Hopefully ADMIN can transfer this post if water chemistry is the wrong forum for asking this question.
Hate to start an introduction off this way but here goes.
(new to pools, finally understand what i have for equipment but still lots to learn on how it all works)
Started with a pool that hadn't been opened in a few years. (Seller said just not opened for one season, neighbor said 4 years). Thankfully he has similar pool set up, he doesn't use chlorine and has automatic chemical injection so just different enough to not have advice about water chemistry. (he has a winter cover which my pool did not).
Emptied pool this spring, shoveled 3 years worth of leaves, pressure washed, acid wash (limited success as plaster is heavily etched and probably getting very thin), filled (pool store water 15k gallons, 1k rain water, probably 3k well water), turned solid green (my fault as i didn't remove rain/pollen/algae from 1k gallons remaining at bottom, got it back to clear blue (some staining on floor and walls), now a few days later I'm going backwards. Found a frog in the pool this morning and added 2 lbs granular shock last night and another 2 this morning (its a rainy day so i'm hoping the sun doesn't bake it off too fast).
Per my signature i bought a new 1 hp superpump. pool is 19k, plaster inground,( very poor condition with concrete showing in one small area by steps) weir door on order, I was missing my strainer basket flapper valve (to adjust from main drain or strainer (fixed), perplex 75ec d.e filter (powder replaced last saturday, (will do this again this weekend). A minor leak in the suction side of pump, new o-ring on the turbo-master
I'm currently using 3" tablet style chlorine in the strainer basket return. I've been shocking the pool with 2 lbs of granular shock last weeek every night, this week i cycled the pump back to 10 hours a day before last night only added granular last sunday night.
I'm pretty sure my cya is low, but i'm afraid to raise until i get my test kit (water was 800 bucks i don't want to have to drain/fill again to lower my CYA.
Here's the tricky part.
I'm testing with walmart cheapo strips (I Know, should have ordered quality kit prior to ordering water), ordered a TF-100 kit (should be here monday/tuesday).
Had pool company test water last week every other day. From what they were getting I think my TA, and PH are within range, also is my calcuim (as i had to add quite a bit). Determined it was swimable on Sunday. (again test strip checked)
Clearly the answer is to test the water with the TF-100 kit and SLAMM until i can get my OCLT underway and holding. But the tricky part for me i i'm going to be out of town for the next 4 weeks. (returning on sundays but trying to catch up in one day is going to difficult)
So, at this point i'm wondering if anybody has any good shops they recommend in the southern maine area to care for my pool for the next month? As we have a 4 month old and a 3 year old my wife won't be able to do much with the pool.
(this weekend i'll install a timer switch for the pump). vacuum and scrub the walls (did wednesday night hopefully will do each night this weekend, I'll take the D.E. filter apart (flush all DE off the fingers and reinstall with 7 lbs of D.E.
I guess i'm back to running pump 24/7 as well.
So, anybody want to offer up some advice, i'm heading out of town next wed, expect TF-100 kit to arrive monday or Tuesday.
I have pictures of the process if anybody wants to see the (spring before, during and here is the after pictures).
I'm hoping I can dig myself out of the POOL STORE MONEYHOLE, I already fell for some algaecide (which different shops disagree on using as it causes staining) which it may have done, fell for some Phospate remover, fell for some 3" chloride pucks, (i'm being conservative at I"ve spent at least $250+ on stuff i probably didn't need or shouldn't have bought).
Hate to start an introduction off this way but here goes.
(new to pools, finally understand what i have for equipment but still lots to learn on how it all works)
Started with a pool that hadn't been opened in a few years. (Seller said just not opened for one season, neighbor said 4 years). Thankfully he has similar pool set up, he doesn't use chlorine and has automatic chemical injection so just different enough to not have advice about water chemistry. (he has a winter cover which my pool did not).
Emptied pool this spring, shoveled 3 years worth of leaves, pressure washed, acid wash (limited success as plaster is heavily etched and probably getting very thin), filled (pool store water 15k gallons, 1k rain water, probably 3k well water), turned solid green (my fault as i didn't remove rain/pollen/algae from 1k gallons remaining at bottom, got it back to clear blue (some staining on floor and walls), now a few days later I'm going backwards. Found a frog in the pool this morning and added 2 lbs granular shock last night and another 2 this morning (its a rainy day so i'm hoping the sun doesn't bake it off too fast).
Per my signature i bought a new 1 hp superpump. pool is 19k, plaster inground,( very poor condition with concrete showing in one small area by steps) weir door on order, I was missing my strainer basket flapper valve (to adjust from main drain or strainer (fixed), perplex 75ec d.e filter (powder replaced last saturday, (will do this again this weekend). A minor leak in the suction side of pump, new o-ring on the turbo-master
I'm currently using 3" tablet style chlorine in the strainer basket return. I've been shocking the pool with 2 lbs of granular shock last weeek every night, this week i cycled the pump back to 10 hours a day before last night only added granular last sunday night.
I'm pretty sure my cya is low, but i'm afraid to raise until i get my test kit (water was 800 bucks i don't want to have to drain/fill again to lower my CYA.
Here's the tricky part.
I'm testing with walmart cheapo strips (I Know, should have ordered quality kit prior to ordering water), ordered a TF-100 kit (should be here monday/tuesday).
Had pool company test water last week every other day. From what they were getting I think my TA, and PH are within range, also is my calcuim (as i had to add quite a bit). Determined it was swimable on Sunday. (again test strip checked)
Clearly the answer is to test the water with the TF-100 kit and SLAMM until i can get my OCLT underway and holding. But the tricky part for me i i'm going to be out of town for the next 4 weeks. (returning on sundays but trying to catch up in one day is going to difficult)
So, at this point i'm wondering if anybody has any good shops they recommend in the southern maine area to care for my pool for the next month? As we have a 4 month old and a 3 year old my wife won't be able to do much with the pool.
(this weekend i'll install a timer switch for the pump). vacuum and scrub the walls (did wednesday night hopefully will do each night this weekend, I'll take the D.E. filter apart (flush all DE off the fingers and reinstall with 7 lbs of D.E.
I guess i'm back to running pump 24/7 as well.
So, anybody want to offer up some advice, i'm heading out of town next wed, expect TF-100 kit to arrive monday or Tuesday.
I have pictures of the process if anybody wants to see the (spring before, during and here is the after pictures).
I'm hoping I can dig myself out of the POOL STORE MONEYHOLE, I already fell for some algaecide (which different shops disagree on using as it causes staining) which it may have done, fell for some Phospate remover, fell for some 3" chloride pucks, (i'm being conservative at I"ve spent at least $250+ on stuff i probably didn't need or shouldn't have bought).
Attachments
Last edited:
