New pool startup

[rayn84]

So my pb sent me to Leslie's so they could test my water and apparently they were supposed to tell me what to get but surprisingly enough they sent me away with just a printout of what to do and some whacked test results. When I got back in touch with the pb today I told them I didn't trust the results and asked when someone was going to put chemicals in they informed me I needed to et chemicals in there before it turns green and to take a sample to a different store. I am getting rather frustrated as I haven't even had the orientation with the pb to explain the equipment or anything. So I am here to ask you guys I am not going to be able to get to Leslie's for a few days because I work the hours that they are open so I grabbed some hth metal control at the store because I read in pool school to add sequestrant first. My pool is about 12,000 gal and the bottle says 32 oz per 10,000 gal so I will multiply 32 by 1.2 and add that much, right? My main question is in pool school it said after 72 hours do the next steps but on my printout it says after 2-4 hours to move to balancing, I didn't have the printout with me (or accurate test results for that matter) when I went to the store so I only got the sequestrant. I just want to confirm- is it okay to put the sequestrant in now and then do the other steps tomorrow or should I wait and do it all the same day when I can do one after another? Also I don't have a good test kit yet so I bought some strips to at least get an idea of what's happening, is it okay to start to put stuff in based off those until I can get a good test kit? Sorry for the long post, I am just totally lost.

Jennifer

 

[AdelaidePooler]

Wow. Sounds like you're not getting good service or being pool stored, no wonder you're lost!

The Math for the sequestrant calc you did is correct, you need 38-39 oz

I'm actually not able to help you with any experience, but I have a fairly good idea what the answers will be:
Read pool school.
Read pool school again.
Read pool school a third time.
Don't trust pool shops.
Trust in pool school.

If you follow the start up plaster schedule (which it looks like you've been reading), you have 3 days before you need a test kit.... best get one ordered!

 

[rayn84]

Thanks for the support! I'm going to put in the sequestrant right now

 

[AdelaidePooler]

You're welcome...
I've just read over your previous posts, did you discover where your CYA was coming from?
I do know that the pool stores have a reputation for having terrible results for CYA, but to find that much is what is essentially tap water is pretty special.

From your post it sounds like your pool builder is not taking any responsibility for the start up. That sucks.

 

[rayn84]

No idea about the cya level Leslie's reported. I'm wondering if the kid just typed it in wrong. I know the test strips aren't my testing answer but at least they the cya is 0 when I use them I am going to try a different store to do the testing tomorrow and see what happens.

 

[duraleigh]

Jennifer,

Do you know why you are putting in sequestrant? That product is for a pool with dissolved metals in the water and serves no other purpose. Do you know you have metals?

Never put anything in your pool when you don't know why.

Since you have been reading here a few months, you surely realize you cannot manage your own pool properly without your own test kit. You are pretty much stabbing in the dark with pool store advice and test strips.

I suggest you begin to manage your own pool with your own accurate testing. We can offer much better help for you when we know the test results you post are accurate.

 

[AdelaidePooler]

Jennifer has dutifully read the pool school startup of new plaster article in which it says add sequestrant. The article says that the procedure is for any pool and should be followed. There is no mention of why. If the adding of sequestrant is dependent on something else or on the results of a test then that should be made clear. The first mention of using a test kit in that article is a later on, after all the brushing, vacuuming and pumping and filtering all of the plaster dust.

"Read Pool School"'is a mantra here, she has done EXACTLY that.

 

[duraleigh]

Jennifer has dutifully read the pool school startup of new plaster article in which it says add sequestrant. The article says that the procedure is for any pool and should be followed. There is no mention of why.

I see that in the article. We should have caught that and modified that with "(if needed)" when it was written. Pool School is a constant work in progress and I am sorry that got in there without qualification and I am sorry I was critical of you for following what we wrote.

 

[rayn84]

Thank you Steven for the support! and Dave I appreciate you amending your post I added the sequestrant not only because of pool school (although I have to say because it was written there I felt more reassured) but because it is the only concrete instruction I have been given by the pb so far. I am definitely getting one of the recommended test kits but I got the strips so I could have at least some clue of what was going on in the water. Honestly, I am totally freaked out by the whole thing but I really appreciate having this site to come to and get advice. I'm not going to lie I was afraid to look at the pool this morning in case it had turned some freaky color

 

[AdelaidePooler]

The fact that the PB said it, and it was written in Pool School, I bet you felt "Yes! these guys know what they're talking about!" And then "Buzzkill" Dave questioned it and made you worry all over again!

Work in progress or not, Pool School is a great resource. It's actually rare that any instructions are written without qualification, so that would actually have made me more inclined to follow that very specific instruction.

Questions though Jennifer... is the PB really not going to help you in any way with the startup? He hasn't even explained the equipment? If you post pictures on here folks love to look and see what you have and could probably explain it all to you.

Dave, on a side note, what size is the box that the TF100 XL comes in and how much does it weigh? I ask to try and work out the best shipping method to Australia. I have a K-2006C on the way, but I have a number colleagues that are interested in acquiring The Power of Pool Knowledge.

 

[duraleigh]

The kit box is 14 x 11 x 2 and weighs 3.7 with the XL option.

 

[Trevs]

The start up procedure with regards to sequestrate addition also was a point of confusion for me. Pool store didn't even know what it was. Said it must be the stuff that is added every 6months ($79) to lock in the calcium?

 

[AdelaidePooler]

That is not what sequestrant is for and it doesn't need it every 6 months! That's "poolstoring" in action!
After initial startup there may never be a need to add it again. As for keeping calcium 'locked' in place, that would be by managing the Calcium Saturation Index (CSI, calculated in PoolMath when you input your other values) and isn't by a single chemical addition but my maintaining the other parameters; pH, CH, TA etc. see PoolMath for details.

 

[TexKSAH]

Researching startup procedures in anticipation of my pool being ready soon

Any update on sequestrant? The pool school new plaster startup procedures still list this as the first thing to add after filling with no clarification or qualification. Is that still the recommended procedure?

 

[Agent99]

From what I understand, the sequestrant is as Dave said: add it IF you need it. If you are on city water, odds are excellent that metals are NOT a problem. If you are on well water, odds are decent you should consider the sequestrant but you should test to know for sure.

 

[domct203]

Maybe it should be amended to say:

"When the pool is full, test for metals and add a startup dose of sequestrant if needed".

My $0.02

Dom