just one small question...

[lgdrn]

We are first time pool people and we are wondering if it would be absolutely wrong to let our children get in the pool prior to treating the water? We are awaiting arrival of a swg and don't want to ruin ourselves before we start! This is a great site-we really needed it!

 

[JohnT]

Welcome to TFP.

You can easily chlorinate the pool with some bleach and make it perfectly safe.

Post the volume of your pool and we can guide you in getting started with the chemistry.

Start reading Pool School to start your education. A good first read is ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry

 

[anonapersona]

We are first time pool people and we are wondering if it would be absolutely wrong to let our children get in the pool prior to treating the water? We are awaiting arrival of a swg and don't want to ruin ourselves before we start! This is a great site-we really needed it!

Get the chlorine level up and the CYA (stabilizer) level up and check pH. Adjust all those as needed and you can swim. My understanding of the SWG is that you want to get the pool chemistry correct, then let the SWG generate the right amount of chlorine to keep it correct.

 

[lgdrn]

We have a 6423 gallon, vinyl, above ground; I was reading both Pool School & ABC's-my confusion involves whether we can just let them swim in the untreated water vs treating in the interim vs what it will do chemically when we get the swg going-which will probably not be until next week? thanks for your replies!

 

[wmshay6]

Based on what I've read here, you need to get the water chemistry "right" before turning on a SWG anyway. And you still shock the traditional way with a SWG. So it will do no harm to go ahead and adjust TA and pH and add chlorine to get your chems in line. That way the kids can swim safely and when the SWG comes you are ready to rock and roll.

I don't actually own a SWG I just use bleach. But my advice above is based on what I've read hanging around here.

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

You need to treat the water with chlorine if you want to let them swim. You also want the PH to be in range from a swimmer-comfort perspective.

Do you have a way to test the water?

 

[dmanb2b]

Welcome to TFP...waiting until next week would not be advisable. All a swg does is add chlorine to your pool water...that's it...it converts salt to chlorine and does not add any other chemicals. For now I would advise getting a TF-50 from tftestkits.net or walmart sells a 6-way drop based kit, so that you can test basic chemistry. In the mean time you should at least use bleach or alternately some dichlor to chlorinate your water. Also you will want to add some CYA (at least 30ppm for now....target of 60-70 when you start using the swg), so that the chlorine does not burn off to quickly0.

http://WWW.Poolcalculator.com is a nifty tool we use around here to figure out dosages required