Very Excited New AG Pool Owner!

[jlsr]

Hello,
We purchased our first pool last weekend. After blistering all last summer though our very hot North Texas summer, I told my H that no way was I going through that again!!

Neither hubby nor I have any experience whatsoever in taking care of a pool. I did a google search for pool maintenance and here we are! VERY glad to have found this site. Have read all of Pool School and decided the BBB method is the way to go. What a wonderful site this is and the wealth of information is outstanding!! Hubby is interested in the Salt Water method... I think lets wait until we figure all this out then maybe switch later.

We set the pool up on the most level part of our back yard, started filling the pool on Sunday. We were so excited to have a pool and it was kinda hot we got the floaties out as soon as there was 6 inches of water in the bottom and got in while it was filling! Probably wasn't a good idea but.... it was fun! We have well water btw, and it took quite a while to fill.

I have ordered the TK100 test kit. Hopefully it arrives soon. In the meantime, we got the 6 way strips . First thing we did when it was full was add a big bottle of Clorox regular bleach. Have been testing it every morning and night, and our CH and TA are quite high -- I guess because of the well water. We have VERY hard water. Pool is crystal clear though. Its not losing any FC overnight, but is back to zero every evening when I test it. I use the poolcalculator to see how much bleach to add every night. PH is still kinda high at around 8 so we need to add Muratic Acid?? I hope the 'real' test kit arrives soon!

So... Hubby went to the pool store today to see about getting some of the MA. He called me in a panic saying the pool store guy said we are going to destroy our pool by using bleach in it! They guy even told him it might explode. Really???

Anyway, just wanted to say 'hello' and how grateful I am to have found this website. Regardless of what the pool store man says, sticking with the BBB plan. :-D

 

[jblizzle]

Welcome

I think it is a good idea to switch to a SWG later. That way you understand the chemistry ... the SWG just makes it a little easier to maintain the FC levels.

You should get your kit pretty quickly, Dave is fast at getting them out.

Try to do your best to keep the pH below 7.8 and above 7.2 or so.

Since it is new water, you have zero stabilizer (CYA), use the calculator to dose CYA up to about 30ppm to start and then keep adding bleach to the proper FC level ... it will not explode. Funny thing is they probably sell liquid chlorine which is the same thing as bleach but STRONGER.

{The pool store person, was sort of right ... NEVER mix bleach and muriatic acid directly together ... BOOM ... better to store them a ways apart to be safe}

 

[PSW]

Its not losing any FC overnight, but is back to zero every evening when I test it. I use the poolcalculator to see how much bleach to add every night. PH is still kinda high at around 8 so we need to add Muratic Acid?? I hope the 'real' test kit arrives soon!

It sounds to me like you do not have any CYA (stabilizer) in your pool. Is this correct? CYA helps keep FC in your pool (but you do not want too much, or your FC cannot do it's job). Generally, people keep (non SWG) pools in the 30-50 range. If you know you have none, you can use the Pool Calculator to get an estimated does. But do not add too much before you get your test kit..because it is much harder to lower CYA than raise it. And yes, muriatic acid will lower you pH (shoot for 7.5-7.8)

So... Hubby went to the pool store today to see about getting some of the MA. He called me in a panic saying the pool store guy said we are going to destroy our pool by using bleach in it! They guy even told him it might explode. Really???

Hahaha! No, your pool will NOT explode. That pool guy probably just wanted to sell you HIS brand of bleach or chlorine.

Welcome to TFP!

 

[woodyp]

We need pics of people in 6" of water with floaties!

 

[jlsr]

Ha ha ha! I wouldn't let him take our pic! It was me and the daughter-in-law in the pool . Son and hubby laughed at us all afternoon. We were so excited when we actually started to float!

 

[jlsr]

No CYA yet; local walmart didn't have any. Hope to get some either tonight or tomorrow. Can we swim in it right away after adding it?

 

[jblizzle]

Swimming while the CYA is dissolving (or after putting in the liquid if you pay the extra money) and the water is mixing should be safe to swim. Just make sure the FC is around 2-3ppm to start and then to bump it up depending on how high you raise the CYA.

It is also important to have the pH in range before swimming as well.

TA and CH are secondary and generally do not affect swimming.