Opening pool for the first time

[jddurango]

Hey guys, new here and just getting started for the first time with my new home and pool. I purchased this home last Fall and put the previous owner's tarp on it within a few weeks. All during the winter, every week or two I took water samples to my local Leslies and managed the water throughout the winter. The previous owner had a Polaris 280 (side booster/suction) cleaner but I never ran it once during the winter nor did I ever broom the pool since Fall.

I took in a sample last week and my Free Chlorine was 0.14 (Sheet they gave me says ideal range is 1-4ppm) and my pH was 8.3 (range should be 7.2-7.8). So they told me and I added 91 oz of Muriatic acid and 1 lb of shock. I did both over the past few days. I had been running my pump for 6 hours per day and they told me to bump it to 8 hours which I did a couple days ago.

I planned on taking the tarp off today...I live in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and we're in the 80's to 90's already..this weekend upper 90's. The first thing I did a backwash and totally cleaned out my DE filter. Took all the fins out and power washed all the filters real good. It was a dingy green color. The pool water looked relatively good to me and there wasn't as much debris in the pool as I thought there might be. However there is a slight film of algae on the bottom, sides and steps. I got the long broom and brushed the whole thing. The water quickly turned into a cloudy, pea green soup color.

My question is what should my next step be? I'm thinking I need to let the pump/filter run overnight to let it filter all the particles and algae. I'm guessing if I took in a sample now they'd get much different readings but I'm thinking i need to let it all turn over a time or two then take in a sample. Or should I just shock it with the SLAM process I read about here and start from a new baseline?

Thanks a ton guys, this site has been invaluable to me as a lurking newbie these past 6 months. But now that it's time to open the pool, I need a little assistance from you experts. Go easy on me. lol

Thanks!
Jeff

 

[mknauss]

Welcome to the forum!
First step is to order a proper test kit.
You need to follow the SLAM Process. To do that, you need a proper test kit, see Test Kits Compared. 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.

 

[jddurango]

Hello Marty, thanks for responding! I did order a test kit before I came to this site (and saw the TF100 was recommended), I purchased a Poolmaster 5 way test kit. It tests for Chlorine, Bromine, pH, Alkalinity and Acid Demand. I'll be honest though, I pass by Leslie's 3-4 times a day it takes 2 seconds to have them test my water for free and they give me a printout telling me what to add. I've been doing that for 6 months rather than using my test kit. I do realize I need to learn how to test the water on my own though...but for this newbie it's been easier to take water in and have someone say: Do this and add this.

I will read the ABC's right now. I'm not sure how much 5ppm FC worth of liquid chlorine/plain bleach is in terms of volume but I'll read the article and hopefully it explains it. I think I read it last fall but have forgotten everything.

Thanks again!

 

[mknauss]

Great. The issue with the 5 way is by the time you fill in what you do not have in tests, you can buy a full TF100. I know you say you like the ease of the pool store tests. That is fine, but we will not provide any guidance based on pool store tests. We can help with equipment and verify what you plan to do with the data you accept, but we will not use pool store test data. If you are using their recommendations and products, you have all ready wasted way more money than the TF100 costs.

Use PoolMath for additions. I would do the calculation for you this time, but without a signature, I have no idea the volume of your pool. See Create Your Signature - Further Reading

 

[YippeeSkippy]

FIrst off, you don't have a bromine pool, so suddenly that test kit is a 4 way....and still not going to cut it. It also won't tell you:
FC
CC
TA
pH
CH
CYA

You need to know all those numbers, from an accurate drop based tester, to proceed with the TFP method of pool care.

Leslie's is wrong in testing more often than right. Try taking a sample to 3 various stores and you'll get 3 different answers (don't give'em your addy or they'll just look up the previous results, I suspect?). Fancy print outs are all
"theatrics".

How much do you end up spending there for those "free tests"?? I spend aprox $100-150 per YEAR taking care of my pool, and that includes test kit refills.
Maddie

 

[jddurango]

10-4 Marty, I'll chalk up the Poolmaster purchase to a newbie mistake and buy the TF100 right after I hit post reply.

Gosh so many questions. I believe it is a 28,000 to 30,000 gallon pool. I did a "Pool School" with a local pool company to go over all the equipment and basics when I first bought the home. That the approximate size I've been told by 2 different people. I'm not sure how I'd go about calculating or figuring it out. the corners are curved and depths different.

Going forward I will be able to do my own readings but for now below are the readings I was given last week:
Free Chlorine 0.14
Total Chlorine 0.14
pH 8.3
Total Alkalinity 87
Calcium Hardness 343
CYA 68
Iron 0.1
Copper 0.2
Phosphates 0
TDS 600

I've already started the ABC article and have realized I've let my CYA and Free Chlorine relationship get out of whack. Much more to learn! I greatly appreciate your patience and willingness to help!

 

[jddurango]

FIrst off, you don't have a bromine pool, so suddenly that test kit is a 4 way....and still not going to cut it. It also won't tell you:
FC
CC
TA
pH
CH
CYA

You need to know all those numbers, from an accurate drop based tester, to proceed with the TFP method of pool care.

Leslie's is wrong in testing more often than right. Try taking a sample to 3 various stores and you'll get 3 different answers (don't give'em your addy or they'll just look up the previous results, I suspect?). Fancy print outs are all
"theatrics".

How much do you end up spending there for those "free tests"?? I spend aprox $100-150 per YEAR taking care of my pool, and that includes test kit refills.
Maddie

Ok, I'm hearing both of you loud and clear. I appreciate ya'll setting me straight and greatly appreciate your patience and willingness to help. I'm very interested in taking control over all this and doing it myself so I need to learn.

 

[YippeeSkippy]

Ouch....based on those pool store results your FC is wayyyyy too low and you've got Copper?!? Are you using any Clorox XtraBlue products or cheap algaecides? If so, no bueno.

You need to drop your pH, add some liquid chlorine, figure out where the copper has come from, and get a good tester. Do you fill from a well- a little iron is noted too.

Maddie

 

[jddurango]

Uh oh Ouch isn't good.

The only chlorine based product I've put in is Leslies power powder plus shock. I got the home depot HDX brand muriatic acid. I don't have a clue about the copper or iron....no I don't fill from a well. I just add water from a water hose/city water but haven't needed to with the wet winter we've had.

I believe I've read here that the pool liquid chlorine is stronger than the store bought bleach but most here just use the gallons of cheap bleach you can buy at say Home Depot or Walmart. Is that what y'all recommend? I'd like to run to the store tonight and buy some bleach and get this started if that's what we need to do.

I think I have my sig up now...let me see after I post this.

 

[YippeeSkippy]

If you shop at Walmart, go to the pool section (sports?) and find the 10% Pool Essentials Liquid Chlorine. Its about $3.75/gallon but often a better buy than the bleach this time of year. Bleach can be used as long as it is not doctored up with scents, or thickeners to make it splashless, Cloromax'd or anything but just plain generic old fashioned bleach. Usually its 6% strength these days.

 

[mknauss]

I suspect the copper and iron results are not accurate. That Leslies product is Cal Hypo.

For 5 ppm FC worth of liquid chlorine, that is close to 1 1/2 gallons of 10%.

 

[jddurango]

Thanks guys, heading to Walmart now. Sig up. TF-100 test kit ordered. Pool Math app downloaded onto phone.

 

[IceShadow]

Can’t wait to see the test results when you do your own tests. My suggestion is to check out some YouTube videos on the Taylor tests (the TF-100 uses them) - get an idea of how they work. For FC just use the 10ml sample version, you don’t need the 25ml sample level of accuracy.

The CYA test is the hardest to interpret, so read up on that and see if you can find a video. Still more accurate than what pool stores will tell you.

 

[jddurango]

Back from Walmart and dinner. Great suggestion on the Pool Essentials Liquid Chlorine at Wally World. Great buy at $3.64 a gallon! They had 6 left and I bought em all. I dumped 1.5 gallons of the 10% in tonight. I inherited a little floaty thing and some chlorine tabs and I launched that baby too.

I'm anxious too Ice...altho a bit nervous too. I'll definitely finish reading the ABC's and watch some YouTube videos. I'll be taking notes. Y'all have a great night.

Jeff

 

[mknauss]

Be careful launching the floaty thing. Those add CYA to the water. Which you may have too much of and need to drain water from the pool to reduce.

 

[jddurango]

Be careful launching the floaty thing. Those add CYA to the water. Which you may have too much of and need to drain water from the pool to reduce.

Ok, thanks Marty, I'll yank it out.

 

[jddurango]

Morning everyone! All the sediment/algae from scrubbing everything yesterday has settled to the bottom of the pool and the water is pretty clear again. Today I will get out my vac head and try to vac all that sediment up.

I did a ton of reading last night and think I've got a very basic grasp of what we're trying to do. Because it's all I have until I get my new TF-100 kit (which shipped this morning), I am using the store CYA number of 68. Looking at the Chart I see I need a SLAM FC of 27-28, then once I get things stabilized I'll settle into the 8-9 FC range. Using the Pool Math App, I put my pool volume in and on the FC tab, I enter my CYA number of 68, I check/enable the SLAM button put current FC of 0, and it autofills the SLAM target FC of 27 for me.

First question is just under the boxes for Current FC and SLAM Target FC a red stop sign warning pops up that says Your target is outside of the recommended range. I figured it would recognize I'm doing the 27 SLAM target rather than the recommended stabilized FC target of 8-9?

So continuing on with the Pool Math app, I enter Bleach for sanitizer, 10% chorine, 128oz jug and below that it calculates that I need to add 967 oz of bleach or 7 gallons and 2 quarts. Am I doing this right? Secondly, how much can I put in at a time? Can I dump the entire 7 gallons in now or do I need to just do the 1.5 gallons each night until I get to the 27 SLAM target FC. I think once I reach the 27 SLAM target I am done when I pass the OCLT then I can start letting it back down to the target 8-9 FC range.

Does that sound about right?

For the heck of it I got my Poolmaster kit out and tested the Chlorine and got around a 1.5 reading this morning.

 

[mknauss]

The app will tell you the FC is Out of Range anytime you are out of Target Range. So ignore when in SLAM.

That is the correct amount of chlorine. With pump running slowly pour in the chlorine at the return. Should take a minute or two to pour in each jug. Brush around the area when you are done.

You can start with the pool store numbers if you like. Realize if the real CYA is higher than what they tested, you will be wanting to do a partial water exchange.
You also will not be able to test your FC at the elevated levels once you start. You should test every 2-3 hours once you start and add back the liquid chlorine to reach your SLAM level FC.

 

[jddurango]

Got it. Thanks Marty. I got to thinking about the CYA number after I posted. I may be going on an incorrect assumption so I don't want to dump the whole 7 gallons of chlorine in anyway. Plus, my pool is about an inch low so today I hooked up my autofiller and started adding fresh water. I believe that will lower the CYA too..whatever number it is.

You were thinking ahead of me on that last sentence. I was wondering how high the TF-100 went in its readings so adding back makes sense. Until I get my kit and know what the true CYA number is (and because I'm adding new fresh water) I will continue adding 1.5 jugs each evening as you originally suggested. I'm a little confused with the adding back the chlorine part if you do the entire dump at once so when I get the kit and true CYA number, I may need your help walking me through that.

Thanks so much and have a great day!

 

[mknauss]

When you start your SLAM, you will lower your pH to 7.2 and raise your FC to SLAM level. Say that is 28 ppm. 3 hours later you test your FC and it is 21 ppm (why you need the FAS-DPD test kit), you then add 7 ppm worth of FC. No need to test. Wait about 3 hours, test FC again, repeat.

Once the FC starts to hold pretty well, you lengthen out the time between tests. Still try to test and add liquid chlorine in the morning, at noon, late afternoon, and before bed.