Pool care while still under construction?

Doodad · Jul 21, 2022

Hello all. My wife and I are pool newbies and we are having a salt water pool installed. For some reason, pools are selling like hot cakes right now, at least in our area, so the crews are a few weeks behind. We assumed this orderly "startup" were the pool would be done and have clean water, we'd be trained on how to do everything or pointed in the right direction, and the equipment would be installed and working.

Well, they completed the vinyl lined pool (28,000 gallon true-L 16x42x26) two weeks ago and we filled the pool for half a day with well water and then stopped and had a water truck fill it the rest of the way (because our well water is very rusty). They dumped a bunch of bags of softener salt in it. They made it so the filter can be run from an extension cord temporarily while we wait for the electrician to do this thing, and he's taking a long time. So no automation or salt water chlorine generator, or heater, yet. We clean the skimmer daily and use a net to get the rest. The water looked great until the last 24 hours. It's turning cloudy and greenish brown. At first we assumed it was sand blowing into the pool because the concrete crew is still a week or two out and the pool is surrounded by a beach, and it's been really windy.

We bought a Polaris P825 robotic vac and ran it for the first time this evening and instead of sand, it picked up a lot of what appears to be algae. We're really not sure what we should be doing in this interim stage where the equipment isn't fully connected. I ordered the TF-Pro Salt with SmartStir test kit a couple of days ago and we're waiting for that. And tonight I texted our pool installer project manager and told him we have algae. In the past when I've alerted him with any concerns he sent someone out the next day to test and treat the water, so that may be what happens. But I want to become self sufficient ASAP.

I'd love advice on how an experienced pool owner would be managing the water chemistry while without the SWG. We're feeling like we're falling behind and just want everything installed and operational! Thanks in advance.

Attaching a security camera image of the mess as of earlier this evening just for fun.

YippeeSkippy · Jul 22, 2022

You need to get some Liquid Chlorine in there ASAP! Understand that ANY time your pool is without power (filter, salt cell, etc) you add liquid chlorine manually and mix up with your broom, robot, anything you can.
You can find Liquid Chlorine (also sometimes called Liquid Shock) at Walmart in the pool section, Lowes, HD, ect.
You also need CYA Stabilizer to help "hold on" to that chlorine.

Put 179 ounces of 10% Liquid Chlorine in there STAT. That will give you 5ppm of FC (Free Chlorine).
Also, You need CYA fast. 112 ounces of Granular CYA Stabilizer will get you to 30ppm of CYA. As soon as your system is up and running you'll increase that to 70ppm, but for now start by putting 112 ounces in one or more socks, and slip on in each skimmer and one can hang over the edge of the pool in the water. Don't let it sit against the vinyl as its acidic. Squeeze it now and then.

Then, assuming your test kit comes you need to test the FC, and CC daily and add enough Liquid Chlorine to top off whatever has be burned off by the sun or used up by contaminates. For now try to keep your FC at 5ppm daily. PoolMath

If you think iron is a problem you can rig up some paper towels or polyfil in your skimmers, but not while the CYA socks are in there. Polyfil does a great job of catching the iron if its causing the pool to discolor.

When you get your test kit test all these and tell us the results:
FC
CC
pH
TA
CH
CYA
Salt

The kit is easy if you just take one test at a time, read the full instructions, and then perform test while reading instructions again.

Ask us questions here and we're happy to help you.

That's a nice BIG pool you've got. Yay!!
Pool Care Basics

Maddie :flower:

Doodad · Jul 22, 2022

Thank you so much for the detailed reply! I received a reply from the installer acknowledging the problem and he's sending someone out today to treat and test the water. I am going to bookmark this thread as I know it will come in very handy! I'm glad they're sending someone over because I have to leave town this morning for a funeral and wouldn't be able to start on this until tonight at the earliest, and knowing what to do but being hours away and unable to start would give me anxiety all day.

Thanks again!

Mdragger88 · Jul 22, 2022

Do u know what they have added thus far? If it was stabilized chlorine products u may already have some stabilizer in the water so test that before adding. You don’t want them adding stuff u don’t want to the pool so check these out

Recommended Pool Chemicals

Which should I buy? TFP's recommended pool chemicals are cheap, easy, and won't unbalance your pool water.

www.google.com

Non-Recommended Pool Chemicals

These pool chemicals should not be added to your pool. Save your money and frustration and avoid these chemicals!

www.google.com

Doodad · Jul 23, 2022

Mdragger88 said:
Do u know what they have added thus far? If it was stabilized chlorine products u may already have some stabilizer in the water so test that before adding. You don’t want them adding stuff u don’t want to the pool so check these out

Recommended Pool Chemicals

Which should I buy? TFP's recommended pool chemicals are cheap, easy, and won't unbalance your pool water.

www.google.com

Non-Recommended Pool Chemicals

These pool chemicals should not be added to your pool. Save your money and frustration and avoid these chemicals!

www.google.com

I don't know, but they seem to only be adding products they dropped off at our house when they unloaded all of the gear included with our project. I'm somewhat comfortable with letting them add what they know needs to be in there. They're one of the most popular pool service providers in our area, so I am sure they know what they're doing. They actually focus on sales and service, and the actual install was subcontracted to another pool company in the area, which I found interesting.

They came out yesterday while I was out of town and added some of the chemicals they had dropped off. They seem to have proprietary product names like GLB (the label contains shock instructions and there are 3 bags of it missing now) and "Conditioner" which describes itself on the packaging as a stabilizer, larger bags and both are now missing (meaning they probably used them yesterday). I checked the security camera footage and he also brushed. The water looked much better when we got home and there's no visible sign of the dark yellow/brown algae.

Also while we were gone, the nat. gas hookup to the heater was completed, so that just leaves the electrical connection and the concrete, which they texted me and said would be installed this coming week. We're getting close!

Mdragger88 · Jul 23, 2022

If u can take pics of the packages so we can know what they added.
When your kit comes in post all your results & we can go from there.

Until then just add 5ppm worth of liquid chlorine daily.

Doodad · Jul 23, 2022

It appears that they put two bags each of the two attached (images) items in there. I still have 2 unopened bags of the GLB Supersonic.

I picked up 4 gallons of liquid chlorine today. I'm not sure how much to add to meet your 5ppm recommendation, but it looks like 30-32 ounces per days (about half a gallon) is what the packaging recommends. If that's sufficient, I'm set for the next 8 days.

Mdragger88 · Jul 23, 2022

Use PoolMath to calculate additions of all chemicals.
Here’s the effects of what they added to your pool

That amount of fc is no where near shock/slam level. FC/CYA Levels
If they poured the stabilizer in the skimmer it can take a week for it to be fully dissolved & show up on the test because it gets stuck in the filter media.
You just need to add the 5ppm of liquid chlorine each day so things don’t get worse until u can test to truly know your levels.
If the liquid chlorine u bought is 10% that would be about 1.5 gallons each day.

Doodad · Jul 23, 2022

Thanks once again! It's entirely possible that they used other chemicals. I'm guessing about what they used because of what was no longer here when I got here. I don't know for sure. I was out of town all day and simply don't know whether that's all he used or if he brought something with him. I hope tftestkits ships relatively fast. Amazon has us all spoiled.

My liquid chlorine is 12.5%. I will calculate the amount to add.

Related: I have the Pool Math app, but it can't be used without toggling on all of the things you want to track and, in some cases, entering min, target, and max levels. I have no idea what I want to track or what those values should be, and cannot find anything on this website about it. I would bet that I'm just not finding a "using the app" article. Can you link me to that information so I can use the app?

Mdragger88 · Jul 23, 2022

Mdragger88 · Jul 23, 2022

You only have to track what u want - in your case csi
It should look like this

Doodad · Jul 23, 2022

The video you linked says right near the start (2:30 - 2:40) that CSI is only for plaster pools. I also can't figure out what my target FC is. I feel like an idiot lol

Mdragger88 · Jul 23, 2022

Yes - u have a vinyl pool so no need to track that - select vinyl- i have multiple threads going lol

For now just put your “current fc” as 0 & target

as 5ppm in the fc card from the overview page.

Alternatively u can use “effects of adding in the hamburger menu & select bleach.

Doodad · Jul 23, 2022

That makes sense, thanks! As an IT person, I often find myself with too many simultaneous conversations going!

Hey, they left me an unopened bottle of test strips, so I have some basic information to go on. Picture below. I'm reading this as pH being a bit low, but the other three being "OK".

Mdragger88 · Jul 23, 2022

I wouldn’t make any adjustments based upon strips. They are easily skewed.
If u are concerned u can point the jets up to aerate the water if the pump is running otherwise- let it ride.

Doodad · Jul 23, 2022

OK thanks. I can't wait to be as smart as you and the other mods on this site. I figure the strips are better than guessing. I'll be glad when all the new equipment is powered and running and we're paved so there isn't 5 tons of sand surrounding the pool on windy days. We should be done before this time next week.

Mdragger88 · Jul 23, 2022

The strips are kinda like guessing- we literally call them guess strips around here

You’ve got some chlorine in the pool & are going to be replacing its daily loss to prevent your new oasis from becoming a swamp - that’s about all u can do until u get some good data & your pump is running.
Just hold down the fort - reinforcements are on the way !

YippeeSkippy · Jul 24, 2022

This old version is easy to play with and test out chemical additions -

PoolMath

Discover the calculator behind the perfect pool, PoolMath. Dealing with pools has allowed TFP to become the original authors of the best calculator on the net.

www.troublefreepool.com

Maddie

Doodad · Jul 25, 2022

I received my TF-Pro kit today. Our filter/pump has been running for weeks, we just don't have the SWG or heater online yet. That should all be online this week, but for now I want to jump into this testing business. Not sure what all to test other than chlorine and pH ("the only daily test").

Searching the forums for "what to test first". Running every test is intimidating, as soon of them are somewhat complicated.

Doodad · Jul 25, 2022

I did all the tests! Below are my results, which I'm adding to the app.

pH: 7.2
FC: 3
CC: 0.5
TA: 110
CH: 150
CYA: 45

Recommendations of the app:
It looks like I need to add 7 lbs of stabilizer and (amount and type not specified) acid, then aerate and/or add 8 lbs of borax (?) to bring pH back up. So could I just add borax, acid and stabilizer?

Are my levels "close enough" while I wait for my swg to come online? Should I just have some of the chemicals listed above on hand just in case?

Search