First pool, might be our LAST...name says it all!

[swamp mistress]

Janet, I'm ahead of ya! I put in about another 1/4 cup of Sanitizer in the sock this morning. According to the size of pool, I should be getting close (but not going over) to the recommended dosage so I won't add any MORE until I'm able to test again. I started low so I could add gradually.

Yeah! I'm so thankful I found this forum BEFORE going to the Pool Store...I've already warned hubby I'll be getting the Taylor test kit for next year! Just can't spring for it with all the improvements we've made AROUND the pool...but the better test kit and some sort of pre-filtering device for sure!

[aylad]

Awesome...happy swimming!!

Guess you're gonna have to change your username...............

Janet

[Watermom]

Yeah! I'm so thankful I found this forum BEFORE going to the Pool Store...

Everybody should be so lucky to find us before they hit a pool store. Would save a lot of money and a lot of grief for many people!

[swamp mistress]

Awesome...happy swimming!!

Guess you're gonna have to change your username...............

Janet

yeah, I was think'n bout that....how about Mistress of the Desert Oasis?

Gotta tell ya, I saw the neighbor's pool this afternoon, the one that offered to test my water with his strips..seems he had an algae bloom going and today his water looks like non-fat milk. Think I'll just keep coming here...

[aylad]

Hee hee hee...maybe you oughta take your test kit over and offer to help him out!

Or...give him the link to Poolforum..

Janet

[CarlD]

SM: Get yourself the Taylor kit now...for the $50 to $70 it will STILL save you its price by the end of the summer.

[swamp mistress]

Hi Janet, just letting you know I received the CYA reagent a couple days ago (sorry, I haven't posted, we've REALLY been enjoying the pool EVERYDAY lately! even having school friends over. ) I tested water and the black dot is still visable, although it disapeared when the vile was completely FULL, so I might be getting close. I'm taking into account the fact that I keep adding water each time I skim the bottom with the hose attachment. Anyway, after testing I added more stablilizer via sock yesterday morning and will give it a few days before testing again.

Everything else is GREAT, I believe I experienced the ULTIMATE pool water (a beautiful, clear bluish tint) which is now the standard for which I strive for every day. Until that happened, we didn't know our well water COULD look like that!

The last time I added water, i added 1oz sequestrant BEFORE filling, then 1oz algecide the morning after and the water returned to blue. I'm also using exact chemial measurments then waiting to see if ONE dose works as opposed to dumping lots in. Yes, I've learned patience works!

I also tried the "sock method" of pre-filtering I read on another thread for removing iron, not sure if it worked since I tried it mid-fill but, it certainly can't hurt, right? Anything to filter those metals! Actually, what made me try it was seeing the nasty, merky hose water spewing forth into my LOVELY clear blue water! Hubby wondered what was wrong when he heard "OH NO YOU DON'T!" as I ran through the house stuffing one of his tube socks with batting.

[aylad]

ROFL--you actually made me laugh out loud and my kids are looking at me like I'm crazy.....
I was wondering how it was going, hoping your abscence from here was because you were busy enjoying your pool!! Any pre-filtering you're going to do will certainly never hurt. Don't have any experience with the pre-filters, but remember that high chlorine causes the iron to drop out of solution, so if there's a way to run the hose past a dose of chlorine (like maybe a trichlor tab?) just before it hits the filter, you might be more successful at filtering it out. (Remember when you just started this, that's why you put the chlorine source in at the skimmer--so the iron would fall out onto the filter).

Congratulations on a job well done!!

Janet

[swamp mistress]

See, that's something that didn't "stick" with me the first 100 times I read it...run fill water into skimmer basket & thru filter BEFORE intering pool water...DUH!! I'm slow!

*note to self, remember the above!

[CarlD]

Congratulations!

I hope the algaecide is Polyquat 60%. Any others may produce problems. The ONLY issue with Polyquat 60% is it lowers FC if you use a lot at once and you need ot add more to replace it.