Help with setup of 15' round Intex pool

[sushi]

I read the instructions here on the site on how to get the water level correct with a new pool setup, but I need some hand-holding. I was very surprised to read the suggestion of adding bleach to a pool, I have read elsewhere that is really hard on swimmers, suits, etc. Of course gross water is hard on swimmers too, so I want to get it right but I'd like to try to avoid using regular bleach.

This pool will be receiving light use and probably won't be warm enough to use for a couple more weeks. It is ~3700 gallons. The pool calculator on the site seems to not be able to give me clear instructions on what to add to smallish pool. I get the impression from Googling around that the 1000/750 gph pump that comes with the pool is not adequate?

I have one of those floating chlorinator things with HTH dual action chlorinating tablets in it. I have been running the pump a few hours a day even though we haven't used the pool yet. My test kit says there still isn't a measurable level of chlorine in the water. Should I do the 4-day pool shock treatment as described on this site?

I unscrewed the top off the pump to remove the filter and rinse it off (since I'd been running it for several hours over the past few days) and the water of course pours out of the top while I'm rinsing it and trying to quickly get the top screwed back on. Is there a neater way to do this?

Thanks for any help.

 

[Coastal Carolina]

Hi, I will let all the experts on here address your pool water chemistry. I do suggest reading through pool school. Very helpful advice. I wanted to comment on your issue with the filter cleansing. Are you shutting off your valves before you unscrew the filter? You need to make sure your filter is off and then shut off the intake and the return
valves. Then you can take out the filter and clean. Also important, once assembled back, open your intake line first, then your return line second. This prevents air lock in system. Bleed out any excess air from the filter and then turn pump back on. Hope this helps.

 

[sushi]

I guess I don't understand how to easily shut off the valves before opening the pump to rinse the filter. I only way I can see to do this is on the inside wall of the pool, replace the two pool hose openings with those little black plugs... but then when I open the pump the hoses that are still full of water will still flood the area... is there an obviously better way that I'm missing?

 

[frogabog]

I read the instructions here on the site on how to get the water level correct with a new pool setup, but I need some hand-holding. I was very surprised to read the suggestion of adding bleach to a pool, I have read elsewhere that is really hard on swimmers, suits, etc. Of course gross water is hard on swimmers too, so I want to get it right but I'd like to try to avoid using regular bleach.

The chlorine in the pucks you're using is the same as the chlorine in regular bleach. It is what everyone here uses, it's relatively cheap and it adds nothing beyond chlorine and a little salt to your pool whereas the pucks add CYA. There is no difference between bleach chlorine and puck chlorine, it's all the same molecule. Those who would tell you that bleach is hard on swimmers or clothes, likely want to sell you pucks. Chlorine is chlorine, in any form. It's the other stuff that's added to it that can disrupt or harm your pool or people.

This pool will be receiving light use and probably won't be warm enough to use for a couple more weeks. It is ~3700 gallons. The pool calculator on the site seems to not be able to give me clear instructions on what to add to smallish pool. I get the impression from Googling around that the 1000/750 gph pump that comes with the pool is not adequate?

It actually may be fine but that'd likely depend on whether you have issues with pool water or not. Do it right from the get go and that pump will probably work fine for that size of a pool. We run two of those on ours which is 5300 gallons and while I don't think it's entirely necessary, I like the extra insurance.

You have to enter your current test results into the calculator, then enter your target numbers to get the calculator to calculate exactly what you should add. Also, enter the volume of the pool in gallons at the top. So, say you have 0 chlorine now, your CYA is 40 and you want to raise chlorine to 7ppm. Enter all that information in, put 0 in the now column, 7 in the target, and 40ppm CYA on the now side of the calculator. Change all the rest of the numbers depending on your test results. In the chlorine area, make sure it says 6% bleach. When you mouse over the results window there, it will convert ounces to cups in the top window for you. At the bottom of the calculator, according to your CYA level it'll tell you what your minimum, target, and shock levels are for your pool. Trust these numbers.

I have one of those floating chlorinator things with HTH dual action chlorinating tablets in it. I have been running the pump a few hours a day even though we haven't used the pool yet. My test kit says there still isn't a measurable level of chlorine in the water. Should I do the 4-day pool shock treatment as described on this site?

Run the pump full time. Once your water is balanced you might want to turn it off now and then but I honestly don't recommend it w/intex. I run two full time, I know the water is being filtered well this way.

What you need to do first is get the good test kit, read pool school (up there ^^ at the top right, click it). The pucks are junk for raising chlorine. Yeah, it's possible that you do need to shock but you don't know because your test kit can't tell you. You do however need to put some bleach in right away. If we knew the CYA level it'd be much easier to tell you how much but for now, on a new fill with just a few pucks having floated so far it's probably somewhere around 10'ish??? You actually need more of that if my guestimate is correct. A good test kit will solve all these questions.

I unscrewed the top off the pump to remove the filter and rinse it off (since I'd been running it for several hours over the past few days) and the water of course pours out of the top while I'm rinsing it and trying to quickly get the top screwed back on. Is there a neater way to do this?

You've got gravity spoiling your filter changing bliss there... Get a bucket or a chair, or something that is about the same height as the pool water, and put the filter up on that. Or have someone hold it high for you while you change it. Lower it to flush it out if there's debris inside, and don't throw away that filter. Just rinse/blast it out with the hose and reuse. If it ever gets really dirty you can use dishwasher detergent to soak it in overnight. Rinse, and re-use!

 

[frogabog]

I guess I don't understand how to easily shut off the valves before opening the pump to rinse the filter. I only way I can see to do this is on the inside wall of the pool, replace the two pool hose openings with those little black plugs... but then when I open the pump the hoses that are still full of water will still flood the area... is there an obviously better way that I'm missing?

Your pool doesn't have shut off valves. You would have to install them if you wanted them.

In the long run, it's easy enough to just raise the pump high enough so the water can't flow out.

 

[sushi]

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply! DUH, holding the pump above the level of the pool water, never would have thought of that... so glad I found this site while my pool water is still sparkling just due to luck! ;-)

I will look for one of the test kits recommended... too bad I bought test strips.

Frogabog, am curious what is the warmest your pool gets in summer? Looks like we have the same size pool and I'm just north of Portland... currently the water is 64 degrees. brrrr

 

[frogabog]

It can get up to 80-82 if we have days and days of HEAT (but I'm talking 90+ temps for a few days on end). Average is about 70-78 which largely depends on the weather. 78 can be had when it's warm out, mid-summer, and halfway through the day after baking a bit :~} Standing claim around here... if the pool gets to 80 degrees mom MIGHT get in. They are always telling me how close it is to 80 and "isn't that close enough?"

64 is probably what ours is at too. I can't reach the thermometer... it's swirling around mid-pool just out of my reach :~}

EDIT: not even 64, I just checked. 60 degrees. Glad the kids are at camp.

 

[ob1quixote]

I'm a 2nd year Intex owner who happened upon this site and NEVER regretted a thing I read here. I have sparlylicious water, and credit the folks here for it!

In short, get a Test Kit ASAP. Until you get it, concentrate on adding CYA {stabilizes chlorine levels and stops sun burn-off}, and ballparking chlorine levels until you get the test kit that you have on order.

Use the Pool Calculator to figure your CYA dose, after adjusting the number of gallons {top left}, the pool surface {vinyl, bottom} and the suggested goals {TFP, bottom} Set the left box for CYA at "0" and the left box for FC at "1", then hit calculate. Buy pool conditioner at Walmart, and add the stated amount into an old sock and tie it so it is in the output of the pump. You can squeeze the sock to hurry things along...

Add the dose of bleach {chlorine} as prescribed by the Pool Calculator. Do this every other day until your test kit comes in. You should be just fine to swim until your test kit comes in. You do have one ordered, right? The other stuff to add {borax, baking soda or muriatic acid} are important too, and you need to attend to them when you get your Test Kit.

Test Kit, your key to Pool Happiness. No test kit, gonna try to fudge it? How large do you like your salads?

For me, year one, I tried to fudge it a bit, ended up with an algae bloom, not easy to battle with the low flow Intex pumps and filters, but still not a bad season. This year, an informed user who went on the warpath with CYA, bleach, borax and baking soda immediately after I turned the hose off...sparklin'!