Just filled our new, first ever, swimming pool. What do I do now?!

[TotalNewbie]

It's 15' round (small, yeah, but hey it ain't about size). Ha. Anyhow, we are finishing filling our brand new pool today. I've looked on the site and can find nothing for the VERY beginning - as in no chemicals in it or nothing yet.
What now? Thanks in advance.

 

[Richard320]

Do you have a test kit? Any results?

There's only two things you can know for sure on a fresh fill without test results.
1) Any chlorine in the tap water will be destroyed by the sun in a couple hours.
2) There will be no CYA

You're clueless about pH, TA, and CH right now.

Have you read ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry yet?

You can add some bleach --- enough to get to 3 FC. Poolmath can tell you how much if you tell it how big the pool is and how strong your bleach is. You can add CYA aka stabilizer using the sock method. Those two can be done one after another. If you are going to mess with pH and/or TA, wait fifteen minutes after bleach with pump on to add chemicals. Good practice to wait 15 between anything except CYA. It gets a pass because it dissolves so slow.

 

[Wobblerlorri]

Now is the time to test your full water using one of our recommended test kits, either the TF-100 or the Taylor K-2006C. If you don't have one, the links are in my signature below.

Until you get your test kit, you need to add 5 ppm liquid chlorine to your pool every day. You can figure that using PoolMath.

Also read ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry several times until it clicks for you.

You can go ahead and get the chemicals you're going to need, but don't add them until you test your water. Those chemicals are

Stabilizer or CYA -- in the garden section at Wal-Mart
20 Mule Team Borax -- laundry section of grocery store or Wal-Mart
Washing soda-- ditto
Liquid chlorine -- garden section of Wal-Mart or laundry section for PLAIN bleach, not scented or splashless, no Cloromax

No need to go to the pool store for the same stuff at premium prices!I

Using PoolMath, figure out how much CYA to get to 30 ppm, and add that in a sock or pantyhose in front of the outlet where the water comes back into the pool. Wait to add the other things until you can test.

And that's it!

 

[mguzzy]

It's 15' round (small, yeah, but hey it ain't about size). Ha. Anyhow, we are finishing filling our brand new pool today. ...
What now? Thanks in advance.

Go swimming!
Oh, and what Richard said

 

[kellyfair]

For a brand new Intex or similar pool, I recommend 1) good test kit, as mentioned by previous posters 2) liquid chlorine 3) CYA (chlorine stabilizer.

Use Pool Math to figure out how much CYA to add via the sock method to get you to 30, and use 30 CYA in Pool Math to figure out how much chlorine to add daily.

Once you get your test kit and post your first set of numbers, we’ll go from there.