Novice Pool Maintainer

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dandajpool

Active member
Sep 20, 2024
33
Las Vegas, NV
Pool Size
13000
Surface
Plaster
Chlorine
Salt Water Generator
SWG Type
Jandy Aquapure 1400
Hello Everyone,
I am AJ of Drea and AJ (dandajpool). I just started on this adventure of taking care of my pool. The pool builder turned the pool over to us on September 9, 2024. So far, I've been on this site reading and learning as much as I can.

The pool builder, the project manager, the guy at Leslie's Pool Supply, and a friend of mine, all told me I could do it ..............LOL!!!

So here I go! There is a lot of information on this site and I'm trying not to let it overwhelm me, but at times I believe this is going to be a daunting task ..............LOL!!!

I am compiling a list of questions I will address later, but right now I would like to know where is the best place to get my chemicals/additives/etc....? I've been told not to go to Leslie's, but I've already been and did have them perform a water test for me. My kit should be here tomorrow. My wife and I really like to use Amazon.com Prime to order things, so if there are some chemical businesses on there that you would recommend, that would be great!

Looking forward to Pool MX adventures lol

- PEACE -
 
Welcome! It actually can be easier than even they make it out, as long as you give it a little attention.
Dealing with filter cleaning, getting debris floating or on the bottom of the pool, will be the hardest things. Once in the groove, testing and adjusting chems may take 15 min. once or twice a week.

If the water is looking perfect, until you get your kit:
1. Run the pump 24/7 on the lowest speed that will keep the SWCG operational. Set the SWCG to at least 50%.
2. Go to "Settings" then "Signature" here, and list out pool gallons (est), make and model of all equipment, make and model of test kit.
3. Download and install the PoolMath app on your phone, and start to get familiar with it.

Post the results of all the tests here, after you get your kit. And we can advise on exactly what you need to do.
Read the pool school section over and over. Especially the parts about the relationships between CYA and Chlorine.

Basic chemical needs with a SWCG:
Muriatic Acid - paint section of any hardware or big box store. Start with a gallon or two.
Liquid Chlorine in gallon jugs - only when needed (it weakens as it ages, and you likely will not need it if everything is good) - WalMart, Home Depot, sometimes deals at pool stores.
Big bags of baking soda - again, only if testing shows you need it. WalMart, Costso/Sam's
Hardness increaser - unlikely in Vegas you will ever need it (you may have the opposite problem) - can be on-line, we'll wait until we see you need it.
Stabilizer - WalMart, or Amazon. Rare that you will have to add any.
Salt - again, big box stores. Only needed if you have to replace a lot of water with fresh, or you gets LOTS of rain (again, unlikely in Vegas).

Nothing else needed - no algicides, no "balancers", no clarifiers, metal removers, phosphate removers, or any other pool store stuff. None of that, EVER.
NEVER, EVER, EVER trust testing from Leslie's or any pool store. If you got a TFP recommended kit, yours is better and more accurate than what they use.

So only one thing now. And maybe none, or little, of anything else. In most cases, local is the same price or cheaper than Amazon, and even faster to get. So no advantage ordering.
 
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Hello Ted/sande005,
I've listed my info in the signature section of my profile. I just received my test kit in the mail today! I'm going to read through the instructions and try to perform my first tests tomorrow and post the results here.

Thanks

AJ
 
Hello! I would like to know what strength/percent (%) muriatic acid should I use or does it matter because the app will do the "Math" for me.......................LOL!?!
 
Pool Math can do the calculation for either 14.5% or 31.45% The 31 may be a couple of bucks more, but you would use less for the same effect. I see there are some ""low fume" versions out there now. The one I looked at had a vague MSDS (10-30% acid ingredient, etc.) and claimed any other additions were a trade secret. I'd probably skip that kind, since I don't know what else it might be putting in my pool.
I'm pretty cavalier about most pool chems, but for acid, I always put on a heavy duty set of rubber gloves. Eye protection is not a bad idea. And no splashes when putting in the pool. Most hardware places sell various sizes of graduated plastic measuring containers - I get the quart size for the acid, and always only use it for that.
A prior post mentioned a local pool store source they found that was cheap, but came in a 29% strength. Good enough, for these purposes.
 
sande005 said:
Pool Math can do the calculation for either 14.5% or 31.45% The 31 may be a couple of bucks more, but you would use less for the same effect. I see there are some ""low fume" versions out there now. The one I looked at had a vague MSDS (10-30% acid ingredient, etc.) and claimed any other additions were a trade secret. I'd probably skip that kind, since I don't know what else it might be putting in my pool.
I'm pretty cavalier about most pool chems, but for acid, I always put on a heavy duty set of rubber gloves. Eye protection is not a bad idea. And no splashes when putting in the pool. Most hardware places sell various sizes of graduated plastic measuring containers - I get the quart size for the acid, and always only use it for that.
A prior post mentioned a local pool store source they found that was cheap, but came in a 29% strength. Good enough, for these purposes.
Click to expand...

Right On! Thanks Ted!
 
Hello Guys! I'm back ..............LOL!!! Should I use a dry or liquid stabilizer? Also I see Ice Melt on these bags of calcium chloride I'm checking out. Is Ice Melt just another name for calcium chloride?

Thanks in advance!
 
Dry stabilizer. Use the sock method.
You will not need calcium chloride. Your water has 250 ppm CH from the tap.
 

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I'm back ..............LOL!!! Are there any brands of products you would recommend over others? The pool contractor/installer told me to get my muriatic acid from ACE Hardware and the brand he recommended. I saw that ACE Hardware has all of the chemicals, according to the Pool Math app, that I need. I'm a one-stop shopper and do not like to drive around from place to place. I'm retired military and see that ACE Hardware offers a military discount and has a rewards program. Let me know what you think and some possible advice/suggestions for getting my chemicals.

Thanks again!!!
 
If ACE has what you need get it there.
I get acid and salt at Home Depot and stabilizer off Amazon. Liquid chlorine when needed from Walmart.
 
Hello............. again ..............LOL!!! The guy, from the pool builder, that turned the pool over to me told me to use scale and metal control (orenda SC-1000) every 60 days. Is this true/necessary/required?

Thanks
 
Ok, I just looked at the app and see where it is calculated. I will try to control it based on my water test logs. No I am not using softened water for pool make up water.
 
We can't make too many definitive statements since there are no test results in, yet. But...

All you need for now is Acid. That tends to be something that needs to be done to lower pH periodically - although if your TA comes in at the right level, you'll need pretty little. Acid will also be used to lower TA if called for.
If the pool guys started your pool off correctly, you won't need stabilizer. It can dissipate slowly over long periods (months and months), if you drained and refilled the water (not just replaced due to evaporation), or the pool got diluted with lots of rain. Likely a once a year purchase, if that. WalMart or Amazon.
Since Vegas gets its water from the Colorado, it will be like most other places that do, and high to very high in Calcium. So you'll never need CA increaser, de-icers, etc. As mknauss noted, you may have the opposite and have to replace your water once in a while as it builds up from adds due to evaporation - if not using softened water. But before worrying, testing is needed. There are some products sold as de-icers that are Calcium Chloride, but the vast majority either are not, or contain little. One has to shop carefully. But that won't ever be your worry.
Being from Laughlin, he'd know about metal in the water - so if he's not needing it, neither will you. Back to that rule about no pool store extra additives.

We're trusting that the pool guys got you close to what should be already. If so...your need to buy anything anytime soon will be almost zero. Testing will tell the tale.
 
sande005 said:
We can't make too many definitive statements since there are no test results in, yet. But...

All you need for now is Acid. That tends to be something that needs to be done to lower pH periodically - although if your TA comes in at the right level, you'll need pretty little. Acid will also be used to lower TA if called for.
If the pool guys started your pool off correctly, you won't need stabilizer. It can dissipate slowly over long periods (months and months), if you drained and refilled the water (not just replaced due to evaporation), or the pool got diluted with lots of rain. Likely a once a year purchase, if that. WalMart or Amazon.
Since Vegas gets its water from the Colorado, it will be like most other places that do, and high to very high in Calcium. So you'll never need CA increaser, de-icers, etc. As mknauss noted, you may have the opposite and have to replace your water once in a while as it builds up from adds due to evaporation - if not using softened water. But before worrying, testing is needed. There are some products sold as de-icers that are Calcium Chloride, but the vast majority either are not, or contain little. One has to shop carefully. But that won't ever be your worry.
Being from Laughlin, he'd know about metal in the water - so if he's not needing it, neither will you. Back to that rule about no pool store extra additives.

We're trusting that the pool guys got you close to what should be already. If so...your need to buy anything anytime soon will be almost zero. Testing will tell the tale.
Click to expand...

Hello,
So here we go. Here are my current test results: FC: 1.5 ppm, pH: 8.2, TA: 160ppm, CYA: 0ppm (ran test 3x and I could still see the black dot clearly at the bottom with the cylinder full), Cal. Hardness: 500 ppm, Salt: 2600 ppm, CSI: 1.02.

I have a few questions/concerns.
1. Does the water have to be pinkish red or very red for the TA test?
2. What do you think of the devices like Water Guru for water testing?
3. My pool math app is not syncing across my devices (iPhone and iPad). I have switch toggled to the "On" position in iCloud setting on both devices.

Thanks

Right On!
 

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