Hi,
I just found this forum and I'm glad I did but my head is "swimming" with all the chemicals, procedures, and advice I have been getting - I'm lost.
Here is my story, hopefully some of you will help me on my way.
I just bought a new home and in the backyard is a 16 x 32 x 8 - 22,000 gallon in ground pool. I have not worked with a pool since I was a kid in the late 60's to early 70's! I don't recall doing much back then other then putting chlorine in everyday, of course my parents really were handling most of the work. Now I read about shocking, slamming, FC, CC, Ph , TA, Phosphates, etc. Oh man what did I get myself into? If it wasn't for the fact my 3 year grandson loves the pool I might consider filling it in= But I have to admit I do like it.
The previous owner was very nice but threw everything at me in a 45 minute crash course that was scattered about , from shocking to closing, to using the robot vacuum that the more I tried to write down the more mixed up I became. Am I the only one going through this?
So the pool was clear the first 3-4 days I owned the house, then the other day I could see green slime, algae I guess, on the liner. I brushed it down and ran the robot vacuum for about 8 hours and it is clear now. I bought a Leslie's ( Taylor) test kit that checks FC, CC, TA, & PH. When I finished vacuuming I back flushed the sand filter for 2 minutes, rinsed for 1 minute, then put back into filter mode. The next day I checked the water in the afternoon.
My test report.
FC= 5 ppm
Total C = 5 ppm
Combined -0- ppm
PH = 7.5
TA = 100 ppm
So still not knowing if I did the test correct I took a sample to the local Leslies and they checked for a lot more. I wanted to see if my results were the same as theirs and I would trust theirs more then mine since they do this everyday.
Their Test results
FC= 3 ppm lower then my kit
TC =3 ppm
Calcium Hardness = 200 ppm
CYA= 90 ppm
TA = 90 ppm
PH = 7.6
Copper =0
Iron = 0
TDS= 100
Phosphates 400 ppb I was told this is too high and should be below ppb
The previous homeowner told me to follow their procedure:
2 gallons of liquid shock 1x week , run filter 24 hrs
4 - 3" SLO-TAB 8 99% Trichloro (89% avail Chlorine) 24/7
2- Active caplets- Chlorinator- 68% Calcium Hypochorite - 2 in the skimmer basket all the time
SO, I think my pool is safe but would like to know for sure. Next what do I do? Follow the owners procedure but wouldn't the Fc be too high? The pool is in the sun all day. Looking around the pool store the price of chemicals really adds up, I see others using Muriatic acid, or Soda Ash to control the PH and Bleach for chlorine. Do I need pool store chemicals or can I use Walmart, Ocean State Job Lot, or others?
The people I spoke with at the Leslies were very nice and accommodating but I didn't want to take up all their time when they have other customers.
Please help! I am a car guy not a pool guy!
Thank you for listening and any support offered.
Gary
I just found this forum and I'm glad I did but my head is "swimming" with all the chemicals, procedures, and advice I have been getting - I'm lost.
Here is my story, hopefully some of you will help me on my way.
I just bought a new home and in the backyard is a 16 x 32 x 8 - 22,000 gallon in ground pool. I have not worked with a pool since I was a kid in the late 60's to early 70's! I don't recall doing much back then other then putting chlorine in everyday, of course my parents really were handling most of the work. Now I read about shocking, slamming, FC, CC, Ph , TA, Phosphates, etc. Oh man what did I get myself into? If it wasn't for the fact my 3 year grandson loves the pool I might consider filling it in= But I have to admit I do like it.
The previous owner was very nice but threw everything at me in a 45 minute crash course that was scattered about , from shocking to closing, to using the robot vacuum that the more I tried to write down the more mixed up I became. Am I the only one going through this?
So the pool was clear the first 3-4 days I owned the house, then the other day I could see green slime, algae I guess, on the liner. I brushed it down and ran the robot vacuum for about 8 hours and it is clear now. I bought a Leslie's ( Taylor) test kit that checks FC, CC, TA, & PH. When I finished vacuuming I back flushed the sand filter for 2 minutes, rinsed for 1 minute, then put back into filter mode. The next day I checked the water in the afternoon.
My test report.
FC= 5 ppm
Total C = 5 ppm
Combined -0- ppm
PH = 7.5
TA = 100 ppm
So still not knowing if I did the test correct I took a sample to the local Leslies and they checked for a lot more. I wanted to see if my results were the same as theirs and I would trust theirs more then mine since they do this everyday.
Their Test results
FC= 3 ppm lower then my kit
TC =3 ppm
Calcium Hardness = 200 ppm
CYA= 90 ppm
TA = 90 ppm
PH = 7.6
Copper =0
Iron = 0
TDS= 100
Phosphates 400 ppb I was told this is too high and should be below ppb
The previous homeowner told me to follow their procedure:
2 gallons of liquid shock 1x week , run filter 24 hrs
4 - 3" SLO-TAB 8 99% Trichloro (89% avail Chlorine) 24/7
2- Active caplets- Chlorinator- 68% Calcium Hypochorite - 2 in the skimmer basket all the time
SO, I think my pool is safe but would like to know for sure. Next what do I do? Follow the owners procedure but wouldn't the Fc be too high? The pool is in the sun all day. Looking around the pool store the price of chemicals really adds up, I see others using Muriatic acid, or Soda Ash to control the PH and Bleach for chlorine. Do I need pool store chemicals or can I use Walmart, Ocean State Job Lot, or others?
The people I spoke with at the Leslies were very nice and accommodating but I didn't want to take up all their time when they have other customers.
Please help! I am a car guy not a pool guy!
Thank you for listening and any support offered.
Gary