First Pool - First Shock - 15' Intex EasySet

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jettabrett92

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Jun 8, 2015
8
Augusta, GA
Hello,

I have a 15x48 Intex Easy Set pool (3700 gallons). This is my first pool and I've been reading lots about pool maintenance and am a little overwhelmed. When I first bought the pool, I bought a "flippin frog" chlorine dispenser and have it set to 4. I read reviews (not on this site) where people said this would alone would keep everything in check on smaller pools.

With that said, our pool is about 4 weeks old. Water is crystal clear. PH is a little low at 6.8-7, and chlorine unfortunately doesn't register on the test kit, so it's below .5. The big problem I have is that yellow/brown staining that has showed up on the bottom outward part of the pool. I was hoping it was dirt since it sweeps away quite easily, but now I'm thinking it's the brown/mustard algae.

So, I bought some stuff at Lowes called "SHOCK" by Pool Essentials. I figured it needed anyway since the chlorine was low. I was going to add that and run the pump overnight.

Question: Would you all recommend using this "SHOCK"? If so, I'm a little concerned about staining. I plan to dilute it in water and slowly poor it in spreading it out. Any other precautions I should take? It says it treats 10,000 gallons so I plan to only use a third of it and store it until next time.

Thanks in advance.
 
Welcome to TFP :wave:

May I ask what kit you are using? Your pool almost falls within our guidelines for running seasonal/temporary pools, and it's possible to do that. However, it sounds like you may now have an Algae issue. If you are not opposed to purchasing another kit, you can regain control quite easily with a little effort. Post back with how you are testing now, and one of us will offer more suggestions.
 
Thanks Patrick. Here's the exact kit I have:

http://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/kokido-5-way-reagent-swimming-pool-test-kit/pid-638779

So far, I have only done the Chlorine and pH test. I just filled the tester halfway with pool water, then added 5 drops of the ph-Red to test PH or 5 drops of of OTO-50 to test for Chlorine.

I'm really surprised by the Chlorine being so low. The flippin frog dispenser has been in our pool since the day we got it. The pH doesn't surprise me as we have gotten a lot of rain.
 
So, I shocked my pool last high wit the pouch I purchased. I used about 1/3 of it and pre-disolved it in water, poured it in and ran pump overnight. This morning the stains seemed noticeably better. The chlorine tests around 2-4, if not higher. No bleaching from what I can tell.
 
jettabrett92 said:
So, I shocked my pool last high wit the pouch I purchased. I used about 1/3 of it and pre-disolved it in water, poured it in and ran pump overnight. This morning the stains seemed noticeably better. The chlorine tests around 2-4, if not higher. No bleaching from what I can tell.
Click to expand...
Just so you know...

5 ounces of trichlor in 3700 gallons raises FC by 9.3, raises CYA by 5.6 and lowers pH by .5. You better check and fix the pH.
 
Next time you need to raise PH check out this handy article from Pool School.

Pool School - Recommended Pool Chemicals

Raising PH
PH can be raised in three ways: borax, soda ash, and aeration. Borax is usually the best choice. Borax raises the PH and also raises the TA level just a little. If your TA level is low soda ash will raise both the PH and TA levels. If your TA level is high, aeration is best as it will not raise the TA level at all. However, aeration is rather slow compared to the other two.

Borax is available as 20 Mule Team® Borax Natural Laundry Booster. It is sold in the laundry detergent section of most larger grocery stores and some big box stores. Borax is best added by pre-dissolving it in a bucket of water and then pouring that slowly in front of a return.

Soda ash is available as ARM & HAMMER® Super Washing Soda Detergent Booster. Do not confuse this with ARM & HAMMER® laundry detergent! It is sold in the laundry detergent section of most larger grocery stores and some big box stores. It is also sold by pool stores under various names, including PH Increaser, PH Up, Balance Pak 200, etc. Soda ash is best added by pre-dissolving it in a bucket of water and then pouring that slowly in front of a return.

Aeration can be provided by a SWG, spa jets, waterfall, fountain, return pointed up so it breaks the surface, air compressor, kids splashing, rain, etc. It can take some time for aeration to raise the PH. The higher your TA level, the faster aeration will work.
 
Just wanted to update thread - My pH is around 7-7.2 after adding the pH up, but my chlorine level is back down to 0. I have a flippin frog chlorine dispenser. It's suppose to flip when it's empty but hasn't. I went ahead and set it to the highest setting for now to see if there's a change.

Here are some pictures (I'll try to get better ones later) of the pool and the spot:


Algae1.jpgAlgae2.jpg
 
Don't know much about that flippin frog :) How about just adding some plain old grocery store unscented bleach to keep your chlorine level up? Spending much time with chlorine level at 0 will allow algae to start growing and your pool not be properly sanitized for swimming.
 

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Just to update, I wiped all the algae areas off of the pool bottom (the water turned very cloudy green after). I got a current going and let the pump run for a couple of hours. I then did another "shock" with the pouch I bought from lowes and let the pump run overnight. This morning the water was very clear - ph around 6.8, but chlorine was still 5+. Will add some more phUP to take care of the low pH.

After I use the chemicals I already purchased, I plan to use the clorox bleach that was recommended.
 
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