New member. I am sure I will be burning up the forum in short order. We're in the process of having a pool built now (I have all the particulars I know currently in my sig already).
I'm not a total do-it-yourselfer when it comes to mechanical things. But I do homebrew, which if you're doing it at my level, has a fair amount of water chemistry involved. That being said, the water science part of pool maintenance is something that appealed to me from the time my wife and I decided to put in a pool. A friend at work introduced me to this site and I have been reading it heavily over the last few days. This is a fantastic resource!
I think I'm getting comfortable enough with what I am reading that I plan to handle my own water maintenance. I plan to order the TF-100 kit as the pool nears completion. I'm also considering going the borates route once I get the pool in, if for nothing else, to help combat algae. I've always favored prevention over cure.
One concern I did have was about water sources. We have an irrigation well that we'll be adding a faucet to in order to get a low cost source of pool water. With my brewing background, I have had our local water analyzed a handful of times and know that we have highly alkaline water with a great deal of carbonate content. Our well water regularly "scales" hard surfaces around the house.
With that as a starting point, I am sure we'll have to do a great deal of adjustment on the first fill to get alkalinity and pH under control.
1. With our source water, is there anything we can do during the initial fill to make things easier? Or will it just be a matter of getting the water in place, testing, then getting to work? Our pool contractor is gonig to work with us on the initial fill and maintenance. Just wondering if there is anything I need to point out to him in terms of the initial opening.
2. If I plan to add borates, should I make that part of the initial fill? Or is it best to get the pool in, filled and open. Then once I have the water balanced for pH, chlorine, TA, etc., look at doing the borates after a few weeks?
3. I've been reading a little about putting DE in the sand filter. Would this be something I'd want to do up front? Or again, is it better to wait a bit and get the pool open and running before I go that route?
Thanks in advance for all the advice I am about to ask you guys to give me
John
I'm not a total do-it-yourselfer when it comes to mechanical things. But I do homebrew, which if you're doing it at my level, has a fair amount of water chemistry involved. That being said, the water science part of pool maintenance is something that appealed to me from the time my wife and I decided to put in a pool. A friend at work introduced me to this site and I have been reading it heavily over the last few days. This is a fantastic resource!
I think I'm getting comfortable enough with what I am reading that I plan to handle my own water maintenance. I plan to order the TF-100 kit as the pool nears completion. I'm also considering going the borates route once I get the pool in, if for nothing else, to help combat algae. I've always favored prevention over cure.
One concern I did have was about water sources. We have an irrigation well that we'll be adding a faucet to in order to get a low cost source of pool water. With my brewing background, I have had our local water analyzed a handful of times and know that we have highly alkaline water with a great deal of carbonate content. Our well water regularly "scales" hard surfaces around the house.
With that as a starting point, I am sure we'll have to do a great deal of adjustment on the first fill to get alkalinity and pH under control.
1. With our source water, is there anything we can do during the initial fill to make things easier? Or will it just be a matter of getting the water in place, testing, then getting to work? Our pool contractor is gonig to work with us on the initial fill and maintenance. Just wondering if there is anything I need to point out to him in terms of the initial opening.
2. If I plan to add borates, should I make that part of the initial fill? Or is it best to get the pool in, filled and open. Then once I have the water balanced for pH, chlorine, TA, etc., look at doing the borates after a few weeks?
3. I've been reading a little about putting DE in the sand filter. Would this be something I'd want to do up front? Or again, is it better to wait a bit and get the pool open and running before I go that route?
Thanks in advance for all the advice I am about to ask you guys to give me
John
