Fresh from the tap -first water test

[Meezerocity]

Brand new out of the box pool and fresh from the tap water.
This is our 4th season with an Intex pool, but our first season with a brand new 20'X52" Ultra frame. The old pool was a used Quickset my brother didn't want since he bought a house with an inground pool.
Our first year we did chlorine with the floating duck. Floating duck in green water!!!

We added the Intex SWG and loved it! However.... we live in South Central Texas and we have HARD water. The pool store employees, who I now know strive to sell each customer $75-$100 of stuff every time they walk in the door for a FREE WATER TEST, have been pushing powder on me. I now know that powder causes other chems to get out of wack so they can sell me something liquid that looks like iced tea.... So I need more powder and all the time my cells in the SWG are getting coated and I have to stop every thing and get the vinegar out.......

WELL I'M ON TO THEM - THANKS TO POOL SCHOOL and everyone here...

I just need a little guidance to be sure I'm on the right track before I end up back at the pool store.... getting powder pushed on me again...

I filled the pool and added 180 pounds of Morton Pool Salt yesterday.

I took a water sample to the pool store this morning because I wanted to check my readings with theirs just to see...

Mine
Chl .2
Comb Chl .2
Ph 7.2
I didn't do other tests because I had to get going.

Pool Store
Chl 0
Comb Chl 0
Ph 7.4
Salt 2500
TA - 210
CH 210
CYA 0
Phosphates 100

I have added 12 oz of Dry Acid 2.5 hours ago.

Pool Store said to:
add 1/2 gal of liquid shock ( I think she mentioned 12% I have the Great Value liquid bleach (Walmart) 8.25% gallon jug.)
Add 2 more bags of salt anytime (waiting for the hubby to come mule those to the pool)
and add 1 gallon of instant (liquid) conditioner CYA (which I purchased for $40 - Like Girl Scouts selling cookies I said yes)

Pool Calculator says to:
Add 3 quarts and 1 cup 8% liquid chlorine
Add 3 quarts of liquid stabilizer
Add 58 pounds of salt
Raise CH by adding 3 quarts of Calcium Chloride (What is this stuff and do i have to go back to teh pool store to get it?)

Am I missing any important tests?
Water temp is 84 degrees F
I have not turned on the SWG yet.

New sand filter started up and looking strong for 2.5 hours. Still running and will leave on till I get all these numbers on target.

 

[Isaac-1]

Given what you have told us, all looks reasonable

Not sure why you added the acid though, as you were already in the normal pH range. You don't say the size of your pool, or your target numbers, so I am trusting you on amount of stabilizer and bleach to add, but it sounds like you may need more stabilizer, what numbers did you use.

As to the CH, you are fine now, vinyl pools don't have the problems with low CH that plaster pools do, anything over 50 is fine for a CH level. (did you set your pool type to vinyl at the bottom of pool calculator?)

ike

 

[jblizzle]

Welcome to TFP!!!

First question we have to ask ... which test kit are you using?
Why did you add acid if your pH was already in the low 7s?

You do not need to worry about raising CH in a vinyl pool ... that will only contribute to your scaling in the SWG.
You just need to get the CYA up to around 60-80ppm for the SWG and maintain adequate FC (using the bleach) until the SWG takes over.

Get some FC and CYA in the water ASAP.
Then get the salt set and circulate the water for 24 hours before turning the SWG on.

 

[Meezerocity]

Given what you have told us, all looks reasonable

Not sure why you added the acid though, as you were already in the normal pH range. You don't say the size of your pool, or your target numbers, so I am trusting you on amount of stabilizer and bleach to add, but it sounds like you may need more stabilizer, what numbers did you use.

As to the CH, you are fine now, vinyl pools don't have the problems with low CH that plaster pools do, anything over 50 is fine for a CH level. (did you set your pool type to vinyl at the bottom of pool calculator?)

ike

I set the pool calculator to vinyl at the bottom and set it to calculate to the TFP as the target settings and set it to vinyl.

My pool is 8,638 gallons.

Added the acid because I let the Pool Store push the white powder on me. I'll add chlorine in a few minutes. We are almost done with a thunderstorm that popped up. Yea for rain, we need it down here.

 

[Meezerocity]

Welcome to TFP!!!

First question we have to ask ... which test kit are you using?
Why did you add acid if your pH was already in the low 7s?

You do not need to worry about raising CH in a vinyl pool ... that will only contribute to your scaling in the SWG.
You just need to get the CYA up to around 60-80ppm for the SWG and maintain adequate FC (using the bleach) until the SWG takes over.

Get some FC and CYA in the water ASAP.
Then get the salt set and circulate the water for 24 hours before turning the SWG on.

I have a Poolmaster 5 Premier Delux 5 way test kit Bromine/Chlorine Combo. I might take it back for the Taylor kit that I have seen recommended here.

Can I add the liquid chlorine and the CYA at the same time do I have to wait 4 hours?

 

[Richard320]

Welcome to TFP!!!

First question we have to ask ... which test kit are you using?
Why did you add acid if your pH was already in the low 7s?

You do not need to worry about raising CH in a vinyl pool ... that will only contribute to your scaling in the SWG.
You just need to get the CYA up to around 60-80ppm for the SWG and maintain adequate FC (using the bleach) until the SWG takes over.

Get some FC and CYA in the water ASAP.
Then get the salt set and circulate the water for 24 hours before turning the SWG on.

I have a Poolmaster 5 Premier Delux 5 way test kit Bromine/Chlorine Combo. I might take it back for the Taylor kit that I have seen recommended here.

Can I add the liquid chlorine and the CYA at the same time do I have to wait 4 hours?

Add the CYA and give it some time to mix, brush a little. The liquid stuff should disperse really fast. But basically, back-to-back should be fine. If you want to be cautious, give it half an hour with the pump on.

 

[jblizzle]

Take the kit back if you can ... but realize that you will not likely find the kit we recommend in your local pool store unless you have a commercial supply house. Best to order the TF100 really ...

 

[Isaac-1]

You also will likely have to add something to counter act that dry acid you added, but wait to get fresh reliable pH numbers first.

Ike

 

[Meezerocity]

You also will likely have to add something to counter act that dry acid you added, but wait to get fresh reliable pH numbers first.

Ike

Is there a grocery store product that is equivalent to CYA?

I'll take the kit back tomorrow. I think they had a Taylor on the shelf that might be what you were talking about. It is a place called Pool Warehouse. maybe....... I'm in San Antonio so we have lot of resources not available to many smaller towns.

BTW - Thanks for such quick responses. CYA addd to pool and brushed. Going to add chlorine as soon as the 2nd storm passes and there is no more lightening.

 

[Isaac-1]

CYA is about the only pool specific product that most of us use around here, it is also available from most big box stores with pool departments though, and often at a lower price than many pool stores.

 

[jblizzle]

CYA = stabilizer = conditioner = cyanuric acid ... not really a grocery product, but you can find it cheaper at places like Walmart or even the hardware stores I think ... only used in pools.

Make sure you get the K-2006 FAS-DPD kit ... the K-2005 DPD kit is NOT, I repeat NOT!!!! the same thing even if that is what they try to tell you.

 

[Meezerocity]

Added liquid chlorine 1gal at 8.25%
Hubby added 2 bags of salt instead of 1.5 bags of salt (40#each)

This morning tested
Chlo 2
Ph 7.6

I'll get the right test kit from pool warehouse or order it today.

Water is clear and loving this new sand pump. It's running so well it has swirled all debris from torm to the center of the pool. With we had a skimmer to pick up floating stuff. The pool only came with an intake nozel that is screened.