Blackbearmine New Pool

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Blackbearmine

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May 14, 2013
15
Hi People. First post.... and thanks for all the information Ive already gained from the site! I have a 10 month old 20 x 50 45,000 gallon in ground plaster pool, 1.5 hp Hayward variable speed pump, 500 sq foot cartridge filter, Nature 2 puck chlorinator, Aqua matic pool cover, Polaris pool sweep with aux pump. Recently installed a 400,000 btu Sta Rite heater... soon installing solar.

Chlorine got too low and algae bloomed. Nuked with 5 lbs of Cal Hypo and some clarifier.

There have been a number of interesting issues so far.

1. It's been hard to keep the chlorine levels at an adequate level, even with the cover closed. The Pool guy has been very conservative with the pucks.

2. I've found that when the pool cover is closed on a sunny day, the water right under the cover gets very warm and it seems to promote biological activity at the boundry layer.. I've also found that the dirt and pollen that accumulates on the cover gets into the pool when it is opened and closed, because the cover wraps around a drum. I now hose and scrub the cover with fresh water and some liquid chlorine... then suck the grime off the cover with a cover pump. then I open the cover. No more problems. I'm out there fiddling with the systems every day anyway, so I intend to take over all the maintenence myself

I intend to install a liquid chlorine tank and and a pump/timer. I understand that the shelf life of the bleach is shortened in hot weather. I have very hot weather. Considering installing the chlorine resevoir in a small keg sized fridge in the equipment shed with the pumps. At 50 degrees it should last a long time and I can buy larger quantities. Anyone out there ever done that sort of thing?

The pool is new enough and large enough that I don't think much damage has been done to the chemistry over the winter months. I'ts been covered most of the time and very little chlorine has been added. The water temp was down around 55. It's now up to 75 and climbing. Is there any advantage to leaving the cover open most of the time? Perhaps it's better to close it to preserve chlorine?

I'll use the pool chemistry calculator. I expect that the chlorine consumption will probaby be pretty high, but I'd rather do it this way than burden the water with a constant barrage of "stabilizer" chemicals.


Next posting will have accurate measurements. Thanks again!
 
Welcome to the forum. :lol: Your issues with water quality are all around inadequate circulation and inadequate chlorine both of which are quite fixable. read "The ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry" up in Pool School and ask lot's of questions. That'll be an easy pool to get crystal clear.
 
Thanks for the quick and helpful responses! I will get all the Pool Chemistry stuff learned and double the duration of filtration. It is only running from 5:00 AM till 12:00 PM at 1750 RPM. It's hard to figure the exact flow rate, but since the pump has flooded suction... the equipment is locate 8 feet below the pool... I suppose the key factors are pump speed and filter backpressure. The Hayward chart shows that it will move around 60 GPM at 2000 rpm. Therefore 12 hours min for a turnover?

Is there any advantage in leaving a cover open during the swimming season?

I'll try to get some pics posted shortly.

Thanks again
 
Therefore 12 hours min for a turnover?

Each pool is different so you have to experiment...12 hours daily is probably more than you need but a good starting point from which you can dial it back, if needed.

Is there any advantage in leaving a cover open during the swimming season? Absolutely. Chloramines (bad smell) are most easily removed by UV rays from the sun. Pools like to "breath"

If I had a covered pool, I think I would probably open it for a couple of hours each day.
 
Thanks for the continuing advice. since shocking and increasing the chlorine tablet feeder rate, the water is crystal clear. As far as i can tell the chlorine is in the 4 to 5 range. There was a think layer of soft brown crud on the pool bottom, which is was probably dead algae as one of the postings pointed out. I've changed the filter bag on the polaris to a fine bag, which should pick up any residues. I'm still chlorinating with the tablets, but I want to switch to liquid chlorine. Is there a way to estimate how fast the "stabilizers" will build up in the pool when using tablets in a pool of this volume?

Now I'll stock up on the basic chemicals to keep it clear. I came across a site called "soapgoods.com" which sells bulk bi-carb and borax at prices which seem to be good. They, along with other products are staples for making boutique soaps. Shipping costs may negate the savings, but could be worth checking out.

Thanks again,
 
Blackbearmine said:
Is there a way to estimate how fast the "stabilizers" will build up in the pool when using tablets in a pool of this volume?
Click to expand...

Yes. Go to poolcalculator.com. Put your volume at the top and then at the bottom use the Effects of Adding Chemicals section. Each puck weighs 6-8 oz depending on the brand (weigh yours) and then select trichlor and you can see how much CYA each puck will add.

It is going to add up fast.

You are not using the mineral portion of the Nature 2 systems are you?
 
Thanks. I used the Pool Calculator and 1 6 oz puck will raise the CYA by .6 That does not seem like a sustainable situation! I'd much rather add liquid chlorine, even if the costs are higher, to preserve the water quality.

The mineral part of the Nature 2 is in use, but the cartridge has not been changed since the pool was activated last august. I don't plan to replace the cartridge.
 
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