What steps to take?

[kewpie]

Hi everyone! Just installed a 24 round pool and unsure of next steps. Installer said I need retaining wall to prevent the build up from eroding (location was very uneven). Then he said to put gravel on the other side where there is the ditch. My ejection is, wouldn’t the clay or dirt next to ditch all erode? He said no need retaining well there.

Electrician put up the post today so I just got pump running. I was told to put in 3 bags of salt then the remaining 5 bags one at a time. My question is what is next?

Also, building a tiny deck next to pump. I assume gravel all around first before deck?

Sorry for the many questions...this is a little overwhelming and hoping not to regret this! I am also adding a pic I saw on this site where the owner had added a retaining wall on the ditch and wondering how hard that is?

Thank you!!!

 

[TomGallopavo]

About the salt...get the recommended test kit with salt test. Test the salt and use pool math to find out how much you need...then add half and test again...only one way to get salt out...

 

[Richard320]

I'm no help on the grading.

Chemically, with a fresh fill you can be sure you need chlorine and stabilizer (CYA) They will be effectively zero right now, unless you added some.

Use PoolMath to figure out how much of each to add to get to 3 FC and 70 CYA.

Use your test kit to measure pH and TA. If TA is below 50, fix it, then do pH. 50 TA or above, lower pH with acid. If pH needs raising and TA is okay, just be patient. It'll come up.

You should test CH just so you know what it is. Low CH is no problem in your pool, and there isn't much you can do about high CH on a fresh fill but learn to adapt to it.

Hopefully I;m not speaking a foreign language, and you have a proper test kit. You've been a member long enough, even if this is your first post. Welcome to posting

EDIT: get your chemistry all set before salting it. Then salt, let it mix, and then turn on the SWG and let it take over chlorinating duties. And Tom is correct: test the salt before adding. There may be more salt than you think in your tap water.

 

[kewpie]

Thank you! We were going to install 2 years ago but life happens so got delayed to now. I have the tf-100 test kit but not sure if I have all the chemicals handy. I bought some from Lowe’s but might be missing some..I couldn’t find the brands recommended by tfp..Lowe’s here sell mostly chlorox brand. I will try to read thru post and follow the steps. Does the tf-100 come w salt testing kit? I don’t see it.,

 

[kewpie]

Also do I leave my salt system on or off? Pool store says leave on but tfp says off?

 

[Richard320]

Thank you! We were going to install 2 years ago but life happens so got delayed to now. I have the tf-100 test kit but not sure if I have all the chemicals handy. I bought some from Lowe’s but might be missing some..I couldn’t find the brands recommended by tfp..Lowe’s here sell mostly chlorox brand. I will try to read thru post and follow the steps. Does the tf-100 come w salt testing kit? I don’t see it.,

No. it doesn't come with a salt test.

You leave the SWG off until the water is balanced and the salt is dissolved. Balancing a freshly filled pool can be done in a couple hours, allowing generous spacing between chemicals. The CYA is going to take a couple days to fully dissolve and mix. The salt needs 24 hours.

SWGs are good at maintaining FC levels, but they're not designed to bring it up from zero. So chlorinate with bleach so you don't get algae in the next couple days until things are running.

 

[kewpie]

These are what I have so far...what else do I need to buy?

 

[kewpie]

Can you please explain what this calculation mean? Must it be accurate or can I estimate? I don’t have special measuring cup or weighing scale. Can I do this now or is this a day light hour thing? I had dumped 3 bags of salt earlier w swg and pump on. Will it change these results? I haven’t tested because don’t know how to test. What kind of salt testing kit do I need? I am worried this is over my head!! Thx!

 

[kewpie]

Tfp says to use sock for cya. Is this s special sock or any sock that we wear? Trying to make a list of additional items to buy...

 

[Richard320]

Those are the right chemicals. The CYA can get weighed or measured with a measuring cup into any old sock. Lots of people prefer a nylon because it's thinner. Seems to dissolve faster. It looks like you did poolmath right.
Don't make this into something bigger than it is. Following a recipe is harder.

 

[kewpie]

Ok so I need another bottle of CYA? Looks like I only need to pour half the bottle of my chlorine. If I do this tomorrow AM (or can I do this now) can I pour half bottle of chlorine and put the cya in sock as much as I can first then I can buy another bottle tomorrow evening? How many bottles should I go ahead and buy? Also is muristic acid just ph increaser? I think I am missing that...

Ps: I hate cooking because I always fail to follow recipe and end up with a disaster!!

 

[Richard320]

Yeah, add the bleach. Make sure the pump is on for half an hour or so after. And add what CYA you have now and buy more tomorrow. It won't all fit in one sock anyway, so don't sweat it.

 

[kewpie]

Ok I tested using my kit (and totally felt like a scientist).

Chlorine drop test: FC 7 drops = 3.5 ppm
Cc= 1 drop =0.5

Calcium = 2 drops * 25= 50 ppm
TA = 5 drops * 10 = 50 TA

CYA = my black drop didn’t disappear...is that normal?

 

[kewpie]

Looks like my FC is ok? Just need to add stabilizer? Can this be right?

 

[Richard320]

Looks like my FC is ok? Just need to add stabilizer? Can this be right?

If someone added some chlorine somewhere along the way, sure.

There will be no stabilizer in tap water. Period. That's why I said you can consider it zero in my first reply.

See? It's not all that hard.

 

[kewpie]

Thanks Richard! The only thing I have done is the 3 bags of salt with SWG turned on so maybe that cause the chlorine value, or I totally messed up. I will add stabilizer tomorrow anyway and then retest before adding bleach.

 

[Richard320]

Remember the stabilizer takes a while to dissolve, so don't waste reagent testing for CYA until it has all been dissolved for at least a day.

 

[kewpie]

Got it. Is Taylor k-1766 drop test chloride salt water what I should get to test salt?
Thanks!

 

[Richard320]

That'll work.

 

[CJadamec]

Richard has you covered on the water chemistry. As for your questions about the down hill side of the pool you should definitely take steps to stop it from eroding.

Seeding the area with grass will help but over time the area will erode towards the pool. Not the best option.

Gravel will do an ok job of keeping things in place. You would put down a heavy duty landscape fabric under the gravel to keep weeds at bay and help hold the fine material in place. The gravel at that point is really there to hold the fabric in place and slow down water as it passes over the area. The gravel and fabric should run around the entire pool for the best effect. Probably the easiest and cheapest option.

A second retaining wall would be the most durable way of retaining that edge but also the hardest and most expensive. I wouldn't put the wall any closer than 2 feet from the wall of the pool. The top of the retaining wall should be level with the bottom of the pool. It looks like you will need to bring in some to do a wall like that. You should still line the area around the pool wall with some sort of gravel.

At the end of the day between using gravel or putting in a wall its going to come down to cost and how you want your back yard to look when it's all done. Either method will be effective and can be done to look very nice.