New here and new to pools! Help?!

[Panzer]

Glad it's working out.
It's a journey for all pool owners.

As others mentioned... be cautious with the use of pucks. They have chlorine stabilizer in them (CYA) and as you use them the stabilizer levels will rise (which will mean you FC level needs to change). That is why most will use liquid chlorine (bleach).

I personally use the Pool Math App on my phone & recommend it to folks (especially new to pools). It takes the guesswork out of things (how much chlorine to add, how much Muriatic acid, etc) With that and a good test kit... ~ 5 min a day will minimize any hard work you have to do.
Best of luck.
Respectfully,

 

[DeanP66]

Don't feel too bad about the pool store. You aren't the first person that this has happened to. We have a term on TFP for this. We call it getting "Pool Stored". Those free tests of theirs are just their lure to get you in the store and follow their advice and purchase their expensive chemicals and pool potions like Floc and clarifier.

By testing the water yourself with a quality test kit, you will know what your pool needs. A little experience and this will become 2nd nature to you. Once you get your levels where you want them, you'll probably only need liquid chlorine and some muriatic acid to lower your pH when it climbs. That's about it. Keep reading and this stuff will start to sink in more and more.

You will never fall for the pool store game ever again. Even if you have to go in there for some reason, you'll know exactly what you want and need and won't be vulnerable to the hard sell.

 

[JeaniB]

Keep reading and learning. This is my 16’x32’ pool when I took the cover off for this season. TFP works!

 

[YippeeSkippy]

Jessica, because you just bought the house your pool water may contain a huge amount of icky chemicals that the previous owner used. THe chemicals we DO NOT want you to use at this point are FLOC, Clarifiers, Algaecides, tablets or pucks. Your water may already be saturated with those chemicals.

The only thing you need at this point is the test kit (ok, K-2006 is fine but smaller than the K-2006C we recommend, so you might need refills faster) and LIQUID CHLORINE. That's all at this point. A gallon per day while we figure out what's going on in that water.
Liquid chlorine may either be called "Liquid Shock" or even just PLAIN, UNSCENTED, NO-Clorox brand, UNTHICKENED bleach. Bleach *is* liquid chlorine but a bit weaker. We know how to figure out how much to use by using this-
PoolMath on a computer/laptop. Or this on a phone/Ipad- PoolMath

Run a full set of tests and tell us (like this):
FC
CC
pH
TA
CH
CYA
Salt if Applicable

NO algaecides- they often contain copper which you DO NOT WANT!! Ugh. Ditch any chemicals you have that contain copper. LIke pucks or cheap algaecide.

No swimming unless you can see the bottom clearly and you have a good reading on the Free Chlorine test.

Show us some pictures of all your equipment too, please.

Maddie

 

[Schnozz]

I have a simple above ground pool, 12 x 24. But pool care is pool care, 8500 gallons or 20,000 gallons. If you want clear/clean/sanitized pool water that is safe and you can enjoy the entire season, then TFP can do that for you. One of the moderators replied to a post of mine when I first started and suggested that I treat my pool like a pet and care for it with love. Brush it, make sure it's clean, feed it daily, and play with it. In exchange for the time spent on your pool daily, you will receive years of enjoyment. All we need to do is brush it, clean it, and feed it daily. (and of course play in it!). The pool store would have you believe you need to be a mystic to care for a pool. But it's not true. You CAN do it. Just stick with the program. TFP has held my hand and walked me through any number of questions. Recently I went through about 5 weeks without a pump or filter. I kept testing my water, adding chemicals, and mixing the water by brushing. When I finally got the pump and filter on line and dropped in my vacuum, I was clear in a weekend. Testing regularly and using only Liquid Chlorine, Muriatic Acid, CYA, and Borax. Don't let yourself get overwhelmed, testing is a breeze as well..
From water chemistry to upgrades to deep thoughts of no interest to anyone but me, TFP is always there to help....Keep up the good work, ask a bunch of questions, and hang in there!!

 

[LoneWolfArcher]

Thank you for the reply everyone! This morning we woke to clear water! very little settled overnight but we have clear water! I checked PH this morning and it is 7.4. I will check Chlorine level when I get home, I did not check that this morning. That is the only 2 items I can check with the cheap local store test kit I purchased. I plan on doing another vacuum when I get home and will run a sample over to at least see if its safe to swim. I have a 5 year old boy that has been begging to swim and current temp is 96 degrees outside and I am ready to swim!

I wish new pool owners could see this forum before stepping into a pool sore. I am ashamed to say I looked last night and within 2 weeks our local pool store has added up to $800 bucks! That's nothing but chemicals and a couple cleaning brushes! It's like they prey on the new pool owners and wrap us right around their finger.

Again, I thank everyone who saves us from the pool store guys! I will keep everyone updated. I downloaded the "my pool" app and will update all my numbers on Wednesday!

Just want to echo others, don't feel bad. I have two unopened bottles, 1 of clarifier, 1 of FLOC that I bought literally the week before I found TFP. Luckily I found TFP before I put it into my pool. And my ethics do not allow me to resell it or give it to another pool owner. So I keep them as a memory of my pre-TFP, flying blind, trying to read guess strips, pre-TFP pool care days. Luckily that was only a year for me.

I happened to find this site after watching youtube videos on pool "professionals' clearing water with FLOC and clarifier. I was so gun shy about just pouring things in after my first year of owning the pool (2018) when by the end of the summer everything was turning purple! My high CYA and the copper in the algaecide I was blindly pouring in caused copper-cynaurite. And that taught me not to just pour anything people suggested into my pool water. Now with TFP, and only using liquid chlorine, baking soda/borax (to raise pH if needed), muriatic acid (to lower pH if needed) and CYA when needed, my pool care is so much less stressful.

Oh, I had also purchased about $200 of pucks right before I found TFP! If I had found TFP a week earlier I would have saved myself ~$250. Live and learn.

EDIT: With the chlorine tablet shortage, I could probably turn around right now and sell the pucks for ~$1000, but again my ethics won't let me foist them upon another poor pool owner, or profit off another's ignorance!

 

[Husky25]

Just want to echo others, don't feel bad. I have two unopened bottles, 1 of clarifier, 1 of FLOC that I bought literally the week before I found TFP. Luckily I found TFP before I put it into my pool. And my ethics do not allow me to resell it or give it to another pool owner. So I keep them as a memory of my pre-TFP, flying blind, trying to read guess strips, pre-TFP pool care days. Luckily that was only a year for me.

I happened to find this site after watching youtube videos on pool "professionals' clearing water with FLOC and clarifier. I was so gun shy about just pouring things in after my first year of owning the pool (2018) when by the end of the summer everything was turning purple! My high CYA and the copper in the algaecide I was blindly pouring in caused copper-cynaurite. And that taught me not to just pour anything people suggested into my pool water. Now with TFP, and only using liquid chlorine, baking soda/borax (to raise pH if needed), muriatic acid (to lower pH if needed) and CYA when needed, my pool care is so much less stressful.

Oh, I had also purchased about $200 of pucks right before I found TFP! If I had found TFP a week earlier I would have saved myself ~$250. Live and learn.

EDIT: With the chlorine tablet shortage, I could probably turn around right now and sell the pucks for ~$1000, but again my ethics won't let me foist them upon another poor pool owner, or profit off another's ignorance!

Tabs are good for vacations when you have no other method of daily chlorination. Just bring CYA down to the 20-30 range, Raise FC to SLAM levels and your pretty good to go from weekend to weekend.

If you want to get rid of the Clarifier and Floc, call your town/county/community transfer station. Most areas provide a method to dispose of household hazardous waste. It's a "free" service in Connecticut.

 

[LoneWolfArcher]

Tabs are good for vacations when you have no other method of daily chlorination. Just bring CYA down to the 20-30 range, Raise FC to SLAM levels and your pretty good to go from weekend to weekend.

If you want to get rid of the Clarifier and Floc, call your town/county/community transfer station. Most areas provide a method to dispose of household hazardous waste. It's a "free" service in Connecticut.

I have no way of bringing my CYA down easily! (See my signature.)

Yep aware of the hazardous wastes programs. Though I live in a very small township in rural Michigan so I haven't even looked into it for my area. I still have a dozen cans of paint the previous home owner "left" for me. I think they would say so I knew what color walls were, but I think it is because out here, where we pay for our own trash removal, hazardous waste disposal isn't as ubiquitous as it is in the suburbs or city.

Anyway, I like to keep them around as a reminder!

 

[Auburn02]

I have no way of bringing my CYA down easily! (See my signature.)

I don't want to side track the thread but you have no water supply? I didn't even think that was possible in 2021! Very interesting nonetheless. If there's a thread where you've previously talked about that I'd be interested to read.

 

[LoneWolfArcher]

I don't want to side track the thread but you have no water supply? I didn't even think that was possible in 2021! Very interesting nonetheless. If there's a thread where you've previously talked about that I'd be interested to read.

New to inground pools

Background: I grew up with an above ground pool. My dad did all maintenance, balancing, vacuuming. He was OCD about it and I enjoyed a beautifully kept pool growing up. It being above ground, and being 24', with a total depth about 4 1/2', he always had the options to drain and fill if things...

www.troublefreepool.com

Well it is very common in my area. Live out in the country so no city water. Well water was contaminated by sulfer decades ago. A few around me have a well with sulfer removal systems. It is on the list but other priorities keep arising.

The water gets delivered every other week. Becomes an after thought. Only been twice, due to problems with a toilet, that we've run out.