Newbie!!

[Worrier]

A good friend of mine recommended that I set up a account on this page. I bought this place in October of 2018 and spent over $300 on chemicals to get the pool ready to close (I took water samples to Leslie’s and added what they recommended). In their defense, when we took the cover off the pool it was really clear! Took another water sample in at opening and spent $220 in chemicals. Cleaned and ran the pool for 1 week, took another sample in, and, you guessed it, another $200??‍! I need some guidance/assistance with test kits please! My friend also said that I could find alternative chemicals that would save money. Please keep in mind that I have NO CLUE what I’m doing here!!! My pool is 27,000 gallons, vinyl liner- chlorine with tab chlorination setup - sand filter and a Hayward super single speed pump. I have to stop this $4-500 a month cycle!! Help please!!

 

[Texas Splash]

Welcome to the forum! Absolutely we can help. Start with these please:
- Get a TF-100 test kit (link below); the alternative is a Taylor K-2006C. Test Kits Compared I recommend the TF-100.
- Stay out of the pool store. You'll learn more at our ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry.
- See all those Vital Links in my signature? Save those and review them. It's got most of what you need. Just take some time to understand them and let us know if you have questions.
- Go to settings and update your singature with all yourpool info. Add the test kit when you get it.
- When you get your test kit, post a full set of numbers. We'll help.

Stick with us and you'll have better water and a happier checking account.

 

[Worrier]

Latest test - just for baseline info at this point.

 

[Texas Splash]

You'll soon find that pool store testing is very unreliable for several factors. Some of it being seasonal staffing, quick testing in a hurry, and poor lighting which skews the results. I've literally had a CYA of 70 one day, then had them tell me 40 the next - impossible. So don't put a lot of faith in that report. We would still encourage you to get the TF-100 (or Taylor K-2006C). In the meantime, your pool always need chlorine each day. Even if it's only a little depending on water temp, amount of sun, and temperature. You have a fairly large pool and it's getting warm. So I would add about 1 gallon of regular bleach to the water today to get that FC up, then add about 1/2 each day after that. Make sure it's regular bleach. Don't use Clorox or any bleach that shows splashless, scented, or fabric products. If you have chlorine tabs (pucks) in a feeder, let them dissolve and do not add anymore at this time. We'll help you understand that more once your kit arrives.

 

[Worrier]

10-4.... will do!

 

[splashpad]

Just adding another Welcome @Worrier !

Lovely pool in your profile pic! Check out Pool School for sure! Search the forums, ask any questions you can think of!

Depending on if the products are opened or not, can you exchange the potions they sold you for Liquid Chlorine (or possibly called liquid pool shock)?

Some quick notes for you:
Don't Raise CH (calcium in vinyl pool, you don't need it!)
If you keep your FC (chlorine) at the proper level for your CYA (which you get by owning a proper full test kit), phosphates "don't matter"

 

[Worrier]

Just adding another Welcome @Worrier !

Lovely pool in your profile pic! Check out Pool School for sure! Search the forums, ask any questions you can think of!

Depending on if the products are opened or not, can you exchange the potions they sold you for Liquid Chlorine (or possibly called liquid pool shock)?

Some quick notes for you:
Don't Raise CH (calcium in vinyl pool, you don't need it!)
If you keep your FC (chlorine) at the proper level for your CYA (which you get by owning a proper full test kit), phosphates "don't matter"

My latest bounty -

 

[splashpad]

My latest bounty -

Oh my, yeah you have 2 types of calcuim, that you don't need in your vinyl pool (Hardness Increaser & Power Powder Express)
The perfect weekly is "nothing" (phosphate remover, which yours aren't even high)
The tabs will raise your CYA after using, and yours is a good level

Are you comfortable with Liquid Chlorine or pure/plain Liquid Bleach? You do need to get some chlorine in your pool

 

[Texas Splash]

Yes, lots of $$$ there. You can save the tabs, but you won't need them often unless you're away from the pool for a few days. Just keep them sealed and they should be fine. The Perfect Weekly is just one of their snake oils I'm afraid. You have a vinyl liner, so you really don't need calcium hardener in the pool, but of course the pool store is happy to sell it when they can. Not your fault. The box of power plus shock is stabilized chlorine which you typically won't use. For the most part though, your pool's best friends will be:
- Regular bleach and/or pool liquid chlorine (same thing)
- Baking soda (if your TA is ever low)
- Muriatic acid (to lower pH if/when it rises)

But don't rush-out to grab anything other than perhaps some bleach to get you through the next few days. Your own testing will tell us the true story of your water.

 

[setsailsoon]

Worrier,

Let me add my Welcome! You're right where I was about 4 years ago only your pool is bigger. I fired the pool service and switched to TFP. TFP is so simple and cheap to do I had my chemistry very well-balanced in short order and it has cost about $10/Mo. You'll gain a lot of confidence as you test yourself and see the repeatability plus you'll soon be able to predict (with Pool Math) the changes from chemical additions. Also, you'll have a sparkling pool 100% of the time. There are a lot of experts on this site. Pat is one and they've helped hundreds of people just like you. Like the pool store people you don't know them. But the big difference is they don't sell anything. They're just enthusiasts like you and they know TFP inside out. My only advice is ask any question you have. Pool care is not a mystery and doesn't require an advanced chemistry degree.

Good luck with your pool - TFP style!

Chris

 

[Worrier]

Oh my, yeah you have 2 types of calcuim, that you don't need in your vinyl pool (Hardness Increaser & Power Powder Express)
The perfect weekly is "nothing" (phosphate remover, which yours aren't even high)
The tabs will raise your CYA after using, and yours is a good level

Are you comfortable with Liquid Chlorine or pure/plain Liquid Bleach? You do need to get some chlorine in your pool

Put 2 bags of the shock and 3 tabs in the feeder (set to 1) - tested with strips this morning and it shows in acceptable range now.

 

[Worrier]

Put 2 bags of the shock and 3 tabs in the feeder (set to 1) - tested with strips this morning and it shows in acceptable range now.

They had me add 60lbs of the hardness increaser the day after opening

 

[splashpad]

They had me add 60lbs of the hardness increaser the day after opening

So glad your friend turned you on to TFP!

Put 2 bags of the shock and 3 tabs in the feeder (set to 1) - tested with strips this morning and it shows in acceptable range now.

The strips don't provide the accuracy needed to maintain a low cost healthy crystal clear pool!
A proper test kit will be the best money spent, and the SpeedStir makes testing fun and easy!

TF-100 Test Kit

tftestkits.net

 

[homegameroom]

Welcome!

+1 on the test kit and speed stir! It will rekindle fond memories of the "Junior Chemist" kit you got for your birthday when you were a kid!

I lurked on this site for years and went all-in last year on the TFP philosophy and I couldn't be happier. My pool is literally trouble free and I spend almost nothing on my pool on a monthly basis. It's also cleaner and the water is crystal clear. My neighbors, who spend big bucks on a pool service (but don't want to invest the time in reading the invaluable information on this site so they can do it themselves (and I have offered to help)), are jealous!

 

[setsailsoon]

Worrier,

TFP works in great part by putting you in control. To do this you absolutely must have reliable, accurate tests. Look at it this way. The pool store already cost you $400 on chemicals you didn't need. A good test kit will cost less than $100. You can't do TFP with test strips they just aren't accurate enough. I've tried to compare them after adding chemicals just to check. The test kits recommended here are right on based on Pool Math. Test strips I've used just don't change.

Chris

 

[Texas Splash]

Remember, you CAN test your own water and it's not hard. You just need te proper tool (TF-100 or Taylor K-2006C).

 

[Worrier]

So glad your friend turned you on to TFP!

The strips don't provide the accuracy needed to maintain a low cost healthy crystal clear pool!
A proper test kit will be the best money spent, and the SpeedStir makes testing fun and easy!

TF-100 Test Kit

tftestkits.net

[/

Remember, you CAN test your own water and it's not hard. You just need te proper tool (TF-100 or Taylor K-2006C).

What optional accessories offered with the test kit are recommended?

 

[splashpad]

What optional accessories offered with the test kit are recommended?

The SpeedStir and the Standard sampler is what I would recommend

The 'standard' sampler "teaches" you how to read your results, since you know what they should be
The biggest one is the CYA, that has the biggest learning curve

 

[Worrier]

The SpeedStir and the Standard sampler is what I would recommend

The 'standard' sampler "teaches" you how to read your results, since you know what they should be
The biggest one is the CYA, that has the biggest learning curve

Got it on the way!

 

[bmoreswim]

Welcome!! Here is a link just discussing our top-level philosophy on pool care. Thought it would give you good insight to our approach. What is TFPC?

And if you haven't downloaded the eBook "Pool School", written by Trouble Free Pool, what are you waiting for! This link is to the web version of Pool School and at the very bottom are links to iOS, Android and Amazon eBook versions.

You are in good hands above.