First Timer, Not Moving In For Awhile

[amesaway]

Hi everyone,

I just bought a house in the DFW, Texas area and it has a pool. The pool seems decent overall but needs some love - water is just a bit cloudy, some leaves and stuff in there. I've been reading the forums here and have already learned a ton.

Forgive the lack of signature info - I haven't had a chance to take measurements, figure out depth, etc. so I don't know anything beyond 'there's a pool!' at this point. There is something in there that looks a bit like a polaris, and that is running pretty frequently. I will pull it up out of the water next time I go by there to make sure I know what it is.

I haven't purchased a test kit yet. I see a lot of people saying the K-2006. When I search on Amazon, there's also a K-2006c. Is the C version worth $30 more? Do I even need it? Is Amazon the best place to buy it?

The main purpose of this post is: The challenge is that I'm not moving into the house until June, and until then, the house will be empty and I'll be there once every week or two. Is it possible for a pool newbie to take care of a pool with such infrequent visits? Or should I pay a pool company until I move in and can take it on myself? Or do I basically leave it alone until I move in, and then worry about SLAMing it? Thanks in advance for any advice.

**eta** I meant once every week or two, not once or twice per week so fixed that above.

 

[Texas Splash]

Hello Amy and welcome to TFP! Yes, if you get the K-2006, make it the "C" version (commercial). You'll need the larger sized bottles. I personally like the TF-100 XL option with magnetic speed stir (link below), but either will work. Definitely get the speed stir though. You'll be glad you did.

Being cloudy with junk in it, you can bet it will need a "SLAM", and for that you will want to be close by. Even if it was crystal clear on closing day, unless you have a salt water generator (SWG) to produce chlorine throughout the day, it might be tough. But hey, it sounds like you have time to decide. So do more reading here, post more to your thread, and we'll reply with more ideas as well. Nice to have you with us.

 

[Teald024]

Hello and Welcome to TFP!!

My vote is for the TF-100 from TFTestkits.net. It comes with test sizes that better fit the home owner. Get the XL option since you’ll likely have to SLAM your pool.
If you are at the house once or twice a week then you could get away with doing it yourself. The problem I see with hiring a service is that they will be there less frequently than you are! And the worst part is they will probably use tablets which will cause your CYA to soar skyhigh (if it’s not already). If you have a SWG, great. If not you can dose with regular household bleach on the days you are there.
It’s hard to offer more advice without knowing what kind of pool and equipment you have.

 

[amesaway]

Thanks for the welcome! It's about an hour drive from where I live now, so it is possible to go once a week if needed. I did already take some pictures of the pool equipment and such. In digging through them, here is what I see:

23,000 gallons.
DE filter - says "Purex Triton FNS Plus". Pressure gauge says 20.
Mechanical timer - model PF1222T. I don't know how to read it yet. There are two dials, and it looks like both are set to 3pm.
Something that says "ClearVision model XG". I think it says "natural water purifier" but that part is hard to read.
Rainbow lifeguard model 320. Inline chlorine/bromide feeder.
Purex Triton whislerflo, looks like model number WF-28 c. Under horsepower, it says 2.
That's everything I saw that has words on it, so I don't think it has salt. The documentation doesn't mention salt either.

The pool also has 2 sheer decent water falls in the shallow end, if that matters.

I will order that test kit and make sure to get the speed stir. Since I won't be able to SLAM it yet, do I just add a couple of gallons of bleach every time I go to keep it from getting out of hand, or do I just let it go green and SLAM it once I move in?

 

[Texas Splash]

If you're in the neighborhood, adding a couple gallons of bleach won't hurt based on the condition of the water and size of the pool. Bleach will be your primary sanitizer of choice. A couple words of caution:
- The ClearVision XG appears to be a mineral sanitizer. We recommend not using those, and if there is a mineral pack inside, removing it. Those products tend to add metals (i.e. copper, iron) to the water which can lead to colored hair, nails, and staining of pool surfaces. The only way to remove metals in the water is by changing the water.
- The in-line chlorinator is what holds chlorine tabs (pucks). Problem is that it shouldn't be used for long-term sanitizing either as tablets are "stabilized" and will drive your CYA higher and higher. Once CYA gets too high (something you'll confirm with your test kit) it also calls for a water change.

I hope those two things don't sound to negative, you just need to know the issues with each. So if you're in the neighborhood, definitely add some (regular/plain) bleach. The sooner you can test the water and post some results the better for us to help you.

The DE filter will be a bit of a learning curve for you. It's a nice product, but you'll need to understand how to backwash the filter and eventually disassemble it and clean the "grids" inside. We have threads here that can help - and there's always YouTube.

So lots of good info except I didn't see anything about the pump(s). When you get that, make sure to include it (and everything else you got above) to your signature so that we see it at each post. Of course make sure to include your test kit as well. So for now, other than adding a little bleach at each visit, posting a full set of results will help us (you) to prepare. Yes, a SLAM will still be required later, but you can do that once you move in.

Hope that helps.

- - - Updated - - -

Don't forget to include what type of pool you have (plaster, fiberglass, vinyl).

 

[Jimrahbe]

Amy,

Your ClearVision model XG natural water purifier sounds like an old Zodiac mineral system... You put cartridges of minerals in the system and it says it helps sanitize your pool water. It should really say it will "fantasize" your pool, as it will do nothing but turn blond hair green.. it is not recommend here at TFP, as it is all Magic, but no rabbit...

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[amesaway]

Doesn't sound negative - good to know what I'm getting myself into

It's a plaster pool. I added it to my signature - I thought it would update my old post but I guess not. Should show up this time though!

So if there's a mineral pack in the ClearVision, remove it. And if there are tabs/pucks in the in-line chlorinator, remove those, too, right?

Is the pump not that last line? "Purex Triton whisperflo, looks like model number WF-28 c. Under horsepower, it says 2."

 

[Texas Splash]

So if there's a mineral pack in the ClearVision, remove it. And if there are tabs/pucks in the in-line chlorinator, remove those, too, right?

Definitely remove any mineral packs if you can. As for the in-line and tablets, if we knew your current CYA you might be able to use some tabs for a while, but my gut tells me your CYA will be high and using tablets will only make it worse. So yes, best to leave that empty as well and stick to just bleach.

Yes, the Whiperflo is your pump - 2 HP so that's nice to know. Oh - You already said that above.

 

[amesaway]

"all magic, no rabbit" - love it! I'm going to have to remember that one, Jim I will be sure to remove the cartridges next time I'm at the house.

 

[Jimrahbe]

Amy,

Your pump is a 2 HP single speed pump... I think these are now made by Pentair...

WhisperFlo Single speed pumps are great reliable workhorses.. the only downside is the cost to run them.

My gut says that any mineral pack in the Clearvision will be empty, but I would remove them and either not replace them or remove the entire system...

Really... anything we say, before we see the results of your chemical tests, will just be guesses and assumptions... The sooner we can see test data, the sooner we will be able to provide accurate advice..

Thanks for posting,

Jim R.