A small pool, 12' x 3.25' .. 2150 gallons

[Bearsbee]

I have upgrade from the kiddy pool :) I am totally green hoping to be royal blue. What is the basic chemicals do I need to use, just got it filled today and want it to warm up so I need to know when and how much to use in such a pool. Do I just add chlorine or bleach? Any help would be so awesome.. No chlorine in water at all...

[Watermom]

Hi Bearsbee and welcome to the Pool Forum! Go ahead and add a quart of plain 6% household bleach slowly to the skimmer while the pump is running. Then, in the evening, repeat the dose. Until you get some CYA (stabilizer) in there, you'll need to add chlorine morning and evening as it will quickly disappear.

After you get the CYA dissolved, you should be able to just add chlorine in the evenings only. When you get to that point, you can test in the evenings only and add enough bleach to get back up to around 6 or so. Each cup of bleach will give your pool about 1.75ppm of chlorine. Use that as a reference to help you determine how much to add each evening. You want to keep your chlorine between 3-6 all the time or you'll risk an algae bloom.

Add a half a pound of stabilizer to an old sock and hang it in front of a return jet. Give it a squeeze every once in awhile to help it dissolve faster. This should take your CYA up to about 35-40. Sometimes it is called conditioner. Check the label ingredients. If it says cyanuric or isocyanuric acid, it is the right stuff. You may be able to find some at Walmart or Lowe's but if not you'll have to get it from a pool store. Just don't let them sell you a bunch of other stuff. (Don't buy HTH brand.)

Do you have a test kit? If not, the one we recommend is the Taylor K-2006 or 2006C (same kit with larger bottles of reagents.) You can click on the Amazon link in my signature. If the seller is not Amato Industries, wait a day or two until they restock. Other sellers are sometime sending the K-2005 instead which you don't want. In the meantime, just pick up a cheap OTO/Phenol Red (yellow and red drops) kit at Walmart. While you are at Walmart buying the OTO kit and also several bottles of bleach (generic is fine), you might also pick up a box of 20 Mule Team Borax (laundry aisle) to have on hand. Don't add any yet until you test the ph and report it here.

Hope this will help you get started. Repost with pH reading and any further questions you might have.

I would also suggest reading a bunch of posts here on the forum and also at our sister website www.poolsolutions.com.

[CarlD]

Little pools are easy to fix but also easy to let get out of control. Regular maintenance is crucial to having a great summer with it. You don't need to spend a lot of time. But you need to be consistent. I started with a 15' Intex donut that held about 3700 gallons. I made a lot of mistakes and learned a lot in the three years I had it.

Carl

[Bearsbee]

Thank you Watermom, after reading @ www.poolsolutions.com my pool is still a kiddies' pool..lol But big time for us :) I am going to the city tomorrow and will pick up everything you suggested. Put bleach in this AM... How long do I run the pump after adding the things in it? I thought I had the pool all figured out just setting it up..lol Clueless like I said, manuals don't have much in them on how to care for it will using it.... I will post my test results on Wednesday.. Love this site :)

[Watermom]

I typically run the pump about an hour after I add bleach but on this small pool, probably half an hour should be fine.

[Bearsbee]

here are my reading (TH) 100 (FC)3/6 (PH) 6/8 (TA) 80 (CYA) 0
Could not find any 20 Mule Team Borax look at Home Depot, Walmart so I purchased a container from walmart with Stabilizer-Conditioner..written on it. HTH I know you said not to but that was all they had :(
Have only used Bleach as you said.

[aylad]

Look at the ingredient list on the Stabilizer-Conditioner you bought from WalMart. If the active ingredient is just cyanuric or isocyanuric acid, then that's what Watermom wanted you to get. If there is any other active ingredient, list it here before you put it into your pool.

[Bearsbee]

Active ingredients is Cyanuric Acid 96% Inert ingredients 4% That is all that is on it. Balance

[Watermom]

That's the stuff.

[aylad]

Go ahead and put it in the sock and hang it in front of your return like Watermom instructed in her above post, so you can start getting some CYA in your water as soon as possible.

[Bearsbee]

How much do I use?

[aylad]

I would start with about 8 oz, which should put you somewhere around 30 ppm once it's dissolved. It's always better to go back and add more later than to overshoot and have to drain/refill water.

[Bearsbee]

My reading today is (TH) 100 (FC) 3/6(PH) 7/2 (TA) 120 (CYA) 30/50 Am I good? I added the Stabilizer and added 1 quart of Bleach last night. Do I test it daily? In AM or evening? I am going to use only the BBB solutions. When or do I add Baking Soda? :)

[Watermom]

How are you testing? What does FC 3/6 mean? How about CYA 30/50? I'm guessing you are using test strips which are not very accurate nor reliable. Test your chlorine and pH daily in the evenings. The other things do not need to be tested daily. When you test chlorine in the evenings, add enough bleach to get back up to 6ppm. In your pool, each cup of 6% bleach will add about 1.75pm of chlorine. Use that as a reference to help you figure out how much bleach to add each evening. Your pH is ok at 7.2 which is what I think you mean by 7/2? But, don't let it drop below 7.0. You don't need to add any baking soda. Your TA is fine at 120.

[Bearsbee]

Yes I am using testing strips till I get a Taylor K-2006 kit ... Free Chlorine is what it says. I thought it was a radical number but compared it to chart..?? I really appreciate your patients with me :) Just want to have safe place for kids to play without getting sick because I messed up with the chemicals.. My daughter has had a pool for several years and is still clueless on it.. she always shocks her pool and is dealing with cloudy pool but I don't think she would have to if she keeps the pH and chlorine in check. I have shared the pool solution site with her, :)

[Bearsbee]

I ordered my test kit and it should be here the 16th. I had to add more ph stabilizer and I only have to add about a cup of bleach at night. Can't wait to get real kit hope it isn't to hard to figure out, these strips are so one thing one min and other the next. Will post readings with new Taylor K-2006 kit, been so cold here only used pool 3 times this summer =o(

[Watermom]

Glad you ordered a kit! You'll be so glad you did. It isn't hard to run the tests and if you have any questions about it, someone here can help!

[Bearsbee]

I did my test with the Taylor K-2006 kit FC is 7.5 and I tried to change it back to get it to turn back to pink to get cc but it just stayed clear. my ph is 7.4 and cya is 50. Anything I have to do? Many thanks :)

[Watermom]

Your FC, pH and CYA are all fine. With a CYA of 50, you need to keep the chlorine between 3-6 all the time, although if it is a little higher than 6 like it is right now, that is fine. But, you don't want it to go below 3ppm or you risk an algae bloom. Test your chlorine level every evening and add enough bleach to get back to around 6ppm. Reread post #14 above for more about this. Test your pH a couple times a week and make sure it stays between 7.2-7.8. Test your alk (TA) a couple times a month. You want it to be between 80-125. Test CYA in a month. It shouldn't have changed much if any.

Only use bleach for your chlorine. No trichlor pucks, not dichlor shock.

It might be helpful to you to watch some online testing demos from Taylor Technologies. They can be found here:

http://www.taylortechnologies.com/products_choose_slideshow.asp

Hope this helps. Enjoy your pool!

[Bearsbee]

My pool don't sparkle and it makes one feel dried out (like crackly skin)when we get out. My Total hardness is 80 PH is 7.4 and Chlorine is 6.5. What am I lacking? Any suggestions? We are so loving the ownership of a pool :) Thank you

[aylad]

The "sparkle" comes from filtering of clean water--not sure what type of filter you have, but you may just have to give it some time--and keep your chlorine levels up!

If the pool makes your skin feel dried out when you get out, make sure that you rinse off with tap water after swimming. Some people add salt to their water (even if they don't have a SWCG) because it makes the water feel softer.

Janet

[Bearsbee]

Salt? What kind of salt? I have one of those pumps that mount on the side of the pool. I change my filter every week, just so it stays nice and clean. Water is clean but just has a dull look about it... I have heard that it should sparkle when sun hits it but mine don't.. lol sounds silly but thought it wouldn't hurt to ask.
Thank you Janet :)

[aylad]

I'll let the SWCG folls chime in here, but I believe it's solar salt-- sold specifically for pools.

Janet

[BigDave]

I put salt in my Intex donut just for the feel. It is still best to rinse after the pool but I thought the salt made the pool water feel alot better. I used Solar salt from the water softener section at Home Depot (it cost less than the solar pool salt at the same HD). Don't use the premium blends or pellets as these contain other stuff. Also don't use Rock Salt for driveways as that stuff is full of dirt and other junk.

As for the sparkle, I was unable to achieve sparkling water with any of several Intex ( and other brands ) cartridge filters made for that type pool. I also could see tiny paticles in the water at night with a flashlight and with the flash from the underwater camera. We moved from a 12' shallow donut to a 15' 42" donut ( still in use at me neighbor's ) to our new 12x24x52" AG; if you plan to go the upgrade route, consider a small sand filter, I haven't use one but there are a few out there - it may help with water quality.

[Bearsbee]

Lately, the last 2days my water bubbles when you jump into it and the fizzes. There is no bubbles in the pool until we get in it is like jumping into club soda, it actually fizzes and you can see it and feel it... Does anyone know what causes it? I have tested everything and all my readings are normal. ie my chlorine, ph, acid and total hardness, what am I missing here? Never added anything but bleach ran pump longer and got my pool to sparkle :) but now its like swimming in club soda...lol
Any suggestions? Thank you http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1984861463771&set=a.1984861023760.2098694.1310287477&type=1&theater

C 6.5
pH 7.2
TA 120
This is my readings can't figure out the club soda effects????

[PoolDoc]

I've seen this happen, but only occasionally been able to find out why.

Right now, I've got a commercial kiddie pool (6,000 gallons) that turns milky and fizzes every other time when I add salt, which we do a LOT, because of all the splash out. Dunno why, but I don't worry about it.

I've also seen it happen, when air gets dissolved in your pool water. That happens some times, if you have a suction leak that brings a SMALL amount of air into the pump. When this is the case, there will usually be a film of bubbles on the sides of the pool, so that if you run your hand on the pool wall, it will release the bubbles. Usually, you can feel them, too -- makes the pool wall feel slick.

But, I don't have any general explanation.

[BigDave]

TA 120 and pH 7.2 - shouldn't this pool be producing CO2?

[PoolDoc]

It may, but not all pools with those levels behave that way. -ben