Please welcome another pool newbie

[frustratedpoolmom]

Well, correct me if I'm wrong but isn't CSI not an issue in vinyl pools- whereas with plaster it is?

I agree, focus on the first steps - shocking and getting to know your pool and once you get it in the recommended ranges your CSI should be okay then.

 

[JasonLion]

Low CSI doesn't matter in vinyl pools. Low CSI in plater pools, or high CSI in any kind of pool matters. However, most people don't need to think about CSI, they just need to aim for the recommended levels. It is only when one of your levels is unusual and difficult to bring into range, that you can use CSI to make some estimates of what other numbers you need to adjust to get things balanced again.

In this pool, from the levels I saw posted, the only thing that needs to be done is to raise the CH level into the normal range. No need to think about CSI at all.

 

[poolpop]

Wes,

I didn't see where anyone had answered this question for you, but typically when a multiport valve or gasket in a mulitport valve fails you will get sand into the pool. This is not really a problem other than it will take you a little work to get it all cleaned out. You can just vacuum it up and it should stay in your filter now that the multiport valve is replaced. I wouldn't think that anything is wrong with the filter itself. If you notice that you can't get all of the sand out of the pool or you see cloudy water coming out of the return that kind of hurts when you put your arm in front of it then you may indeed be getting sand and there could be a lateral loose or something inside of the filter tank. This could have happened when they replaced they multiport valve.

 

[wespendarvis]

poolpop - Thanks for addressing that! It does appear that the sand was getting in there while the multi port valve was broken. Since replacing it and getting the Polaris going, the Polaris seems to be picking it up and I don't see more getting into the pool.

For everyone, an update:

It appears my FC held overnight. It was 25 when I went to bed, and when I got up - about 90 minutes after sunrise - it was at 24. I put a little more bleach in this morning, and am going to keep it shocked the rest of the day, but I think I am in the home stretch. The water in the shallow end is sparkling, and in the deep end I can clearly see the drain (so much so that I was able to find a screw I dropped yesterday while replacing the lamp in the light)...though the water is not quite as "sparkly" as the shallow end (another reason to keep the shock going for the day).

Also, I have already burned through my FC reagent, so I'm going to be ordering some more of that tomorrow. I can't find a pool store locally that sells Taylor reagents, so it looks like I have to order it online. In the mean time, I did buy some of the strips from my local pool store...though they only measure FC up to 10, so that doesn't help me a ton at the moment.

Any final words of advice on getting this thing going for next Saturday? I have had an amazingly productive last 3 days, in part because of all the great advice I have received from the site. Thanks again to everyone!

Attached is a photo just taken of the pool. It is starting to be beautiful!

 

[Butterfly]

Pool is looking much better!

So you have satisfied one of the three requirements that indicate you are done shocking:

1. Overnight FC loss 1ppm or less (you got that one :-D )
2. CC tests .5 or less and
3. Your pool is sparkly.

Once you satisfy the other two shocking criteria, you can let your FC drift down to maintenance level around 5 to 7, but never less than 5. Then adjust FC up each evening to above your target of 7, to maybe around 9 or 10. See how it holds each day and get an idea of your pool's normal daily chlorine use.

After you get to maintenance level, it would be time to increase your CH to around 300 or so. (range 250 to 350)