New owner AZ, first water change

[jake556]

Hello I’m new to pool ownership, I’m intrigued to learn the ideal way to take care of my pool. I was referred to the forum by a buddy at work.

Here are some of the specs approx 12,000 Gallon, pebbletec, Hayward C5030, 2EZ Speed Pump, Rainbow 300 Chlorinatior, and I have a TF-100 Test kit. Im currently refilling right now after a 100% water change.

Im curious on the correct chemicals/amounts to buy to bring my numbers back up and how/when to add and test for them.

My CYA was in the 130s is the reason for the water change.

This is my first time changing my water. Thanks, any info is appreciated!

 

[mknauss]

Welcome to the forum!
You will need cyanuric acid (stabilizer), liquid chlorine, and muriatic acid to start. You should be able to find all three at Home Depot, or a pool store as Phoenix area pool stores stay open and carry product all year.
Start with dissolving 30 ppm worth of CYA using the sock method. Add 3 ppm FC worth of liquid chlorine to the pool once full. Test your pH and adjust it to be in the 7's using muriatic acid.
Read Recommended Levels; Recommended Pool Chemicals - Trouble Free Pool; Basic Pool Care Schedule - Trouble Free Pool plus ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry.

Use PoolMath to determine the amounts of chemical needed by the pool based on your testing. Post up what amounts you got using Poolmath and we will double check your numbers before you add anything.

Take care and hope you enjoy the forum!

 

[jake556]

Awesome, thank you! I will do that. I just tested my incoming water and here are the results.

2 TC, 375 CH, 120 TA, 0 CYA, 7.3-7.4 PH

 

[mknauss]

Those results sound reasonable. Would be no CYA as that is not naturally occurring in water and you must add it. The CH seems a bit high for Colorado River Water but no issues right now. Do you have a whole house water softener? Using softened water for pool make up water really helps keep your chemistry in better check.

Follow the plan I posted above and let us know how it goes.

 

[jake556]

Yeah we have really hard water where I live unfortunately, and I dont have a whole house water softener. Might look into it in the future. Thank you for taking the time to help

 

[jake556]

Here are the products I found, bunch of stuff is sold out

 

[jake556]

Also on these charts is pebbletec considered plaster? The other choices are Vinyl and Fiberglass thanks

 

[jake556]

I dont have a scale for the 3LB measurement, would cups be a suitable substitute? 2 cups= 1 LB?

 

[Durangler]

Those products are exactly what you need.
Note the date on the liquid chlorine. 20 309 indicate the 309th day of 2020 or Nov. 4, 2020. Fresh stuff.
And yes, pebbletec is considered plaster.

 

[Durangler]

Put half that 5lb bag in a sock, tie it off in the skimmer with pump running. Squeeze the bag every 30 minutes or so.
Run pump overnight and check CYA tomorrow. Creep up on your CYA to not overshoot.

 

[ajw22]

I dont have a scale for the 3LB measurement, would cups be a suitable substitute? 2 cups= 1 LB?

How many pounds in that bag? 8 lbs? Add about a third of the bag using the sock method. Don’t pour it into your skimmer.

Stabilizer does not need a precise amount.

 

[ajw22]

I hang the sock in front of a return...

Sock filled with CYA ready to hang

• ajw22
• Jan 29, 2019

CYA dangling in sock in front of return

• ajw22
• Jan 29, 2019

Adding CYA Equipment

• ajw22
• Jan 29, 2019

 

[Dirk]

Also on these charts is pebbletec considered plaster?

If you look closely at your pool's finish, you'll see a whole lot of little pebbles, smooshed into a substrate material. You'll likely only see a hint of it in between the pebbles. That material is plaster, and there's a whole lot more of it just behind the pebbles you can see. The pebbles are the front line that wards off wear and tear, but it's the plaster that holds everything together. The water chemistry care we teach here plays a big role in protecting that plaster, which will help your pool's surface last a good long time.

 

[jake556]

Put half that 5lb bag in a sock, tie it off in the skimmer with pump running. Squeeze the bag every 30 minutes or so.
Run pump overnight and check CYA tomorrow. Creep up on your CYA to not overshoot.

Awesome ya Im real gun shy lol, since this is the reason Im changing the water haha, thank you. Yeah a 5lb bag got a tube sock ready

 

[jake556]

If you look closely at your pool's finish, you'll see a whole lot of little pebbles, smooshed into a substrate material. You'll likely only see a hint of it in between the pebbles. That material is plaster, and there's a whole lot more of it just behind the pebbles you can see. The pebbles are the front line that wards off wear and tear, but it's the plaster that holds everything together. The water chemistry care we teach here plays a big role in protecting that plaster, which will help your pool's surface last a good long time.

I appreciate that, love learning new things.

 

[jake556]

Start with dissolving 30 ppm worth of CYA using the sock method. Add 3 ppm FC worth of liquid chlorine to the pool once full. Test your pH and adjust it to be in the 7's using muriatic acid.

I got about 2.25 LBS of Cynaric Acid in a sock ready to go (Not full yet)

When I did the math on the 3 PPM of FC I need to add should I wait till my CYA is at 30 PPM? Because the math is different depending on CYA. Wait till tomorrow to add Chlorine? It appears to be 46 oz of 10% Liquid Chlorine that I have.

 

[ajw22]

Once you put the sock with stabilizer in the water assume the measured ppm of CYA is there and adjust the chlorine accordingly.

 

[mknauss]

I got about 2.25 LBS of Cynaric Acid in a sock ready to go (Not full yet)

That will add just over 20 ppm of CYA to your 12000 gallon pool. If you need to, use two socks. Try to get 3# or so in the pool so a few days after it is fully dissolved, you should be able to measure the 30 ppm that is in your water.

 

[jake556]

That will add just over 20 ppm of CYA to your 12000 gallon pool. If you need to, use two socks. Try to get 3# or so in the pool so a few days after it is fully dissolved, you should be able to measure the 30 ppm that is in your water.

I was just being conservative because Im not sure of the actual gallons of my pool it is a weird shape. I attached my pool measurements I have been just using an oval shape for measurements. Middle is 5ft deep sides are 4ft deep

 

[mknauss]

OK -- that is fine. You stated the volume so was going with that. Just do not over add CYA when your testing may not show up as a solid value when adding the lesser amount.