New Pool Owner and Need Help With Chemicals

[douglaspool]

Hi there,

We just purchased an 18' x 48' pop up pool, which holds about 5,600 gallons of water. It is filling up right now and my kids are dying to get in!!! My question is, what is the first thing I should do to it that would let my kids get in and enjoy it quickest. I have already purchased a start-up chemical kit for pop-up pools, but after reading some posts on this site, I'm not sure that is the best way to go. Should I go with the BBB method instead? Can I start with the chemicals I have and then switch over to the BBB? Do I add the stabilizer first or the chorine? And what is the best was to add these things? Just throw them in the water? I just have no idea?!

Your advice will be so appreciated!!! We are new to this pool stuff and have no idea what step to take next! Thanks so much!!!

[Watermom]

What chemicals did they give you? Tell us ingredients and not just product names. For today, I'd suggest adding aquart of plain, unscented household bleach and then letting it circulate for a half hour or so and then you can let the kids swim. Once the pool is full, you might want to add another quart, again waiting a bit to let it circulate. You'll probably need to add some more this evening since with no stabilizer in the pool, the chlorine isn't gonna stick around long.

Do you have a test kit?

[CarlD]

With the filter running, pour the bleach slowly into the return stream--that's where the water is coming back into the pool. Different chemicals are added in different ways. Usually adding a bunch of stuff all at once is not a good idea, and, with everything but chlorine, "less is more". IOW, you'll add LESS than you think you need of every chem but chlorine, because it's easy to add more.

If they gave you calcium flakes or some other calcium booster to add to your water, don't waste your time. It will just mess up your water. Pool stores regularly tell customers to add calcium to vinyl pools despite there being no good reason to do so. Calcium is for concrete or tiled, ie, hard-surfaced pools, not vinyl.

Carl

[douglaspool]

Thank you both for getting back to me! We got the pool filled and did a water test (hth 6 way). We tested only chlorine and ph. Chlorine was at 0 and ph was at 6.8. We added 8 cups of regular household bleach and let the kids swim after filter ran for a little over an hour. Our kids and neighbors had a great time! Last night we added 4 more cups bleach with filter running and tested again after an hour. Chlorine was at 5 and ph was at 7.2.

We let the filter run over night. I retuned the starter kit yesterday and picked up bleach, baking soda, and algae guard. Wanted to get borax but Walmart was out. Will pick some up today. I read something on line about dichlor and adding that the first 4 days. Not sure where to find this, how much to add, or if it can be found under another name? I didn't see it at Walmart.

What should I do next? I think I need to raise the ph and keep the chlorine around 3??

Thanks for your help!!

[PoolDoc]

1. Don't use the Algae Guard -- I'm pretty sure it's a foamy algaecide. It will make your pool sudsy, and it's irritating.
2. Use the bicarb to raise the pH, but when it's gone, switch to 20 Mule Team borax
3. If you've got bleach, you can use that. Buy 4 - 6 lbs of stabilizer at Walmart, and put it in an old sock, hung in front of the return. It may take up to a week to dissolve.
4. Dose with 1/2 gallon of bleach each evening, and about 1/8 - 1/4 just before each use. Once the stabilizer dissolves, you'll be able to cut back.

[douglaspool]

Thanks Ben!

Don't use the algae? Will I get green growth without it?

At the risk of sounding totally clueless, what is bicarb? I don't think I have any. Will 20 mule team work?
How much do I put in?

Walmart didn't have any stabilizer. I'll look somewhere else. Will anything else work? Once it is disolved, do I put more in?

Thanks so much!

[PoolDoc]

=> The BEST algaecide is chlorine -- much better, cheaper and less irritating than the stuff you have. Just use the Best Guess chart to maintain levels.

=> bicarb = sodium bicarbonate = baking soda.

=> Stabilizer -- if you need to get it from Amazon, here's the link:

Kem-Tek Stabilizer 4lbs (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000LNY2AU/poolbooks)

[aylad]

When you get stabilizer at WalMart, it's typically labeled "conditioner", and is in the spa section. Check the ingredient label--what you're looking for is cyanuric, or isocyanuric, acid. If one of those is the active ingredient, that's the CYA you're looking for. Once you find it and add your dose (aim for about 40 ppm using the directions on the label), it will take several days for it to dissolve and register, so don't bother to test for it for at least 3-4 days. Once the stabilizer is in the water, the only way you're going to lose it is by splashout or other means of losing water--it doesn't degrade quickly, like chlorine does.

[Watermom]

By the way, most of us never use algaecides. If you keep your chlorine levels where they need to be consistently, you won't get algae.

[ScottsPool]

1. Don't use the Algae Guard -- I'm pretty sure it's a foamy algaecide. It will make your pool sudsy, and it's irritating.
2. Use the bicarb to raise the pH, but when it's gone, switch to 20 Mule Team borax
3. If you've got bleach, you can use that. Buy 4 - 6 lbs of stabilizer at Walmart, and put it in an old sock, hung in front of the return. It may take up to a week to dissolve.
4. Dose with 1/2 gallon of bleach each evening, and about 1/8 - 1/4 just before each use. Once the stabilizer dissolves, you'll be able to cut back.

this should be a sticky!

[PoolDoc]

Yeah, that and about 80 other pages.

It's on the to-do list, but right now I'm just trying to not drown!

[douglaspool]

You guys have been great!! Starting to get the hang of all this. Found the stablizer and have that hanging in front of the return. Got the ph level up to almost 7.8 and have been adding chlorine at night and in the afternoon before the kids start swimming.

Thanks for taking the time to help!

BTW, I'll be taking the algae stuff back! Thanks!!

[PoolDoc]

Hang it in front of where the water comes back INTO the pool.

[douglaspool]

I have......guess I thought the return was where the water "returns" to the pool. LOL
P

[PoolDoc]

Unfortunately, piping terminology and pool terminology are inverted.

Piping returns, return to the boiler or pump or heater, and supplies carry the fluid where it's going. But, pool returns, return to the pool, and the term "supply" isn't used in that sense. I was a plumber and now I'm a pool guy, so I had to learn both!