Just getting started getting mixed answers to questions

[12mustangdude]

First house first pool etc.

Had a company come out and drain and pressure wash pool and epoxy paint ( forclosed house 3+yrs of algae ) They are coming to repair a diverter valve as well.

They said in there experience the inline chlorinator is useless and they recommend the floating dispenser since it delivers directly to where you swim. 2nd guy who is doing some electrical work said that they are the most useful things and floating thing is useless. So which one do I use ?

Also I have cartridge filters guy 1 said to rinse them off with water and to try them out since bands are still good.
Guy 2 said cartridge suck get sand filter and if you stay cartridge replace those due to algae.

Anyway can't I just use the shock treatment ( bought 50 in preparation for dealing with algae) put those cartridge filters in bathtub or giant trashcan throw a packet of shock treatment to clean off algae and let it soak? Filters look pretty good just dusty imo.

 

[RobbieH]

For daily chlorination, we recommend not using either one of those chlorine methods. Tablets add CYA, which in time will build up and make the pool's chemistry impossible to keep balanced.

Cartridge filters are meant to be rinsed. Don't forget about Pool School up in the top right corner!
http://www.troublefreepool.com/content/144-maintenance-and-cleaning-of-pool-filters

Cartridges should never have algae on them unless something has gone wrong. Filters aren't there to remove algae, they are there to remove sand, dust, and other debris which gets introduced to the pool.

 

[mrcarcrazy]

Most here avoid tab chlorination as a rule. If you want to get an automatic chlorination system, they work great for many. The difference in what you will find on this forum and what you will find in the pool store is that here Liquid chlorination is recommended. There's a device called a "liquidator" which is similar to the tab feeder you are likely seeing but it uses liquid chlorine.

Visit the "pool school" tab on this site and you'll get an idea of what most everyone here suggests on chemical use.


On the filter I have no personal experience with cartridge filters but your logic seems spot on to me. If they aren't damaged, they will be fine to run once cleaned up. There is absolutely nothing wrong with cartridge filters. They filter exceptionally well.

well crud Robbie beat me to it. Ignore me.

 

[12mustangdude]

For daily chlorination, we recommend not using either one of those chlorine methods. Tablets add CYA, which in time will build up and make the pool's chemistry impossible to keep balanced.

Cartridge filters are meant to be rinsed. Don't forget about Pool School up in the top right corner!
http://www.troublefreepool.com/content/144-maintenance-and-cleaning-of-pool-filters

Cartridges should never have algae on them unless something has gone wrong. Filters aren't there to remove algae, they are there to remove sand, dust, and other debris which gets introduced to the pool.

Thanks for the advice on the filters, I already bought 30 pounds of the tablets some 6 in one formula or whatever I wanna use those up and then I will definatly switch to the liquid chlorine!

Got some stablizer/conditioner
lamotte 2056 test kit
and dolphin robot.

I'm going to start refilling the pool saturday afternoon/night besides the stabilizer do I need anything else right away? Should I test water asap or let it circulate a few days to get all the chemicals mixed in?

 

[jblizzle]

Welcome to TFP!!!

You can not just "use them up" because you bought them if they are doing more harm than good. They will save indefinitely and can be used when you KNOW that you need the extra CYA. If you add stabilizer right away, then you should not be using tablets at all. Also the 6 in1 is a little frightening, what other garbage is in them? If they are adding copper, that is also a very bad thing and can lead to staining and green hair.

Fill the pool and then do a full set of tests to find out what you need to adjust.

In the meantime, read Pool School starting with these:
ABCs of Water Chemistry
Recommended Pool Chemicals
How to Chlorinate Your Pool

 

[delirium330]

Listen to what the others are saying because you may be telling yourself that you should just use the tablets now versus waste the money you paid for them, but if you don't have a good understanding of your pool's chemistry and monitor their use closely you're going to spend much more of your time and money trying to fix what they are inevitably going to mess up. Liquid chlorine is your best bet starting out because it only is ONE variable to control. Save your pucks for later when you know what is going on and can control the MULTIPLE variables that they will present. Also, I have a cartridge filter too, and this little tool (link below) is awesome and will allow you to clean you filter much faster and more thoroughly. Get it, you won't regret it.

http://www.amazon.com/Mi-Way-Aquaco...395939763&sr=8-1&keywords=pool+filter+cleaner

 

[mrcarcrazy]

Not to mention the tabs may come in handy some day if you go out of town for very long (you just have to understand when it's safe to use them).

 

[Isaac-1]

Let me start by saying I agree with what the others have said, and will not lecture you again on starting off right vs using up the stuff you have bought. Instead let me address the filter issue, the cartridge filter you have may be perfectly fine for your needs, however we really do lack the information we need to tell you since we don't know how big your pool is or how big the cartridge filter is, one of the biggest problems we see here when it comes to pool filters is not the type but the size, often people will install undersized or marginal filters in order to save money, and this just causes head aches in the long run. It is also common to see single speed pumps that waste their cost in electricity every year or two installed in place of 2 speed or variable speed pumps which are much more economical to operate. We can help you make smart decisions about your pool, we are pool owners ourselves and most have been where you are, we don't want to sell you stuff, but we are happy to share our experience and hopefully help you avoid some of the things we have went through, but in order to do that we need some information from you, and need you to read over the pool school link in the upper right (maybe a couple of times as most people get more out of it the second time through) so that we will be speaking a common language.

Ike

 

[Smykowski]

Yeah, pretty much all of the advice here is going to be completely different than anything you get from a pool store or other pool service. I know we sound like broken records, but read through Pool School. In the middle of the summer when your neighbors are complaining about how their pools won't stay clear and how they spend so much money on chemicals, you can lovingly look at your crystal clear pool and have another beverage.

Can you return the bucket of tabs, even if it's for a store credit?

 

[whatsthispoolthing]

You may notice that many of the signatures on the forum have all the pool details (size, equipment etc.). This helps people answer your questions and also means you don't have to keep listing your pool details each time you ask a question.

 

[Casey]

12mustangdude... Welcome!

Get the TF-100 XL test kit (link in my sig and in Pool School)
Read Pool School (Link in my sig or top right of every forum page)
Trade those pucks for liquid bleach. (Take that **** back!!!)

We really know how to keep a pool sparkling and you can too if you take the time to read Pool School.

 

[Pops37]

Howdy... Testing proves testing works! Get the test kit do the Pool school.. Stick to the methodology on this site and you will be very very happy. Good luck play safely!

 

[zea3]

Hi, welcome to TFP! Do not use any of the powdered shock to clean your filter cartridges. Just hose them off well. Soaking them in a strong chlorine solution will greatly shorten the life of the cartridges. If there is a thick coating of algae that does not hose off easily follow these instructions to clean the cartridge filter.

 

[Norcal Spearo]

My 2 cents, from my understanding algae cannot grow without sunlight, filters, I just gave away my old sand filter and bought a cartridge filter, cartridge filters are expensive to replace, but they should clean better, I think sand filters are good too, I just had a cheap old Hayward that did not do a good job.