Can you help with Chemicals advice? Thank you

[ciaka]

I am about to have my pool finish installed tomorrow. I am getting ready to get chemicals I will need for them to start my pool up.
Pool builder gave me a list to buy, wanted to see if you can give recommendation for where or what to get, so I get better stuff at a good price too.

Here is the list:
- 8 Gallons Muriatic acid
- 8 lbs of Stabilizer
- 10 lbs (or more) of Chlorine tablets 3" - Copper Free/Tri-Chlor chlorine tabs
- 4 gallons of Liquid shock
- 5 lbs or baking soda or alkalinity increaser


So if you can point me to good place I will really appreciate it. Thanks.

 

[HermanTX]

Did the PB provide you a start up guideline? If not, ask for it or download it from the mfg. of your plaster that you are using.
Is the PB taking any responsibility to get the pool in correct chemistry before it is turned over to you?

You can also see Pool Start-Up Guidelines
Plaster Start-Up Guides - Further Reading
or
Start Up New Plaster
Start-up New Plaster - Trouble Free Pool

Since you will be filling pool in next day or 2 then you need to buy locally such as any pool store or Walmart or Home Depot/Lowes. The latter have reduced inventory as swim season is finished. If you do go to pool store, only purchase what you absolutely need as shown in your list and no other fancy products. Get granular stabilizer not liquid. Get 32% Acid, get 10% or 12.5% liquid chlorine

Have you purchased your test kit? Need that now and also you need to test your fill water so you know what is going in. See Test Kits Compared

another recommendation is to take note of your water meter reading before you start filling and then again when done. This will give you a good estimate of your true pool volume. People on average use 50-70 gals per day per person. So you can deduct that from your readings based on family size.

 

[ciaka]

PB is going to do the startup for me.
Then PB will give me pool school where they will be teaching me about maintenance and the equipment.
They will then have a service for 30 days to maintain for me.
I will be getting a test kit from them, but I already purchased a taylor kit as well.
They are supposed to start plaster tomorrow (well, today) morning. Then next day will be returning to acid wash. Then I am supposed to start filling.
They brought in stuff they will be putting in (or I will) as the water is filling so that any stuff is removed from the water. Told me to dump into pool once it reaches a couple feet in deep end. Once water fills up they will have someone come to start up equipment and add all the stuff in. I feel overwhelmed just thinking about it.
Looks like a trip to Leslie's for some tablets and other items on the list above. Then I can order online for later delivery.

 

[Jimrahbe]

I feel overwhelmed just thinking about it.

C,

Please take a deep breath... It will all be ok..

Just sit back and let your pool builder do his thing. Nothing bad will happen in the month that your pool builder will be maintaining your pool. Once the pool is turned over to you, then we can easily get you back on tract..

When your pool builder gives you his Pool School, ask questions and pay attention to all of the mechanical aspects of your pool build. When he starts talking about chemicals, just nod your head, and ignore almost everything he has to say..

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[CrystalRiver]

No tablets. Just liquid for chlorine.

 

[Rancho Cost-a-Lotta]

Great advice from the previous posters. The best thing you can do for yourself is arm yourself with knowledge before putting anything into your pool. One of the cornerstones of TFP care is knowing the effects and side-effects of chemicals that go into your pool. For example, tablets do chlorinate the pool, but also contain chlorine stabilizer (CYA). Too many tablets will raise CYA to a point the chlorine is no longer effective, which will lead to drain and refill. As mentioned above, stick with liquid chlorine (which will require frequent testing and daily dosing) or invest in a salt water chlorination system. Save the tablets for times away from the home when you're not able to dose liquid chlorine.

Make sure your Taylor kit is a K-2006 or K-2006C. Otherwise, get a good test kit before you fill the pool.

Here's a good place to start reading.

Pool Care Basics Archives

Your one-stop shop for all things TFP to include: ABCs of Water Chemistry, Recommended Chemicals/Levels, Test Kits, Troubleshooting, and much more!

www.troublefreepool.com

Best of luck!

 

[HermanTX]

They brought in stuff they will be putting in (or I will) as the water is filling so that any stuff is removed from the water. Told me to dump into pool once it reaches a couple feet in deep end. Once water fills up they will have someone come to start up equipment and add all the stuff in.

Just some ideas for consideration as you get near the final stage

1. Take a picture of the bottle or the bag that they provide you (picture the label and the ingredients). This way you can define what is being added to your pool
2. Also when you fill with your hose be sure to wrap a sock around the end and tape it in place. You do not want the metal nozzle sitting on the plaster. Also, ensure it is in the deepest part of the pool - maybe on the drain if you have that.
3. Also, once filling starts do NOT stop until it reaches the middle part of your water tiles (or the middle of the skimmer).
4. The test kit they provide is too basic. Suggest the TF-100 or the K-2006 (the "C" refers to the larger volume bottles in the kit)
5. Be prepared to do a lot of brushing once the pool fills and he starts the circulation.
6. Ensure the PB has labelled all the pipes on the equipment pad and the direction of flow.

Good Luck

 

[YippeeSkippy]

-Muriatic Acid from either Lowes/Home Depot, or a paint store like Sherwin Williams.
-Baking Soda is the same as Alkalinity Increaser- large bags from Costco or Wallyworld
-CYA Stabilizer from Lowes/Home Depot or Wallyworld
-Liquid Chlorine/Liquid Shock can be found at pool stores (ask if they sell it in refillable totes) or Lowes/HomeDepot. IF you buy it from a store that puts gallons on the shelf you need to check the production date. It often looks like 20309 (that is today, the 309th day of 2020) You want nothing older than 3 months max.

DO NOT buy ANYthing that is labeled "XtraBlue" or the like, read ingredients. Those often contain dastardly copper!!

Congrats on the pool

Maddie

 

[ciaka]

...lol. I sure can do that, ignore what he says.

C,

Please take a deep breath...

When he starts talking about chemicals, just nod your head, and ignore almost everything he has to say..

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[ciaka]

thanks for advice. The pool started filling today as they acid washed it to expose the glass and penne. It’s been filling since about noon. Pool will be about 40k some gallons so will take time. Just recently checked and it’s about fit and a half maybe in deepest part.
the chemicals they gave me are in images below. Each bottle is 2 litres, they gave me 2 bottles of each.
I will dump these in tomorrow am, then they told me to remove hoses from bottom of pool and have them spill into deep end to help mix the Chems. They will start up on Monday then after that I will have pool school. Told me it will be about 4 hours. That’s like real school IMO. Thought I was done with that.
I will get the chemicals they asked but after they leave will change to your recommendations. Right after they hand over to me after one month.
I shall stay close to you folks so I don’t end up with green water. Noticed they have not cleaned out my skimmers. Guess I should do it before water reaches in.
The test kit I got is the Taylor K 2006c.

.....Good Luck

 

[Texas Splash]

Those Beautec products are marketed as one-stop remedy products, but don't do much IMO. The items Maddie listed above will be your go-to products over the course of the pool's lifetime. Stick close to the link below. It has everything you need.

Pool Care Basics Archives

Your one-stop shop for all things TFP to include: ABCs of Water Chemistry, Recommended Chemicals/Levels, Test Kits, Troubleshooting, and much more!

www.troublefreepool.com

You should also review this link to fully understand teh startup process.

Start-up New Plaster

The first few months are the most criticle for a newly plastered pool. We're here to share best practices to ensure the plaster will last for many years.

www.troublefreepool.com