First Time Above Ground Pool Owner and I'm LOST!

[PoolStored]

(Granted this part is the trickiest for me because it will appear clear and then I let it sit and it turns a slight shade of pink so I add more drops)

Once it appears clear, you are done. Ignore letting it sit, it will turn pink. Stop the first time it turns clear.

Yes, get 30ppm of stabilizer in the pool. Do that now. Here is a tutorial:

How to add large batches of CYA

Hey Folks !!! With a large pool, I need 4lbs of CYA to only raise it 15, and I don't think I have that many socks without holes in them. So I use a Tshirt. Plus, I like that it's doubled up for redundancy. But it can also be scaled down with socks. So I measure out my dose and...

www.troublefreepool.com

Your pH is fine. It will rise on it's own.

Get the stabilizer in the pool. Once the sock or the T-Shirt is in the pool, maintain FC for CYA of 30. Link-->FC/CYA Levels

 

[phonedave]

You have to understand the interplay between chlorine and stabilizer (CYA)

In simplistic terms, stabilizer protects chlorine from sunlight. Without stabilizer, chlorine will burn off extremely quickly in sunlight. This is likely why you keep reading no free chlorine.
However (there is a always a however) stabilizer also make chlorine less effective. The more stabilizer you have in your water, the more chlorine you will also need to keep in the water to maintain sanitary levels. If you have too much CYA you get to a point where it is not possible to maintain a chlorine level high enough to be effective.
The final point is that, for all intents and purposes, stabilizer cannot be removed, nor does it dissipate. If you have too much stabilizer, the only way to lower it is via a partial water change.

What is happening in your pool is that you are adding chlorine, then the sun comes up, and it all goes away - you need stabilizer.

So you want to find that CYA / Chlorine sweet spot: FC/CYA Levels

There are three basic ways to add stabilizer.
- Use liquid stabilizer. The easiest, and also the most expensive.
- Use dry stabilizer. The cheapest, but it takes quite a while to dissolve. Most people put the necessary amount in an old sock and hang it in the pool near the return. It helps if every so often you give it a squeeze. People have tried dissolving it in a bucket with hot water. It really does not work. The only surefire way to get it to dissolve is time, and a large volume of water.
- Use Dichlor (aka, pucks, sticks, granulated 'shock', etc). Not the ideal way to add stabilizer. More to just be aware that ALL dichlor contains stabilizer. So if you use pucks or "bagged shock" just know you are driving your CYA levels up

So, get some dry stabilizer. Put the necessary amount in a sock and hang it. It will take some time to dissolve, so during that time you will have to add liquid chlorine so that you replace what the sun burns off. Once you get your stabilizer to the correct level, your Salt Water Chlorine Generator will be able to keep up (if sized correctly) and replace what the sun burns off and any organics in the water consume.

As a reference, my 27' round pool (17,000 gallons) in pretty much 11 hours of full sun a day, would "consume" about a quart of 8% beach a day - from sun burn off - before I switched to salt. My SWCG now keeps up with that easily.

Oh, and Liquid Chlorine is the same stuff as bleach, just stronger. If you are using pool math, adjust the percent concentration accordingly. WARNING: Not all bleach is created equal. You want plain bleach with no additives. No scents, no thickeners (aka splashless), no fabric protector (aka ChloroMax), etc. It used to be easy to find inexpensive plain bleach, but it is getting harder and harder to find ones without additives. That is why now most people go with Liquid Chlorine, since it is made for pools and designed to be additive free.

 

[Bl4ck4rch]

You have to understand the interplay between chlorine and stabilizer (CYA)

In simplistic terms, stabilizer protects chlorine from sunlight. Without stabilizer, chlorine will burn off extremely quickly in sunlight. This is likely why you keep reading no free chlorine.
However (there is a always a however) stabilizer also make chlorine less effective. The more stabilizer you have in your water, the more chlorine you will also need to keep in the water to maintain sanitary levels. If you have too much CYA you get to a point where it is not possible to maintain a chlorine level high enough to be effective.
The final point is that, for all intents and purposes, stabilizer cannot be removed, nor does it dissipate. If you have too much stabilizer, the only way to lower it is via a partial water change.

What is happening in your pool is that you are adding chlorine, then the sun comes up, and it all goes away - you need stabilizer.

So you want to find that CYA / Chlorine sweet spot: FC/CYA Levels

There are three basic ways to add stabilizer.
- Use liquid stabilizer. The easiest, and also the most expensive.
- Use dry stabilizer. The cheapest, but it takes quite a while to dissolve. Most people put the necessary amount in an old sock and hang it in the pool near the return. It helps if every so often you give it a squeeze. People have tried dissolving it in a bucket with hot water. It really does not work. The only surefire way to get it to dissolve is time, and a large volume of water.
- Use Dichlor (aka, pucks, sticks, granulated 'shock', etc). Not the ideal way to add stabilizer. More to just be aware that ALL dichlor contains stabilizer. So if you use pucks or "bagged shock" just know you are driving your CYA levels up

So, get some dry stabilizer. Put the necessary amount in a sock and hang it. It will take some time to dissolve, so during that time you will have to add liquid chlorine so that you replace what the sun burns off. Once you get your stabilizer to the correct level, your Salt Water Chlorine Generator will be able to keep up (if sized correctly) and replace what the sun burns off and any organics in the water consume.

As a reference, my 27' round pool (17,000 gallons) in pretty much 11 hours of full sun a day, would "consume" about a quart of 8% beach a day - from sun burn off - before I switched to salt. My SWCG now keeps up with that easily.

Oh, and Liquid Chlorine is the same stuff as bleach, just stronger. If you are using pool math, adjust the percent concentration accordingly. WARNING: Not all bleach is created equal. You want plain bleach with no additives. No scents, no thickeners (aka splashless), no fabric protector (aka ChloroMax), etc. It used to be easy to find inexpensive plain bleach, but it is getting harder and harder to find ones without additives. That is why now most people go with Liquid Chlorine, since it is made for pools and designed to be additive free.

Sounds great! I only have one more question and it feeds off both of your responses. I'm going to pick up the Dry Stabilizer right after lunch so I will get that going. Knowing I have a SWG should I be looking at adding the recommended CYA levels for that which is 75ppm or should I just try and get things started in the right direction with the 30ppm?

And one more question.. during this time, should I be running my pump alone or should I also be running the Chlorinator as well when the pump runs?

 

[PoolStored]

Start with 30.

When the sock/t-shirt is in the pool, keep your FC in range for CYA of 30. Link-->FC/CYA Levels

Do an OCLT tonight to rule out algae before raising CYA. Link-->Overnight Chlorine Loss Test

Then raise your CYA to 60 and see how that works.

After you pass the OCLT, raise your FC to range with Liquid Chlorine and turn on the SWCG.

Use pool math to figure out how long to run your pump and output% to add 4ppm per day to your pool. Run that and see what your FC does for a day and adjust from there.

 

[phonedave]

Start with 30.

When the sock/t-shirt is in the pool, keep your FC in range for CYA of 30. Link-->FC/CYA Levels

Do an OCLT tonight to rule out algae before raising CYA. Link-->Overnight Chlorine Loss Test

Then raise your CYA to 60 and see how that works.

After you pass the OCLT, raise your FC to range with Liquid Chlorine and turn on the SWCG.

Use pool math to figure out how long to run your pump and output% to add 4ppm per day to your pool. Run that and see what your FC does for a day and adjust from there.

If you look at the CYA / Chlorine charts you will see two values. Normal and SLAM. Normal levels of Chlorine are what you need to maintain to keep your water clean. SLAM levels are what you need to "shock" your pool. In other words GET the water clean if there is an algae infestation or other issue.

Note that the higher your stabilizer level, the higher your normal and SLAM levels.

Since your pool may have some issues, since it was low on chlorine for a while, it is good to do a pre-emptive SLAM. It is easer (in other words you need to add less bleach) to do a SLAM at 30 ppm of CYA than with 60 ppm

So get your CYA to 30 and the SLAM your pool. Running a SLAM means getting your FC up to SLAM Levels for your CYA level and keeping it there until everything is dead.

How do you know it is dead you ask? That is where the OCLT - Overnight Chlorine Loss Test comes in. If there are no nasties in your pool, then overnight, when the sun is not shining on your pool, you should not loose any chlorine, because there is nothing to use it up. So you measure your FC just after sundown, and then measure it again before sunup, and it should be the same. If it went down, then the SLAM needs to continue.

Clearly, if you run your SWGC overnight, it is going make the OCLT useless, because it is going to be adding chlorine.

Running the SWCG during the day during a SLAM is fine, and is actually helpful. The circulation helps move things around, and the extra Chlorine is a bonus. It is just if you are performing a OCLT, make sure your cell is off (the pump/filter can run during an OCLT, just not the cell)

 

[Bl4ck4rch]

I appreciate everyone!!!!! All this advice has been greatly appreciated!

I got pulled away for work and I’m on my way home now. Going to stop by the store to grab the dry stabilizer and just want to verify I’m using PoolMath correctly

If I am I’ll add that in immediately and then right after sundown I’ll add the requisite LC to reach optimal levels and test again before sunrise and let everyone know

 

[PoolStored]

Looks good!!!

 

[Bl4ck4rch]

Sounds good!!! Stabilizer is in a shirt and in the pool by the return!

I think my only question right now would be, I’ve read it can take up to two days for the stabilizer to completely dissolve. Should I still add the LC that equates to 30min tonight? Or would the fact the CYA not be completely dissolved not help with the OCLT?

 

[PoolStored]

Start squeezing, you likely can get it dissolved in about 30 minutes. It can take 24 to 48 hours for it to Register on a test.

Do the OCLT, not dependent on CYA.

 

[Bl4ck4rch]

8:57pm FC Test = 6ppm

 

[Bl4ck4rch]

6:00am Morning Update

FC Test = 0ppm

Woke up all excited and ran downstairs to test the water, added the 0870 and then sample stayed clear after vigorously swirling decided to go ahead and at least test for CC since I’m here with the sample.

CC Test = 4ppm

So does this mean it’s time to SLAM the pool?

 

[PoolStored]

SLAM.

 

[Bl4ck4rch]

SLAM.

SWEET!

SLAM has already begun! Ensured to vacuum the pool, clean any and all debris I could find and poured in 128oz of LC (based off the recommended 12ppm for the CYA 30) I’ll check the pool three times a day and ensure to keep the FC level at 12.

After reading the SLAM guide here I continue doing this until I have a positive OCLT correct? Once I’m maintaining FC levels I can allow it to drop down to normal levels and then increase the CYA to recommend level for my SWG?

 

[PoolStored]

SLAM has already begun! Ensured to vacuum the pool, clean any and all debris I could find and poured in 128oz of LC (based off the recommended 12ppm for the CYA 30) I’ll check the pool three times a day and ensure to keep the FC level at 12.

I would check fc every 2-3 hours. In summer and heat, 3x a day may not cut it.

After reading the SLAM guide here I continue doing this until I have a positive OCLT correct?

Yes, and CC <=.5 and pool is clear.

Once I’m maintaining FC levels I can allow it to drop down to normal levels and then increase the CYA to recommend level for my SWG?

Yes.

 

[kimkats]

You got it! Now if you are home try to test every 2 hours to really speed up the SLAM.

 

[Bl4ck4rch]

I again SUPER appreciate it! I’ll check it here again at 11, I’m going to record me testing it so someone can validate I’m doing it correctly….

PoolMath said Rear 128oz to raise the FC level to 12ppm

So I added 128oz, when I check it at 9am I got 23ppm so I truly have to be doing something wrong I’ll post the private video link when I check.

 

[Bl4ck4rch]

Ok 11am test…

I’m counting 21 drops which gives me a 10.5ppm so going to raise it to 12ppm

Here’s the link to the video someone please confirm if I’m doing this right

 

[PoolStored]

Can't see your reagent bottle. Should be held vertical. You should go slower. Let the drops form and drop under their own weight. Looks like to are squeezing them out rapidly.

 

[Bl4ck4rch]

Trying to control it. If I attempt to go straight vertical the drops almost pour out… I noticed that the first time. It doesn’t work quite like the other containers I received where they slowly drop with slightly applied pressure

 

[PoolStored]

Squeeze some air out before you invert.