Pool noob

[drbond24]

Hello all. I bought a house last year that came with a 'permanent' above ground pool. There is a deck built around it and everything, so it will be up all the time.

I'll be reading the tutorials in the site a lot in the very near future, but I'm wondering if there is anything I need to know right up front. I cleaned the mess out of the pool this past weekend and it is re-filling with a garden hose right now. I'm hoping to educate myself enough before I leave work that I will know what to buy at Wal-Mart on my way home to get started. If my calculations are correct, it will be filled to the top tomorrow evening around sundown.

Do I really need a $70 test set that looks like a chemisty lab from college? We always had a small above ground pool when I was a kid and Dad only used one of those little tests sets with a red and yellow bottle of stuff and I never saw him add anything but chlorine to it. My pool info will be in my sig. It is a lot larger than the one from my childhood, but not nearly as large as an in ground pool, so I'm not sure where I stand on the scale of being complicated to take care of.

Thanks in advace for any info you can give me. I need to learn as fast as I can to keep the nice clean water flowing into the pool right now from turning back into a frog habitat like it was when I bought the place.

David

 

[mynewpool]

The question about the 70.00 test kit if you need one. YES unless you want to get pool stored. Pending on the pool you had when you were a kid and pending how old you are now may have just been something to get wet in. The kit will help you keep your pool in line and not have to rely on the pool store. Good pool maintenace requires you to know what is going on with your pool. You let your pool go it will become green. Without a kit you will then have to rely on the pool store and their usualy lack of knowledge. The people here are very helpful and can answer any questions you may have. The kit and speed stir were the best investment I have made to keep my pool in line without having to rely on the pool store. I only rely on them for a few things such as parts and acid. I only get acid there becuase it is cheaper than getting it at home depot and they are a mom and pop type place.

Good luck.

 

[Bama Rambler]

The kit is definitely worth what you pay for it. If pool stores were better at testing maybe not but the fact is, they're not.

The only thing you need to buy right now is several bottles of bleach. Until you get some test results, you don't know what, or how much you need to buy.

 

[adoptolderkids]

Hey, you've got a bigger pool than I do, and YES you need a kit. I'm a noob here too, and my first thread has already expanded to 13 pages! Don't make the mistake that I did, thinking that you can get by on a $12 box of test strips and then rush out to get the $20 test kit at Walmart because you can't keep your numbers straight - and then STILL have to buy a kit after you realize you can't figure anything out with the Walmart junk. The pool store people are only in it to take your money - their numbers are not accurate! You can do a better job by far!

GET THE KIT and it'll save you sanity and cash later on.

 

[XsAllOverIt]

Do I really need a $70 test set that looks like a chemisty lab from college? We always had a small above ground pool when I was a kid and Dad only used one of those little tests sets with a red and yellow bottle of stuff and I never saw him add anything but chlorine to it. My pool info will be in my sig. It is a lot larger than the one from my childhood, but not nearly as large as an in ground pool, so I'm not sure where I stand on the scale of being complicated to take care of.

Here is my opinion. The $70 you spend in a test kit and balancing your pool correctly will pay for itself in eliminating repair costs in equipment/repair due to bad water. I had an old WalMart pool and a portable hot tub for years prior to knowing how to test water and my equipment didn't last too long and always having to repair something. Now with an IG with hot tub, I was concerned a little bit more on my HUGE investment. I'm very happy to have found TFP and I not only have the TFT 100 test kit, I've also got a LaMotte Color Q which I use both periodically. I had a repairman come over for a bad Intellichlor unit (brand new) and he tested my water to the EXACT measurements I've had. I get great satisfaction in knowing that my water not only looks beautiful but it's doing the best for all of my equipment. $70 is nothing in comparison to simply adding trichlor tablets and eventually losing your water to CYA or not even knowing it. Most people that I talk to who have pools don't even know what CH and CYA are, but they are truly important measurements in the long run of maintaining your pool

 

[drbond24]

Well, that's an overwhelming response. I'll order the test kit.

I'll get some bleach on the way home, too. I'm devouring the tutorials as fast as I can, but there is a lot of info there. This is a great site!

 

[duraleigh]

Well, that's an overwhelming response. I'll order the test kit.

I'll get some bleach on the way home, too. I'm devouring the tutorials as fast as I can, but there is a lot of info there. This is a great site!

Wait'll you see what your water will look like...it's really very satisfying. As you can see, there's plenty of folks here who will help with ANY pool issues you have so just ask away (and keep reading in Pool School) :lol: :lol:

 

[mynewpool]

Well, that's an overwhelming response. I'll order the test kit.

I'll get some bleach on the way home, too. I'm devouring the tutorials as fast as I can, but there is a lot of info there. This is a great site!

If you can afford to get it, also pick up the speed stirer which is on the same site as the test kit. Also if you become a member and make a donation to the site, you can get that kit for less.

 

[Butterfly]

Hi drbond24,

You have made the best decision for your pool and those swimming in it by ordering a great test kit! It will put you in control of your pool. Period.

btw, your pool is only very slightly smaller than my inground!

Welcome to the forum

 

[drbond24]

I ordered the TF100! Thanks for the help everyone.

I'll start adding some bleach once I have enough water in there to run the pump and filter, which should be tomorrow sometime. My garden hose filled a 5 gallon bucket in 50 seconds, so it will take 48 hours to fill the pool if I'm correct. I started last night at around 8:00 pm.

How much bleach do I need to put in for starters? I guess I have to just add some, wait a while, and take a measurement to see if I need more, but I don't even know where to start. Do I need to dump in a cup or a gallon for starters?

 

[mynewpool]

I ordered the TF100! Thanks for the help everyone.

I'll start adding some bleach once I have enough water in there to run the pump and filter, which should be tomorrow sometime. My garden hose filled a 5 gallon bucket in 50 seconds, so it will take 48 hours to fill the pool if I'm correct. I started last night at around 8:00 pm.

How much bleach do I need to put in for starters? I guess I have to just add some, wait a while, and take a measurement to see if I need more, but I don't even know where to start. Do I need to dump in a cup or a gallon for starters?

If you have not already read pool school in the upper right hand and that will have all the info you need. Also there should be a link to the pool calculator that will help you determine how much bleach to add. If not here is the link

http://thepoolcalculator.com/

Make sure at the top where is says size put in your gallons. Then you will see below that it says FC. Put your current level in the 1st box and your goal in the 2nd box and it will show you how much bleach to put in. You will also need to know your current cya level and FC level. This will help determine what your shock level will be.

Since you dont have a kit yet, take a sample to the pool store and have them test it, but do not buy anything. I repeat do not buy anything as they will sell you stuff that you will not need. Make sure they give you the test results. Come here and post and you will get great advice here.

Dont worry the test kit should come quickly and I would say the latest you should have it is be weeks end, but I would say sooner. I noticed you did not order the speed stirrer. If you can afford it this will be an awesome addition to your kit. Especially when shocking it will make your testing a lot easier and get your sample mixed up better to get a more accurate result.

Also since you will be shocking to save on reagants on the FC test use a 5 ml sample instead of the 10 ml sample it calls for. Then for each drop of R-0871 you will count it as 1 instead of .5. When shocking increments of 1 will be sufficient.

Also make sure you get your pH in line before shocking because while shocking testing for pH levels will give inaccurate results due to the high FC levels.

Good luck and you will be glad you ordered that kit.

 

[drbond24]

Thanks mynewpool. I had looked at thepoolcalculator but don't have a baseline number to plug in for it to tell me how much bleach to add. I'll take a sample and get it tested as you suggested.

I'll get the magnetic stirrer later. I've spent enough money for one day between the test kit and some other recreational stuff I ordered earlier today. Friday is payday.

 

[melissab]

Glad to hear your ordered the test kit, I was also hesitant and didn't feel like I needed to spend the $ on it last year. Everyone I knew with a pool rarely worries about chemicals and their pools looked fine, now I know better. I also realized that even though I know a small fraction of what others on here do, I've already learned more than most people I know that have had pools for years. If I ever have an issue I'll at least have the information to make a decision about what to do next rather than relying on the pool store for advice.