new tfp method, can I guess along till its time?

[cfherrman]

This year i'm am upgrading my pool from a 12' x 30" pool from the last 3 years to a 24' x 52" pool this year. I will spare you the story but i really don't have the correct amount of funds to do this correctly, a lot has to do from pool install costs, so i will be waiting to get the tf-100 kit. I came to this website from searches on how to level the pool pad and it took off from there. I have visited pool school and all the other useful links as well read many SLAM stories so i know I need to do this the right way. I should be filling my pool tomorrow, 12481 gallons, with my filtered and worn out water softened well water. I looked up pool math and plan to add;

CYA, rec 4 lbs 3 oz, i will add 4 lbs
TA, rec 13 lbs, i will add 12 lbs
FC, 55 oz, i will add 55 oz 8.25% bleach

I have a old hth 3 way test kit from a neighbor and guess strips that i used to use, strips do not work for FC or CYA, can i guess along testing for FC and PH and maintain these levels until i can afford to do it properly, approximately one month from now. My walmart has a new 3 way test kit that I can pick up if you think the old one might be out of date, they also have a 6 way for $22 but i rather just wait for the tf-100. Pool will also have a pump and sand filter too small for it for around a month or two. Let me know what your thoughts are, thanks.

 

[Fingaling]

Filling with fresh clear water you shouldnt need the full test kit... As long as nothing goes wrong, you really just need to test for chlorine and ph. You can figure out cya based on what you add, ta and ch won't really matter.

Id get new reagents for your drop tests. You should be able to get both at Walmart for $8 or so. And just toss the test strips.

 

[krazykrames]

I'd get a new 3 way kit. After a few years the reagents don't seem to be accurate anymore. You'd be fine just keeping chlorine and ph in check for a while.

 

[Donldson]

If you are going to be running with an undersized filter system then the last thing you want to do is risk your water chemistry getting messed up. If the pool goes green then you might be able to guess your way to clearing the green up but the cloudiness is going to take days or even weeks to clear up.

 

[cfherrman]

Yeah I'm a little worried about the pump and filter, but that's all I can do for now. It's 'rated' for 10k gallons, I'll run it 24/7 and just have to been on top of things.

One thing I see now is people slam a new fill in a pool, my well is pretty good is this necessary?

 

[Flying Tivo]

Not really, first thing is to test for PH and adjust, then ad Chlorine and CYA, but dont overshoot on CYA.

You will be fine!

Felipe

 

[BattleOfYakima]

my 2 cents, non TFP approved advice - get a fresh $5 ph+tc test tomorrow, and buy an fas-dpd standalone test for $30 asap. As long as you keep the PH and FC in check, you're not going to get algae - but in order to really keep FC in check, you need fas-dpd. You can get a pool store to test your TA and CYA sometime for free probably, or a neighbor with a pool or a generous local TFP member if you bring your sample to a walmart parking lot or police station parking lot for safety. Then, when you start to run out of FAS-DPD chemicals, and you've got your finances back, you can pick up a tf-50 and keep using your own ph test. Keep the debris out of it so it doesn't burn FC, and save cash there. Don't skimp on the FC at the very beginning since your fill water may still have some cloramines that will have to be oxidized away. Stay at the top of the target range after your initial round which should probably be to shock level. That's what i'd do on a budget anyway.

 

[jblizzle]

Why do you think you need to add that much baking soda to raise the TA?

 

[duraleigh]

I disagree with the "work around" solutions above.

The first thing we will ask you is for accurate test results if you have a chemistry question.....you won't have them.

If your pool goes green, you will spend wa-a-a-ay over $100 cleaning it up.....money that could've been spent for a $70 dollar test kit.

Cleaning up that green pool with our help will require accurate test results.....you won't have them.

So if guesswork is the plan, it simply is not compatible with what we teach. Everything we do is based on accurate testing.

Having thousands to build a pool but not $70 to operate it properly has never made sense to me.

I am not being rude but I am being abrupt as I hope you will understand what I am saying and approach your pool water management with a serious eye to what we teach.

 

[cfherrman]

Battleofyamika - I didn't notice the tf-50, I did take a look, more on that later. I refuse to go to our pool store, double prices and they don't even stock liquid clorine.

Jblizzle - I assume ta would be zero, is this wrong, does water have it's own ta?

Duraleigh - I'm in the same line of thinking as you, I don't want to guess along.

I think I'll change my plan to pick up a Walmart 3 way along with the cya and bleach, some of the borax, baking soda, and soda Ash. Add the cya and bleach and manage the fc and pH, then on the 10th or before I will order the tf-50 and use that till it's all or next season I'll will order the tf100 with all the bells and whistles. When the tf-50 comes in I'll add the baking soda and top up the cya.

 

[kimkats]

Most water has TA. Some high and some low but most (never say all) has TA and you need to know it to help balance your PH. TA and PH go hand in hand.

Do what you can, when you can, with what you have.

Kim

 

[jblizzle]

Don't buy chemicals that you don't know that you need. I have never added Borax or baking soda or soda ash to my pool.

 

[BattleOfYakima]

Upon reading the posts since mine, especially yours, I strongly urge you NOT to waste money on chemicals you may or may not EVER use and strongly suggest you to have a friend order you a TF-100 or TF-50 as an early Christmas/Birthday present today. If I was your friend or family, and I ever, ever buy you gifts, I would love, love, love, LOVE the chance to give you a gift that you'll use 50-400 times a year and will help you save money and keep your family safe. If anyone in this world that has their finances under control ever buys you gifts, ask them. There is no substitute for an approved test kit. Money spent on a test kit is almost profitable because of how much it will save you.

- - - Updated - - -

Don't buy chemicals that you don't know that you need. I have never added Borax or baking soda or soda ash to my pool.

and ditto. depending on your fill water, you may not even have to adjust PH or TA at all.....you know, if you have a test kit you can trust.

 

[cfherrman]

I got the pool setup and filled to about 36", have about 3 1/2 lbs of cya hanging in socks inside the pool, poured in leftover liquid chlorine, main drains and hard lines ran and pump running. I picked up a oto/ph refill for $3 (kit would be $7), tested water, fc .5 and ph 7.2, poured in 56 oz of 8.25 bleach, will test in the morning. My 3rd job is working for my brother doing computer marketing sales and im going to see if he will pay me extra for the tf50 or tf100, i havent decided. I am going to fill the pool to 42" so my youngest daughter can touch and that should help with the undersized pump, puts pool volume at 12,000 gallons.

Thanks for your responses, they have helped me immensely, I know this is not the true way to go but I will get there.

So far i have into this pool;

$0 pool and liner (got free from different brother, he paid $150 a few years ago and never used it)
$0 pump (rerun, i purchased 3 years ago for $120)
$0 Pool Equipment (rerun for the years and neighbor gave me his)
$50 Main Drains
$60 sand (I hauled 1 yard fill sand and then 1.5 yards of mason sand with my pickup)
$22 Pavers ($0.50 each from neighbor, rest are reruns from last pool build)
$120 hard lines
$22 Chemical ($16 for CYA, $6 for 2x bleach)
$3 Test Kit Refill

Items on the list, in order:

Test Kit
Wide mouth Skimmer
Hayward sand filter, 21"-24" area
Upgraded pump
2nd return

 

[BattleOfYakima]

Very nice post. Since you have a PH test, perhaps get the TF-50 asap since it has everything you need at a lower entry cost. I love and applaud the initiative to ask for extra work to earn extra for what you want. Bravo!!! Just a thought, does your neighbor have a test kit of any kind, even if it is just a dpd test kit like the taylor k-2005? Might be a good way to get test numbers before your TF kit arrives for an IOU or something. As a pool nerd, I love it when I get to test a pool other than my own. If you can't get the money by working extra, maybe pull up satellite images of your neighborhood and go meet the pool owners until one has a real testkit. Since clearing your pool would be a task, don't be stingy with the bleach if you don't have a way to correctly measure FC, but only TC.

As for your list goes, something like this, if it works, might be cheaper than the wide skimmer, idk about such things. Depending on what your goal is.
You might be able to ask any local pool stores if they replace any old sand/cartridge filters/single speed pumps if you could have one that is still usable. I got free valve repair parts that way. Lots of people upgrading to quad cartridge and de, and upgrading size, so you never know, maybe post on craiglist that you want used working, free removal from their place, explain you have three jobs, who knows.

 

[kimkats]

Well done working with what you have and are able to get!

Like Battle says keep the bleach (FC) up so keep from having any problems with algae!

Kim

 

[cfherrman]

Tested fc last night, 2ppm, added 16 oz bleach. Tested this morning and it probably is 3ppm, shade didn't match anything but was definitely more than 2 ppm. Pool had a heavy clorine smell last night but that's gone today. I suspect with a used liner than was sitting in the rain last couple of weeks had some things grow on it. Kids may try to brave the freezing water in the afternoon I plan to dose it 55 oz after that just in case I am reading some cc with the oto.

I am going to have to get a skimmer sooner than I thought, I'm used to perfectly clear surface.

 

[YippeeSkippy]

I don't see any mention of the purchase of pool quality sand for that sand filter? Its not the same as the sand you used to level the pool surface.

A TF-50 test kit along with your own current pH test kit will just about solve your testing problems.

Maddie

 

[cfherrman]

Ohh sorry, I picked up a 40 lb bag three years ago from the pool store and used that two years, last year I tore down my filter after opening the one of the grossest pools ever and cleaned it and put new sand in. Lucky for me I kept the old sand so now I have plenty of refill sand.

I did use play sand from home Depot when I originally purchased the filter, would plug up after a day or two, this pool sand is good for a month running 24/7, of course with the old pool

 

[cfherrman]

Quick update

My old pump is starting to leak I'm guessing at the motor shaft, I will tear into it this weekend to see if I can repack it. My brother is coming on Friday with the original ladder and pump for the pool so I will have a backup pump.

Oto testing sucks but I believe I have mantained a 3 ppm or more fc/tc and I am going to try to dial back the bleach to a gallon a week. I have used up one gallon since fill and have had only the clorine smell during the first night. I am off work till June 5th so I will test throughout the day and will dial in more bleach if I see a 2-2.5 ppm test.