New Pool Owner

[sandman69]

Howdy Folks!

We are the new owners of a 12x24x52 Intex rectangular pool and we are pretty stoked about finally having a means to cool off and being able to let the kids go out back to swim instead of worrying about taking them to the neighborhood or my parent's pool.
I spent a good bit of time getting the ground ready, which was actually the hardest part. Anyway, we finally got the pool up this Sunday.

I would like to say that my dad and I found the DVD hilarious on the setup. It shows two small in stature women easily just throw this thing up. Nothing against women, I would have thought the same thing if it was two men. However, it was actually a bear getting the support poles latched in. Holding the 24" beam up to let him snap in was a pain especially the one side that kept turning inside the liner so the holes wouldn't line up.

Anyway, it is up and full now. Three of the corners are pretty much dead on and one is about 1 - 1.5" lower than the rest. I have been reading and it seems to be within an acceptable range. Should we be ok? I will look at leveling it up more next season. Though not looking forward to taking it down and putting back up. May look into a more permanent pool in the next couple years. Also, has anyone tried to jack up one of the support legs that had the paver kick out some? It is just a little bit, but bugs me some.

Also, We bought the Salt Water System and I am working on getting the numbers up to where they should be. I added some PH plus and some stuff to bump up the chlorine some as it was very low. I still have to get the stabilizer numbers up as they were very low. How long does it take the system to start maintaining the chlorine?

I am glad I found this site, so much information in the school and the threads. A little overwhelming to say the least.

 

[Casey]

Welcome to TFP.

You need a good test kit first and fore most and not rely on dip strips and pool stores. You will have better luck maintaining the pool with an adequate test kit like the TF100. You can look at them here :lookhere: Test Kit Comparison.

Now, onto the chemicals and the SWG... You'll need to let the stabilizer to register and have salt in the pool before you can run the SWG. Until then, you will need to add FC manually with unscented liquid bleach.

As far as the pool construction goes, it all looks so simple til you do it yourself! I am a woman and I have ROARED through mine and it's left me crawling out of bed many times bent over, not being able to walk upright, with my husband laughing at me.

Order the test kit and read these:

ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry
Recommended Pool Chemicals
How to Chlorinate Your Pool
Chlorine CYA Chart

Ask more questions and we'll get you started.

 

[sandman69]

Great! Thanks for the information. I will look into the test kits. I picked up a My Salt Pool test kit combo that includes a salinity ppm tester as well as a 6-in-1 for the other levels. I thought strips were fine as it seems everyone uses them. Though I can definitely see how they can be not as accurate. Guess they aren't as granular as it is too broad of a range between the color results.

I added 200 lbs of salt to the pool. Intex recommends 210lbs, but the pool lady looked like I was crazy wanting that much. I added 160lbs to it first day per her recommendation. Then checked the levels the next day, it was still pretty low so I added the 5th bag to it last night. I checked it about an hour later and it was about up to 3,000ppm. The FC was in the acceptable range after I added some, can't remember what it was as I am at work, but it was for FC increase as it was very low. I figured that is good to give the SWG a headstart. I added some PH+ to it as well last night as that was very low as well. Wife just checked and it is still a little low. I will stop tonight on my way home and pick up some stabilizer to get that number up. Definitely a learning experience.

Yeah putting the pool up was A LOT more work than I planned. lol. My body felt like a bus ran it over several times when I was done. The ground looked level, but one corner needed to be cut down about 12" and one corner is still a little low. I think it is in the acceptable range though. About 1.5".

Now I am dreading taking this thing down in the winter and setting back up next year. Definitely will look at a different pool in a couple years that I can leave up.

 

[sandman69]

Do I need to worry about the OTO numbers? I think I will go with the Taylor K2006 kit as I can get it at a good price on Amazon and from what I read OTO is more of a ballpark quick check for chlorine?

Also, is the My Salt Pool salinity test good enough for the ppm test or should I invest in a better tester for that?

 

[Casey]

The thing with the K2006 is that you will get considerably less reagents than with the TF100. That is why I suggested the TF100. I have a brand new kit and it's on it's second year and will get me into my 3rd year without replacing the powder. I will actually run out by the end of this year. You will also get a nice case with it and have an option to purchase a speed stir. That thing is sweet. No one has ever complained about purchasing it. It's all up to you though. Just saying...

Test strips for salt is fine.

The OTO is a color block for pH and Ch levels up to 5ppm.

 

[sandman69]

I went ahead and ordered the TF100. Already received a shopping notice.

 

[Casey]

You're going to love that kit! Please keep it in a cool dry place. You will be able to use it all next year and then replace the test that you need. I keep mine under my kitchen sink.

 

[Richard320]

Until the stabilizer gets in the water and dissolving, the SWG will not be able to keep up with the sunlight degradation. Even if it's just some test strips that came with the pool, check that FC and add bleach if necessary, so it doesn't turn cloudy and/or green on you!

 

[sandman69]

I wish I read about dissolving stabilizer before I put it in.**Doh.**I figured it would dissolve like the rest of the chemicals but it fell right to the bottom and I had to start stirring it up some.**I just saw a couple tricks with nylons and the like.***Be nice if the container mentioned something other than, put it in and you can swim in 15 minutes. Umm.. ok.

The FC is just about up to an acceptable range, but that is one test the other shows it as low.**Guess that is the strips.**Hopefully the TF100 will be here quickly **I will say they got the kit in the mail amazingly fast.***Like an hour after I ordered it.**Left NC so maybe a couple business days to VA.

I am a little bugged seeing that the two test I have are different.***PH is still a little low so I added a little PH up to it.**CYA is still low. Will check things again tomorrow and hopefully the stabilizer dissolves a bit.**

I picked up Sodium Dichloro-s-Triazinetrione-Dihydrate to bring up my FC and CYA, should I wait until the Stabilizer completely dissolves? Or should I not use it and just use Bleach?

Still reading and learning. Great site.

 

[Casey]

Vacuum the CYA up off the floor and let the pump run for a few days so it dissolves. Do not back wash or you'll lose it. Use a sock or nylon for future additions of CYAM You don't want it laying on the liner.

 

[sandman69]

Ok, got the stabilizer vacuumed up so hopefully that will... well stabilize over next couple days. I imagine that can take awhile to totally dissolve and register.
Total Chlorine is good about 3ppm but the FC looks to be high. I can see how the strips aren't very useful for exacts. The My SaltWater 6n1 I got has FC at 5 and then the next one is 10. It is somewhere in between. Actually, looking closer at it, it may actually be good.

PH is still low, I will add more PH+ to it in a bit.

The salt is still registering low too. I have put 200lbs in it and the tester I have is still showing around 2700ppm. But then again I am not sure how good these testers are. A couple strips never completely finished with the top stripe not going solid and the numbers never going over 1k ppm.

Are there better Salinity tests out there? I am guessing I should add another 30-40lbs to it.

Can't wait for the TF100 to show up. Left Raleigh last night at 8pm, so hoping tomorrow or Monday.

 

[Casey]

You can order salt strips from TFtestkits.net I believe.

 

[sandman69]

YAY USPS Says the TF100 should be delivered today!

Now to get the PH up, still low and guess put some more stabilizer in it. In a nylon this time Can it go right into filter too?

 

[sandman69]

So the hardness is low too, should I work on getting that up with calcium chloride?

BTW, what is the best way to put a photo? I tried adding from my desktop, but that doesn't seem to work.

 

[Richard320]

So the hardness is low too, should I work on getting that up with calcium chloride?

BTW, what is the best way to put a photo? I tried adding from my desktop, but that doesn't seem to work.

You have a vinyl pool. You don't need to worry about CH. You won't be etching plaster no matter how low CH is.

As for photos, it's not real user-friendly. After you select the picture (and it's fussy about sizing) you then have to click the non-button, no highlighted "upload".

 

[sandman69]

Cool, thanks for the information about the hardness. I wasn't sure if that was important. So it is fine to stay that low? Ok for the pump and equipment?

AHHH, a missing button. I was wondering. I can choose all the files I want... but then.. I was wondering... what next. I clicked all over the window and didn't have results. So created a photo bucket account for now. Let's see if that works.

Here is the pool. The right top corner is the lower point and it is just about 1" difference to the others. I am getting ready to go out and get some river stone and synthetic mulch to put on the backside to prevent washout from a heavy rain and then get some outdoor grass for now to walk to the stairs. Eventually I will work on a lil deck with a better ladder into the pool. The included Intex is a lil shaky. They wife doesn't like that


EDIT, Ok that didn't work.
Here is the link to photo bucket.
http://s1353.photobucket.com/user/spsanders1969/media/IMG_28673_zps543c3fa9.jpg.html

Should I be worried about Shock as well?

 

[sandman69]

YAY, the TF100 showed up today. That was crazy fast. Ordered Thursday afternoon. Thanks TF Test Kits!

 

[Casey]

Please post a full set of test results (Minus the CH).

 

[sandman69]

Ok just ran some tests. I guess I did em all right. Pretty good instructions.

Cl 3ppm (Though the yellow was about between the 3 and 5ppm)
Br 6ppm
Ph 7.2
CYA 60
TA 50
FC 3ppm
CC 1ppm
TC 4ppm

 

[sandman69]

Other than the PH needing to go up a little are the other numbers reasonable? Going by some of the charts they are pretty decent.

Water was getting a little cloudy, but a vacuuming seemed to have helped that. I need to look at one of those surface skimmer kits. Don't like just the one intake setup on it now. Also, hoping the pump is sized properly. It is the 1650 I think that comes with it.