This is our first pool ever and its a 30' round above ground. We always try to save money, so we did the installation ourselves. We just got all the pump equipment together and we are currently filling it the rest of the way. My question is, where do I go from there on the testing. I was told to run the pump for 24 hours and then do a test and from that add the chemicals. I received test strips with the pool kit and chemicals.
New pool owner & lost
- Thread starter tina12
- Start date
As soon as you can, get yourself a good test kit, like the one in my signature. This will be your most important tool.
Test strips are ok, but not too accurate.
Test your fill water (is it city water?) (no need to wait 24 hours... it won't change!) and post your numbers here, and we can guide you!
Welcome to TFP!
Test strips are ok, but not too accurate.
Test your fill water (is it city water?) (no need to wait 24 hours... it won't change!) and post your numbers here, and we can guide you!
Welcome to TFP!
I'd add chlorine now. How many gallons is the pool? I'd add three jugs of ultra bleach for every 10,000 gallons of water the pool holds as a starter, then add enough CYA to get the pool to 25ppm or so by placing it in an old sock and hanging it near the return or putting it in the skimmer basket. After a week, test the CYA, then add enough to get it to 35ppm, based on how much the original dose added.
what I did last Friday night was put about 1.75 pounds of pool store bought stabilizer ($6.00) and it got my 6250 gallon intex pool up to 35 overnight.
shouldn't do a backwash for the first 48 to 72 hours if your using a sand filter system like me.
I just dumped the Stabilizer in the skimmer, it was granular.
shouldn't do a backwash for the first 48 to 72 hours if your using a sand filter system like me.
I just dumped the Stabilizer in the skimmer, it was granular.
Thanks for the quick response. We filled it with city water and I'm thinking it's about 21,000 gallons. What exactly is CYA and what type of old sack do you mean.
tina12 said:
Should have read "old sock"
(and it does, now). CYA is also known as stabilizer, and it protects your chlorine from sunlight degradation.
rpgman said:
Sounds like your water is like mine. CYA dissolves quickly. For some people, it takes a week. No idea why. I think Waterbear is another person whose pool dissolves CYA quickly. The advantage of the sock method is that you can backwash as needed. This is especially helpful if your pool takes several days to accept the CYA.
tina12 said:
you can just dump it in the skimmer like I did...
if your at 21,000 gallon it'll take about 88 oz of Stabilizer...you can get it at your local pool store.
JohnT said:
well, I have a sand filter that will most likely circulate the water in about an hour to 2 hours...it's really too big for the 18x42 6250 gallon intex pool I have, but it does a much better job then the cheap one that came with the pool....I spent more on the filter than the pool, lol.
rpgman said:
I'd say that's the place to invest the money. A pool with a good pump and filter is way easier to maintain.
JohnT said:
you got that right.....with the filter that came with the pool, I couldn't even feel the water coming from the inflow value, now it shoots out to the middle of the pool (it's a circular pool)....plus, I couldn't even vacuum using that filter, and now, I use an aqua critter and it cleans it in about an hour all by itself....doesn't get the entire pool, but I spent maybe 5 to 10 minutes hand vacuuming as opposed to 45 minutes to and hour.