My wife and I recently bought a house with an in-ground vinyl pool in North Florida. It is a lovely Shrek green color. We got an estimate for chemicals, killing algae, debris, sludge and vacuuming out the pump for $450. Does this sound like a fair price? Wife and I have no idea since this is our first time having a pool. Or if this is something I can easily do myself I’m open to know how and what I need. Thanks!
New Pool Owner in North Florida
- Thread starter HamlinFan11
- Start date
- May 3, 2014
- 58,968
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Welcome to the forum!
You can easily do it your self if you do not mind some effort. And it will be done correctly, since a pool service cannot do it properly.
You need to follow the SLAM Process. To do that, you need a proper test kit. I suggest the TF100. A proper test kit is needed to get the accurate water chemistry results needed to follow the TFP protocols.
While you are waiting on your test kit, add 5 ppm FC worth of liquid chlorine / plain bleach to your pool each evening with the pump running. This will replenish the FC lost each day to the sun and also inhibit any algae in the water from growing further.
I suggest you read ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry.
You can easily do it your self if you do not mind some effort. And it will be done correctly, since a pool service cannot do it properly.
You need to follow the SLAM Process. To do that, you need a proper test kit. I suggest the TF100. A proper test kit is needed to get the accurate water chemistry results needed to follow the TFP protocols.
While you are waiting on your test kit, add 5 ppm FC worth of liquid chlorine / plain bleach to your pool each evening with the pump running. This will replenish the FC lost each day to the sun and also inhibit any algae in the water from growing further.
I suggest you read ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry.
Hey Hamlin and Welcome !! ^^^that. All of that. No matter how bad it is, We’ve seen worse. Probably many times. TFP is well versed in these. We got you.
I agree and welcome to TFP. We'd surely love to see pictures of your new pool too!
While you are waiting for your new kit and reading pool school, it wouldn't hurt to start scooping any debris from the water if there is any. Do you have a screen enclosure around it too?
While you are waiting for your new kit and reading pool school, it wouldn't hurt to start scooping any debris from the water if there is any. Do you have a screen enclosure around it too?
There is no screen around. I’m definitely working on trying to clear the debris. For now I went to pinch a penny and got about $130 worth of chemicals including liquid chlorine, muriatic acid, and alkalinity stabilizer. Will try to post a picture of o can figure out how to reduce the file size
This thread has many similar stories to help set your mind at ease. We got you.
www.troublefreepool.com
Recovering my old inspirational links
First Time Shocking with Bleach Pretty black pool A little encouragement for those with algae and new to BBB Frog Filled Green Swamp to Oasis---Work in Progress!!! Before and After Pool Pics Before and after! A final picture set of how well the BBB method works! Converting In Ga.
www.troublefreepool.com
Hamlin,
The more organics you remove the faster the pool will come around. Only 2 things for now chemical wise, get ph to 7.2 and have enough bleach /chlorine for the slam process as it'll need quite a bit. The rest can wait till the pool is almost cleared up. This is a process and learning curve in one but you'll pick up very fast with good understanding how pools work. Come back with all your questions. Stay out of pool stores because they don't know/ understand what TFP members here know. I think you should get the tf100XL because you're going to go through more regents then the norm for now.
The more organics you remove the faster the pool will come around. Only 2 things for now chemical wise, get ph to 7.2 and have enough bleach /chlorine for the slam process as it'll need quite a bit. The rest can wait till the pool is almost cleared up. This is a process and learning curve in one but you'll pick up very fast with good understanding how pools work. Come back with all your questions. Stay out of pool stores because they don't know/ understand what TFP members here know. I think you should get the tf100XL because you're going to go through more regents then the norm for now.
The crud has to go and there is no magical way to do it. When you scoop you will get some, and disperse some at the same time. Each round there is less to swoosh around, but it’s a process. Once the PH is right start the FC attack but your focus is the crud. 
- May 3, 2014
- 58,968
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Check to see what that is. It most likely is baking soda. Which is a whole lot cheaper at stores other than a pool store.
You'll be able to find almost everything you need chemical-wise at "non-pool stores" and save a lot of $$$.
Home Depot & Lowe's have muriatic acid and liquid chlorine. Walmart has liquid chlorine, baking soda and stabilizer (CYA).
You're gonna love how easy it is to manage your pool. Ask away. This is a great forum with extremely knowledgeable people and they’re very willing to help! Welcome to TFP!
Home Depot & Lowe's have muriatic acid and liquid chlorine. Walmart has liquid chlorine, baking soda and stabilizer (CYA).
You're gonna love how easy it is to manage your pool. Ask away. This is a great forum with extremely knowledgeable people and they’re very willing to help! Welcome to TFP!
Super appreciative already and I just joined yesterday!
- May 3, 2014
- 58,968
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
And I will not hold it against you that you are a 'HamlinFan11'!!!!!
Kevin Harvick 4 the Win!!!
Hahaha and I won’t hold that against you! Us and Hamlin fans are few and far between
Here's your plan of attack. You already ordered your kit. Until it arrives, keep adding 5 ppm liquid chlorine a day with the pump running. Pour slowly (no splashing) in front of a return, and keep the pump on for at least 15-30 minutes afterward to mix it in.
Take the floater out of the pool.
Filtering: What kind of filter do you have? Do you know the clean pressure? It needs to be backwashed or cleaned when it reaches 20% over the starting/clean pressure. Of course you need to know what the clean pressure is to know when it's reached 20% over. If you don't know the starting pressure, then you'll need to clean your filter to find out.
Scoop, scoop, scoop the debris. I see a lot of dead leaves on the ground around the pool. If you can clean those up and move them away from the pool, too, that will prevent them from blowing into your pool. You know, in all that free time you have since you've just moved.
Once your test kit arrives, do a full set of tests and post them here. Then we can advise what to do next. It might be jumping straight into a SLAM, or it might be starting with a water exchange.
Take the floater out of the pool.
Filtering: What kind of filter do you have? Do you know the clean pressure? It needs to be backwashed or cleaned when it reaches 20% over the starting/clean pressure. Of course you need to know what the clean pressure is to know when it's reached 20% over. If you don't know the starting pressure, then you'll need to clean your filter to find out.
Scoop, scoop, scoop the debris. I see a lot of dead leaves on the ground around the pool. If you can clean those up and move them away from the pool, too, that will prevent them from blowing into your pool. You know, in all that free time you have since you've just moved.
Once your test kit arrives, do a full set of tests and post them here. Then we can advise what to do next. It might be jumping straight into a SLAM, or it might be starting with a water exchange.
Am definitely planning on getting as much debris as possible out after work today. Will update with the filter type and such once I get a good look today. Thanks so much!
Do you have a vacuum? It will get more crud than scooping. Which will clog the filter and you’ll have to backwash (anytime the PSI raises 25%). but still worth it. Especially when you’re doing it blind.