Hello everyone,
I have owned an above ground chlorine pool for 19 years and have some experience with chemically balancing the pool. In the past few years I have learned much from this website.
Recently my old pool collapsed from old age (it was 27) and I decided to replace it with a salt water pool. My current configuration is listed in my signature. I searched this site extensively for information on starting a brand new salt water pool. I found bits and pieces and put them all together to try to figure it out. My plan is as follows:
While circulating water:
1) Add stabilizer (just under 10 lbs. for my pool)
2) Adjust alkalinity as required
3) Adjust pH as required.
4) Add salt directly into pool and wait 24 hrs.
5) Start SWG
I finished filling the pool late yesterday afternoon with water from my well. The water temperature was UP to 67 by last night. Recent daytime temperatures in NJ have been in the 80's.
1) I started by turning on the pump but leaving the SWG off, just to get the circulation going. I then added 5 lbs. of stabilizer. My information says I will need almost 10 lbs., but I didn't want to add it all at once. My intention was to wait about 4 hours and check my CYA level. After 4 hours the stabilizer had settled to the bottom of the pool, with little if any of it dissolving. Brushing with a soft bristle broom did not help. I am guessing this is largely because of the cold water temperature and I am hoping today's sunshine will do the job. What should I do?
2) I checked the initial pH and the color in the tester was a pale amber color, obviously off the bottom of the scale. This I expected.
3) When I checked the alkalinity and with my old pool I would put 2 drops of R-0007 and 5 drops of R-0008 into 25 ml of water and it would turn green. Then I would put the R-0009 in a drop at a time, mixing between each drop and count the number of drops until the color turns from green to red. Well (no pun), in this new water, after putting in the 2 drops of R-0007 and the 5 drops of R-0008 and the water immediately turned red! What does this mean? Is my alkalinity exceedingly high? Or low? I don't know.
4) Well I am going through these trials and tribulations, I am worried that it is taking too long and my water will turn green. After I get the chemicals right I have to wait 24 hrs. for the salt to dissolve. That will be a long time without chlorine. Should I put a few chlorine tabs in now, to hold me over until I can start the SWG?
5) Am I missing something here?
I finished filling and started the pump at 4 PM yesterday, so it has been about 22 hrs. I am now at work and will be home at 4PM so I can see how it fared today. Any help/ideas/suggestions would be much appreciated!
Thanks,
Lyle
I have owned an above ground chlorine pool for 19 years and have some experience with chemically balancing the pool. In the past few years I have learned much from this website.
Recently my old pool collapsed from old age (it was 27) and I decided to replace it with a salt water pool. My current configuration is listed in my signature. I searched this site extensively for information on starting a brand new salt water pool. I found bits and pieces and put them all together to try to figure it out. My plan is as follows:
While circulating water:
1) Add stabilizer (just under 10 lbs. for my pool)
2) Adjust alkalinity as required
3) Adjust pH as required.
4) Add salt directly into pool and wait 24 hrs.
5) Start SWG
I finished filling the pool late yesterday afternoon with water from my well. The water temperature was UP to 67 by last night. Recent daytime temperatures in NJ have been in the 80's.
1) I started by turning on the pump but leaving the SWG off, just to get the circulation going. I then added 5 lbs. of stabilizer. My information says I will need almost 10 lbs., but I didn't want to add it all at once. My intention was to wait about 4 hours and check my CYA level. After 4 hours the stabilizer had settled to the bottom of the pool, with little if any of it dissolving. Brushing with a soft bristle broom did not help. I am guessing this is largely because of the cold water temperature and I am hoping today's sunshine will do the job. What should I do?
2) I checked the initial pH and the color in the tester was a pale amber color, obviously off the bottom of the scale. This I expected.
3) When I checked the alkalinity and with my old pool I would put 2 drops of R-0007 and 5 drops of R-0008 into 25 ml of water and it would turn green. Then I would put the R-0009 in a drop at a time, mixing between each drop and count the number of drops until the color turns from green to red. Well (no pun), in this new water, after putting in the 2 drops of R-0007 and the 5 drops of R-0008 and the water immediately turned red! What does this mean? Is my alkalinity exceedingly high? Or low? I don't know.
4) Well I am going through these trials and tribulations, I am worried that it is taking too long and my water will turn green. After I get the chemicals right I have to wait 24 hrs. for the salt to dissolve. That will be a long time without chlorine. Should I put a few chlorine tabs in now, to hold me over until I can start the SWG?
5) Am I missing something here?
I finished filling and started the pump at 4 PM yesterday, so it has been about 22 hrs. I am now at work and will be home at 4PM so I can see how it fared today. Any help/ideas/suggestions would be much appreciated!
Thanks,
Lyle
