New Above Ground Pool

[nonjo]

Hi everyone,

I'm topping just about filling up our new pool and thought I'd put up a post to see if I'm headed in the right direction. I've been doing a lot of reading here this summer and you have all been illuminating!

Using the TF100:

• FC = 0

• Ph = below 6.8

• TA = …the test kit instructions say that I should see the water turn green after adding one of the reagents, but it never does…it just stays a very light purple color

• CA = 300

I was planning on:

• Adding the dichlor that the pool store gave me with the pool; it's a 4-lb tub of Zipchlor (97% dichlor) in two does, one this evening, and one more tomorrow to get the chlorine and CYA levels going

• Adding bleach to get the water to shock level

• Adding a sock of CYA in front of the return to get the CYA to 30 (minus what comes from the dichlor

• Adjust Ph once I've got the chlorine high enough

Any suggestions?

Also, the startup kit came with the enticingly titled "Initiator," which I understand are borates; I was going to wait on adding them until I have things squared away with Ph and the FC is adjusted (like maybe in a few weeks).

Thanks everyone!

 

[linen]

Welcome to tfp, nonjo

First, take a look at the extended test kit instructions and redo you TA test. I am guessing that purple might be actually blue. If you TA is 0 or low then raise that first with baking soda using poolcalculator.com and shoot for 50 ppm to start.

Second after adjusting TA, retest ph, then adjust aiming for a ph of 7.5-7.8. Then remeasure both ph and TA.

Do this before anything else on your list.

 

[nonjo]

OK, thanks; the link to the extended directions was helpful. After adding the two initial reagents, the sample turns pink. That means I need to raise the alkalinity first. I'll shoot for that and repost. Thanks again!

 

[yeggim]

Sounds like you've done your homework. First adjust the PH. Dichlor is acidic and your PH is low now.

 

[nonjo]

I added baking soda at about 8:15 this morning, and as of 9:25, the TA was at 50, just as The calculator predicted. Should I get it to 70 before I start adjusting the Ph?

 

[linen]

No I would raise ph up with borax now, then test both and see where you are. I would shoot for ph at 7.8 since, you are probably lower than 6.8 (the test shows 6.8 for even lower ph values).

 

[nonjo]

OK, I'll get the Mule Team hitched up and ready to go. Do you think it's better to go with dichlor or just do liquid to shock and then a sock of CYA?

 

[linen]

My preference would be to use the sock method to get cya in the pool and then use bleach/liquid chlorine to chlorinate. I would skip the dichlor, since it also adds cya, but too slowly to be most effective.

You mention shocking. Why? How does your water look?

 

[nonjo]

The water looks ok (a little cloudy due to the baking soda, I think), but it's a new fill…shouldn't I shock it?

 

[linen]

If the cloudiness clears up soon after adding the baking soda, then I say don't shock until something suggests you need to. Most new fills that get chlorine within a day or so of filling, don't get algae. If you want confirmation, do a Overnight Chlorine Loss Test (OCLT).

 

[nonjo]

It took me days to fill, and then the water sat through two days of no power (hence no filling) due to the derecho that went through Jersey. I skimmed the leaves and bugs out, and I've been running the filter since last night around 5 pm.

 

[linen]

Is the water clearing up after the baking soda? Do you have chlorine in the pool?

 

[nonjo]

The pH is up to about 7.5 after a box of borax. The water is a little cloudy still. I didn't put any chlorine yet because I was waiting to balance it. I bought less borax than the calculator suggested I would need, so I'm going to get another box at the store just in case. You think it's OK to add chlorine now?

 

[yeggim]

The pH is up to about 7.5 after a box of borax. The water is a little cloudy still. I didn't put any chlorine yet because I was waiting to balance it. I bought less borax than the calculator suggested I would need, so I'm going to get another box at the store just in case. You think it's OK to add chlorine now?

Yes, get 2ppm of Chlorine in as soon as you can. Same goes for CYA. Put enough CYA in a sock or two to get to 30 ppm. Keep the Chlorine at 2 ppm until the CYA is dissolved. Check your PH after that. Adjust if necessary. If water isn't sparkling you can go right to the shocking process without worrying about anything but Chlorine.

 

[nonjo]

OK, I put some CYA in two socks and put them in the skimmer…I'll have to add more later, though, because what is in there is taking up all of the room in the skimmer.

I added chlorine but it turned the water brown. The water is from our well, but I'm kinda surprised because the test results when we had the water system installed reported low iron (I bypassed the system to fill the pool). I suppose it could be copper from some of our old pipes, too. Sequestrant time I suppose :|

 

[linen]

You could take a chance and see if your filter is able to remove it. Mine is. It took me about 2 weeks of 24/7 filtering with my sand filter after a fresh fill...if it works for you, it might takes less time with your DE filter. I would give it a day or two at least and see if the tinting lessens.

 

[nonjo]

You didn't have problems with stains?

 

[linen]

No, but I can't guarantee that for you. You can keep ph a little lower (7.2) during the process which could help prevent stains.

For myself, my thought process was that the liner cost less than $300, so if it did not work, I could replace it in the future for not much money (but I installed my own). If I had a igp, I probably would not have risked it.

You will have to decide if you want to try or not. If you are successful once, then it is likely you will not have to deal with sequestrants in the future!

 

[nonjo]

So I took a sample to the you-know-where to see if there's metal in the water. The sample results were:

• FC = 1.8

• pH = 7.7

• CH = 250

• TA = 60

• CYA = 10

• Copper = .02 ppm

• Iron = 0 ppm

The salesperson still recommended that I use a product called Metal Free from Natural Chemistry, which I found strange since I'm not above what they considered normal or the "recommended range." It's supposed to be used when chlorine is below 1 ppm.

My TF100 Results, taken just before I went to the store, were:

• chlorine = 3 (although I have some trouble distinguishing between the shades of yellow between 2 and three)

• pH = 7.5

• TA = 70

• CH = 320 (but again, I can't say for sure that the color was blue or purple after the third reagent was added)

I got some more DE so I can run the filter all night again. Not sure about that "Metal Free."

 

[nonjo]

I put the sequestrate in last night and woke up to a more green pool; it's much improved. There's a lot of brownish-red sediment on the floor of the pool. Thinking about it now, it's copper from some of the pipes we have in the basement. I guess the thing to do now is vacuum…I'll try vacuuming to the filter first. Might need to add more Metal Free or another product, I suppose, if the one bottle doesn't handle it all.