Hello, new here

[oregonmom]

Hello,
My name is Brandi and we live in Southern Oregon.
I have just recently become...well the primary pool caretaker of the pool again and finding that it is out of our budget to maintain it with the HTH products we were purchasing.
I have been searching for using bleach instead of the other and read, read, read. However I have not found anything that says if I need to drain my pool before adding bleach and starting fresh using the bleach method instead of the very high priced HTH products.
So I guess that is my main reason for being here.
I am baffled with if we should drain our pool and just start all over with the bleach method which I really don't want to do as it takes so long to warm up again and my bones can't stand the cold! (smiling)
Last week I added 3 super shocks as it was getting green, and it is going to start getting green again if I don't do something.
I have not added any tablets to the skimmer in about 2 weeks as we don't have any.
I do have more shock left, but really want to learn how to maintain with the bleach and soda.
Nice to meet everyone.
Happy swimming to ya all.

 

[Bama Rambler]

Welcome to TFP.
You don't have to drain your pool to switch to bleach (liquid chlorine).
The first thing we need is a full set of test results. If you don't have a good kit, that's the first thing I recommend you get.
Until then take a sample to the local pool store and have them run it. Don't buy anything there.

Here's what we need.
pH
FC
CC
TA
CH
CYA (stabilizer)

You may have to drain part of your pool but not all of it and maybe not any depending on the numbers.

 

[tim_pool_newbie]

Welcome to the site Brandi,

I'm a new pool owner myself this year, and am so glad I found this site. I think you'll quickly find how supportive everyone on this site is, and how quickly this online community responds to your posts. And if you're looking to spend less money on pool chemicals, and are pretty conscientious about testing and maintenance, you've come to the right place.

You definitely don't need to drain your pool to switch over to the bleach method - referred to on this site as the BBB method (Bleach, Baking Soda and Borax). But you do need to do 3 things:
1. Get yourself a good test kit, if you don't already have one. You'll know which one to get by following #2
2. Read everything you can on this site - especially in the Pool School section (big button in the top right corner of this site)
3. Post a good set of test results, per Dave's post.

If you do that, you'll find many folks here ready and willing to assist you in getting your pool sparkling clear and trouble free in no time....with little to no trips to the local pool store!!!

Welcome!!

 

[oregonmom]

Welcome to TFP.
You don't have to drain your pool to switch to bleach (liquid chlorine)........
Here's what we need.......You may have to drain part of your pool but not all of it and maybe not any depending on the numbers.

Thank you so much! Awesome of you. Will see if I can get the tester today and get back here.
Once again, thanks I was worried I'd have to drain it. I don't mind draining some but all. Burrrrrr, coldness! LOL

 

[oregonmom]

Welcome to the site Brandi,

I'm a new pool owner myself this year, and am so glad I found this site. I think you'll quickly find how supportive everyone on this site is, and how quickly this online community responds to your posts. And if you're looking to spend less money on pool chemicals, and are pretty conscientious about testing and maintenance, you've come to the right place.

You definitely don't need to drain your pool to switch over to the bleach method - referred to on this site as the BBB method (Bleach, Baking Soda and Borax). But you do need to do 3 things:
1. Get yourself a good test kit, if you don't already have one. You'll know which one to get by following #2
2. Read everything you can on this site - especially in the Pool School section (big button in the top right corner of this site)
3. Post a good set of test results, per Dave's post.

If you do that, you'll find many folks here ready and willing to assist you in getting your pool sparkling clear and trouble free in no time....with little to no trips to the local pool store!!!

Welcome!!

Thank you for your post too. It is great to here I won't have to drain it. Its it so nice to find a place with some support as I need to learn how to do all this stuff and its great to make new friends with common interest as well.
BBB is the way to go for me! Hey, didn't really mean that to rhyme, hehehe.
Cost effective is what we must have!
Thanks again for your welcome and answering my question.

 

[Bama Rambler]

You most likely won't be able to just go out and buy a good test kit. You'll have to order it. Leslies does have one but the stores more than not don't stock the right one. The one you have to have is the one with the FAS-DPD chlorine test in it. Most stores just stock the one with the DPD test in it and will tell you it's the same. It's not! The FAS-DPD kit will have a little jar of R-0870, a bottle of R-0871 and and a bottle of R-0003 in it. If it doesn't have all three of those it's not FAS-DPD.

I only stress this because we've had several people told that it's the same in the store and then had to buy the FAS-DPD kit alone to supplement the kit they bought.

The TFtestkits number is TF-100 it can be found online. (link in my sig).
The Taylor Kit is the K-2006 or K2006C (2oz reagents) it can be found online at the Taylor site as well as a few others.
The Leslies kit is the Chlorine FAS-DPD Service Test Kit. It can be found at a very few Leslies stores or at their website.

 

[oregonmom]

Okay, thanks so much.
Get back to ya here real soon.

You most likely won't be able to just go out and buy a good test kit. You'll have to order it. Leslies does have one but the stores more than not don't stock the right one. The one you have to have is the one with the FAS-DPD chlorine test in it. Most stores just stock the one with the DPD test in it and will tell you it's the same. It's not! The FAS-DPD kit will have a little jar of R-0870, a bottle of R-0871 and and a bottle of R-0003 in it. If it doesn't have all three of those it's not FAS-DPD.

I only stress this because we've had several people told that it's the same in the store and then had to buy the FAS-DPD kit alone to supplement the kit they bought.

The TFtestkits number is TF-100 it can be found online. (link in my sig).
The Taylor Kit is the K-2006 or K2006C (2oz reagents) it can be found online at the Taylor site as well as a few others.
The Leslies kit is the Chlorine FAS-DPD Service Test Kit. It can be found at a very few Leslies stores or at their website.