I Want my family to have the best Memorial Day Weekend in our newly remolded backyard

I just bought my first small above ground pool and I just need to know what I need to do first so that my family can enjoy this Memorial Day Weekend in our backyard. Any help would really be helpful.
First off, my pool is a 12'x30" metal frame pool(INTEX).
I asked the guy at Academy what kit did I need to get started and he sold me the "Crystal Care" Above Ground Pool Maintenance Kit. It comes with: Multi-Functional Chlorinating Granules...4 lbs....Quick Dissolving Shock..2 lbs..PH Increaser..1 lb... Alkalinity Booster..1 lb...1 pack Test Strips.

I will be adding the water as soon as I wake up and hook up the pump.

So My questions are:

1. What do I need to add first as soon as the pool is filled or rather what is the first thing I need to do once it is filled?
2. What do I need to add second and third?
3. While I add Chemicals can the pump be running?
4. If Everything is working properly How Long before my family can get in the pool?

If you can give me amounts by how much(cup,pounds,oz)rather than PPM it would also be very helpful.

I do appreciate your time in trying to help an amateur like myself. I just want to give my family the best weekend I can since I am always working and can never spend enough time with them.

Thanks Again

Jerry Ray

Hi Jerry Ray,

Welcome to the forum!! If you haven't opened any of the "Crystal Care kit", don't yet...you would do better to go to WalMart while the pump is filling and get several gallons of bleach and either the hth 6-way drop-based test kit, if they have it, or if they don't, at least get an OTO drop kit (uses red and yellow drops for pH and chlorine). If they don't have either of the kits, then take a sample of your fill water to a local pool store that uses drops, not strips, and get your water tested. Do NOT buy any of the stuff they're going to try to sell you--especially not calcium increaser or phosphate remover--no matter how insistent they are!
Also, where is your water source--is it city water, or from a well?

The reason I mention waiting on opening the kit is that 1)the test strips are not reliable for testing water, 2)the alkalinity booster is just baking soda, and 3) the pH increaser is just Borax. The baking soda and Borax can be purchased at the grocery store much cheaper...and you won't even know yet if you need it until you get a set of tests run on your fill water.
The first thing you need to do once the pool is filled is to get some chlorine in it, so it won't go green on you. If you'll post the volume of your pool, we can tell you how much to start with initially. If you would rather use bleach, fine. If you want to use the chlorine granules in the kit you bought, you can do that too. If you'll post the volume of your pool we can help you get started with amounts.
You do need to have the pump running when you add chemicals. If you use bleach, it's helpful to pour it into the return stream so it will disperse without pockets of bleach sitting next to your liner. If you decide to use the granules, I would pre-dissolve them in water and then pour into return stream so that you don't have granules sitting on the pool floor.

Once you get chlorine in the pool, and your pH in the right range, then your family can go ahead and get in the pool, provided the water is clear. You're going to have to add chlorine more than once per day until you get some stabilizer in the water, because without stabilizer you'll lose a lot of your chlorine to the sun, but if you add in the evening, in the morning, and maybe once during the afternoon you'll be okay until then.

Enjoy your pool!

Janet -

According to this site, Jerry Ray's 12' x 30" pool volume is 1,718 gallons
http://www.americansale.com/Products...l__665391.aspx

California Newbie

Thanks Cal Newbie;

Jerry's PF is 70. This means a gallon of PLAIN 6% household bleach will add about 35 ppm of chlorine to his pool, since there's about 1/2 lb of chlorine gas equivalent in a gallon of 6% bleach. With no stabilizer, adding 1 cup of bleach before and after each use interval AND 2 cups in the evening should work.

Jerry, if you'll do that, you'll keep your pool reasonably safe. However, the Intex pools have minimal filtration capability, so you there's no room to skip doses. Get the test kit and make SURE you add 2 - 4 cups of bleach to the pool EACH evening after everyone has finished using it. Keep in mind that, without stabilizer, the chlorine you add will be gone in an hour or less of full sunshine.

Pour the bleach in where the water comes into the pool, and keep people out of the pool for 2 - 3 minutes after you add bleach.

First off Thanks everyone for helping me!! I just got off the phone with INTEX and they told me the volume of the pool is 1718 gallons and its 24 inches deep to the waterline. So with that said I am now curious as to how much chlorene do I need to add once the pool is fil. Also I do not have a well it is city warter and the stuff is hard!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by PoolDoc

With no stabilizer, adding 1 cup of bleach before and after each use interval AND 2 cups in the evening should work.

. . . .

Pour the bleach in where the water comes into the pool, and keep people out of the pool for 2 - 3 minutes after you add bleach.

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If i dont have bleach can i just the chloreine powder(multi Functional Chlorinating Granules)? And also the pool is filling up as we speak...how much shock should I add when its full?

You can use those, if copper is not listed as an ingredient. But you MUST get an OTO / phenol red kit of some kind, and start using it. Since that stuff is in a 1lb bag, you'll need a freezer bag you can empty it into, and a 1/8 cup plastic measure to dose with. Add 1/8 cup, and CHECK your chlorine 30 minutes later. Dark yellow is OK. If it's orange, wait till the sun has been on it several hours. If it's LIGHT yellow, use 1/4 cup (2x 1/8 cup) next time.

I just want to say Thank you so very much from the bottom of my heart for everyone's help!! My family appreciates it too! As I type away at this laptop I am waiting for this thing to fill up. My kids are going nuts wanting to get in..lol...so is mom and dad!! So from what I have gathered from everyone as soon as this thing is full I will start up the pump and add some shock. Tomorrow I will run back into town and get the correct tester since all I have right now are the strips. So let me get this straight(Sorry to be such an amateur but I just want it to be perfect)...as soon as it is full I add 1/8 cup of Shock and wait and see what happens? Also Do I leave this pump running all night while the the chemicals do their thing? We are going to the movies tomorrow and should be back around 5pm. Do I add more shcok before I leave and keep the pump going till I get back?

Thanks again everyone!

Jerry Ray

+ Add the shock when it's 1/2 full.
+ Test in the AM, and repeat if the chlorine is not DARK yellow
+ Do leave the pump running over night, especially this first night.

Pool Doc your a lifesaver!!~ One last question I promise...Do I cover up the pool tonight?

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Sorry guys but what is CYA?

Welcome to the forum Jerry. I would like to insist that if you really want to enjoy these fun little Intex pools, it will be worth getting one of the Taylor test kits. I believe PoolDoc recommends the 2006C which is the big kit because it has lots and lots of chemicals to test. Since my purchasing of it a couple of weeks ago and keeping a spreadsheet with my numbers, I know exactly what's happening in my pool and keep reading and surfing here and you will understand why too.

I feel in the begining, you will more than likely need all those chemicals in the big test kit in order to get a feel for what your pool needs. The fun part is that we only need a cup of bleach here and cup there. Even though I have the salt water thing, I have to add bleach to keep the pool chemistry as perfect as I can to keep that enjoyment up. So far, because of this site, thank goodness you found it, our enjoyment factor has been the best it ever has (I am on season 3 with Intex pools).

If the pool store doesn't have the big Taylor kit, call around, then more than likely follow PoolDocs links under his signature to get it from Amazon.

The salt water thing is ok, but since your starting properly with the BBB method, put that $200 in your pocket for the Intex Salt Water System and get a couple of gallons of bleach, some CYA and you will be set.

One last thing, if the pool seems a bit cool, try one of those solar blankets, it won't take much to warm it up since our pools are so small compared to everyone else on this forum, aslo, an Intex cover will keep the chlorine from burning off and the junk floating in the wind from ending up in your pool and keep you from buying bunches of filters.....

Bob E.

The Taylor K-2006 kit is not going to be available locally. It has to be ordered on line.

Hey everyone. Just coming by to let y'all know my family is enjoying the pool and they wanted me to post a huge THANK YOU from South Texas. I was up most of the night trying to get all of the levels right and I finally did. My only thing is that my Ph is at a 7.8 so its a little high according to my little chart here. Still everyone is enjoying the day with water fun and bbq on the grill. Is there a way to bring the Ph down without having to run to town to get a Ph decreaser?

Jerry Ray

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JerryRay1971

. Is there a way to bring the Ph down without having to run to town to get a Ph decreaser?

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Sorry, no. But don't worry about it: if the chlorine's OK, you can work the rest out later.

I have had the pump running since last night and we are now at the movies about to watch MIB III..its still on...is ok to continuosly keep it running? I have a freind who has an 18ft INTEX Above ground pool and she says she leaves hers running through summer. Is this alright to do?

I leave mine on 24/7 and basically have every year so far with these Intex pools. I am beginning to think that since I have mine covered except when being used, I might as well as save some money and turn the pump off over night. If your uncovered, I would recommend leave it on.

Bob E.