New Here! Help?!?! First time putting in chlorine...

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VegMaPa

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Jul 26, 2012
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Wish I would have known about the test kits here! :| I did pick up a test kit a walmart, but next year I will buy one from here :goodjob: Filled the pool on Tues/Wed w/water tanker, we took a sample of our water to the local pool store yesterday, and got a fancy readout page... it says...
ph 7.6
Total Alkalinity 120
Calcium Hardness 225
Stabilizer 0
Bromine 0

They recmd 3 tabs Bromine Tabs (these are the chlorine right?)
The readout says shock trtmt 1 lbs.6oz Turbo Shock (but they said right now just put the bromine tabs in the plastic floater thingy?)

Should I be testing for something else from MY kit to give me more information? OMG I am so naive about maintaining a pool....

And.... should I be starting with plain old clorox bleach (how much?) instead of these bromine tabs? Which one appears to be safer/better? How long before we can swim once we add the tabs or bleach? Do you just open up the bleach and pour in the pool?

The kids are having fun, even in the brrr cold 78degree pool, worrying about bacteria and algae... so want to get some chlorine in the pool.

This forum is great BTW! So much to still read in pool school....
 
Chlorine and bromine are two different sanitizers. If you use one properly, then you shouldn't need the other. Most people here though recommend chlorine over bromine because chlorine is cheaper, easier, and more effective. Yes, you can use plain old bleach as your chlorine source, but how much you need depends on your CYA level (stabilizer.) Give pool school a good read and then use poolcalculator.com to find out how much bleach you need based on your CYA level and your pool size.
 
Use 30 as a starting point for a CYA level and see the chlorine/cya chart in pool school as to what level to maintain your FC at. If not.............you're gonna burn off any free chlorine REAL quick without it!
 
Ok, we won't be using the bromine tabs... too hard to switch if want to from what I read, lots of info saying the BBB method is better and less problems, so we will use the BBB method. Got some Great Value Bleach last night (didn't say unscented, but didn't say scented either)

I did read through the pool school, and still confused :roll: about a few things... new fill on Tues/Wed, today is SAturday, so we need to get some chlorine in. Water not looking as crystal clear.

The previous reply to my original post said start at 30CYA.... does that mean I start with 0 CYA since a new pool, and target for 30 (add CYA) along with the bleach? Husband seems to think CYA is something to do with the BBB method. CYA has nothing to do with BBB right? CYA lessens the effect of chlorine loss from the sun, a separate chemical? He is on way to Walmart/Home Depot, should he pick up CYA too?

Is the target level of FC 3 or 6??? I must have been seeing things cuz I thought when I was using pool calc last night the recmd level was 3-6? instead of 1-3 today?

Patience please for a newbie that is panicking

Thanks for the replies, you guys rock!
 
VegMaPa said:
Ok, we won't be using the bromine tabs... too hard to switch if want to from what I read, lots of info saying the BBB method is better and less problems, so we will use the BBB method. Got some Great Value Bleach last night (didn't say unscented, but didn't say scented either)

I did read through the pool school, and still confused :roll: about a few things... new fill on Tues/Wed, today is SAturday, so we need to get some chlorine in. Water not looking as crystal clear.

The previous reply to my original post said start at 30CYA.... does that mean I start with 0 CYA since a new pool, and target for 30 (add CYA) along with the bleach? Husband seems to think CYA is something to do with the BBB method. CYA has nothing to do with BBB right? CYA lessens the effect of chlorine loss from the sun, a separate chemical? He is on way to Walmart/Home Depot, should he pick up CYA too?

Is the target level of FC 3 or 6??? I must have been seeing things cuz I thought when I was using pool calc last night the recmd level was 3-6? instead of 1-3 today?

Patience please for a newbie that is panicking

Thanks for the replies, you guys rock!
Click to expand...

He should get CYA for sure ..... and you are dead on that it lessens the loss from the sun ...... the target level for FC is based on your CYA level.

You will love the BBB method .... first year using it here and i have had great success.
 
CYA has everything to do with the BBB method! CYA (cyanuric acid) is what protects chlorine from being consumed by the sun. It's sunscreen for your chlorine. Without it, all your chlorine will be burned off before it has a chance to do its job. CYA also weakens the effectiveness of chlorine, which is both good and bad. Without any CYA, the chlorine would be too strong, so you would have to keep it at a very low level which is hard to do especially if the sun is constantly consuming it. With too much CYA, however, the chlorine would become too weak to do its job and you'll have problems down the road. Your CYA should be in the 30-40 range. Put 30 in as your target number in pool calculator, then the recommended FC level will be from 3-6. The 1-3 that you were seeing was probably because you had 0 in the CYA target column. Given your pool size, (13,500 gal right?) you will need to add about 54 oz of CYA to bring it up to level of 30. If it's dry CYA (most likely) don't just dump it in. Put it in a sock and tie it near the return and let it slowly dissolve (could take up to a week).
 
Thank You to schertzy82! So should I put present reading as 0 (new fill) cuz nothing but plain ole water in there? I am going to try the poolcalc again. Thanks so much!

We will put in the CYA and the bleach then this evening (Sat), to not waster from the sun. I am slowly learning. Do you put the CYA in the sock and tie off, and place behind the flap of the skimmer? Is that where I should put it?

thanks for all the replies!
 
Yes, you put 0 in the "now" column and 30 in the "target" column and 13500 as your pool size at the very top, then hit calculate. It will then show that you need to add about 54 oz of CYA to reach a target of 30. I have an Intex pool, so I don't have a traditional skimmer like you. I would imagine you could tie the sock behind the flap, but don't take my word for it. I tied mine in front of the return jet, where the water gets returned to the pool after it has been filtered.
 

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Not in the skimmer then? We have an AG pool with skimmer. Was thinking this would be best because kids less likely to come in direct contact with the sock. Input anyone? Do I not want the the CYA to go near the filteration system

Learning faster than I thought. My husband and I changed the hoses today (small leak) and installed the 2nd shut off valve (quickly i might add), cleaned the filter, etc. He is working on the deck as I type.

Thanks for the help!
 
VegMaPa,

Welcome to the forums...
I'm pretty new myself, but what I have read & what I did was put it in the skimmer basket, keeping it safe from swimmers. Then just give her a squeeze every now & then, any undissolved granules will stay in the sock and a really fine almost white smoke will come out when you squeeze. This speeds her up, should be gone in a day or less, depending on how much you squeeze it.

When I got down to the last little bit, I untied the sock and checked how much was left, then tied it back down really small since you have less in there than when you started, then it goes really quick.

I'd get the CYA going in a sock as soon as you get it home, since it takes a bit to dissolve, that way you'll get a head start on her for adding in the chlorine/bleach.

Yeah, that Walnasty bleach should be just fine, I have used it, works great. Just make sure it says 6% sodium-hypochlorite on the label. If it's less, you can still use it, you'll just need more of it, so make sure you specify your percentage in the PoolCalculator there at the top, in the FC section.
:idea: Also, if you move your mouse "hover" over the number of oz. it wants you to add, it'll tell you in the top oblong box that's next to your pool's number of gallons; how many cups, and such, so that makes it easier for measuring. :)
Pour it very slowly, low (to the water) & slow (out of the measuring container) into the skimmer as you add it, remember, bleach bleaches clothes, so don't splash.
Oh, and as far as scent goes, sounds like you have the unscented stuff. Your nose will tell you for sure though, our noses work very well for those sorts of things.
*Although, sometimes I wish I could smell half as well as a dog could. :p

Have fun, enjoy your pool. WOHOO!! :-D
 
It is just that if the CYA goes into the filter, then if you have a filter that requires washing the CYA would be lost to the wash. I do not know how long it takes until your cartridge filter requires cleaning. Just in case it is soon, use a sock or knee-hi stocking and hang it in the pool where you can see it and give it a squeeze from time to time.
 
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