Help. Newbie here

[bessiecant123]

Set up the Coleman 16x10x42 pool and, the first day it was all gravy, but now I’m trying to get my levels stable and I can’t seem to figure it out. The first test I did with test strips yesterday (July 3rd) this was the result multiple times. Added close estimates of the chemicals it recommended (chlorinating liquid, clarifier, chlorine stabilizer). Tested this am and whyyyyyy can’t I get this right. Any help would be appreciated. I run the filter for 8 hours and cover at night


First pic is results from July 3
Second is this am July 4

 

[reggiehammond]

You're on the wrong track. Test strips are not accurate. You need to be able to self-test; Test Kits Compared.

Read up on Pool Care Basics while waiting for a proper test kit to arrive. Add 5ppm of chlorine daily to keep the pool stable until your test kit arrives; PoolMath has a great "effects of adding" function that will tell you proper measurements for your particular pool.

 

[Texas Splash]

Welcome to TFP! Test strips are horrible and they will lead you down the wrong path. Once you have a pool you must have a good test kit. We recommend the TF-100, TF Pro Series, or Taylor K-2006C. See the link above Reggie provided for for more info. Anything less will be extremely frustrating and we can't advise you on the next course of action without accurate readings.

 

[bessiecant123]

Would this suffice? Unfortunately don’t have the funds to get an $83 kit at the moment. Realizing now we may have taken on something we can’t really afford. Might have to stick to the inflatable cheap pools

 

[reggiehammond]

You would also need a Taylor K-1616 FAS-DPD chlorine test to make the HTH kit worth it.
But the TF100 is a wiser choice and will last 2-3 seasons stored in a cool, dry place. $25-30 a year...

Without a good test kit, you're sure to waste a lot more $$ on unneeded chemicals, etc if you have to rely on the pool store.
Pool care can be very, very inexpensive when done correctly.