it now and then before I go away- let us say the night before- I should just add that large amount of chlorine into the pool so it sort of has a great big lead so to speak in the chlorinated field- and then when I go away- it will slowly come down and by the time I get back- hopefully it will still be pretty much OK ?
How about using a bag or two of calcium hypochlorite shock that I have NOT used yet this year?

No need to google search & do toilet paper math
PoolMath will tell you exactly based on the product you’re using, click on the fc card in the overview page & then just switch the slider to SLAM.
You would add enough chlorine to reach slam level for your cya just before leaving
FC/CYA Levels

 

[monsterman]

wow- 3 gallons plus? sounds scary

 

[Mdragger88]

wow- 3 gallons plus? sounds scary

If you wish to maintain a lower fc level for maintenance/slam then you need to lower your cya level by exchanging water.

The shock levels shown have equivalent disinfecting chlorine amounts (in a column) but at high CYA levels it may be impractical to use such high FC levels. A partial drain/refill to lower the CYA level is usually what is needed

CYA Chlorine Relationship - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[monsterman]

as mentioned I will be doing a backwash weekly or vacuuming to waste each time and filling with water as I vacuum. This is the way I will slowly lower my CYA as you see it has gone down since the season started for me. I will brush the walls first then do a vacuum to waste or backwash and slowly but surely my CYA will come down. maybe not to where it should be this year but I will get closer. If I can get my CYA down to about 80 this year I will be happy. especially since it started at around 125 and last year was 176. I would say that is definitely progress. Slow and sure wins the race as the turtle said to the Hare.

 

[monsterman]

is there any way to get a more specific reading on my pH--- Not just a range- because as mentioned the Plasti cube item with the color chart for chlorine and pH- is really hard to get an exact measurement? I would love to know if I am 7.6 or 7.8 or 8-- which I know that 8 might be high- but if I can get a more exact reading as we do with the chlorine reagent jar- that would be great. I just brushed the walls and floor of my pool THEN I vacuumed to waste and then I backwashed and rinsed. I also cleaned the pump skimmer basket which did NOT have any dirt in it since I use the skimmer bag in my skimmer basket to catch all the leaves etc- so my pool is so clean now- one can eat off of it. LOL

 

[Newdude]

That's the best part about Ph for vinly pools. It really doesn't matter that day. If you don't think its 8 yet, a few days from now you will, and there is no harm done in the short term between the two.

Conversely, if you guess wrong and dose early, your only pennance is that next time will come a couple days sooner. Also with no harm.