New Pool in Pittsburgh

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brian4110

brian4110

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LifeTime Supporter
May 7, 2013
134
Pennsylvania
Ok, I fudged. Not a 'new' pool, but a pool that is new to me anyway.

I'm the proud (1 month ago I would have said terrified...thanks TFP for easing my fears!) new owner of a 27750 gallon IG vinyl lined pool. Honestly, I NEVER thought that was something I would say because I have never been a pool person. It's not that I don't enjoy a dip when the mercury climbs, it's just that I never wanted the added responsibility. But then we found our dream house...dreamy except that it included the pool! It was a tough decision...but we went for it DESPITE the pool.

Luckily, I have a good friend who led me to this forum. (Thanks Rob!) And after lurking here all winter, I AM SO GLAD THAT WE BOUGHT THE POOL.

So yes, I am very excited about opening and using the pool this year. Thanks to this forum, I feel armed with the knowledge I will need to keep my pool crystal clear all season.

The pool has had a lock-down cover on it all winter, so I haven't even SEEN the pool yet, other than some photos. So I have no idea what condition the water is in. I do know that the folks who previously owned the house kept the pool in very good condition, but I highly doubt that they used the BBB method. I'm pretty sure that they used chlorine and not baquacil to sanitize the pool. That's the good news. The bad news is that I'm pretty sure they used trichlor. They also left a half used bottle of algaecide behind. So...I can't wait to get the cover off this thing, put the TF-100 to work and see what I have. My guess is that I'm not in too bad of shape except I expect the CYA to be through the roof. (Not looking forward to a drain/refill, but I'm insistent on getting this started right.)

Anyway, if you've read this far and you are a long-time pool owner and forum member, THANK YOU for all you do for us newbies here.

If you are a newbie like myself who is considering pool ownership...if the only thing holding you back is fear of the unknown, then let this forum help you conquer that fear! Go for it! We've got your back!

I'm on the schedule for the pool company (same company that built the pool) to come and help me open it and the spa (Did I mention there is a spa as well?) sometime around May 13. Does anyone have any experience with Pleasure Pool and Deck in Bethel Park? I will post back with my experiences opening the pool and getting the water ready to swim. See you back here in this thread in about a week!
 
Not far from you....over in Steubenville myself. One good thing about our area is that the CYA is kept somewhat in line via the amount of water that gets added via rain each year. There's a shot it won't be as high as you're fearing.

Toes crossed for you....and welcome to the site!
 
Thanks for the quick and friendly response!

Hey Leebo...I spent more time than I care to admit poring over your baqua-conversion thread. In fact, I cannot deny that a very icy "Are you reading that pool forum again?" may have been uttered by my wife.

My fingers, toes, and eyes are crossed that I don't have a debacle under my cover. I'll find out very soon...and pics are promised!
 
Look at it like this......

It's not just "reading that pool forum".....it's research :) Glad you enjoyed the thread. Looking back, I learned a TON from that nightmare and pool chemistry. I almost wanna do it again.







Almost
 
LOL...I am typically a patient fellow but I must admit I have spent some time unsuccessfully trying to figure out how to get under the cover without 'unlatching' it to get a scoop of water to test!

In fact, I'm toying with the idea of taking the cover off and trying to do the opening myself. I don't really care to pay for the privilege of telling some professional pool guys that I REALLY don't care how the pool was managed in the past but it's under new management now and I won't be needing any pucks or algaecide thank you very much. Problem is, I'll be even more confident and competent if someone can show me hands-on how to use all my new equipment. I definitely plan on opening by myself next year if there doesn't look like any magic is involved.
 
POP ran out last night and I decided to do a little garage excavation and see exactly chemicals the previous owners left for me. Based on what they were using, I figured I'd be able to do a little CSI and be prepared for what is lurking under my pool cover. This is what I found:

Half empty bucket of trichlor pucks (6 left)
4 lbs of 'pH minus' (sodium bisulfate)...about 2 and a half bottles of it.
1/2 of a 70 oz bottle of some liquid called Pool Perfect (no ingredients listed :grrrr: )
1 lb of a 6 lb bucket of 100% CYA
8 lb of cal hypo (73%)
about 1/3 of a 16 lb bucket of 'Regal' calcium increaser
1/2 of a 60 oz bottle of 'Regal' algaecide

Based on the trichlor and the bucket of stabilizer, my fears of a CYA inspired drain/fill seemed more plausible. I just couldn't stand not knowing...so I took a suggestion from above (thanks harveysilo!) and snaked a hose under the cover to siphon some pool water for testing. Keep in mind, this is the first time I've ever performed these tests, so put some appropriate error bars on these results:

FC - 0
CC - 0
pH - 7.6
TA - 90
CH - 340
CYA - 0

Not too bad! I think I can work with this! Of course, my fears of too much CYA quickly turned into a question of where did all the CYA go? I hope I don't have a CYA eating swamp monster hiding under that cover. We'll find out soon enough!

Anyway...pics. Not much to see yet, but I've added pics anyway.

Once the pool company comes out, I'll post my experiences with them. I'm sure there are many lurkers out there who are in the same boat as I who might appreciate it. Not many pool owners or posters from here in Pittsburgh.
 

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Looks like they may have used more of the Cal-Hypo than they did the pucks. The CYA test could be a false low, but it shouldn't be as bad as you were fearing (100+). Also a chance it's green, but that's an issue we can deal with.
 
Agreed. One thing going for me is that the previous owners only moved down the street and we are very friendly with them. Wouldn't be hard to get some info from them if need be. Although I'm pretty sure they just paid for a service to operate the pool. I don't think the pool company is going to be too happy with me when I tell them "Thanks and see you next year!"

I can deal with a green pool...I'm armed with enough liquid chlorine to get shocking as soon as we open. Can't wait to retest and see where I really stand. If those numbers are true, I guess the first thing to do is start adding CYA and FC.
 
It was drizzling off and on yesterday so the concrete is just wet in places.

Unfortunately, that's a semi-busy road and not a path, so privacy IS an issue. The good news is that folks driving by can't see into the pool as the hedge that lines the road is tall and thick enough to provide privacy. The golf course is a private club that does not get much traffic at all...but privacy from folks on the course is still an issue. I have some tall privacy shrubs on the left and right side of the pool so the neighbors can't see a thing. I have no idea why the previous owners didn't put the same shrubs the whole way around the pool. It's definitely one of my 'to-do' items for this year! Until then, I guess I'm stuck wearing a bathing suit whenever I take a dip. :mrgreen:
 
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