New liner, new water!

[Watermom]

Your pool, your way. Pool guy doesn't get to vote!

[bobcat]

Figured I would just tag on this thread since I have basicly same. You all helped me last summer change to the BBB and had a great rest of summer (bought house last June) but this is my first year opening. New liner installed Saturday, fill complete Sunday arund noon, put in 5 gal bleach and Ch was fine, Ph 7.8. Checked it last night and Ch didn't even register. Put in 5 more gal and Ch was good again. Checked today and back to 0. So if I am ready this correctly, I have to build up my CYA before the bleach will stay? Also I live in Texas and it has been 100 degrees last 2 days. If I remember correctly the sun/heat eats up the bleach? I have a big tup of Super Pucks the previous owner left, do I need to go back to them until my Ch level stabalizes? Will the bleach not achieve the same results, after adding enough? I'm lost, again this is my first opening and with new liner and new water. Thanks, Robert

[Watermom]

Welcome back! Bleach will not add CYA. What are the ingredents in Super Pucks? I'm assuming trichlor but just want to make sure there is no copper in them. If it is just trichlor, you can use them for awhile and build CYA. Then, when the CYA gets somewhere between 40-50, you'll want to quit using them and switch to just bleach. The other choice is to just use bleach and add some CYA separately.

[bobcat]

Thanks, Yes they are Trichlor. I will fill the feeder up (think it holds around 8 pucks) and check in a couple days. Don't know what I would do with out your advice? Probably be paying the pool guy!!!

[Watermom]

Your good right now, but keep an eye on your pH while using trichlor. It is very acidic and will drive your pH down. If it gets below 7.2, add a little Borax to bump it back up.

[bobcat]

Could not get the top off my automatic chlorinator, probably cause I haven't used it in a year! Can I just drop some pucks in the skimmer basket until I get my CYA up, or do I need to go buy a floater?

[aylad]

A floater would be better-- f you put them in ths skimmer you're liable to fade the liner right around the faceplate fom the concentrated low pH, which also isn't good for the pump.

Janet

[Gretchen]

Nope. Pool guy sure doesn't have a say in it here!

Quick update - we ran trichlor for a week and also added 4 lbs. of CYA through the skimmer last weekend. The pool calculator said 8 lbs since I tested out at 0 but I decided to err on the side of caution. Am I ever glad I did that! Today the pH is 7.4, CYA of 40 (boy, did those pucks run it up fast!) and chlorine is at 5. The alkalinity is running a little on the high side but I'm not going to worry right now because I figure things are still settling in. The water is clear and amazing and the chlorine level seems to be holding steady. I'm sure the last of the trichlor is through the feeder and since I like the CYA level I'm starting on bleach. I've been testing every second or third day this week to keep myself from feeling the need to get every number right where I want it, right now. I'm glad I did that too! In all, this wasn't as hard as I thought it would be.

[madwil]

sounds like your pool is on track! enjoy the summer!

[aylad]

Happy swimming!!

And if you'll just take a few minutes out of every evening to stay on top of your testing, you shouldn't have any problems out of your pool this summer.

Janet