Complete Newb Needing Help

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J

jhinton

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Aug 21, 2014
11
Middletown, NJ
Hi everyone,

We just moved into a new house and have "inherited" our first pool. I have been adding granular chlorine and tabs (as recommended by the previous owners) but within the hour, my chlorine reading drops to 0. My local pool store tries to keep selling me $70 bottles of phosphate chemical each time I go since they tell me that my phosphate level is "greater than 2000". I have been lurking here for about a week or so and really need some help. One of the introduction posts said that phosphates may not even matter, so I have started to question them...

Where do I start? I can't keep a chlorine reading to save my life. I have been using the test strips for water testing (again, as recommended by the previous owners), but just ordered the TF-100 test kit as recommended by the website and it should be here in a few days.

According to my Aquachek strips, my pH is 6.8, free chlorine is 0 ppm, total alkalinity is 120 ppm, and stabilizer is somewhere around 130 ppm.

Does anyone have any recommendations?

I've already learned a ton from the site, and am very appreciative of any help I can get! Thank you!

jhinton
 
:wave: Welcome to TFP!!!

SOOOO glad you stopped listening to the pool store and ordered a good test kit. We are not even going to hazzard a guess to make recommendations based on those test strip results.

Once you get the kit, post a full set of test results. Likely you need to follow the ShockLevelAndMAINTAIN Process to clear up whatever is consuming your FC. You may have to replace water first to lower the CYA if these numbers are correct.

While waiting, start learning by reading Pool School beginning with these:
ABCs of Water Chemistry
Recommended Pool Chemicals
How to Chlorinate Your Pool
 
Welcome to the forum. Congrats on ordering a great test kit. I'd spend some time reading pool school until you can get your OWN good test numbers. Ignore the phosphates. Be prepared to do some partial drain/refills to lower that cya by half.
 
Thanks much to both of you already! I have already been through many of the pool school threads and am always finding new ones, so I'll continue in there.

In the mean time, if I am adding some chlorine daily, is it safe to swim in?

And your "ignore the phosphates" comment was music to my ears!!
 
We say it is safe to swim if you FC is greater than the minimum listed in the FC/CYA Chart for your CYA level and not above the shock level. Also, you must be able to see the bottom of the pool.

If you can satisfy those, then it is safe.
 
As long as you can clearly see the drain it is safe to swim. You don't want someone to be at the bottom of the pool and not see them.

As for the phosphates, the way I look at it is Algae is always hungry. If you keep enough pit bulls (chlorine) guarding the refrigerator (phosphates), The algae is going to starve. Doesn't matter how much algae food is present.
 
Well the my TF-100 kit came today and after about an hour or fiddling around and figuring it all out, I finally have test results. And they are:

CL: 0
pH: 6.8
FC: 0
CC: 0
CH: 175
TA: 90
CYA: >100 (I lost sight of the black dot half way between empty and the 100 mark...)

What do you all recommend I do to start off? I have been reading pool school quite a bit and have learned a lot already. I'm guessing the CYA is way higher than it should be, so does that mean I have to do a partial drain? :(

Then what?

- - - Updated - - -

And thank you for all the welcomes! I'm excited to have found this group and everyone seems so helpful and welcoming!
 

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Ah... A good tip. I didn't know about the "extended tests"

I redid CYA test once and it was still below the 100 mark. So I did again, but this time split the water twice instead of once and got 60, which I now multiplied by 4 (because I halved the half, which means I have to double the double) to get 240... Using the poolmath calculator, that means I have to drain 81% of my pool to get from 240 to 45...?
 
A good way to determine how much you are draining and refilling is to measure the water level in the shallow end then use that minus 1 foot as the depth in pool math and the width and length to find the volume of this part of your pool. Then, divide that volume by 22000 to determine the total % of the water you're replacing each time. That should give you a fairly good idea of what you're looking for for the last drain and refill to get you to the number you want to target.
Whoops, just noticed no bottom drain. You can only drain it to just above the bottom of the skimmer opening. Or alternatively, you can rent or buy a submersible pump. to drain it to a ft remaining in the shallow end.
One other option that might work for you is a simultaneous drain and refill. You'll be draining it faster than refilling it. Make sure your hose goes to the bottom of the pool.
 
Alright! So when I get home tonight, I should have a full pool after the third drain and refil cycle. Each cycle has taken a very long time as I have neither a bottom drain nor a permanant sewer line connection. By my calculations, I should have somewhere near 50 ppm CYA which I'll check to confirm.

Assuming that my CYA level is normal, is my next step a SLAM?
 

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