Fresh Water set up

Jun 6, 2017
33
Walton, KY
Hi! We have just finished replacing our liner and refilling the pool.

The pool was set up when we moved in, so I’ve never started from fresh new water.

We have a saltwater generator so I know we need to add the salt, but other than that I am clueless as to where to start and in what order to do things.

If anyone can give me the proper steps, that’d be great!
 
Easy.

You know that there will be no CYA, so you can use poolmath to calculate how much and add that at any time it's convenient. But soon. Take the time to read this How-to: Pool School - PoolMath

You know there will be very little FC in tap water, and the sun will destroy it all within an hour until you get some CYA in there, so add enough bleach to get to 3 FC. Add that much every day, actually, until you get CYA in the water and it registers and the FC starts holding.

You have a vinyl liner so low CH is not a problem. And if you have high CH, there's nothing you can do about it since the refill water would be exactly the same as what you just put in, so ignore it. You can test it just for practice, but don't bother doing anything with it.

TA is the last thing you deal with. But you do need to know its value to calculate pH adjustments, so test it.

Which leaves pH. Test that, and if it's above 7.8 or below 7.2, adjust it.

You can add the salt any time. Ideally, you wait until the water is swimmable (pH, FC, temperature) and then you throw a few kids in to help mix it up. They'll have a blast.

When you've got the pH dialed in, the CYA dissolved, it's holding FC, and the salt is dissolved for 24 hours, turn on the SWG and let it take over chlorinating duties.

If you have a decent test kit, you should be able to test, make a shopping list, make one trip, and deal with it all and have it all set for the summer before the end of the weekend. Maybe as soon as tomorrow night!

If this all reads like Greek, then test the water and post results and we can walk you through a step at a time with specific answers.
 
You didn't mention if you have a test kit, if not, then your first step would be to order a pool water test kit ASAP. Once you have received your kit and tested the water, you will need to post your results to get further steps. With a pool refill, your biggest concern is going to be adding stabilizer (CYA) into your pool in order to prevent your FC from being burned off by UV rays. Once you post your test results, the moderators will lead in the TFP direction to balance out your pool.
 
What kind of test kit is it? Those you are the experts on this forum will recommend the TF-100 or the Taylor K2006C. I would not rely to heavily on any other test kit and especially not test strips. Please post your results before heading to the store, I assume you mean the pool store. Let the experts advise you on next steps after your test results are posted. They can literally save you money by not going to the pool store and buying chemicals your pool doesn't need. Trust me, I was once that person. Buying endless pucks and shock (which actually isn't a product but a process) and buying endless bottles of algaecide.
 
I have the TF-100. And yes, I did all of that nonsense last summer! The pool water currently will have 0 FC as it has just been filled. I just didn't know how much bleach it would take to get it to 3.

And by store I meant Walmart. LOL. I don't mess with the people at Watson's unless I absolutely have to.
 
Also - how can I figure out how much bleach I'll need to raise the FC to 3?

Hi, AJ! You can use Pool Math for that - either the link at the top of the page or the handy dandy app. Put in your pool’s specifics and your test results, key in your target and Pool Math will tell you what to add!

I always undershoot a little, just in case I am off on my pool’s volume.
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
Thread Status
Hello , This thread has been inactive for over 60 days. New postings here are unlikely to be seen or responded to by other members. For better visibility, consider Starting A New Thread.