Our new inground pool is just about complete. Just waiting for the sand to settle around the borders and to have the concrete poured. It's a 16x32 ft rectangle going from 3 1/2 ft deep to 5 1/2 ft. I'm a little disheartened by our pool installer who offers absolutely no help when it comes to the water and the proper levels everything should be at. We had a chlorine pool at our old house and I was told this set up would need to be handled differently. I was told by our pool guy you add sand and that's about it...I mean cmon that can't be it. There had to be more you look for than just the salt levels? I just need help to know what I need to add if anything to make sure the water is safe and to prolong the life of the liner. Any tips would be great. I will answer any questions you have to better help me. I appreciate it all in advance. I feel so helpless.
New inground pool with salt water system. I need HELP!
- Thread starter ColeyBear
- Start date
We had a chlorine pool at our old house and I was told this set up would need to be handled differently. So what does that mean?
CB,
Welcome to TFP... A Great resource for all new pool owners and their "Salty" questions...
While a saltwater pool is an easy pool to maintain, you still have to test and maintain the pool water within certain parameters.
Here is what we recommend... Pool School - Recommended Levels
TFP is all about taking care of your own pool by testing the water quality and then only adding exactly what the pool needs to remain crystal clear and properly sanitized.
To properly test your pool water, you need to have one of two test kits... Either the TF-100 (what I have) or the Taylor K-2006C (and yes, the "C" is important)..
You can find much more information about the TFP pool maintenance program, by looking over our Pool School... Pool School - Pool School
Thanks for posting,
Jim R.
Welcome to TFP... A Great resource for all new pool owners and their "Salty" questions...
While a saltwater pool is an easy pool to maintain, you still have to test and maintain the pool water within certain parameters.
Here is what we recommend... Pool School - Recommended Levels
TFP is all about taking care of your own pool by testing the water quality and then only adding exactly what the pool needs to remain crystal clear and properly sanitized.
To properly test your pool water, you need to have one of two test kits... Either the TF-100 (what I have) or the Taylor K-2006C (and yes, the "C" is important)..
You can find much more information about the TFP pool maintenance program, by looking over our Pool School... Pool School - Pool School
Thanks for posting,
Jim R.
Please take Jim's advice...you should consider yourself lucky.
1. Your pool builder did not help you with your water chemistry.
2. You found us and if you read, read and read pool school again you will have the clearest, easiest water to maintain...guaranteed!
1. Your pool builder did not help you with your water chemistry.
2. You found us and if you read, read and read pool school again you will have the clearest, easiest water to maintain...guaranteed!
DeanP66
0
Consider yourself lucky that the builder isn't offering any help. This is your opportunity to learn everything yourself following the methods on this site which don't coincide with too many other people out there.
You don't have to worry about the salt water generator until the pool's chemicals are right where you want them. There is a startup procedure for plaster pools, but from your post it looks like you have a pool with a liner, so I don't believe there is anything extra you have to do at startup. I may be wrong and I'm sure someone more knowledgeable will chime in soon.
To do this right, you need your own quality test kit. We recommend either the TF-100 or the Taylor K2006C. These are the only two kits out there that have the oh so important FAS-DPD chlorine test. All other test kits use an inferior chlorine test that only goes up to 5 PPM (parts per million). Order one right away. It will be the best $70 - $100 that you will ever spend on your pool and will save you a ton of money so you won't get duped at the pool store buying snake oil potions that you don't need.
Once you get your pool filled, pour in enough 8.25% bleach or 10% liquid chlorine to get your free chlorine (FC) to around 3 PPM. Then add enough stabilizer (CYA) to get to 30 PPM. The stabilizer will act as a sunscreen for your chlorine so the sun doesn't burn it all off right away. Add it by pouring the granules in a sock and hang it in front of a return with the pool running. Give it an occasional squeeze every few hours and it will dissolve within a day or so.
Check your FC with your test kit and add enough bleach to get it up to the 4 - 6 PPM. Then check your pH and add muriatic acid if it's 8.0 or above to drop it into the safer 7.2 - 7.8 range. Then run a full set of tests with your test kit. These will include CH (calcium hardness), TA (Total Alkalinity), and the CC (combined chloramines) test.
Once all your tests are in the right range, we'll tell you to increase the CYA up to the 70-80 PPM range for the SWG and get that ready to be brought online.
You don't have to worry about the salt water generator until the pool's chemicals are right where you want them. There is a startup procedure for plaster pools, but from your post it looks like you have a pool with a liner, so I don't believe there is anything extra you have to do at startup. I may be wrong and I'm sure someone more knowledgeable will chime in soon.
To do this right, you need your own quality test kit. We recommend either the TF-100 or the Taylor K2006C. These are the only two kits out there that have the oh so important FAS-DPD chlorine test. All other test kits use an inferior chlorine test that only goes up to 5 PPM (parts per million). Order one right away. It will be the best $70 - $100 that you will ever spend on your pool and will save you a ton of money so you won't get duped at the pool store buying snake oil potions that you don't need.
Once you get your pool filled, pour in enough 8.25% bleach or 10% liquid chlorine to get your free chlorine (FC) to around 3 PPM. Then add enough stabilizer (CYA) to get to 30 PPM. The stabilizer will act as a sunscreen for your chlorine so the sun doesn't burn it all off right away. Add it by pouring the granules in a sock and hang it in front of a return with the pool running. Give it an occasional squeeze every few hours and it will dissolve within a day or so.
Check your FC with your test kit and add enough bleach to get it up to the 4 - 6 PPM. Then check your pH and add muriatic acid if it's 8.0 or above to drop it into the safer 7.2 - 7.8 range. Then run a full set of tests with your test kit. These will include CH (calcium hardness), TA (Total Alkalinity), and the CC (combined chloramines) test.
Once all your tests are in the right range, we'll tell you to increase the CYA up to the 70-80 PPM range for the SWG and get that ready to be brought online.
This was supposed to say add salt not sand whoops. ?
- - - Updated - - -
Thank you so much!
Nicole- you first need chlorine from bleach/liquid chlorine until your SWG is up and running. You don't want to be without some sort of sanitation in there while you research things.
Here are a few links for reads-->Pool School - Water Balance for SWGs
Pool School - Recommended Pool Chemicals
and this one..sounds intimidating but once you open the PoolMath app its pretty self explanatory. Pool School - PoolMath Just remember to:
1) fill out gallons at the top
2) go allll the way to the bottom and select how you want to care for your pool "Troublefreepool", and which type of surface your pool has (vinyl, plaster, fg) and finally select how you are sanitizing (chlorinating) your water "SWG, bleach, etc".
3) Enter your test results in the far left column, then enter what you *want* as your goal in the second from the left column.
.....Pool Math will automatically calculate what you need to add/drain. Play around with it some... change the goals and see how it changes things up...
Maddie
Here are a few links for reads-->Pool School - Water Balance for SWGs
Pool School - Recommended Pool Chemicals
and this one..sounds intimidating but once you open the PoolMath app its pretty self explanatory. Pool School - PoolMath Just remember to:
1) fill out gallons at the top
2) go allll the way to the bottom and select how you want to care for your pool "Troublefreepool", and which type of surface your pool has (vinyl, plaster, fg) and finally select how you are sanitizing (chlorinating) your water "SWG, bleach, etc".
3) Enter your test results in the far left column, then enter what you *want* as your goal in the second from the left column.
.....Pool Math will automatically calculate what you need to add/drain. Play around with it some... change the goals and see how it changes things up...
Maddie