New Pool - Finish Building and Closing asap

[LaurenB]

Hello! Liner and water are going in my new vinyl liner inground today. I want to balance my chemicals best possible before closing asap as it is getting colder here. I haven’t set up water in a new pool in about a decade so can someone list out stepwise what is most important? I’m thibking

1. Get cya in the pool first
2. Add chlorine (though I’m guessing it won’t stick around long with 0 cya) so I’ll just keep adding as needed
3. Ph
4. Alkalinity (do I even need to worry about this right before closing?)


Thanks for any advice!

 

[proavia]

What test kit are you using?
How old are your reagents?

Update your signature with the new pool info
Include pool, pool equipment (including manufacturers and model numbers) and test kit info.

 

[Newdude]

1. Get cya in the pool first
2. Add chlorine (though I’m guessing it won’t stick around long with 0 cya) so I’ll just keep adding as needed

This can be done simultaneously. Get the CYA going carrot on a stick like in a sock in front of a working return. With a big pool I needed many socks so I wrapped it up in a t-shirt.

Keep tabs on the FC at first, the CYA will be slow with cold water to dissolve or mush so you can squeeze it out. The FC will deplete quickly with no CYA but the UV demand isn't much these days so that will help some.

3. Ph
4. Alkalinity (do I even need to worry about this right before closing?)

You definitely want the PH in range if it's low. Low PH (like in the 5s after lots of rain with a mesh cover) will wreck a liner with millions of fingerprint like wrinkles.

Hopefully the TA is reasonably close to range with PA water and not sky high. It would be nice to get the TA in range but a higher TA is less of a worry over the winter.

Post up your test results when you get them, but not from a store, you don't have time to use faulty data and then correct the screw ups.

 

[LaurenB]

Thanks for your replies! I ordered the tf100 kit from TFtestkits the other day (didn’t realize the water was going in today until 2 days ago) so I’m not sure when I’ll have it. I was just going to add cya based on 0 (right?) and bleach the same way. Then get some test strips from Leslie’s or somewhere temporarily for ph and alk.

 

[LaurenB]

Thanks for your replies! I ordered the tf100 kit from TFtestkits the other day (didn’t realize the water was going in today until 2 days ago) so I’m not sure when I’ll have it. I was just going to add cya based on 0 (right?) and bleach the same way. Then get some test strips from Leslie’s or somewhere temporarily for ph and alk.

I drug my feet on ordering the test kit because the pool company is closing for me. So I was just going to let them handle it… but then I remembered I know better and want to balance it myself

 

[Newdude]

I was just going to add cya based on 0 (right?)

Yes. This is the only time you know for a fact it's 0. In the spring a 15 or 20 may look like 0, throwing you off, so we increase then in 10s or 15s to not overshoot.

and bleach the same way

Use PoolMath. For a couple of days until the kit comes, I'd be ok with test strips telling you that *some* chlorine is in there. If it's 3 or 7 it's won't really matter at this point, especially this late in the season. If you have any at all, it will stay longer. If it's depleted, add 5ppm more and continue monitoring.

Then get some test strips from Leslie’s or somewhere temporarily for ph and alk.

Ok for a spitball guess, but don't dose for PH or try to adjust the TA based on strips. These can wait as they are long term concerns. No harm will be done in the short term.

 

[ajw22]

Why balance the water if you are going to close and cover the pool?

Get the pH into the 7's and add some chlorine and Polyquat60 and close and cover the pool.

Any CYA you add is not needed in a covered pool and will degrade by the Spring.

What is the pH, TA, and CH of your fill water?