Signed a Contract a few days ago for a 16x32 in-ground pool. Going with a Pebble Sheen finish by Pebble Tec (even though the contractor seems to prefer “the look” of Pebble Tec. My wife and I both prefer the feel of the Pebble Sheen finish. Been an above ground vinyl liner pool owner all my life. Having moved to Florida a few months ago, it seems that salt water pools are about the only thing talked about and I have zero experience with that. Hoping that is the right choice for us here and hoping to learn all about it. I like to have a well balanced mint pool! Pretty confident in my contractor and the many references that we have heard prior to meeting him. He seems like he will live up to it which should keep the stress of this build to a minimum! I guess that is enough of an “Introduction “!
New Pool Being Installed Soon
- Thread starter Bob/335
- Start date
Well then you are in the right place! Welcome!
I literally found this place when I was looking for hot tub info and sites were telling me I needed 10 different pool chemicals. I noticed that most of these places also sold then chemicals for lots of money. I figured there just had to be a better way, so I looked around and finally found this place. Those expensive pool chems? Yeah, turns out the only one I needed was some form of CYA. In addition to that, a quality test kit, bleach, and muriatic acid was all I needed, and let me tell you, bleach and muriatic acid are WAY cheaper than the "pool chems" (plus they are the same thing!)
Whatever test kit you get, be certain it has the FAS-DPD test for chlorine (not just the DPD which is a different test). This is key to the TFPC (trouble free pool care) method! Most here recommend you get the TF-100 from TFTTestKits.net, as it's the best bang for the buck and guaranteed to have fresh reagents. I recommend you throw in the Speedstir magnetic stirrer and you'll also need either the salt test strips or Taylor salt test kit for your salt water chlorine generator (SWCG). Yes that is at least $120 in test kit stuff, but you'll save that in chems since you'll understand exactly what's going on.
There's also an app for your phone called PoolMath that helps you track water quality and figure out what and how much of something to add.
Start here, ask questions as needed: Pool School - Trouble Free Pool
- Jun 22, 2014
- 47,929
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
Welcome! 
Congrats on the new project. We'll keep an eye out for your build thread in the Under Construction sub-forum.
Congrats on the new project. We'll keep an eye out for your build thread in the Under Construction sub-forum.
No, But you can use it to have Scotty beam you up. His computer can handle poolmath no problem and he’ll walk you through it.
Nope but we do have a web based one as seen here: PoolMath It can be found at the bottom of each page for easy access.
Please do make a build thread OR I can move this to that area and call it good! Let me know if you want me to move it!
Kim
PoolBrews
Well-known member
- Oct 16, 2019
- 552
- Pool Size
- 6750
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite Pro (T-15)
Hello Bob/335!
You are definitely in the right place! This forum is awesome, and Pool Math will make life easier for you.
I come from the same background as you - my first pool was a large vinyl pool (45,000 gallons) with liquid chlorine in Michigan. We loved it, and once you get used to taking care of it on your own, it's really not that bad.
Our 2nd pool was installed when we moved to Georgia - it was still vinyl, a little smaller (18,000 gallons), but our builder convinced us to switch to a salt system. I am so glad he did! After taking care of a pool for 25 years in Michigan with chlorine, the difference in the amount of care required was amazing! Far less chemicals required, less start up costs each spring, and crystal water all season.
Our 3rd pool is now much smaller (6,800 gallons). We are retired, kids aren't home, and we have a much smaller yard. 1st item on the checklist was salt water system! This pool is a gunite pool, and so far requires more maintenance than my salt pool in GA, but less than the chlorine pool in MI - this is mainly due to the initial curing process for a new pool. I'm constantly adding muriatic acid to keep the ph down.
My new pool has a cartridge filter, and while it works great, my last two pools had DE filters, and I loved them. You can't beat the clarity of the water with a DE filter! At my new location, I was concerned about where I could backwash when I need to, so I took the builders suggestion to go with cartridge.
You are definitely in the right place! This forum is awesome, and Pool Math will make life easier for you.
I come from the same background as you - my first pool was a large vinyl pool (45,000 gallons) with liquid chlorine in Michigan. We loved it, and once you get used to taking care of it on your own, it's really not that bad.
Our 2nd pool was installed when we moved to Georgia - it was still vinyl, a little smaller (18,000 gallons), but our builder convinced us to switch to a salt system. I am so glad he did! After taking care of a pool for 25 years in Michigan with chlorine, the difference in the amount of care required was amazing! Far less chemicals required, less start up costs each spring, and crystal water all season.
Our 3rd pool is now much smaller (6,800 gallons). We are retired, kids aren't home, and we have a much smaller yard. 1st item on the checklist was salt water system! This pool is a gunite pool, and so far requires more maintenance than my salt pool in GA, but less than the chlorine pool in MI - this is mainly due to the initial curing process for a new pool. I'm constantly adding muriatic acid to keep the ph down.
My new pool has a cartridge filter, and while it works great, my last two pools had DE filters, and I loved them. You can't beat the clarity of the water with a DE filter! At my new location, I was concerned about where I could backwash when I need to, so I took the builders suggestion to go with cartridge.
- Jul 16, 2019
- 686
- Pool Size
- 20000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Turbo Cell (T-CELL-5)
Welcome! We just built our IG fall this past fall (never been pool owners here) and this forum has been an EXCELLENT source of awesomeness.
Before you get yelled at, start a build thread with lots (and I mean LOTS) of pics. We all thrive on those ?
Before you get yelled at, start a build thread with lots (and I mean LOTS) of pics. We all thrive on those ?
I do not have a start date yet! I will be sure to take pics and start a build thread soon!!!
Thanks for being so welcoming.
Thanks for being so welcoming.
You can go ahead and start it. List up your equipment with model numbers so we can give it a look over to make sure it is purrfect for your pool.
- Oct 18, 2009
- 3,637
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
Another Florida pool build soon 
Welcome bob this is the place to get your questions answered and also to get good suggestions. Looking forward to your pool build. BTW where in Florida are you located? Lots of TFP Florida members here 
Welcome bob this is the place to get your questions answered and also to get good suggestions. Looking forward to your pool build. BTW where in Florida are you located? Lots of TFP Florida members here Another Florida pool build soon
Weeki Wachee, Florida
We love that area of FL! We try to get down that way at least once a year.
Kim
Kim
- Jul 16, 2012
- 7,211
- Pool Size
- 27000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
There is also a Windows version of the app (in addition to the computer only historical version Kim linked to above). I use it and the iOS mobile version interchangeably. So I get all the cloud-based functionality of the app (saving records, etc.) while using it on my computer.
