Pool goes in Saturday and need advice on which method to use

[ROTJob]

I have spent the past week reading over this site and my head is spinning with all the information.

We are having an 18'X38' doughboy above ground installed on saturday. Initially, I got pool stored into a frog system, but I am going to cancel that. My big question is, what method would work best in my situation/location? SWG? BBB?

I live in Oklahoma where it staying in the high 90's low 100's with high winds. I am completely new to pool ownership, but am openminded and willing to learn and try new things.

One thing I do not want to do is damage the new pool. I also would prefer not to void the warranty, and the pool store said a salt system would do that.

Any advice is appreciated.

 

[Samantha_in_AL]

Re: Pool goes in Saturday and need advice on which method to

As to which method to use, everyone here is going to give you the same answer - BBB. It is hands down the best way to go. It will not void your warranty.

 

[Richard320]

Re: Pool goes in Saturday and need advice on which method to

If the warranty itself (the paper one) says no SWG, you have that one answered.

Good call not starting with some overpriced "system."

My advice: follow these startup directions, unless the installer does it for you. Order up a proper test kit now, so you have it before the pool is full, and run a test on the fill water, especially noting pH and TA. If they are above recommended, you'll need to get some acid. Get a couple jugs of bleach or "chlorinating liquid" from the pool store.

You'll be fussing with the pool constantly for a few weeks; not that it's going to be difficult, but because getting obsessive with the test results is common! After a few weeks of maintaining it, you'll know if you want to try automating it with a SWG or a liquid chlorine feeder, or if manual dosing suits you.

Depending on your fill water, you may never have to use Baking Soda. And Borates are optional. BBB is sort of a misnomer. What you really want to use is TADA: Test accurately, dose accurately. Give the pool what it needs and no more on a consistent basis and you can have clear sparkling water all summer long. No algae, no shocking, no smells, no burning eyes, no green hair.

 

[ROTJob]

Re: Pool goes in Saturday and need advice on which method to

Can you tell me what test kit to buy? I have no idea what the difference between a "proper" and "improper" kit would include.

Thanks

 

[Richard320]

Re: Pool goes in Saturday and need advice on which method to

Can you tell me what test kit to buy? I have no idea what the difference between a "proper" and "improper" kit would include.

Thanks

pool-school/pool_test_kit_comparison

Or just skip it, go to http://tftestkits.net, and order a TF100 with the speedstir option.

 

[dmanb2b]

Re: Pool goes in Saturday and need advice on which method to

Ditto on the TF100

BBB is really about knowing your water chemistry and how certain chemicals impact that chemistry. A SWG pool is still a BBB pool, you are just using the SWG to create chlorine vs. adding it manually.

 

[257WbyMag]

Re: Pool goes in Saturday and need advice on which method to

Having a SWCG would be a nice thing, but straight up BBB is always good.

+1 on the TF-100 suggestion by Richard320.

 

[ROTJob]

Re: Pool goes in Saturday and need advice on which method to

TF100 with the speedstir option has been ordered. Thanks for the input. The one thing I learned from a week of reading this site is to just trust what you guys recommend, especially over what the pool store recommends.

 

[joshs2000ss]

Re: Pool goes in Saturday and need advice on which method to

Referring back to the first post. Why would a SWG be included as something that would void the warranty? What is the reasoning for this?

 

[ROTJob]

Re: Pool goes in Saturday and need advice on which method to

That is what the pool store told me, and there was a thread here a while back that quoted the doughboy website saying the same thing. Something about corrosion of the metal wall.

 

[dmanb2b]

Re: Pool goes in Saturday and need advice on which method to

Not sure about the doughboy warranty (I hear they are great pools ), but IMHO AGP warranties are useless to begin with and often times are so heavily pro-rated for any reimbursement, it is almost not worth filing the claim after a few years.

A little know fact is that whether you use Bleach, Trichlor, Dichlor or Calhypo for chlorination, they all add salt to your water over time. It is not uncommon for a non-swg pool to have 1000ppm of salt already in the water. Most SWG's today run in the 3000-5000ppm range, while seawater is 30,000ppm plus

I have a much cheaper AG pool and no rust issues after 3 years .