Soon to be new pool owner - Basic Questions

[smite]

Hello all, I am a long time lurker and reader of the forums, as we have been wanting a pool for years. Finally, after some fits and starts we found a home that checks all of the boxes for us that also has a pool. We close in a couple of weeks and besides scrambling with everything else I have been trying to understand as much history on the pool as possible to so can get perhaps a month of use before we have to close it for the winter.

So the 35 year old pool has been been maintained by a local pool company every two weeks while the house was on the market and when we went to look at it after all of the inspections were done the water looked really cloudy and had frogs jumping into it, with a ton of leaves in the pool and the skimmer. I cleaned out the pool without vacuuming it but was a bit worried to see the condition of the pool which seemed to deteriorate pretty fast from the week before.

We met with the company who maintains the pool who walked us through the basics and said the liner is 2 years old, the sand filter was replaced last year, the pump is not original but not new either. There is no timer and the pool seems to be running all time. The pool person said this was normal for this pool and referred to this pool as the "frog pool" laughing while saying the original owner only liked to use very small amounts of bleach which was not really enough to get the pool clear but that the pool would clear up no problem if we put in more chlorine.

I will be picking up the 2006 test kit since its late in the season soon right before we close on the house.

My first question for the group is, is it OK to run the pool 24x7 with no timer?

The current cover is a terrible looking solar cover that is in bad shape. What is recommended for a pool of this type for the winter? The yard is full of tall trees that will definitely shed lots of leaves and other debris as it is pretty bad even before the fall. My pool guy said a safety cover would be around 2500 installed. Is that something that is recommended?

Is there a recommended starting point/amount of chemicals that I should get right off the bat besides Chlorox? Since it will be time to close pretty soon after we move in (maybe 3-5 weeks)? I would rather not load up on a bunch of chemicals just to have them sit over the winter.

Finally given the large amount of debris in the pool which direction is best for an affordable automatic vacuum that wont be a total waste of money. From what I can see we limited to a system that connects to the skimmer.

Also any other completely beginner tips that I should consider is greatly appreciated.

Thanks to all for this great forum and body of knowledge and in advance for any replies. I greatly appreciate it.

 

[ajw22]

Welcome to TFP and congratulations on your new house and pool.

I will be picking up the 2006 test kit since its late in the season soon right before we close on the house.

I think the TF-100 Test Kit is a better value but if you get the Taylor get the K-2006C. The reagents in the TF-100 will be fresh enough to last through next season. Depending on where you get the Taylor from you may not know the age of the reagents. See Pool School - Test Kits Compared

My first question for the group is, is it OK to run the pool 24x7 with no timer?

Yes, you will just use electricity.

The current cover is a terrible looking solar cover that is in bad shape. What is recommended for a pool of this type for the winter? The yard is full of tall trees that will definitely shed lots of leaves and other debris as it is pretty bad even before the fall. My pool guy said a safety cover would be around 2500 installed. Is that something that is recommended?

I use a solid Meyco cover for the winter. Meyco Pool Covers - Everyone Trusts the Original

Is there a recommended starting point/amount of chemicals that I should get right off the bat besides Chlorox? Since it will be time to close pretty soon after we move in (maybe 3-5 weeks)? I would rather not load up on a bunch of chemicals just to have them sit over the winter.

Only get Clorox bleach if it does NOT have Cloromax Technology. Most of the Clorox bleach has additives that are not suitable for pools.

Take your first water tests and post them here and we can tell you what chemicals you will need. In the meantime review:
Pool School - Recommended Pool Chemicals
Pool School - Recommended Levels
Pool School - How to Chlorinate Your Pool
Pool School - Basic Pool Care Schedule

Finally given the large amount of debris in the pool which direction is best for an affordable automatic vacuum that wont be a total waste of money. From what I can see we limited to a system that connects to the skimmer.

Get a robot vacuum. See the Pool Cleaners section for discussions about models.

Pool School - Automatic Pool Cleaners

Also any other completely beginner tips that I should consider is greatly appreciated.

Read:
Pool School - ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry
Trouble Free Pool School

 

[ff702]

Is your new home occupied now? If not, I would drop by and add liquid chlorine daily and skim what you can since the water is already cloudy. This way you won’t lose what’s left of the season trying to clear it.

If this is not an option, maybe the pool maintenance company would be willing to add additional visits and additional chlorine.

Since you don’t have the test kit now, I’d grab a sample and run it by the pool store for testing. Although they aren’t really reliable it would be nice to get some idea what the CYA level is currently which determines the necessary chlorine level.

Read the Pool school links to gain a greater understanding so you’re prepared for whatever is necessary once the Pool is yours.

With your test kit you really should get the speedstir. I don’t believe you can really get accurate results without it. The time saved is well worth the little extra cash.

The Pool Math app run by this group will be your best resource for tracking your test results as well as calculating the necessary chemical additions.

Ask any and all questions here. This group is amazing at providing guidance.

Enjoy and congrats!

 

[smite]

Thank you both for the replies. I have been traveling on the road and will be closing this Friday. I like the idea of dropping by right away and doing a water test and trying to manage the water before we even get in there.

 

[DeanP66]

If it's already cloudy with frogs in it, you need liquid chlorine in there ASAP! Otherwise it will become a green swamp in no time. You really need to get an accurate CYA test so you'll know at what level to dose your liquid chlorine.

 

[DorsalSpine]

My local place has liquid shock. It's just 12.5% bleach. It easier to use this than worrying about any additives in name brand bleach like Clorox.

 

[smite]

H all and thanks so much for the replies so far. I did get out there and added in a gallon of chlorine earlier this week and today picked up my Taylor 2006c kit.

Here are the test results in the order taken:

1.0 FC

2.0 CC

7.0 PH

ACID demand was 7.6
Base Demand WAS 7.8

100 ALK

200 Calcium Hardness

42 CYA

based on this CYA and the table it seems we have a long way to go to raise the chlorine:

40​

3​

5-7​

16​

CYA, Min, Target, Shock level


The water was pretty cloudy I cleaned out the bottom of the pool and removed a ton of debris from the skimmer basket which was full to the point of being clogged.

I suspect the pool company who was "coming" may have skipped the last few visits since the house was fully empty and no one was checking on them.

Once i cleaned out the skimmer the water flow seemed to pick up. It was so badly clogged the water was not flowing thru it at all. The water in the skimmer smelled really bad kind of like a pond. I am amazed the pool did not look worse given the state of the skimmer.

I also had a really hard time cleaning the bottom of the pool with the net they have especially on the deep end. It appeared as though the debris seem to sit at the corner where the pool starts to form the wall from the base of the floor in the deep end. I spent a few hours removing as much of the junk as possible but it seems like there was a ton of debris still around what appears to be the drain on the deep end of the pool.

I will take a bunch of pictures tomorrow when I can and post.

I also noticed some grime stains on the stairs and ladder steps which I assume can be cleaned off with a bit of elbow grease. I will really need to get some better cleaning tools as the stuff they left behind is not really usable.

I guess this time of year there should be good deals on tools and cleaners?

 

[ajw22]

Are you going to be at the pool every day or two? The care that we recommend will be different if you can only get to the pool weekly or less.

 

[smite]

Yes I plan to be there pretty regularly from this point on. We move in full time in a week from tomorrow but its so close I plan on being there at least once a day until then.

Once i get the PH a little higher, I was thinking I might need to SLAM up to a target of 16 given my CYA of ~40 to help with some of the cloudiness.

I will post some pictures later of the supplies they left for me as well as the equipment.

I suspect there has not been any sort of backflush or cleaning of any filters for some time. I looked at the visuals of the pool equipment on the site which has helped me confirm that I have a sand filter but I am still not sure on how to actually complete a backflush. Is there a decent simple video on how to do a backflush from start to finish? I searched but could not find one that walked thru it for a total beginner like me.

Should I SLAM before doing a backflush?

Thanks again.

 

[kimkats]

Hi! I am guessing the closing happened and you are a proud owner of a pool with a house to go with it!

You are correct you need to do a SLAM. You can and should go ahead and start the SLAM. Just so you know the most important part of a SLAM is M as in Maintain the FC at SLAM level. That will be a little harder with your not being there 24/7 but I am hopeful it will not be too hard since the pool is not a swamp.

Okay now lets talk about back washing your filter. Have you found the manual for it yet? If not share the model number and I will look it up for you as you have your hands full already.

Here is how I back wash:

Tips before you start:
-ALWAYS have the pump OFF before you change the multi port valve!!!
-always turn the valve handle in one direction. This helps keep the gasket under the handle from getting messed up. I even painted an arrow by my handle to show which way to turn it.
-water hose-do you have a blue hose anywhere? Do you have a good spot to run it to? The water is going to come out fast and hard. It may cause some wash out if you do not plan ahead for it.

For MY model:
-turn off pump, hook up back wash hose
-turn the multi port lever to back wash
-turn the pump on and let it run until the water coming out of the hose is clear (you might have a "sight glass" to help you see it) It could be as short as 2 mins but am guessing yours will be quite a bit longer. Please note you will be losing water when you do this so keep an eye on the lever and stop before it gets too low.
-turn off the pump then turn the handle to rinse. Turn pump back on and let it run for about 2 mins. This settles the sand back down where it belongs.
-turn off pump-turn handle back to filter then turn the pump back on and call it done.

Now you might need to do a "Deep clean" but we will wait for that when you have a couple of hours to be there. It will be wet, sweaty work. It can wait for a little while.

Let me know if you have any questions or concerns.

Kim

 

[smite]

Hi Kim, yes thanks the closing was yesterday. I am heading out to the store to get the chlorine to start the slam. I have not found any paperwork on the pool equipment but will take pictures of the model numbers for the equipment. I think the multi port valve is a hayward but will confirm. It does have a sight glass area with a cover with two small handles sticking out. I don't have internet at the new house yet so can't update easily in real time. I may try to on phone but not 100% sure that will work.

Thank you so much for the offer to assist!

 

[kimkats]

Right now worry about the SLAM. We will work on the filter as time allows.

How is the packing and such going? Are you going to try to paint or anything like that before you move in?

Kim

 

[smite]

We have no plans to paint as it was freshly done. We have some heavy cleanup and mostly outdoor work to do.

Packing is going ok at the moment but this week we will get a bunch of essentials, and fragile things moved in ourselves followed by the big move a week from today.

So the SLAM has officially begun using trichlor. Should I test the water right away for FC level and then how often thru the day?

 

[smite]

I did try to backflush using the steps of powering off the pump, switching from filter to backflush and no water came out of the drain. I let it run for about 3 minutes but was worried when no water seemed to go out of the drain. I did find a tiny sight glass on the side of the drain but no water came out. I then switched to rinse for about a minute and then back to filter and everything came back to normal. Initially the pressure was pretty high reading about 18 before the backflush and then down to 10 after.

Thanks again for the patience and help!

 

[mknauss]

You really do not want to use Trichlor. Your CYA of 50 (round up) is as high as you want. Plus, trichlor is too slow for a SLAM Process. Use liquid chlorine only from now on.

 

[smite]

You really do not want to use Trichlor. Your CYA of 50 (round up) is as high as you want. Plus, trichlor is too slow for a SLAM Process. Use liquid chlorine only from now on.

Oh no I used the pool math app on my phone at the store getting my supplies and i wrongly made the assumption since it was a listed chemical option it would be fine.... will this throw everything else off now?

 

[mknauss]

Trichlor adds CYA. You do not want that. Use PoolMath to see how much you raised your CYA based on how much you have used. Do NOT use anymore. Get liquid chlorine.

 

[smite]

Looks like given the amount I added was not the full amount needed it only raised my cya 7.4. So that officially puts me at 50 from 42.

Heading out to get the liquid chlorine and return this trichlor.

Thanks again for the help.

 

[smite]

Update I did additional fc, cc, and cya tests and everything seems to be ok at this point except for the continued cloudiness.

Fc is at 12, cc is 5, cya is now at 30. So 12 is now my target for the slam.

I have continued to measure FC a few times today and it seems to be holding steady at 12 with no need to add chlorine after several hours.

I will check the overnight numbers and see what happens.

I also found out that the pool has some kind of ion system. I assumed it was part of the electrical system for the pool until I took a closer look at it.

The company who handled pool maintenance didn't mention it. Should I just remove this thing out or is it useful in any way? It seems to have a copper tube connected to the electric
system with a wire in a PVC tube filled with water.

I am sorry for all of the basic questions I am just a little overwhelmed.

 

[mknauss]

We would recommend you remove the ion system. It is putting copper into your water. At a certain point it will build up and blonde hair will turn green and your pool surface can get stained.

You CYA cannot change that fast. So you are seeing testing variation. I would assume your CYA of 50 you got earlier unless you see now that that test was inaccurate.