Ok, so I read through pool school and I'm still processing the info there. I filled up the pool, and tested the PH and Chlorine last night, and the PH was 7.2, and the chlorine was nonexistent. So, I put in a bag of HTH shock and swim last night. The directions on the bag said 1 to 2 bags for like 11,200 gallons of water, so I figured 1 bag would be plenty for my little 4,000 gallon pool. This morning, both the PH and the Chlorine (oto test) were off the charts, so I left the cover off the pool and the pump running. My wife retested the water, and now the chlorine test is completely clear, while the PH is at 7.5. I have a floating chlorine tablet dispenser as well. I am just wondering why the huge difference in the tests over just a few hours. I know I probaly need a more elaborate test kit, but the one I have right now tests for PH, Chlorine and Bromine. Do I even need something more elaborate for such a small pool? Anyway, I'm just wondering if I should add bleach and try and bring up the chlorine level. I didn't even know you could use it until I found this site. I really have a lot to learn, and could really use some good advice for my situation. Thanks!
New 15' x 42" AG pool
- Thread starter Tommcgtx
- Start date
Welcome to tfp, Tommcgtx 
What type of pool is it...an intex type that you can occasionally do a full drain/refill...or a more permanent agp?Tommcgtx said:
This pool school article may help: http://www.troublefreepool.com/pool-school/temporary_pool_guide. In step 4 and 5 it talks about using dichlor to chlorinate while at the same time raising the cya...you can use bleach and granular stabilizer (cya) instead if you can't find the dichlor or if it is expensive (bleach/liquid chlorine and granular cya is my perfected approach).Tommcgtx said:
Imo, that is still small enough that a drain/refill (assuming there are no other difficulties like water restrictions, metals in the water, no place to drain) is possible if needed. I think I would follow that article linked to above but I might skip the polyquat in step7 and just be vigilant with keeping the chlorine level up.
However, if this pool is a "test" to see if you like it (as was my case), I would invest in an appropriate test kit and start learning pool chemistry. See: http://www.troublefreepool.com/pool-school/pool_test_kit_comparison
However, if this pool is a "test" to see if you like it (as was my case), I would invest in an appropriate test kit and start learning pool chemistry. See: http://www.troublefreepool.com/pool-school/pool_test_kit_comparison