I am sooo confused!

I just errected a intex 15"x 48" pool for my children, i bought some clorine tablets a floater and 2 packets of shock, i have no idea and i mean no idea what i am doing here, i have been googling and googling, seems like this forum has a bunch of chemistry wizards... some advise please! i have ordered some test strips and some natural chemistry pool perfect phospate free stuff, a in the swim chemical start up kit for 7500 pools, the later items should be here on tuesday.... so i have all this stuff, i read somewhere i need to shock the pool first because it needs lots of clorine to start with rather than just a few tablets..... ?????? i really just have no idea? :)

Hi, Tammy. My first bit of advice is that when your test strips, natural chemistry pool perfect, phosphate free stuff and in the swim chemical start up kit arrive, that you send them back and don't use them. Test strips are not accurate. We call them 'guess strips.' And the other products are unnecessary and expensive. Get your money back.

Instead, use the money to purchase a good test kit. The one we recommend is the Taylor K-2006 and you can get it through the testkit link in my signature below. It can only be bought online so you'll need something to use until you get it. Get a cheap OTO (yellow drops) / phenol test kit, or if available at YOUR Walmart (check availability), get the HTH 6-way DROPS test kit, which is compatible with the Taylor K2006. Test the pool as soon and you can, and post the results. If you get the 6-way kit, ALSO test the water you FILL the pool with, especially if it's a well, and post THOSE results as well. (The HTH is the best available kit you're likely to find locally, but it's not the K-2006. It can only provide rough measurements chlorine levels above 5 ppm, and it measures "TOTAL" hardness, rather than "CALCIUM" hardness, which is not ideal.)

Also, while you are at Walmart, get several jugs of their plain, unscented, generic bleach and a couple of boxes of 20 Mule Team Borax (laundry aisle).

Please tell us the ingredients of the chlorine tabs and the packets of shock. Also, tell us exactly what all you have put in the pool thus far.

Once you get a kit, post some numbers and the answers to the questions I asked and somebody here can help you go from there.

EDIT: I forgot --- please fill in your pool info in the Pool Chart so it will help us be able to better help you.

Pool Chart Entry Form
Pool Chart Results

Thankyou so much, I will do that, more soon.... thanks again

You're very welcome!

Ok.

It's time. Check back tomorrow PM, and I'll have the "Easy start-up for Intex Pools" (or something like that) posted in the Intex pool chemistry section.

Get a kit, though. No way out of that.