A few questions for a new Intex 16 X 48 pool

I just setup my pool and filled it yesterday. I had a few questions before I get to far along.

1. How long should I run the filter? I believe my pool is @ 5000 gallons and the filter says it cycles @ 2000 gallons an hour.

2. Chemicals? I got some stuff before reading here and now I think I need something else. I put in 1/2 a pouch of HTH Super shock and swim about 2 hours ago (directions said full pouch for 10,000 gallons of water so I figured half would be good.). I got HTH 6 way test strips (I know I should get the test kit but this is what I got for now) Here's the reading I got 2 1/2 hours after adding the shock:
FC - 5
PH - 7.8
TA ppm - 80
TH ppm - 200
CYA ppm - 30-50

Any beginner advice would be great. I'd like to be swimming this weekend if possible.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Paul

Those numbers don't look too bad, but since they are from 'guess strips' then we don't really know if they are accurate. You really need to get something else to use. The HTH 6-Way kit will suffice for now or at the very least, pick up an OTO/Phenol Red (yellow and red drops) kit.

What are the ingredients of the Super Shock? I'm assuming it is dichlor since you now also have a CYA reading, but the problem is that some packs of dichlor have other unwanted ingredients in them as well.

You can swim as long as you keep some chlorine in the pool and keep your pH between 7.2-7.8.

Welcome to the Pool Forum!

Thanks I'll work on getting the other test kit this week. Here's the shock that I used: http://www.poolsupplies.com/product/...ol-shock-1-lbs

Any idea on how long I should run the filter? I'm guessing @ 4-6 hours a day probably in the evening? Also can I run it with the cover on? Thanks again for the quick reply. I'll post my new readings with the other test kit when I get it.

The shock product you used is calcium hypochlorite (cal-hypo) which adds calcium hardness (CH or TH) to your water. Vinyl pools don't really need that and, in fact, too high a level can be detrimental. Have you added any other products to the water? I'm curious as to how the CYA (stabilizer) produced a reading on the test strip.

Six hours on the pump and filter sounds reasonable. I run mine on a timer during the night when electricity is cheaper. Yes, you can run it with the cover on as long as the cover doesn't obstruct intake and return.

Get some regular 6% household bleach and add 1 qt each evening; this will add about 3 ppm chlorine to your water. We cannot stress the importance of a drop based FSD-DPD test kit strongly enough. It's the only way you can know with some certainty what your water chemistry is.

Happy swimming!

If you haven't put anything but the Super Shock and Swim in the pool, then you have no stabilizer (see why we don't trust strips). With a pool the size of yours, you might consider liquid stabilizer (also called conditioner, Cyanuric Acid). You'll probably need 1/2 a gallon to 3 quarts. It's more expensive than granular stabilizer but you won't need much.

I'd plan to run the filter all the time there's no one in your pool. The Intex cartridges filters I had when I had my 15' donut just don't seem to deliver water clarity.
I would not run the filter when someone is in the pool. I just don't trust the insulation on these pumps and there is no other means of electrical protection.

You can see if you can get the HTH 6-way kit Watermom mentioned here(Check Availability). "Guess Strips" are just not reliable enough.

It's really not hard once you get the hang of it; you're going to love your pool.

I guess i'll give that a try. I only added that half pouch of shock nothing else. I'll look for the test kit today and see if it gives me different readings.

If you don't find liquid CYA or just prefer the cheaper granular (which is what most of us use), then a 2 lb. container of stabilizer would be perfect. That amount would add about 50ppm of CYA to your pool which is ideal for most pools. It may be labeled as stabilizer or conditioner, but check the ingredient labels and make sure it is just cyanuric or isocyanuric acid and not a bunch of other stuff blended in. Let us know what you buy and we'll help with how to add it. (NOT broadcast across the pool like the label tells you to do!)

Well I just got home and rechecked with the strips (didn't have a chance to get the drop tester probably tomorrow) the only thing that seemed to change was the chlorine was down Since I had only used half the bag I put the rest in and am running the filter for now. When I go up to get the test kit I'll look for the bleach and stabilizer. So I can use bleach instead of chlorine? Can I do this all the time? I'm guessing the stabilizer helps keep the Chlorine level from dropping so quickly? Sorry for all the questions just trying to understand it along with figuring out how to maintain it. Thanks again for all the responses.

Bleach IS chlorine.
Yes, you can use bleach all the time. Regular, unscented, plain old bleach at 6%.
Yes, the stabilizer (CYA, cyanuric acid) helps keep the chlorine level from dropping.

Yep, bleach is chlorine, Sodium Hypochlorite solution same thing as pool store liquid chlorine but at a different concentration. You can use it all the time, most of us do.

Right, The stabilizer does keep the chlorine from being quickly consumed by the sun.

How much of the cal-hypo (Calcium Hypochlorite - Super Shock and Swim) do you have left? You can use it to chlorinate for a while but it adds calcium to the pool and can cause cloudiness if used excessively.