First time adding chemicals to 18x48 intex ultra frame pool..HELP!

We have a 18x48 ultra frame intex pool. It was completely filled up by Monday night and we covered it Tuesday. Wednesday and today we left the cover off to prevent algae. We have not added any chemicals yet. It holds 6400 gallons. What do I need to do first. I have never owned a pool before. Please give me step by step idiot proof instructions. The local pool store won't help bc their chemicals are too strong for latex and walmart only sales a dang book. I don't want my kids to get sick and they are dying to swim.
Thanks
Aleshia

There is a new guide just posted yesterday that would probably be helpful. It is a sticky at the top of the Pool Chemistry for Intex-type Pools. (Until your registration is complete, you'll have to log out to be able to see it though.)

Hope this helps.

Welcome to the Pool Forum!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by babyblueiz77

The local pool store won't help bc their chemicals are too strong for latex

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Total BS! But thanks for a new example of pool store BS! (membership upgraded! - ben)

How are you doing with the pool?

Janet

And, now I moved your thread, so you can post into it. (Sorry)

My ph and stabilizer is low. I bought an Intex krystal-clear salt water system to avoid this headache. I hope to install it tonight. I'm worried now because my friend came to swim while I was at work and her toddler played with the floater and the chlorine sticks sat on the bottom of the vinyl liner for 24 hours and it has 2 white areas. I'm just praying the liner doesn't form a hole. Ugh. Any suggestions? It feels ok to the touch but its white.

Usually, it just bleaches with color without doing too much damage to the liner itself.

However, floaters and toddlers aren't a good mix.

Welcome to the forum and I was were you were a couple of years ago....be thankful you found this forum so quickly, it is going to save you alot of hair pulling....believe me...

First, if you have installed the salt water thing, read the manual to find out EXACTLY how much pool salt to add. If you have not installed it, find your reciept and keep reading this sight about BBB. With the saltwater system you still need to keep an eye on chrorine levels and actually, I add just a bit of bleach every now and then to adjust my levels and yes, I have the saltwater system. So what I am trying to say is that using the saltwater system may reduce some pool work, but it does NOT eliminate it.

Since you are new to pools you absolutely must get one of the Taylor test kits so you know exactly what to do to your pool with the chemicals. Follow PoolDocs links underneath his posts for the link to amazon and get it. It has made all the difference for me keeping my pool in tip top shape. I was essentially guessing for the past two years......now I am not guessing and everyone is enjoying the pool like they never have before.

If you keep with the Intex cartridge filter, then while you are at it, find PoolDocs links for the Unicell brand Intex filters. They are of much better construction and you can wash them and reuse them. Search for the post on them......I got three of them and rotate them through my filter as needed. They last much, much longer than the crappy Intex ones. Worth the money for them.

Please read as many of the posts in this forum and the other Intex sub-forum and you should have 99% of the info you need.

One last thing, if I had the all info that this forum has presented to me two years ago, I would not have purchased the Intex saltwater system.......since I have it and it still works, I continue to use it. Once it dies.......BBB.

Get the Taylor 2006C kit today!!

Bob E.

Those Intex SWCGs add copper to your water, which you don't want. It is copper and not chlorine that turns blonde hair green. Unhook the copper electrode so it won't add copper to your pool.

Question? We have the SW intex system and after the rain yesterday, the phis neon pink. Off the charts! I am researching and all I can find to lower it is muratic acid. My youngest son has sensitive skin and my husband got the SW sytem to prevent from using chemicals as much as possible. Is there any way to lower ph naturally? What is the baking soda for? If not, how in the heck do I use muratic acid. Also, after I tested my pool, alkalinity and chlorine are ok. Chlorine is on the minimum side, but the CYA test requires me to multiply 5 drops by 50 equaling needing 50 parts CYA to be added. What is CYA? I thought it was just the release of the chlorine from the floater in the pool. We got a LOT of rain last night so now my levels are slightly messed up. PLEASE HELP! Plus, I am trying to figure out how to post a new question on here but everything I click on says I am not authorized. How do I start a new post or am I even aloud?