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kramer

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Jun 28, 2015
15
Horsham, PA
Hi everyone, new user and new pool owner here. Let me start by saying the minute I walked into the pool store for the first time, I knew I was about to be taken. It took a couple weeks, but I found myself here. I have the Taylor K-2006 test kit and I think I'm ready to DIY this thing. I have some questions I'm hoping folks can answer. Thanks in advance.

I'll skip the long story . . . we're about 35 since opening and we've added no chlorine since then. Like I said, it's a long story. Can I assume that both FC and CC are zero? Or should I do the test and report the results here? Note that multiple pool store tests have been zero for both measures.

My CYA is off the chart, both according to the pool store and my own test. I've been draining a bit here and there, but it's tough. I'm afraid to drain too much because I don't want to damage my liner and erode the soil from my entire yard, among other reasons. no real question here . . . I've read that the CYA reducing packs are not necessarily effective. my guess is the previous owner used nothing but 1 lb packs of stabilized trichlor from the pool store for years. I found 2 of them in a storage bin. there's no chlorinator, and I think he would have left me one of the floating ducks if he was using tabs. I guess maybe my question is should I avoid adding any more CYA at all costs? I'm leaning towards yes.

It took a couple weeks but I think I got the water balanced. I'm still new at reading the test, but I think I'm at 7.4. Should I start testing each day. Should I always have something on hand that will raise or lower the pH as necessary?

I tested TA at 150. Should I worry about that now? or just get to sanitizing ASAP?

I have yellow staining on the seams of the liner and in random other spots. probably algae right? should I start the SLAM process?

I have small clumps of sand in the shallow end. I'm guessing it's from the filter somehow. How could that happen? What should I do about it? Is it an indication that something is wrong with the filter or the pump?

I just want to make sure I understand the concept of sanitizing with bleach. Does everyone just buy jug after jug of plain old household bleach? once I get things stabilized, will I just need to be in the habit of dumping bleach in the pool everyday? will I need a jug or more each day? I guess it depends on the jug size and the concentration.

Additional info . . . I'm in the Philly area. It can get pretty warm here in the summer. 90s and up here and there, but average highs probably less that 90. the pool is in the sun most of the day. no trees around to shade the chlorine.

Looking forward to swimming in the thing by Labor Day :)

Edit: Sorry, long post, probably too many questions.
 
Hello Kramer and welcome. Woo! Lots of questions. :) Okay, here's my input:
- Focus on the CYA first. If it's still too high (i.e. over 80) then start or continue your partial drains to reduce. No sense trying adjust other items when you're just going to drain the water.
- Once the CYA is in a manageable range (ideally 50-ish, but 60-70 will work), then post all new numbers and we can assist from there. After the CYA, we'll more than likely focus on FC and PH first, then let the others follow.

As for the clumps in your pool, see if you can scoop or vacuum out while draining. As for the yellow stains, it may be algae. We can treat that after the drain. You can always post pics later as well.
 
First thing you need to do is lower that CYA to something manageable. There's no point dumping chemicals into water you're just going to replace anyway, and you really can't deal with algae with CYA in triple digits. Even with crystal clear water, the minimum FC for 130 CYA is 10 FC. That high FC affects the pH test, so it will always be suspect. Better to have CYA in the 50ish zone. As long as you leave a foot of water in the shallow end, you liner shouldn't shift or wrinkle.

Once CYA is reasonable, then you adjust pH and if the water is cloudy or green or shows high CC, you SLAM. Otherwise, you just maintain adequate FC for the CYA.

Yes, daily jugdumping is the norm for me. I buy 12.5% bleach in refillable returnable jugs so it's no big deal. About a quart a day for my pool. Yours is bigger, so you'll need more, and if you buy weaker stuff, it will also take more. Costs me maybe a buck a day during the season, less in winter. Such as it is in SoCal where the pool never really closes.
 
Texas Splash said:
Hello Kramer and welcome. Woo! Lots of questions. :) Okay, here's my input:
- Focus on the CYA first. If it's still too high (i.e. over 80) then start or continue your partial drains to reduce. No sense trying adjust other items when you're just going to drain the water.
- Once the CYA is in a manageable range (ideally 50-ish, but 60-70 will work), then post all new numbers and we can assist from there. After the CYA, we'll more than likely focus on FC and PH first, then let the others follow.

As for the clumps in your pool, see if you can scoop or vacuum out while draining. As for the yellow stains, it may be algae. We can treat that after the drain. You can always post pics later as well.
Click to expand...

RE: the CYA, that's what I was afraid you'd say. I feel like it will take forever to get the CYA down. The pool store suggested I drain 20 inches. I didn't do that much because I was afraid of ruining the liner. I've done a few inches maybe 3 or 4 times. Do I just drain onto the grass and not worry about the soil, the grass, ground water contamination, etc?

I'll try vacuuming out the sand clumps. hopefully I don't get more.
 
How does the pool look, sparkly clear, sorta clear, cloudy, swamp, Jimmy Hoffa could be down there and I wouldn't know it?

That is where we will start.

Richard is right on point as always, if you are dumping water don't bother making it nice, dump it.

In ground vinyl lined pools are generally safe to be drained to the point that one foot is still in the shallow end to hold the liner in place.

What will you be filling with city water, well, truck in water, rain dance?
 
Mike1162 said:
What's the condition of the water now? Clear, cloudy, disgusting?
Any idea how old the liner is?

Edit:
PS - Click on the Pool School link & start reading.
Click to expand...

I've been reading it for about a week. When I first got here, I was beyond clueless. Now I am a bit educated. :)

the water is generally pretty clear, but not as clear as it was when we took the winter cover off. it clouded up a bit when I was about 35 lbs into a 50 lb bucket of soda ash. Suspended solids maybe?. I've since finished the bucket. the pool store tests kept reporting a really low pH. I put in that whole 50 lb bucket they sold me (at like $60), and now it's a 7.4. I don't really know what it was originally because I was relying on the pool store test before I got my test kit. I'm not going back to that place, believe me.

I think the liner is about 4 years old. it looks like it's pretty good shape. I can try to post pictures if that would help.
 

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tim5055 said:
What will you be filling with city water, well, truck in water, rain dance?
Click to expand...

city water via a garden hose was my plan. 2 questions though:

my city water is pretty hard. And according to the pool store cheats, I already have enough copper in the pool to re-pipe my house. So is my city water a bad idea?

any recommendations for where to drain the water? I've just been doing it through the existing 25 foot backwash hose which is wrecking grass, soil, and flowerbed nearby. I'd need to use 2 x 100 foot backwash hoses connected by some sort of mechanism to reach the street. Maybe just 1 x 100 foot hose to reach the woods behind the house. Are either a viable/legal option?
 
kramer said:
city water via a garden hose was my plan. 2 questions though:

my city water is pretty hard. And according to the pool store cheats, I already have enough copper in the pool to re-pipe my house. So is my city water a bad idea?

any recommendations for where to drain the water? I've just been doing it through the existing 25 foot backwash hose which is wrecking grass, soil, and flowerbed nearby. I'd need to use 2 x 100 foot backwash hoses connected by some sort of mechanism to reach the street. Maybe just 1 x 100 foot hose to reach the woods behind the house. Are either a viable/legal option?
Click to expand...
City water probably has negligible amounts of metals in it. It's well water we're worried about, which can be chock full o' Iron.

A submersible pump will attach to garden hoses and will allow you to discharge at the street or into the woods or into a sewer cleanout or the washing machine drain. Even a cheap one should be good for about 2000 GPH, so overnight would empty the pool.Set it on the step if you're afraid it will empty too much.
 
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