Brand New Pool - So many questions

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HouseofHiggis

Active member
Feb 10, 2025
27
Covington, GA
Good morning.

We installed an 18x36 vinyl liner saltwater pool in the fall. It was complete at Thanksgiving, and our pool builder did not put the salt in it and told us to wait until spring. The temperatures here in GA are 65-70 for the foreseeable future, and I want to get my pool ready for swimming. I have been manually vacuuming the dirt from the bottom for a couple of weekends. I have not ordered a better vacuum, yet, but I do plan to do so in the next week or so.

My question is: WHAT THE HECK DO I DO FIRST?

I THINK I should add the salt, and I know I need to get the pH down - my little floating thermometer/pH reader says it's at 9.0.

MY thoughts were, I was going to add salt tomorrow and then add muriatic acid - and then go have it tested. I do not have a test kit, YET - will also be ordering that this weekend, but is this what I should do first, or do you have better ideas?

WHO LET ME JUST HAVE A POOL? I feel like I did the first day I went home with my first born!
 
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Welcome to TFP!!! :shark:


Get your kit ordered now. We really don't want to add anything until we have results from your testing. Link-->Test Kits Compared

We need to get your test results. FOR EXAMPLE: If we told you to go ahead and add salt, without knowing how much salt is already in the pool, you could add too much. The only way to remove salt is to drain water and replace. We can do more harm than good making recommendations without results for YOUR testing.

Do you know if there was any CYA added to the pool?

Just Filled Your Pool with Water? Here's What To Do Next - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com
 
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PoolStored said:
Welcome to TFP!!! :shark:


Get your kit ordered now. We really don't want to add anything until we have results from your testing. Link-->Test Kits Compared

We need to get your test results. FOR EXAMPLE: If we told you to go ahead and add salt, without knowing how much salt is already in the pool, you could add too much. The only way to remove salt is to drain water and replace. We can do more harm than good making recommendations without results for YOUR testing.

Do you know if there was any CYA added to the pool?

Just Filled Your Pool with Water? Here's What To Do Next - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com
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Thank you for responding.

There is NOTHING in the pool except water from the water truck. There is NO salt in it - the only thing in it is some dirt in the bottom.
 
The TFpro salt from TFtestkits.net is the hands down winner. It includes a $45 stirring device and supply amounts for how we roll, verses the comp price K2006C. The salt version of the TFPRO also includes the $30 salt kit for only $20 more, for an even better bargain.
 
HouseofHiggis said:
Thank you for responding.

There is NOTHING in the pool except water from the water truck. There is NO salt in it - the only thing in it is some dirt in the bottom.
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Unless it was distilled water there’s going to be some stuff in the water. Probably calcium at a minimum and maybe a little salt. Hopefully no iron or copper.

First order of business is chlorine once you get your test kit. pH and salt can wait a few days
 
Interesting that the builder did nothing else. And we assume without salt, your generator is not running. How does the water/pool look? Any green/yellow in the water or accumulating on the pool floor or walls? You mention "dirt" which may or may not be algae growing. Is the dirt pretty sticky, and takes some scrubbing to get off? Is it tan/brown and easily "poofs" away if you don't move the vac slow enough? Does it reappear frequently (every couple of days)?

Have you been adding Chlorine any other way?

With vinyl, things won't be hurt even if the rest of the chemistry is off a bit. But you really, really need to be getting Chlorine in to forestall algae, or at least slow the growth of what might be there. Get gallons of "Pool Essentials" at Wal-Mart, and add 1/2 gal per day until your test kit comes in, if you have not been adding any another way. This is a moderate amount, and will not overdose your pool while waiting. Home Depot and other places also have liquid chlorine gallons, as do pool stores (although they tend to be more expensive).
Just don't get laundry bleach. It should be labeled for pool use.

Don't get impatient, and decide to have a pool store run tests. They are almost always off......get the kit, and believe in it.

Pictures of the pool and the dirt will help.
 
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My error - should have also welcomed you!
The good news - you have the basis for a pretty easy to maintain pool! Hopefully little algae to have to defeat here in the beginning - but even if there is, we can get you through it pretty quickly. Future investments in time and chemicals will be surprisingly small. So while it seems like a lot now, you are in good hands and we'll get you to be trouble free also!
 
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sande005 said:
Interesting that the builder did nothing else. And we assume without salt, your generator is not running. How does the water/pool look? Any green/yellow in the water or accumulating on the pool floor or walls? You mention "dirt" which may or may not be algae growing. Is the dirt pretty sticky, and takes some scrubbing to get off? Is it tan/brown and easily "poofs" away if you don't move the vac slow enough? Does it reappear frequently (every couple of days)?

Have you been adding Chlorine any other way?

With vinyl, things won't be hurt even if the rest of the chemistry is off a bit. But you really, really need to be getting Chlorine in to forestall algae, or at least slow the growth of what might be there. Get gallons of "Pool Essentials" at Wal-Mart, and add 1/2 gal per day until your test kit comes in, if you have not been adding any another way. This is a moderate amount, and will not overdose your pool while waiting. Home Depot and other places also have liquid chlorine gallons, as do pool stores (although they tend to be more expensive).
Just don't get laundry bleach. It should be labeled for pool use.

Don't get impatient, and decide to have a pool store run tests. They are almost always off......get the kit, and believe in it.

Pictures of the pool and the dirt will help.
Click to expand...
I was initially a little worried there could already be algae, but it's been pretty cold here.
I'm pretty confident the dirt is just dirt. It vacuums easily and does not come back - I almost have it all vacuumed up.

I have not been adding anything. My pool builder told me that when the weather got sustainably 65 degrees to add the salt and go from there. But I read on here that algae grows at 60, so I planned to add the salt and start testing this week. I did order the test kit - and it will be here Friday. I realize I will/may need to add more chlorine all season, but won't the salt generate chlorine to begin?

I am so sorry I'm so ignorant - I have never had a pool. I just always dreamed of one!!!
 

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HouseofHiggis said:
Please excuse my ignorance, but does the salt not "turn into" chlorine?
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Yes, but after it sanitizes it turns back into salt. You only lose salt when you lose water and replace with new water. Evaporation does not lower the salt level.

HouseofHiggis said:
but won't the salt generate chlorine to begin?
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Get your kit and test. We can get the chems right, then test the cell to see if it will work in your temp. Once up and running, you should have to add liquid chlorine, the cell will make it.
If the cell doesn't work (water too cold), then get some liquid chlorine and use that until the cell is reliably producing.
 
HouseofHiggis said:
I am so sorry I'm so ignorant - I have never had a pool.
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We were all there once. And it sucked.

Alot.

We got you. :)

HouseofHiggis said:
Please excuse my ignorance, but does the salt not "turn into" chlorine?
Click to expand...

SWG How It Works - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com

And let's get this party started. Click the links below.

Read up and ask away : Pool Care Basics
Download : PoolMath
Follow : FC/CYA Levels
Wirness : How Clear is TFP Clear?
Deep dive : TFP Wiki
 
There are many specie of algae, although we tend to lump them into broad kinds (green, mustard, black, etc). What you normally see in GA may not grow below 60. Here in MN, I've seen it in the pool in temps in the 40's! The salt chlorinator will electrically turn the salt into chlorine, which later recombines and turns back into salt. If your generator is sized correctly, you will not ever have to routinely add chlorine...except when it gets too cold. Salt Water Chlorine Generators (SWCG's) stop functioning between 50 and 60 degrees. So in those lower temps, one has to revert to other forms of chlorine. Hence why the builder told you to wait (although you didn't have to - just that the SWCG wouldn't be making anything when cold).

Other chlorine products also turn into salt when used up. So over time, with their use, salt levels in the pool can go up. And there may be some natural level in the water used to fill the pool! So it is best to test the pool for salt first, so one doesn't assume it was zero, and add too much.

Do you have a stock of salt yet?
You may want to cruise your local Wal-Mart and Home Depot to see what they have in pool supplies. No need to buy quite yet, but you can see what is where, and look at pricing. You'll be looking for Pool Salt (maybe near bags of water softener salt), Muriatic Acid (probably paint or concrete departments), and pool stabilizer (pool supply area). Once you test, then you can make the trip to buy the appropriate amounts of each.

Avoid pool stores if at all possible. Never believe what magic chemicals they may try to sell. And never, ever believe their results when they test your water.
 
sande005 said:
There are many specie of algae, although we tend to lump them into broad kinds (green, mustard, black, etc). What you normally see in GA may not grow below 60. Here in MN, I've seen it in the pool in temps in the 40's! The salt chlorinator will electrically turn the salt into chlorine, which later recombines and turns back into salt. If your generator is sized correctly, you will not ever have to routinely add chlorine...except when it gets too cold. Salt Water Chlorine Generators (SWCG's) stop functioning between 50 and 60 degrees. So in those lower temps, one has to revert to other forms of chlorine. Hence why the builder told you to wait (although you didn't have to - just that the SWCG wouldn't be making anything when cold).

Other chlorine products also turn into salt when used up. So over time, with their use, salt levels in the pool can go up. And there may be some natural level in the water used to fill the pool! So it is best to test the pool for salt first, so one doesn't assume it was zero, and add too much.

Do you have a stock of salt yet?
You may want to cruise your local Wal-Mart and Home Depot to see what they have in pool supplies. No need to buy quite yet, but you can see what is where, and look at pricing. You'll be looking for Pool Salt (maybe near bags of water softener salt), Muriatic Acid (probably paint or concrete departments), and pool stabilizer (pool supply area). Once you test, then you can make the trip to buy the appropriate amounts of each.

Avoid pool stores if at all possible. Never believe what magic chemicals they may try to sell. And never, ever believe their results when they test your water.
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Thanks so much for the information - I do have enough salt - and I do have muriatic acid. I will grab the other things tomorrow.
 
I don't think we mentioned it, but download the Trouble Free Pool app from your phones App Store. Called "Pool Math".
The basic version will let you enter all your readings from your testing, and then give recommendations as to how much of what to add.
It also has a section for "effects of adding" that will tell you the result when you add a specific quantity of something.

If you use the same username there, you can link the results to your user name here, and we can see them too! Avoids you having to retype or post screen shots. The paid version ($8 per year) adds the ability to log past readings and chemical additions, so you can see how things have progressed over time. Well worth it all.
 
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Hi friends:

Small update - pretty sure I had/have algae ;)

I bought pool chlorine yesterday and added a gallon in around 9:30 a.m. - by 12:30 it was MUCH clearer - and by 4/5 it was about 70% better. I used pool math and put in muriatic acid to bring the pH down. It's now 7.6 - and I added 1/2 gallon of chlorine this morning before I left for work. I have not been home to see how it's looking today, but even this morning before I left, it looked MUCH MUCH better.

Thank you all so much - I've ordered my test kit, which will be here on Sunday. I will do chlorine until then - but I have been reading ALLLLLL the things - and hope to have my pool swim ready in no time.

I really appreciate everyone's help and patience!
 
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Ok guys. Got my test kit today and tested.

In full transparency, I did take my water on Friday and Saturday to the hardware store and had it tested mostly to see what my CYA numbers were.

But here are my results from my Taylor Kit today.

I THINK I’m good for now. But there is still a SMIDGE of algae on the floor in the deep end.

So I keep these levels until all that is up?
 

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HouseofHiggis said:
I THINK I’m good for now.
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You're great in that we can work on it all without dumping most the pool first.

I wanted to confirm it was well mixed prior to testing. (15 mins is plenty).
HouseofHiggis said:
But there is still a SMIDGE of algae on the floor in the deep end
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My buddy @Jimrahbe likes to say that having a little algae is like being a little pregnant.

Read up on the SLAM Process. With clear and cool water, it'll be 1000X easier than a June swamp. So you have that going for you, which is nice. :)

First confirm everything is good and mixed. Then we'll raise TA (to 60 with baking soda) and PH (to 7.2 with borax) and commence slam.
 
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