Brand New Pool Owner Needs Advice On When Swimming Can Commence!

[Watermom]

I wouldn't close up. Go ahead and put the pool up but just be aware that you may have filtering issues. Maybe before setting it up next year you can sell this pump and buy a different pump/filter setup.

Also, just because you have those chemicals that you unfortunately can't return doesn't mean you have to pour them in your pool. Again, maybe you can sell them. (You do need the stabilizer, though.)

Just go to Walmart and pick up several jugs of plain unscented bleach (generic is fine and is what most of us use), a box of 20 Mule Team Borax, and a couple of boxes of baking soda. Also, while there, pick up a cheap OTO/Phenol Red test kit (yellow and red drops).

We'll help you get some fun out of this swim season. Don't go back to that pool store! They don't know what they are doing chemical-wise or equipment-wise! If you are able, get the good kit I mentioned in an earlier post. It will be invaluable in being able to maintain your pool.

Is the pump hooked and up and running yet? Go get the OTO kit and bleach, etc. ASAP. Also, tell us the ingredients of the tabs and the jump start, please.

[Jeannie]

Thanks again.

The Jump Start says it is a Catalytic Clarifier and contains cationic polyamine solution, citric acid and water.

I have 2 types of tabs. One bucket is just Chlorine "Bullet" tabs and the other is 'chlorine enhancement' tablets. This is what they say is the conditioner and stabilizer. I also have a "Chlor no More" Ionizing Orb? The main ingredient??? COPPER SULFATE!

I feel like a real dope.

I couldn't find a test kit at the store - but I did get the bleach, the baking soda and the Borax. I also ordered the test kit from Amazon.

[Watermom]

Don't use the Jump Start. Don't use the Chlor no More. Copper! YIKES!!! What is the actual ingredient in the bullet tabs and the enhancement tabs?

Did the store not have a cheap OTO/Phenol Red kit? Somebody should. Walmart, K-mart, Home Depot, Lowe's, pool store. But, if you have to go to the pool store to get it, just don't buy anything else!

Don't feel like a dope. You had no way to know. And, like anybody else who has a new pool for the first time, you assume the pool store will give you good advice. It's a shame when that doesn't happen and unfortunately, we see it all too often. The good news is that you found the Pool Forum and there are lots of people here who are willing to help!

[Jeannie]

Okay.. found a kit at another pool store. Just bought it without speaking to anyone else! I can return the Jump Start and will also return the Chlor No More and Algaecide. When I called the pool store about this they said not to use straight bleach or it would void my warranty because bleach destroys filters and liners. I guess they won't know though, right? I'm stuck with the Chlorine though. So.. how do I get this party started?

[Watermom]

Baloney!! Bleach is 6% sodium hypochlorite. How come that would void the warranty if their pool store liquid chlorine which is either 10 or 12.5% sodium hypochlorite won't? Just more evidence that the pool store doesn't know what they are talking about.

Test your pH and post the reading.

I'm guessing your volume to be around 9700 gallons. Go ahead and add a 3-qt. jug of plain bleach slowly to the skimmer while the pump is running. That will take your chlorine up to about 4.6ppm. Until you get some CYA in there, you'll need to test at least morning and evening and even in the afternoon if you are home, and each time add enough bleach to get back to around 5ppm. For reference, in your pool, each quart of 6% bleach will add about 1.5ppm of chlorine.

You still haven't given the ingredients of the items requested in the above posts. We need to know to be able to advise you. You need CYA (stabilizer). You still haven't told us what the ingredients are in the tabs and enhancement sticks, so I can't recommend that you use the sticks to add CYA because they could have something else in them as well.

[Jeannie]

Forgot to add.. the pool volume is listed at about 11,000 gallons.

Just tested using Phenol Red. It showed 6.8.

[Watermom]

Most AG pools have 48" walls but water levels don't go to the top of the walls. Typically, water levels are about 4 inches below that. That is how I came up with the volume.

i assume that 6.8 is the lowest reading that your pH test can show. What that means is that your pH could actually be much lower than that. You need to raise it above 7.0 ASAP as readings below 7.0 are acidic and can damage your pool. Add a half a box of 20 Mule Team Borax slowly to the skimmer while the pump is running. After a couple of hours, retest and redose until you get the pH between 7.2 - 7.8. Once it starts to move, you can add smaller doses of Borax.

BTW -- It is fine to add bleach and Borax one right after the other. Won't hurt a thing. I do so all the time.