Simplifying BBB for very small pools (e.g. Intex)
- Thread starter PaulR
- Start date
Shocking is where you need to start deciding what the threshold for refilling the pool is. I suggest that you have them raise the pool to shock level once, and if that doesn't solve the problem then dump and refill the pool.
For those that have these smaller pools without the filtration (which is more common than you might think) we should suggest dumping and refilling weekly or more if there is any off smells or cloudiness.
I can jump in here where Paul is having to leave off (have a good trip!) if you'd like.
Okay -- give me a few hours as the kids and I have errands to run this morning. I'll add to Paul's this aftenroon and post it.
Last year was my first year with anything bigger than a wading pool. I had/have a 15'x30" intex with a puny little 530gph filter pump. I was able to maintain it for about 10 weeks (got a late start setting it up and hubby took it down once the baby was born) by just doing bleach.
I got a pack of spa test strips at walmart to use.
I did add salt (can't remember how much, whatever was right for the gallons) and that made a huge difference in the water feel, it was great.
Here is where I will confess I didn't do anything for CYA... OUr routine was to swim in the evenings for a hour or two. Once the kids were out , I would pour a good size "glug" of bleach in. I'd wait a little while -- while I was cleaning off the filters--, then use a test strip to make sure the chlorine level had gone up (can't remember the number now) and just leave it be. I figured that the bleach could work all night while it was dark. By the next morning there would be no discernable chlorine levels. However, this seemed to work. I got ONE issue of a bit of slime starting because we were gone for a few days, but I just "shocked" by putting it a LOT of bleach and it never did anything else.
My only trouble came when I decided to get fancy and add borox... can't even remember WHY I did that now, but I got too much and had to get some of the muriatic acid to counteract it. If I had left well enough alone, I think it would have been fine.
NOw, I'm NOT trying to say that I did it "right", just saying that for our use, it worked. It was cheap, It allowed us to keep the pool up for 2.5 months which would NOT have been possible without finding this site.
This year I'm upgrading to a swg and a much bigger pump and filter. I will post what happens with that.
I got a pack of spa test strips at walmart to use.
I did add salt (can't remember how much, whatever was right for the gallons) and that made a huge difference in the water feel, it was great.
Here is where I will confess I didn't do anything for CYA... OUr routine was to swim in the evenings for a hour or two. Once the kids were out , I would pour a good size "glug" of bleach in. I'd wait a little while -- while I was cleaning off the filters--, then use a test strip to make sure the chlorine level had gone up (can't remember the number now) and just leave it be. I figured that the bleach could work all night while it was dark. By the next morning there would be no discernable chlorine levels. However, this seemed to work. I got ONE issue of a bit of slime starting because we were gone for a few days, but I just "shocked" by putting it a LOT of bleach and it never did anything else.
My only trouble came when I decided to get fancy and add borox... can't even remember WHY I did that now, but I got too much and had to get some of the muriatic acid to counteract it. If I had left well enough alone, I think it would have been fine.
NOw, I'm NOT trying to say that I did it "right", just saying that for our use, it worked. It was cheap, It allowed us to keep the pool up for 2.5 months which would NOT have been possible without finding this site.
This year I'm upgrading to a swg and a much bigger pump and filter. I will post what happens with that.
I have been looking up all the various Intex models and their associated size in gallons for the web automation I proposed earlier. Doing that, I noticed that Intex's listed number of gallons are all lower than I would assume given the pool measurements.
I would like to confirm that Intex is giving accurate pool sizes in gallons on their web site. Could someone who has an Intex pool do some measurements of what size their pool really is with a tape measure? In particular, I am interested in the normal range of water depth (which will be lower than the height of the pool), and the width of the pool on the inside at different depths (which will be different than the width on the outside). If you could tell me that, along with what model Intex pool you have, that would be a big help!
I would like to confirm that Intex is giving accurate pool sizes in gallons on their web site. Could someone who has an Intex pool do some measurements of what size their pool really is with a tape measure? In particular, I am interested in the normal range of water depth (which will be lower than the height of the pool), and the width of the pool on the inside at different depths (which will be different than the width on the outside). If you could tell me that, along with what model Intex pool you have, that would be a big help!
Jason...I have the Intex 18'x4' easy set.
Somewhere (can't remember if it was the Intex site or the paperwork that came with the pool) the specs indicated the top diameter is 14' (at the "fattest" part of the ring, if that makes sense). Below the ring (at the top of the water) it's about 14.5' diameter.
For pool width, I take the diameter at the midpoint of the height (halfway up the pool side) and wind up with roughly 16.25'.
The only place the inside pool width is substantially different than the outside pool width would be at the inflatable ring, and that shouldn't matter b/c water shouldn't be that high up anyway. It's not supposed to be filled higher than the bottom of the inflatable ring.
The 4' advertised depth is from the top of the inflated ring to the bottom, not the actual water depth, as you stated in your post. Actual full-pool water depth is 6" less than that, so 3.5' deep (this is probably true for all Intex easy sets unless the change the size of the top ring -- I don't think they do, though).
So if you put 16.25' width and 3.5' depth into the pool calc, you get 5400 gallons (Intex's website says 5455 for this size).
Using 5400 in the pool calc, and the resulting calcuations for ph adjustments, chlorine additions, etc. has always worked. The amounts of chemicals I've added based on the pool calc have always caused the predicted change, so I'm guessing my pool gallon figures are close.
Edited to add I just found a different document on Intex's website that has numbers that don't completely match up to mine. The numbers I gave you are from what I have in my computer file when we first purchased and set up this pool, almost three years ago. I haven't measured anything since, but I can double check my numbers once my husband is home to help.
Somewhere (can't remember if it was the Intex site or the paperwork that came with the pool) the specs indicated the top diameter is 14' (at the "fattest" part of the ring, if that makes sense). Below the ring (at the top of the water) it's about 14.5' diameter.
For pool width, I take the diameter at the midpoint of the height (halfway up the pool side) and wind up with roughly 16.25'.
The only place the inside pool width is substantially different than the outside pool width would be at the inflatable ring, and that shouldn't matter b/c water shouldn't be that high up anyway. It's not supposed to be filled higher than the bottom of the inflatable ring.
The 4' advertised depth is from the top of the inflated ring to the bottom, not the actual water depth, as you stated in your post. Actual full-pool water depth is 6" less than that, so 3.5' deep (this is probably true for all Intex easy sets unless the change the size of the top ring -- I don't think they do, though).
So if you put 16.25' width and 3.5' depth into the pool calc, you get 5400 gallons (Intex's website says 5455 for this size).
Using 5400 in the pool calc, and the resulting calcuations for ph adjustments, chlorine additions, etc. has always worked. The amounts of chemicals I've added based on the pool calc have always caused the predicted change, so I'm guessing my pool gallon figures are close.
Edited to add I just found a different document on Intex's website that has numbers that don't completely match up to mine. The numbers I gave you are from what I have in my computer file when we first purchased and set up this pool, almost three years ago. I haven't measured anything since, but I can double check my numbers once my husband is home to help.
When writing up the article....My Super Wal-mart doesn't carry Dichlor either. All they had was trichlor tablets and cal-hypo bags. I was surprised - thought I had seen it there before - but they had everything else....no empty shelf space for a Dichlor display. The smallest container of CYA was 4 lbs.
So we may have to send them elsewhere for their Dichlor supply.
So we may have to send them elsewhere for their Dichlor supply.
I've seen some dichlor packs which also contained copper. I can't recall for certain, but I believe it was at Wal-Mart or Lowes. Might be worth looking out for.
Some walmarts sell HTH products and will NOT have dichlor since HTH does not sell dichlor. Other walmarts sell Aquachem and they do have dichlor since Aquachem is made by Chemtura! This willmarts will not have the HTH 6 way test kit. The only drop test they have is the Aquachem OTO/pH kit and the strips.
Many products contain copper now and not just from HTH. It's a cheap additive and in the amount being used is more of a filler than anything else. Other products are adding borax as a filler but the small amount is not going to have any real impact, except perhaps in Cal Hypo, where it probably won't cause as much clouding as one that is cut with sodium carbonate.frustratedpoolmom said:
If they want pure dichlor they will probably have to visit a pool store and read the labels since most of the big box lines (HTH, PoolTime, AquaChem) only sell these blended products now.
As a first year Intex Easy Set pool owner I have been following this thread with great interest. I think it is great of you folks to take the time and effort to come up with a nice clear set of instructions for those types of pools.
One thing I haven't seen mentioned though (forgive me if I have overlooked it) is what should an Intex owner do if they need to leave on a vacation and don't have anyone to check/dose the pool for them. I imagine this would depend on the size of the pool and the length of the vacation. For the smaller pools, it may be easier to drain and refill but for the bigger ones around 5,000 gallons what would be the recommendation for absences of say, one weekend, one week, two weeks? Shock? Tabs in a floater?
Thanks.
Dave
One thing I haven't seen mentioned though (forgive me if I have overlooked it) is what should an Intex owner do if they need to leave on a vacation and don't have anyone to check/dose the pool for them. I imagine this would depend on the size of the pool and the length of the vacation. For the smaller pools, it may be easier to drain and refill but for the bigger ones around 5,000 gallons what would be the recommendation for absences of say, one weekend, one week, two weeks? Shock? Tabs in a floater?
Thanks.
Dave
Thank you. I have seen the trichlor pucks with copper. But this time, it was 'shock bags', and I read the label to see if it was cal-hypo, or dichlor, and confirmed that it was dichlor, with copper listed as an ingredient on the label.
But perhaps it was too little an amount to concern anyone with. I do not recall the percentages, and do not wish to cause confusion.
Ohm_Boy said:
Good to know! We'll just have to start stressing that folk read the labels closely.
frustratedpoolmom said:
Same ordeal at my 3 local Wal-marts. I found my Dichlor at the last place I would think would have it... Home Depot
PachinkoPlayer said:
Which sells either PoolTime or AquaChem. Lowes sells the other. I can never keep them straight. Both are made by Chemtura and are basically identical. No surprise that Chemtura is selling stabilized chlorine. This is what they manufacture!