True Newbie

[RHanel]

Hello everyone! I am very new to pool ownership like since July 3 this year. My wife and I decided to purchase a small pool for my daughter (7) so we picked up an INTEX 15' round 42" high pool. In looking at all different posts we decided to make this pool a saltwater pool as to do without all the chemicals. So far to date, my water has stayed pretty much clear. I am using the INTEX pump/filter that came with the pool (1000gph and filter A) and I picked up the SWG off of Amazon by INTEX because I heard that the INTEX hoses are much smaller and that if you stay with INTEX you will not have any issues.

I do battle with high Ph and do add the muriatic acid to keep it down and because I don't have a skimmer I use a stocking to put the stabilizer in and place it near the intake. The pool also seems to get cloudy after a whole day of use so I keep the filter running for close to 2 days to help clear it up but it just never seems to get totally clear. When I say cloudy I mean that I can't go under water and see the other side of the pool but I can see the bottom of the pool clearly when standing up.

I run the SWG for 4 hours per day at night as the pool is in direct sunlight for most of the day and the filter is running for close to 10 hours. I do replace the filter cartridge every 12 - 14 days which does seem to help.

I am looking at getting the Sand Filter from Intex which is rated at 2800 gph which I believe will help with the cloudiness which I see but that will be a purchase for next year (don't want to spend the money right now as this it the first time we have a pool plus I have 10 filters still to use).

All in all we are just loving the pool and all the summer time fun which comes with it.

Rich.

 

[JVTrain]

Filtration with standard Intex cartridges is pretty bad so cloudiness can be from that but it's more likely that you have inadequate chlorine if it's cloudiness after a day of use. Bacteria and probably algae can grow without adequate chlorine. At the very least, you should have a 3 way drop test for pH and Total Chlorine (TC). How much stabilizer have you added to the pool?

This is a great guide for smaller, seasonal pools Pool School - Guide for Seasonal/Temporary Pools. 4000 gallons is quite large to refill so you're on that line of temporary vs. not so temporary. You could easily maintain it as the seasonal pool guide says, provided you start fresh and keep track of the SWG run time and maintain adequate chlorine. However, if you don't want to refill, you'll need a test kit that will test for CYA and FC/CC above 5 ppm.

Spend some time in Pool School especially ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry and ask questions as you go!

Welcome to TFP!

 

[BoDarville]

Welcome to TFP!

A question...Where is Ridgefield?...is it in NJ, Iowa, Arizona, Manitoba...? Your climate is often relevant to the advice you receive. If climate is a factor in addressing a particular issue that a member is experiencing, that advice can differ significantly between a pool in southern California vs. one in Maine. Please do us a favor that will also help us help you...please add the state / province to your location.

Now on to pool care...

You will need one of the Recommended Test Kits to properly manage your pool. I use the TF-100 because it's the best value and they have a freshness guarantee. You can order it here: TFTestkits.net. They ship fast - you should have it in your hands in 2-3 days with normal shipping. If you want to really do the right thing, I would order one of these test kits tonight. Do not rely on pool store testing - it is notably inaccurate and they will use those results to sell you all sorts of chemicals you do not need that will cost you way more than this test kit.

While you are waiting for your kit to arrive, here are some resources to give you an overview of managing your pool using our methods:
1. ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry
2. Chlorine CYA Chart
3. Recommended Pool Chemicals
4. Recommended Levels
5. Pool Math