I have a hole in the ground, destined to be a pool

[robtx]

Greetings,

My pool:

As you can see, it's a hole in the ground right now. We /hope/ to have water in it in a little over a month. It should be around 21k gallons (19x38 with a tanning shelf at the far end).

So what brings me here this early, I mean, I don't have a water problem yet! Well, I'm reading and devouring everything I can and I have a couple of questions for you all:

Filling it, we live in central Texas and have really, really hard water. I haven't tested it yet, but I'm a wondering if I should cheat and use my softened water for part of the filling process? It has a 2500g capacity and I could pre-cycle the softener it the night before we start so it has full capacity and help lower the hardness.

I also assume I should have the top-off run off softened water.

Finally, I'm wondering if there are any startup tips you all have that might save me pain down the road. I'd just assume start he pool right instead of having to fix it later.

I have a Taylor K2006 and LaMotte 2056 in my shopping basket already on Amazon (I was going to pick one, not both) , before I decided to do more reading here and discover the TF100.

-Rob

 

[YippeeSkippy]

Skip both the test kits (especially the LaMotte) and get the TF-100. Worth every penny and gives you (a large pool owner) more of the testing reagents that you'll use. You can get it from Amazon or TFTestkits.net $70.... will save you *hundreds*. I promise. Toss in a Speed Stir just to make the testing faster and... a little fun. No one has ever written to say they regretted it, but most say they love it.

I can't comment on household water softeners but I know folks with really hard water out west often try to harness as much rain water as they can to get in their pool.

When you get your test kit go ahead and test your fill water (don't bother with the CYA test as it won't have any) to give you a baseline of what you're dealing with.

Let us know what you get with your results and we can proceed from there. How are you planning on chlorinating your water?

Oh yeah....start reading Pool School <linked at top of this site> please. Start with ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry

Yip

(one last request: please add "TX" to your profile <-----over there... not everyone knows where New Bruanfels is, thanks)

 

[robtx]

TF-100 and Speedstir ordered and TX added.

As for chlorinating, I'm planning on using plain ol' chlorine, no salt or bromine...if that is what you are asking.

 

[kimkats]

Easy one for me! What Yip said! ^^^^^^^

Kim:cat:

- - - Updated - - -

TF-100 and Speedstir ordered and TX added.

As for chlorinating, I'm planning on using plain ol' chlorine, no salt or bromine...if that is what you are asking.

Hey Yip! Look! He is a keeper! This will be a fun one to watch!

So rob, tell us about this pool! What kind of tile, plaster, equipment are you planning? Oh and decking and coping and anything else we would want to know about your pool!

Kim:cat:

 

[robtx]

Uff, lets see:

PebbleSheen (White Diamond)
Tile: Something my wife picked out, blue/grayish...i couldn't pick it out of a lineup, but I know how much it costs!
Jandy pumps (VSSHP270 2.0/2.7 HP Variable X 2: One for main filter, 2nd one for spa station, bubblers and side streamers)
Jandy heater (400k BTU)
Travertine coping and decking, done continuous in a 12x24 pattern (I mean to say the decking and coping are unified, if that makes sense)
Auto cover in the far end, behind the sunbathing deck for: 1) safety, we have 3 youngsters and 2 dogs. 2) keep the junk out of the pool, we have lots of large old pecan trees around the yard.
3.5 to 5.5ft deep
19x38

Overall, it's just a pool with no hot-tub. We really aren't hot tub people and when I asked the different pool companies how many first time buyers go with a hot tub, they said 50%. I then asked how many 2nd time buyers to, and they all said "Oh, maybe 10-15% do a hot tub after the first pool". We are putting in a set of jets on one wall for getting those knots out of the muscles though (and to shoot the kids floats across the pool).

It had a partial cave-in right after excavation was done and we had a ton of rain at once. I actually woke up and watched it cave in through the window at 2AM...made me sad. I did get to see the pool (well, mud-pit) full of water. It's, uh, larger than I thought.

Mod note: Removed builders name. If someone asks you can PM them. THANKS!

 

[Richard320]

Sounds like you're gonna have a purdy ce-ment pond!

 

[kimkats]

LOL on the tiles-happy wife, happy life!

What about filter? How are you going to add chlorine?

Kim:cat:

 

[robtx]

The filter is a Jandy DEV60, 60 sq ft cartridge. I have an AquaStar Cholorinator that I plan on using to maintain the daily loss with Trichlor (assuming my CYA doesn't climb, seems there are mixed results) and use plain bleach for adjustments....well, this is the current working plan. I imagine that once the pool goes live that reality will set my method.

Does anyone make unbuffered slow release chlorine tabs for the auto-chlorinators?

 

[kimkats]

Does anyone make unbuffered slow release chlorine tabs for the auto-chlorinators?

nope they either add CYA or CH..........over time both will build up and you will have to drain and refill the water.

Some of TFP use chlorine. You can get a SWG (salt water generator) that REALLY helps with the FC.

Pool School - Salt Water Chlorine Generators

You can do as I do and add chlorine each day. There also set ups that will pump the chlorine in for you. Let me know if you are interested in this idea.

Kim:cat:

 

[robtx]

You mean like a dosing pump?

(I also have a reef tank)

 

[kimkats]

Yeah! Just like that! There are several threads on it if you care to look.

Kim:cat:

 

[robtx]

I was mistaken on my filter, I went out and took pictures of each item and have been looking up the manuals. My filter is a Jandy DEV60, DE filter. It looks like a lot of work to keep clean. I see that they are supposed to be great water polishers, but I wonder if it's worth the effort?

 

[kimkats]

Rob, I LOVE my sand filter! I had a cartridge filter with my last pool and it was a lot of work BUT I did not have a clue about how to care for a pool so a lot of it was my own fault. My sand filter is SO easy to care for AND I add DE to the sand to help polish the water. Turn off the pump, turn the handle, turn on the pump, let the filter do it's thing. DONE!

I will tell you that what I have read about the DE filter there is no way I would want one. To me they are a lot of work when they need care and can cost quite a bit due to having to keep buying DE. BUT people who have DE love it and would not change.

Kim:cat:

 

[Divin Dave]

Hi Rob,
my advice on your calcium hardness, is to go ahead and order the TF100 test kit, and then test your tap water to see just how hard the water is.
It would give you (and us), more info on which to make the right recommendation.

If its too hard, then 2500g of softened water may not be worth the effort. Then again, it may just be low enough to be perfect and you dont need to softened water.

The point is, when it comes to water, accurate testing is a must in order to make the right decision.

 

[Nectarologist]

Hi Rob,

Use your water softener to fill the pool. During my initial fill last April my water softener broke! I was wondering what the orange plastic feeling beads were coming out of the hose (found out when household faucet screens were clogged with it). Anyway I filled and the remaining 80% of the pool and the water was very high in calcium (over 500 if I remember correctly). This year, because of heavy snow, my pool was drained by about 40% when the weight of the snow pushed the water out of the pool. I refilled with the softened water and the calcium level is fine now. It's a lot easier to raise it than lower it. Your outdoor spigots may be conditioned too. I think the softener is the usually the first thing the water main is connected to before it starts to branch off to hot water heater and other cold supplies.

 

[robtx]

Nectarologist,

I'm waiting for my TF-100 to come in and test my unconditioned water; which should give the story of how I proceed. If the tap water is really high, then I'll come up with a plan to add softened water to the pool on fill and for adding water later. Even if it is high, I'm thinking (no idea what I'm talking about, first time pool owner) of a plan to slowly change out the water with softened water. Kind of like a water change on my reef tank.

In other news, I'm really thinking of adding a Stenner 10GPD for chlorine. I may even have it added now, while the pool is in build. I'd use the tabs to start with until the first month or so (PebbleTec) and my CYA gets where I want it and then switch to bleach.

-Rob

 

[kimkats]

All very good plans! I like how you are thinking ahead! Nice job!

Kim:cat:

 

[robtx]

TF-100 came in yesterday and we tested the city water that we'll use to fill the pool (with my three trusty helpers) CH just now and came up with something between 175 and 200. I was counting drops and they were watching and said it started to turn blue on 7 and then completely at 8. We'll retest tomorrow when we do more "science tests". (I think with the speed stir on, we might have changed @ 6 drops even)

My helpers LOVE the speed stir.

In any event, this really lowers my concern about the city water and hardness for first fill.

 

[kimkats]

Give them jobs:

-get the water

-pour the water in tube

-get out regents for ?? test

-Count drops

-write results of tests in the test long

-compare numbers to chart and make note of what it should be

-read and tell what should be done to "fix" numbers.

Kim:cat: (always the teacher)

 

[robtx]

Yes, they got a science (chemistry) playset around Easter, so this is right up their alley.

Maybe I can teach the 10yr old to test and correct the pool, 7yr old to scrub it and the 5yr old to bring me /another/ beer????

We're going to retest CH today (mostly for fun) and get the hose and do the 5g bucket fill test so we can see if we'll be borrowing the neighbors hoses. I have 3 bonnets in the back, but they are all fed by the same feed line, so there may not be a huge advantage in running multiple hoses. We'll test and see.