Newbie to pools and here!

[Noangelny]

Hi everyone I'm Angelique,

Six months ago I bought house in Long Island, NY and of course my children (growing up in an apartment for the last several years) wanted a pool. My husband wasn't thrilled about it
because he has owned several houses with pools and hot tubs in Sweden and found it too much to maintain.

I bought a small pool really so the kids would be happy. We bought the Summer Escapes 12' x 36", according to the manual it is 1950 gallons.
I have been using the cheap filtering system that comes with it, cleaning it out the filter every day and running it 24/7 and still my water isn't 100% clear.
1 also have purchased: 3 way test kit (FC and Ph), Leaf Skimmer, 3-1 3" Chlorinating Skimmer Tablets (the yellow bucket- non-stabilized), Borax, 6% Bleach, Ph minus, Algae Guard 3X Concentrate.
I recently purchased an Intex Krystal Clear 1,600 Gallon Sand Filter. But have not hooked it up because I needed an adapter for the skimmer (just received) and didn't know which and how much
sand to use for the filter and my pool.

From the 2nd day after the water was placed in the vinyl pool, my levels have never been good. Late at night I would get good Ph and low chlorine. I would add Chlorine and by mid afternoon my chlorine was ZERO! How could this be. I was using borax for my PH and either the 6% Bleach at night or the tablets in the skimmer. My water is never totally clear (mostly cloudy) and my chlorine is ZERO no matter what I do.

Today I plan on going to the supply store near me to get the items I need to make my pool safe for my kids and myself. I actually tested the levels Tuesday night and my Ph was around 6.8. I feel like
I have a Urinary tract infection. Is that possible from low chlorine and low Ph level? I put borax in Tuesday night around 11pm checked my Ph and it was up to 7.8, than around 3 am I put 4 oz. of shock n' swim (for pop up pools) in my pool and ran the filter and in the morning my PH was around 7.5 and my FC ZERO. I don't get it!

Can someone please help me so I can buy the supplies I need tomorrow and put them in accordingly. I plan to hook my Intex Krystal Clear 1,600 Gallon Sand Filter tomorrow. How much filter sand do I need to buy? any particular brand? Also what other supplies do I need to get my Chlorine UP and maintain it. Any help would be MUCH appreciated. I really just want my kids to enjoy their new backyard and the summertime. We did not use the pool today. In addition, I prefer not to drain the pool since it took over 18 hours to fill up this pool. My water level is low now, but I intentionally did not refill the pool above the skimmer line so I can easily change the hoses with the new filtering system tomorrow. Do I need any new hoses for my pool to the sand filter?
Should I drain my pool and start over? My water isn't green or anything just a bit cloudy and not reading the necessary levels to maintain a nice clean pool. Should I switch to to salt water? If I did are those SWG chlorinators afforable for a cheap above ground pool?


It really is wonderful to have such knowledgeable people to speak to instead of listening to the pool supply guy who may or may not know what he is talking about and probably wants to make the extra few $$ on newbies on supplies.

Thank you in advance-
Angelique

 

[BoDarville]

Hi Angelique:

Welcome to TFP

I put borax in Tuesday night around 11pm checked my Ph and it was up to 7.8, than around 3 am I put 4 oz. of shock n' swim (for pop up pools) in my pool and ran the filter and in the morning my PH was around 7.5 and my FC ZERO. I don't get it!

Two things consume chlorine: sunlight and organic matter (algae, mold, bacteria). If the pool is not holding chlorine (especially at night), then there is something in the pool that is consuming the chlorine (could be low level algae that is not yet visible or a bacterium of some sort). This is an indication that you need to shock the pool. But first...,

I would get your filter hooked up. If you have water in the pool and are not circulating it through the filter it will be difficult to maintain. Someone should be along soon who is more experienced with hooking up a new filter.

You can continue to add chlorine (liquid bleach is preferred) to keep things from getting worse. Use the Pool Calculator for dosing instructions (click link in my signature). However, if several days pass before you get the filter up and running and the water deteriorates, it may be more cost-effective for you at 1,950 gallons to drain & refill the pool (vs. trying to clear it up) and go forward from that point with a working filter.

BTW, once you get the filter running, do not put the chlorine pucks in the skimmer as high levels of chlorine will accumulate in the skimmer and could cause later problems with your equipment. In fact, I would use liquid bleach exclusively. If you do need to use the pucks (if you go on vacation) then use either an inline chlorinator or a floating chlorinator. Also, see if you can return the algaecide - it is not needed if you maintain proper free chlorine (FC) levels.

 

[supertune]

Hi Angelique and welcome to TFP!

We all have been messed up with our pool water before!

Thanks to the format taught here I truly have a Trouble Free Pool!

Please read through the Pool School link to help you understand pool care and water chemistry here:
pool-school/

Read this about test kits so you can do your own water testing to achieve success:
pool-school/pool_test_kit_comparison

Once your set with a test kit follow these instructions here so we all can help you have the high level of success that we have from TFP!
what-we-need-to-know-to-answer-your-questions-t10341.html

Chuck

 

[Noangelny]

Ok I have read the recommended readings and I am more confused I am going to go to Walmart today.
I am going to purchase sand so I can hook up my Intex Krystal Clear 1,600 Gallon Sand Filter today.
Since my pool is only 1950 Gall. How many hours do you think I should run the pump today and daily for great results?
Should I run it for 24 hours intially to get a jump on cleaning up my pool? Also, I am going to purchase more 6% bleach today to get
my chlorine levels up quickly. What is the Shock or FC target level (or CC) I need for my kids to safely use the pool today?
What other chemicals would I need to purchase today? Thanks again!

Ang-

 

[Noangelny]

Test Results..

TH- 250
TC- ZERO
FC-ZERO
PH- 8.4
TA-120
CA- 30

The results above were taken after scrubed the walls and ran the filter/pump for 1 hour
I hooked up my sand filtration filter today. Put about 55 lbs of sand in it.
I bought bleach, Instant Conditioner (bottle), Fresh and Clear (non-chlorine shock)

What do I need to add for my pool to be in better shape? My pool is 1950 gallons.

Thanks

 

[Richard320]

Re: Test Results..

TH- 250
TC- ZERO
FC-ZERO
PH- 8.4
TA-120
CA- 30

The results above were taken after scrubed the walls and ran the filter/pump for 1 hour
I hooked up my sand filtration filter today. Put about 55 lbs of sand in it.
I bought bleach, Instant Conditioner (bottle), Fresh and Clear (non-chlorine shock)

What do I need to add for my pool to be in better shape? My pool is 1950 gallons.

Thanks

TH is Total Hardness? When you post CA, do you mean Calcium, or Cyanuric Acid?

Regardless, first thing is to adjust pH. It's way too high - gonna leave everyone with burning eyes. You need acid for that, either Muriatic acid or dry acid. Aim for 7.2 then forget about pH until the shock process is done. You won't get a good reading with that much FC in the water.

If CYA is 30, you're set to start the shock process. Your target is 13. Your test kit probably won't be able to read that high, unfortunately, unless you purchased one that has the FAS-DPD test. Pool Calculator says 53 ounces. Keep the pump running 24 hours a day. And keep adding bleach every couple hours to maintain 13 until the water is clear - not just not green, not just blue, but clear. It may take a few days. When the water is clear, CC is below .5, and you lose less than 1 FC overnight, you're done. Let FC drift down to about 8 and take another full set of test readings. Post them and we can tell you what else to do next.

 

[Noangelny]

Yes TH total Hardness and CA should have been CYA. I have liquid PH minus. I am not sure how much of it I should add to the pool since my pool is so small and I can't find what % of muriatic acid is in it. So I can add that tonight. Tomorrow would I start adding the bleach? Is it best to start in the morning or when the sun goes down?
Is that 53 oz poured in all at once or a little every hour. I was confused about that process.
How long do I need to maintain 13 FC before I go down to 8?
Sorry, that test kit wasn't available So they suggested a different 6 way. FC only goes up to 10 on my kit.

Thanks Rich!

 

[Richard320]

Yes TH total Hardness and CA should have been CYA. I have liquid PH minus. I am not sure how much of it I should add to the pool since my pool is so small and I can't find what % of muriatic acid is in it.

That is critical. The label should say what's in it or at least tell you how much to add per 1000 gallons or something.

So I can add that tonight.

Not until you know how much to add!

Tomorrow would I start adding the bleach? Is it best to start in the morning or when the sun goes down?

You can start as soon as pH is adjusted, because once you start, you won't be able to check pH. Assuming you figure out how much to add, a half hour should be plenty of mixing time, you can start the bleach any time after that.

Is that 53 oz poured in all at once or a little every hour. I was confused about that process.
How long do I need to maintain 13 FC before I go down to 8?
Sorry, that test kit wasn't available So they suggested a different 6 way. FC only goes up to 10 on my kit.

Thanks Rich!

Yes, all 53 ounces at once - that's the essence of "shock". Hit it hard and keep hitting it hard so it has no chance to recover. There's no way to predict how long it will take. Some people have done it in a couple days, some take a week, one poor guy earlier this year took three weeks. It depends on how much algae there is, how much debris is in the water, and how consistent you are keeping the FC level up.

You can order just the FAS-DPD test here

 

[Noangelny]

Thanks again Rich.. I added 3 oz. of the Ph minus. I will check just the Ph tomorrow and make sure I am down to 7.2 before I shock.

 

[BoDarville]

How many hours do you think I should run the pump today and daily for great results?

As Richard stated, run the pump constantly during the shock process. Keep an eye on filter pressure & clean/backwash as needed.

Once the shock process is complete, you will need to experiment a bit to determine the minimum run time that will keep your water crystal clear. Start with a run time that is higher than you think you need and get the water really sparkling. Then, try running the pump for a week at a reduced run time and watch the water closely to see how it looks. If you are running the pump too little, the water will lose it's sparkle. If that happens, return to the previous run time setting. At a minimum, you want to provide a run time that turns over all of the water once in a 24-hr period. Here is an article that describes this in more detail: http://www.troublefreepool.com/pool-school/pump_run_time

Even after you find the run time "sweet spot", you may need to make periodic adjustments for factors such as higher than average bather load, heavy rain storm (which washes debris out of the atmosphere into your pool), and warmer water temperatures.