New to pools! Feeling overwhelmed!

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GagglePlusOne

GagglePlusOne

0
Aug 6, 2017
32
St. Charles, IL
Hi,

This forum is an incredible wealth of information! Thank you to all! I am having a truck deliver water today for a late season pool. We are on a well. Our goal was to get it up and running for what is left of the warm season as soon as possible and next year we will "plan" better. I feel now that I should have learned a lot more before delving into this adventure. I am very nervous about maintaining the integrity of the water - where do I begin and when do I start testing the water. I didn't realize all that was involved in the chemistry of maintaining the integrity of the water. I did go through the files and am feeling a little overwhelmed and am wondering if I need to order the TF test kit, or can I start with the test strips? Do I add salt right away today?
Feeling ignorant and a bit embarrassed.


Intex 15'x33" prism Frame
Intex 1500 GPH Sand Filter pump and SW w/E.C.O
Filling pool today from truck
On a well
 
I had the kit and tested our well water weeks before we put the pool was up. No need to panic, go to Walmart and get CYA and bleach. Use pool math to raise the CYA to 30 or so and use the CYA/fc chart to raise the fc using bleach. That's what I would do anyway. When you get real numbers, post back and the experts will help you. Put the CYA in an old sock suspended by the return.
 
Yes. The SWG will not be able to produce enough chlorine to begin with.

You should order a test kit today and add 1/4 bottle of 8.25% bleach until it arrives. And 2nd-ing TomGallopavo, bleach and a little CYA first. Use pool math to determine how much CYA to add to get to 30. Undershoot if anything, it's better to have to add a little more than drain/refill if you over-shoot.
 
I cannot find CYA at any local stores today. I can order some for delivery tomorrow from Amazon Prime. It is the Clorox pool and spa chlorine stabilizer sold in a 4lb container. Will this be acceptable? Is there a better brand I can get quickly that is recommended? Thanks again in advance.
 
The Clorox CYA works.
There have been reports, not proven, that people have not had the CYA rise in their pools commensurate with the amount of the Clorox CYA they added.

Home Depot carries Pool Time Stabilizer in 5# containers.

Good luck.
 

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I use the Chlorox CYA in my pool and didn't have any issue when I was adding it. I started with half the amount PoolMath called for, poured it into a sock and hung in front of my return and massaged the sock while we swam. Tested CYA a few days later and was at exactly 20ppm. Added the other half of CYA the same way, and when I tested a week later was right at 40ppm.
 
Thank you so much. What is a "Sock" that I keep seeing? Hopefully last question for awhile - I am having trouble getting our SWG filter and pump up and running. The pool was filled yesterday with Municipal drinking water - can I still go ahead and add the 8.25% Chlorine and CYA today even though things aren't running?
 
It's a literal sock you wear on your feet, when I need one I ask my wife for one of the "orphaned" socks that has lost their pair. Fill it up with the amount needed and tie a knot in the top.

Yes, add the chlorine and brush the entire pool, that should be enough for now. If you don't have a working return, take the CYA filled sock and massage it in the water to dissolve the CYA. If you can get in the pool with the sock and walk around even better, but I think it's been kind of cool your way.
 
thank you... now I may sleep tonight! I just ordered the Test Kit, stirrer and salt strips as well. I hope I can get that pump running asap - feel like I need a PHD in SWG systems to do so! I do appreciate everyone's patience. I should have done more research and better planning before we started this. Thank you everyone!
 
Thanks again to everyone for their support. I dumped in about 1/4 of a 121oz jug of 8.25% bleach, scrubbed the sides with a rubber scrubber and waded with a sock filled with about a cup of CYA as I massaged it. Filter/pump still not running. Pool would only open for about an hour to an hour and a half a day right now - I keep a solar cover on it otherwise. I have a few questions:
Do I do this daily (bleach and cya) until it is up and running with the saltwater system/sand system?
Should I test with test strips that came with the filter/pump?
Can we use the pool in the meantime (just myself, my husband and 4 dogs)
Can the whale brush be used on a vinyl liner such as the intex metal frame pool?
I so appreciate this forum - thank you!
 
You add the CYA once and that is it until your test shows you need more. How much CYA did PoolMath say for you to add? You need a signature so we know the size of your pool - see - Pool School - Read This BEFORE You Post

You add bleach daily. Test, then dose. FC is based on the chlorine / CYA chart in Pool School.

You can certainly use the pool. It is safe as long as FC is at or below shock level based on your CYA, you can see the bottom, and your pH is between 7.2 and 7.8.

Whale brush is fine but you might want to lower its force by adjusting it.
 
Thank you and sorry for the signature snafu. I did add a signature, and it showed up on the first posting but not in replies for some reason.. I went back in and added the signature again. Hopefully it will show this time. I don't have a means to test my CYA at this time - I am waiting for the Kit to arrive. I do have the test strips that came with the filtration system - they measure FC, PH, Total Alk and Calcium Hardness. The Pool Math came up with 20oz of chlorine bleach and 1 cup 6oz of CYA. I added slightly less of the CYA.
Thanks again.
 
Be careful topping off with well water if it's got a lot of iron in it. Iron can turn a pretty pool green without any algae. If you do have an iron issue down the line, I've got a link in my signature about filtering out iron using Polyfill.
 

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