what opening chemicals are required

[Lnstrdt]

so I bit the bullet and cancelled the pool company that was coming to open and did it myself. Pool opened clear but dirty with the usual leaves and worms that always manage to find their way into my loop-loc cover??? There was a notable green fuzzy ring around the edge, returns fittings, steps and skimmer despite water temp only being in low 50s (unusally warmer winter for CT this year) - I thought a bit of algae. Also, significant staining (?metal - we have this issue just usually not this extensive)

Opening test - FC 0, CC 0, TA 80; CYA 60 (surprised as this usually is lower when I open) PH 7.2; didn't test salt yet b/c can't use SWG yet and didn't test CH b/c vinyl. So with the green fuzzy stuff - I start the SLAM. I have added NOTHING but bleach - so my question is 2 fold. What MUST I add to "open the pool"? Poly quat or is SLAM and then maintain proper levels enough? opening kits sold by stores have a lot more stuff in them - are they needed...ie metal stops, who the heck knows what else--last year they dropped some plastic ball??

So second part - why no or low CC despite what I figure is algea? I vaccuumed leaves, brushed sides and walls and added 12.5% bleach to get to shock level of 24 - over night dropped to 20 with no CC? doesn't make since - water clear but dirt on floor. Dolphin in to speed things up while I'm off to work - add Bleach to get back to 24. Drops to 15 but still 0-0.5CC - this makes no sense to me. Water is crystal clear but just crud and stains on bottom I'm still working on - still not enough daylight in CT! still some green staining in skimmer box.

hopefully this post makes sense...I think my pool info is in my sig (at least it was last year) if not let me know what else you need. (I can try pictures too if needed)

 

[Texas Splash]

Maybe no CC because you had no FC (at first) to kill and begin the transition process to create more CC and ultimate oxidize it all? It might take a while to begin that process. Regardless, you're right about the need to SLAM (link below). No algaecides or anything other than bleach. You might also want to review Pool School - Opening Your Winterized Above Ground Pool to ensure you're not missing something significant. Once you pass the 3 SLAM criteria, then you'll need to see if you have enough metals in the water that warrant metals management. One thing at a time though. Good luck!

 

[Richard320]

You don't always see CC with algae. You've got one of the three SLAM completion checks complete already!

And those readings look great. SLAM away and brush till your shoulders ache. When you pass an overnight loss test and the water stays clear even after brushing, you're done. Let the FC drift down and recheck it all and see if you need anything else adjusted.

I've never put algaecide, phosphate removers or any other miracle snake oil in my pool and it stays open year round. You just don't need it if you maintain adequate FC. Not sure what to tell you about the stains. If you do decide to try the Ascorbic Acid treatment, I'd suggest waiting a couple weeks until all the other chemistry is stable and you know there's no algae to spring back to life.

 

[Lnstrdt]

ok that's what I thought - nothing needed but bleach. I ditched the pool store 2 years ago when I found this site but still used them to open and close - this was my first year to brave opening by myself and wanted to make sure I wasn't missing anything. I'm off tomorrow so vacuuming and brushing I will be...Also need to put the ladder in to kill anything that might be lurking although I doubt since pool was in check all last season and at close.

What kit is recommended or how do i test for metals to see what management is needed. We are on a well, but I rarely add water (with a pre-filter if I do)- I run my pool on the higher side of full to not add and all the water added from the closing level drop comes from snow and rain. but I have battled stains for the 4yrs we've owned this house. Vit C always makes them go away. I tried the AA treatment last year but mid-summer (not smart! b/c polyquat was not enough to prevent algae before the treatment was done)...I'm assuming I'll repeat that in a few weeks after I've passed the SLAM and am stable for a while..while we are still on the COLD side

 

[pooldv]

The Zodiac nature2 adds copper to your pool, more here, Alternative sanitizers and pools--The Truth!!

 

[bkfamily1]

iron test kit http://tftestkits.net/K-1716-Taylor-Iron-Test-p30.html

copper test kit http://tftestkits.net/K-1730-Taylor-Copper-Test-p57.html

Last year, I took samples to the pool store as they could do metals. Even though I was not buying chemicals from them anymore, I figured they owed me after all the years of worthless "stuff" (I used the C word the first time, but the post got rejected for a curse word LOL!) and bad advice I paid for! This year, I went ahead and bought the test kits so I could do it myself.

Also, since I have well water with iron (albeit low levels), I purchased a hose filter http://www.poolsupplyworld.com/Eco-One-ECO-8014-Spa-Outdoor-Hose-Filter/ECO-8014.htm to remove both the iron (and other metals) and filter out any sediment which is the bigger problem with my well water. I do not have a lot of iron in my water, but I figure that is a cheap way to ensure I am not adding any.

Building on pooldv's astute observation of your use of the Zodiac, I have a Pool Frog which also adds copper in the mineral cartridge. I no longer use that either.