Just So I'm Getting This Straight....

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todd.scallions

todd.scallions

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Apr 14, 2010
57
Bartlett, TN
First let me say I so thankful I have found this site! I'm really impressed with all the information I have found so far.

Now a little history. Purchased home with in-ground 18ft x 36ft vinyl pool in off-season 2008. Hired a guy to take care of it during the 2009 season. $100 per month, he gave me a Polaris 360 and came out once a week and provided all the chemicals. I think all he did was add chlorine to the automatic chlorinator and shocked the pool weekly. Pool stayed clear all season. Towards the end of the season, he said he was raising his rates to $250 per month because the cost of chemicals went up. Well, I can't swing that but he agreed to finish out the year for $120.00 per month. I found an old test kit the previous home owner had left and I tested the water. Chlorine was off the chart. So I'm thinking "no wonder your paying so much for chemicals. you're dumping way to much in there!".

So this year, I'm going to tackle it myself. I was getting a little overwhelmed because of the price of all the chemicals I was seeing. Found this site and read pool school and this BBB method. Found a GREAT deal on a Polaris 360 and ordered it. Going to buy my test kit tomorrow.

So once I take this tarp cover off, I need to start everything up and test the water. Then I just plug it into the pool calculator and add what it tells me? Is it really just that simple! If so I am so happy I don't have to find some place to store chlorine! I was so worried about it rusting all my yard equipment, etc. I really hope it's just that easy because I don't want to be one of those guys standing in line at Leslie's waiting to get my water tested and then walking out with Metal Reducer, AK Up, Bromine, etc. I have a Koi pond I have to maintain as well, plus a 2ry old and a 7month old!

Also, we have two vacations planned this summer. Both a week long. Should I just shock the pool with bleach before I leave or should I buy some chlorine tabs and stick them in my automatic feeder? Thanks!
 
Welcome to TFP Todd! Or should I call you Ricky? :lol:

todd.scallions said:
First let me say I so thankful I have found this site! I'm really impressed with all the information I have found so far.

Now a little history. Purchased home with in-ground 18ft x 36ft vinyl pool in off-season 2008. Hired a guy to take care of it during the 2009 season. $100 per month, he gave me a Polaris 360 and came out once a week and provided all the chemicals. I think all he did was add chlorine to the automatic chlorinator and shocked the pool weekly. Pool stayed clear all season. Towards the end of the season, he said he was raising his rates to $250 per month because the cost of chemicals went up. Well, I can't swing that but he agreed to finish out the year for $120.00 per month. I found an old test kit the previous home owner had left and I tested the water. Chlorine was off the chart. So I'm thinking "no wonder your paying so much for chemicals. you're dumping way to much in there!".

That is a very expensive pool service! :shock:

So this year, I'm going to tackle it myself. I was getting a little overwhelmed because of the price of all the chemicals I was seeing. Found this site and read pool school and this BBB method. Found a GREAT deal on a Polaris 360 and ordered it. Going to buy my test kit tomorrow.

What test kit are you going to get? You need a service type like a TF-100 or a Taylor K-2006. Check out the TF-100 in the link in my sig line.

So once I take this tarp cover off, I need to start everything up and test the water. Then I just plug it into the pool calculator and add what it tells me? Is it really just that simple! If so I am so happy I don't have to find some place to store chlorine! I was so worried about it rusting all my yard equipment, etc. I really hope it's just that easy because I don't want to be one of those guys standing in line at Leslie's waiting to get my water tested and then walking out with Metal Reducer, AK Up, Bromine, etc. I have a Koi pond I have to maintain as well, plus a 2ry old and a 7month old!

That's pretty much it. Get the water circulating a bit and then run your tests. Read Pool School to learn the basics. You will need to test for FC, CC, pH, TA, CH, and CYA. Get those numbers and you can go from there.

Also, we have two vacations planned this summer. Both a week long. Should I just shock the pool with bleach before I leave or should I buy some chlorine tabs and stick them in my automatic feeder? Thanks!

I'm a tablet floater/feeder guy when it comes to going on vacation. It's cheap and easy. But if you have a neighbor who can dose your pool with bleach and sorta watch things while your gone, then that is good too. Sorta depends on how long you are going to be gone and what your CYA level is in your pool because tablets have CYA in them.
Click to expand...
 
todd.scallions said:
First let me say I so thankful I have found this site! I'm really impressed with all the information I have found so far.

Now a little history. Purchased home with in-ground 18ft x 36ft vinyl pool in off-season 2008. Hired a guy to take care of it during the 2009 season. $100 per month, he gave me a Polaris 360 and came out once a week and provided all the chemicals. I think all he did was add chlorine to the automatic chlorinator and shocked the pool weekly. Pool stayed clear all season. Towards the end of the season, he said he was raising his rates to $250 per month because the cost of chemicals went up. Well, I can't swing that but he agreed to finish out the year for $120.00 per month. I found an old test kit the previous home owner had left and I tested the water. Chlorine was off the chart. So I'm thinking "no wonder your paying so much for chemicals. you're dumping way to much in there!".

So this year, I'm going to tackle it myself. I was getting a little overwhelmed because of the price of all the chemicals I was seeing. Found this site and read pool school and this BBB method. Found a GREAT deal on a Polaris 360 and ordered it. Going to buy my test kit tomorrow.

So once I take this tarp cover off, I need to start everything up and test the water. Then I just plug it into the pool calculator and add what it tells me? Is it really just that simple! If so I am so happy I don't have to find some place to store chlorine! I was so worried about it rusting all my yard equipment, etc. I really hope it's just that easy because I don't want to be one of those guys standing in line at Leslie's waiting to get my water tested and then walking out with Metal Reducer, AK Up, Bromine, etc. I have a Koi pond I have to maintain as well, plus a 2ry old and a 7month old!

Also, we have two vacations planned this summer. Both a week long. Should I just shock the pool with bleach before I leave or should I buy some chlorine tabs and stick them in my automatic feeder? Thanks!
Click to expand...


yes it really is that easy...I spend 5 minutes a day maybe ten...I test once sometimes twice, and add the proper amount of chlorine each day if necessary...once you get your other test values balanced it really is simple. I spend maybe a hundred or hundred and fifty bucks a summer on bleach.

As far as vacation, Many of us will simply get our pools up to shock levels...for me with a 30 to 40 CYA I would take my pool up to 14-16 ppm FC...I would then put solar cover on pool, set my timer on pump to run 6 hours per day, and ask my neighbor to check my filter basket and clean if it is too clogged with debris...but with solar cover on it shouldn't be...just filtering water really. I have been gone as much as 13 days, and come back to a pool with an FC of 5 and crystal clear water.
 
Sweet! Thanks for the response. I was just going to swing by Leslie's and pick up their Chlorine FAS-DPD Service Kit. I was going to wait until May to open the pool but it's been in the mid 80's all week. I'm worried that I shouldn't wait any longer to open it. I feel way more confident doing this now. We have a solar cover as well. Do they really help that much? I don't have a reel. It's just folded up in storage which it why I have never tried to use it.

Also, just to make sure... is my equipment correct for this size pool?

1HP Hayward Super Pump Self Priming
Sta-Rite High Rate 300lb Sand filter
Pentair 300 Auto Chlorinator
1 Skimmer and two returns and main drain.
 
todd.scallions said:
I was just going to swing by Leslie's and pick up their Chlorine FAS-DPD Service Kit.
Click to expand...

Leslies is unlikely to have the FAS-DPD in stock. I'd say the odds are one in a hundred that the person working there has ever even heard of it.

That equipment sounds just about right.
 
To the OP,

If it will make you feel better I had never owned a pool either. Came here asked questions and read pool school and used the pool calculator al lthe time, and I am able to test my water and balance it without the help of the pool stores. Sometimes once a month I will take it to the pool store and see what test results they get. Whatever they try to offer me, I just tell them I already have it. If their results and my results are close to the same all is well. If there is a major variance in results, I will go home and retest the particular test.

Hope this help you.
 

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I ordered the TF-100 tonight. My vac should be delivered Monday so I'm going to try and open next weekend. Thanks for all of your help. By the way, when can I put that solar cover on? Should I get the chemicals balanced first and then stick it on there? Also, my old pool guy told me to just leave the Polaris in the pool all the time and only take it out when we swam. Is that good advice or will it damage the unit?
 
todd.scallions said:
I ordered the TF-100 tonight. My vac should be delivered Monday so I'm going to try and open next weekend. Thanks for all of your help. By the way, when can I put that solar cover on? Should I get the chemicals balanced first and then stick it on there? Also, my old pool guy told me to just leave the Polaris in the pool all the time and only take it out when we swam. Is that good advice or will it damage the unit?
Click to expand...
You've read the articles in "pool School", right? On your first question, yes it is that easy! The thing is that you have to keep up with the testing and adjusting; I test and adjust several times a day in the early season but by Memorial Day it's just once a day - 5-10 minutes at the most.

Get used to brushing the pool each day and vacuuming it weekly. Keep the chlorine and CYA (stabilizer) under control and you'll keep the greenies (algae) away all season.

Solar covers will help preventing evaporation cooling of the water as soon as you put it on. You can test, make adjustments, and add chemicals with the cover in place.

Personally, I'd only put the Polaris in the water when you are letting it help you clean. I take mine out when I'm finished with it. It should last longer that way.

Terry in NC :lol:
 
On the other hand.... I just leave my Polaris in all the time, and take it out when people go in. With the booster pump on a timer, that's really what makes the most sense. And the owner's manual clearly expects you to leave it in except when people are swimming.
--paulr
 
Yes, make sure the water is properly balanced and the FC is holding overnight before you begin to use the solar cover. Then once things are stable, you can leave the solar cover on whenever the pool is not in use (that's what i do)....or just use the solar cover at night to prevent evaporation and heat loss, if thats your preference.
 
So I took the cover off the pool on Sunday to completely clear water! Got everything running and let it run for 24hrs before testing the water. Here are my results:

FC: 4.0
CC: 0.0
TC: 4.0
PH: 7.2
TA: 70
CYA: 90

I wasn't going to add anything right now.... or should I?
 
Your FC is low for your CYA level. For a CYA level of 90, you should target about 10 ppm FC. You might want to try and get the CYA down to a more managable level by draining some of the water (say 1/3 at a time) and refilling. Keeping the Fc at 10 is going to be a bit difficult, but not impossible. It will be much easier if the CYA is down around 40-50 ppm.
 
Those numbers are fairly good and bk406's advice is good. Just be sure to raise FC up to at least 10 soon. Then you can take a little while thinking about lowering CYA (or not) without worrying about algae in the mean time.
 

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