(Sort of) Pool Opening Questions

[bbodb1]

Hello all,

After one of the mildest winters in Arkansas in some years, I'm going ahead and getting my pool in shape now. I did NOT close the pool this winter opting to run the system when temperatures were near freezing this winter. No problems with the circulation system as I open up.

First readings today:
No chlorine found (no surprise there - I did put a bottle or two of bleach in the pool throughout the winter..)
CYA: nothing detected
PH: near (perhaps just above) 7.2
TA: 30

Note: we have dogs - Labradore Retrievers - so we try not to hit the pool with too many chemicals because they will always drink pool water. This has not been a problem during pool maintenance since we used the BBB method, our pool has looked great!

At present, because the dogs have swam in the pool most of the winter, there is a good amount of dirt in the pool. I have been working on getting that out (with our Dolphin). When that job is done, I'd like to get the water balanced. That leads to the following questions:

1) While I'll keep an eye on the PH, since it is just above 7.2 (and given there is considerable rain in our 10 day forecast), is this PH good enough for now?

2) When I do start working on the Chlorine, am I right in thinking I should SLAM? I'm wondering if I should work on the CYA first though.....

3) When jobs 1 and 2 are done, would that be the right time to adjust the TA?

Thanks!

 

[Texas Splash]

One thing's for sure .... I would not wait to balance the chemicals. If you are seeing no CYA at all (black dot never disappears), start by soaking a white sock with some stabilizer with an initial target of 30 ppm for now. Increase your FC to about 3 ppm for today and try to keep it there. To know for sure if you need to SLAM, you'll need to do an overnight test per the Pool School - Perform the Overnight FC Loss Test (OCLT) page. If you lose more than 1 ppm of FC as noted in those instructions, then yes you will need to SLAM.

Until you know about the OCLT results, leave the pH at the lower 7.2-7.4 zone. If you have to SLAM, that's perfect. If you don't have to SLAM, increase to about 7.6 and continue to keep your FC at the proper target level based on your CYA as noted on the Pool School - Chlorine / CYA Chart.

Let us know if you have any more questions.

 

[kimkats]

Another easy one for me...What he ^^^^^^^^^^^^ said! LOL

That is a pretty pool.

Kim (thanks Pat!)

 

[bbodb1]

Another easy one for me...What he ^^^^^^^^^^^^ said! LOL

That is a pretty pool.

Kim (thanks Pat!)

Thanks to both of you for your responses!

Kim, our pool gets even more interesting when this occurs (and know you see the source of the dirt!):

 

[kimkats]

LOVE it!! Tell us about those cuties please! I bet they do add some dirt and hair!

Do you use a skimmer sock to help with the hair? If not you might want to look into hairnets on Amazon. I don't have the link but it is something like 100 for a very cheap price.

I bet there is never a dull moment at your house with 4 of them!

Kim

 

[bbodb1]

There's actually only two of them - but the female (the one jumping into the pool) can swim like three - she is a fish through and through. Strangely enough, the male would NOT swim for the longest time (almost afraid of the water) and the female would swim around in the pool and taunt him with various toys. Eventually though, he got over his fear and he is in the water just as much. Both of them can swim for hours it seems. When we humans swim in the warmer weather, it is NEVER alone!

I have had a good bit of fur in the pool, but I've never used a skimmer sock. On the flip side, I do clean my sand about 3 - 4 times a year (flood the tank, overflow it, allow all the debris to come up form the sand and out the top). It's not a very hard (or time consuming) procedure but if the skimmer sock could catch that fur, that would be much better. I'll have to give that idea a try - thanks!

I just tool a look on Amazon - is this item what you are referring to?

Thanks!

 

[kimkats]

I cannot find the link to the hair nets that are so cheap.

That skimmer sock will work but these are MUCH cheaper. I will shot them to you when I find them.

A lab afraid of the water????? LOL Well I never! Glad he got over it.

Kim

 

[Texas Splash]

Some people use an old nylon. I like the 1 gallon paint strainers from HD or Lowes. I think there's two per package and they are cheap as well. They catch all the small bugs and dog hair from our furry kids too.

 

[bbodb1]

Well, backwashing won't be a problem for awhile as we are in the middle of a stalled system that has predictions of as much as 6-8 inches of rain...

 

[samt]

Thanks to both of you for your responses!

Kim, our pool gets even more interesting when this occurs (and know you see the source of the dirt!):

That's a cool shot. You almost have 3 labs that are airborne at the same time.

 

[Rick H]

I second the skimmer socks. We have a black lab, and shes in the pool all summer. It catches all the hair before it gets to the filter. They work great.