another confused newbie here

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mrsray

mrsray

0
Sep 2, 2008
19
SW FL
first off ... I LOVE THIS FORUM! :-D

Next ... can some of you pro's help me out? Silly questions here. My new pool is shipped and on it's way. Please let me know if I am doing this right ...

I laid down 2" of sand, leveled it, have a gorilla pad to put between the ground cover and the pool ... I can't wait to set it up. I'll post pics once it's done.

I want to do the bbb method and keep the pool sparkling clear. I just ordered the TF-100 tester ... until it gets here I have AQUACHEK 7 TEST STRIPS.

what, is this the range I want to be in? ( gather this from pool school )
FC 3-5 ppm (Free Chlorine)
PH 7.5-7.8 (acidic)
TA 60-80 (Total Alkalinity)
CH 150 for vinyl (Hardness)
CYA 70-80 (stabilizer)
Borates 50 ppm
Salt 3200-3600 ppm

right? I see 6 tests there (salt level wouldn't be in test kit) ... what is the 7th one I'm missing and what level should it be at when I use the TF-100?

2nd, can I run my pump with my pool cover on?

3rd, how long should I run my pump. I was going to run it to run it to start with 8 hours a day ... 4 hours at night and 4 hours in the morning. I also know to run it more if used a lot and should go by 1 hr per each 10 degrees of the pool (I read that in here)

3rd, what is the maintenance to keep it clear?

from what I have researched :

daily I should ...
test chlorine, alkalinity and pH ; Check Skimmer Basket ; check salt level

Weekly I should ...
test all water tests, clean salt cell, brush the pool with baking soda on a green kitchen sponge, clean the filter, vacuum the pool

anything else I am missing in my maintenance routine?

4th, for the bbb method

Muratic acid to lower your PH
Borax for raising pH
Bleach for chlorine
Baking Soda for raising Total Alkalinity
Cyanuric Acid ?

where do I get muratic acid and Cyanuric Acid? you say the supermarket? where in the supermarket?

and as I test the pool water, I use http://www.poolcalculator.com/ to know what I need to do with the ingredients above, right?

:?: I know lots of questions ...

oh and one more, do I NEED to go get my water tested at a pool store on occasions?

Anything else you can offer is always welcome.

Thanks in advance.

I look forward to being a part of troublefreepool!! :goodjob:
 
Muriatic acid is typically sold by hardware stores, sometimes in the paint department, sometimes elsewhere.

Cyanuric acid is only sold in pool stores, or in the pool department of some big box stores.

Yes, you can run the pump when the cover is on.

How long you run the pump each day depends on the relative size of the pump and the pool. I would start with 12 hours a day and then adjust it based on how the water looks till you find a number that is right for your pool.

There is no need to get your water tested at pool stores, though it is worth a giggle now and then if you don't mind the hard sell that often accompanies water testing.

You are off to a great start!
 
mrsray said:
first off ... I LOVE THIS FORUM! :-D

Next ... can some of you pro's help me out? Silly questions here. My new pool is shipped and on it's way. Please let me know if I am doing this right ...

I laid down 2" of sand, leveled it, have a gorilla pad to put between the ground cover and the pool ... I can't wait to set it up. I'll post pics once it's done.

I want to do the bbb method and keep the pool sparkling clear. I just ordered the TF-100 tester ... until it gets here I have AQUACHEK 7 TEST STRIPS.

what, is this the range I want to be in? ( gather this from pool school )
FC 3-5 ppm (Free Chlorine)
PH 7.5-7.8 (acidic)
TA 60-80 (Total Alkalinity)
CH 150 for vinyl (Hardness)
CYA 70-80 (stabilizer)
Borates 50 ppm
Salt 3200-3600 ppm

This looks right for a SWG. Check the literature for the Intex SWG. I'm thinking it needs right around 2800 - 2900 PPM salt for optimum use. BTW, Borates are optional, not necessary.

right? I see 6 tests there (salt level wouldn't be in test kit) ... what is the 7th one I'm missing and what level should it be at when I use the TF-100?

You have to purchase additional test strips for both salt and borates, if you choose to add borates. Neither will be included with your test kit.

2nd, can I run my pump with my pool cover on?

Most certainly!

3rd, how long should I run my pump. I was going to run it to run it to start with 8 hours a day ... 4 hours at night and 4 hours in the morning. I also know to run it more if used a lot and should go by 1 hr per each 10 degrees of the pool (I read that in here)

8 hours should be fine. That should give you almost 4 turnovers of water. More importantly, make sure you get extra filters for the pump, so you can always have a clean one handy. The Intex pumps/filters are usually notoriously undersized, so you'll need to change your filters frequently.

3rd, what is the maintenance to keep it clear?

Maintain your FC and your pH, and you should be good. TA, CH, and CYA rarely move after you get them adjusted where they need to be. Vaccuum when needed, and you should be good to go.

from what I have researched :

daily I should ...
test chlorine, alkalinity and pH ; Check Skimmer Basket ; check salt level

Chlorine and pH - yes, until you figure out how your pool responds (pH creeping up, higher FC demand, etc.); Skimmer basket - yes; alkalinity and salt - no. Check your alkalinity once a week if you'd like, but TA and salt levels should basically stay the same.

Weekly I should ...
test all water tests, clean salt cell, brush the pool with baking soda on a green kitchen sponge, clean the filter, vacuum the pool

I wouldn't brush the pool with baking soda. If you do, you'll notice your TA and pH going up. Just brush with a pool brush, and you'll be OK. The Intex SWG is self-cleaning, so no need to do that either. Start cleaning/changing the filter weekly, and if need be, do it more often as needs dictate. Vacuum if needed.

anything else I am missing in my maintenance routine?

4th, for the bbb method

Muratic acid to lower your PH
Borax for raising pH
Bleach for chlorine
Baking Soda for raising Total Alkalinity
Cyanuric Acid ?

Cyanuric Acid is kind of like a "sunscreen" for your chlorine. It helps keep the chlorine from being used up by sunlight. When you use a SWG, then you have your CYA higher than normal for a vinyl pool.

where do I get muratic acid and Cyanuric Acid? you say the supermarket? where in the supermarket?

You can get muriatic acid at the big box hardware stores like Lowe's and Home Depot. At Lowe's, it's in the paint department. CYA you can find sometimes at Lowe's and HD, and if not there, at a pool store. It's one of the few things you might need to go to a pool store for.

and as I test the pool water, I use http://www.poolcalculator.com/ to know what I need to do with the ingredients above, right?

Yep - the pool calculator will help you determine how much you'll need to reach your target values.

:?: I know lots of questions ...

oh and one more, do I NEED to go get my water tested at a pool store on occasions?

Not really, unless you just want to see how it compares to your testing. Personally, I trust my test results MUCH more so than the pool store's...

Anything else you can offer is always welcome.

Thanks in advance.

I look forward to being a part of troublefreepool!! :goodjob:
Click to expand...

Welcome to TFP!!
 
:rant:

now i have to wait for IKE to go through before I can do anything ... I hope to still have a house to go with the pool ... GO AWAY IKE

and ya ... I've been reading in here for weeks prior to posting ... there is a wealth of information for sure.

Oh and I got my TF-100 tester today :goodjob: that was super fast!
 
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