New pool help

[Socal76]

Hello,

I'm so glad I came across this forum. I just purchased a new 10" x 30" Intex Easy Setup pool 2 days ago. Had the pool setup and used for 2 days before i realized I needed to look into water calibration quick. I looked in Pool School, went to Walmart purchased the HTH 6 Way test kit and CYA (HTH Stabilizer and Conditioner). I used the pool calculator and based on my size pool (Est. 1000 gallons) added 5.9 ounces of Bleach and 5.3 ounces of CYA this afternoon. 3 hours later with CYA dissolved, I tested and found the following.

Chlorine - 0ppm
Alkalinity - 80ppm
Total Hardness - 100ppm

Did my Chlorine not show up because i used the pool for 2 days and water deteriorated to the point where the 5.9 ounces of added bleach did not help?
Based on Next steps and PoolMath, it says I should 18 ounces of Bleach(8.25%) to reach a target of 12. I would like to confirm if these are the correct next steps. It seems like alot of additional bleach and wanted to make sure it's safe for the kids.

Does this also mean that adding bleach and CYA will be a regular routine since fresh water will be often topped off?

I hope I was thorough with my information. Thanks in advance for all your help!

 

[pooldv]

Welcome to TFP!

Yes, the FC was consumed by bather waste, sun and debris. Keep adding more bleach until it shows up on the test. Are you targeting 3 or 4ppm? Keep targeting that for now.

CYA is a one time add, it only goes away with splash out and bather carry out.

Bleach needs to be added every day or two. Chlorine level is set based on CYA level and the Chlorine CYA Chart. Keep chlorine at target level at all times to keep the pool sanitized and algae free. It is safe to swim when FC is above minimum and below shock level for your CYA. So, you can dose it up above target to be sure it will be at target next time you add more. After a few cycles of testing and adding you will get a pretty good idea of how much your pool uses.

Have you seen this article? It is pretty handy for small and seasonal pools.
Pool School - Guide for Seasonal/Temporary Pools

Under-chlorinating is a bigger concern than over-chlorinating. Insufficient chlorine leaves a pool unsanitized, susceptible to algae and disease transmission.

It is perfectly safe to swim with CYA of 30 and chlorine at 10. Our CYA is 70 and we swam with the kids every day for over a week with FC 25-28 because we were trying to kill some algae.

 

[pinguy]

Hi!

Use the kit you bought from walmart and test how much CYA you have in the water. From this you can figure out how much FC you should maintain from this chart: Pool School - Chlorine / CYA Chart. Then, use pool math to calculate how much chlorine you need to add to get to the target FC level. Pool math: http://www.troublefreepool.com/calc.html

You need to dose your pool with chlorine on a regular basis. Chlorine is consumed both by the sun and bacteria introduced to the water through swimming. CYA or stabilizer is what protects the chlroine from the sun. CYA is not consumed like FC, so you do not need to replenish it on a regularly. Too much CYA will lead to problems over time, so make sure you test the water and use pool math before you add any.

 

[Socal76]

Thanks for the information. Yes, i read the "Guide for Seasonal/ Temporary Pools" which is why i dosed the 5.9 ounces of bleach to reach the 4ppm target. Apparently that seemed to have been consumed by the 2 days of prior pool use without any chemicals. Based on the guide, I'm going to try and shock the pool with 18 ounces of bleach to target the 12ppm and will report back.

Do i need to do anything with the Alkalinity or Hardness? The "Guide for Seasonal/ Temporary Pools" did not specify anything.

 

[pinguy]

Do i need to do anything with the Alkalinity or Hardness? The "Guide for Seasonal/ Temporary Pools" did not specify anything.

Your Alkalinity is good. Calcium Hardness isn't a concern with a vinyl pools unless the level gets excessively high (350ppm+). It should be fine having been filled from tap water.

Do the PH and CYA test if the walmart test came with it. Then post your results

 

[zea3]

Your hardness is fine. Your test reads total hardness which could be an issue with a plaster finished pool, but not in a vinyl or fiberglass pool. Your pool is considered a vinyl pool. Alkalinity helps stabilize pH. Without knowing the pH level we can't say if anything needs to change or not. If pH is stable then you don't need to worry about alkalinity levels.

 

[Socal76]

Great. I just dosed CYA this afternoon and read that it will take a week to show up on test results. Is this true?
Also, I purchased the HTH Stabilizer and Conditioner at Walmart. It reads the active ingredient is Cyanuric Acid but is called "HTH Stabilizer and Conditioner. I just wanted to make sure i have the right product.

 

[Richard320]

Bleach is a daily thing. The amount you added would have disappeared in two days with or without CYA. The CYA will stay, though. It's a one-time addition, unless a whole bunch of water gets splashed out.

I highly doubt you have an algae bloom so quickly. Taking it to shock level is probably unnecessary. Just assume the 40 CYA is all there and chlorinate to target of 7 - a paltry 10 fluid ounces. The next day, measure the FC and enter the value in "Now" and keep the 7 target and add what it says.

All you really need to do is keep the pH in between 7.2 and 7.8 and don't let FC drop below 3, which means targeting 6 or 7 every day. After a few days, you'll learn the pool's appetite and it will get much easier. My pool 1s 16000 gallons and I doubt I spend an hour a week on it and it hasn't gone green in over 5 years, year-round.

PS: yes, that is the right stuff you added and yes, it will take a week or so to show on the test. Just assume it's there now that it's dissolved.

 

[pooldv]

Good, you are in the right track.