Intex pool: can I fix the water or do I drain?

[swimg]

Hi, I've been reading around the site and am overwhelmed--apologies for asking a question that has already been answered.

I have an Intex 15' x 42" easy set pool, holds about 3490 gallons (got it about a month ago). The guy at Lowes said all I needed was a floater with the tabs plus AquaEZ non-chlorine (potassium peroxymonosulfate) shock. I put some of that in with a tab in the floater and we started swimming. A friend sent me the link to PoolSolutions and I only recently found the page for how to maintain kiddie pools (argh! wish I'd seen that before we filled the pool!). So I got a 3-way test kit from the pool store to test chlorine and ph. Both chlorine and ph were very low so I've also added a bunch of bleach (based on the calculator on this site). The sides are a little slimy and the water is slightly cloudy so we scrubbed the pool yesterday and added more bleach. This morning I saw mosquito larvae wiggling around--YUCK. I tested the water and chlorine looks like it's at 2.0 and ph is 7.6 (after taking a water sample and added the testing drops, how long do you wait for the correct reading? the ph has gone up in my little tube since I first did it an hour ago--I never poured it out. So what's the correct reading?)

I read the start-up info for kiddie pools and dichlor powder is recommended, but somewhere in the forum I saw that only liquid bleach was recommended for Intex pools (because the granular stuff doesn't dissolve well with the weak pump system??).

What should we do? When should I add borax and polyquat? I just want to make sure that the water is safe for my daughter to swim in and I feel clueless about how to determine that.

Many thanks in advance for help!!!

[Watermom]

Hi and welcome!

When you run the chlorine and pH test, read it immediately. That will give you the correct reading. I think you can use either dichlor or bleach, whichever is easiest for you. If you do decide to use the dichlor, you'll want to check your CYA level every month or so. Whenever the CYA is around 50, you'll want to discontinue using dichlor or trichlor tabs as they will continue to add CYA. You only use the Borax if your pH is too low. If yours is at 7.6, that is perfect so you don't need Borax. Also, you don't have to use polyquat at all. It isn't actually necessary if you just maintain adequate chlorine levels. I'd go ahead and shock your pool up to about 12. In an approximately 3500 gallon pool, each cup of 6% bleach will add about 1ppm of chlorine. Use that as a reference to help you figure out how much to add.

[swimg]

THANK YOU for responding so quickly. It's such a relief to have this resource.

I just tested my pool and chlorine is at 2.0 and ph is at 7.2. The donut feels a little slimy but the sides don't; I don't think my husband scrubbed the donut so I'll do that today. My test kit doesn't show chlorine levels above 5.0 but I'm guessing that doesn't matter; just use the formula you gave of 1cup bleach to add 1ppm chlorine. So if I'm at 2.0 then I should add 10 cups of 6% bleach? And does the intex pump do a sufficient job of circulating? I've been pouring the bleach where the water jets in from the hose. And since my ph is a tad low, how much borax (should I just look that up on the calculator?) and what's the best way to add it?

I'd rather not have to calculate the CYA since I don't have a kit to test that and it's one more thing to do. So if I'm just using bleach what should I do, after today's shock, to maintain the pool? Also, I've got a net to collect leaves and the intex pump/filter. Between that and the bleach do I really need anything else to keep the water clean? (I've seen ads for vacuuming devices--more money!)

Thanks so much for spelling this out for me!!

[PoolDoc]

I'd rather not have to calculate the CYA since I don't have a kit to test that and it's one more thing to do.

I'm not sure you understand the choice here: on outdoor pool, you have two options:
#1 - you can manage your CYA level, by testing, and maintaining enough but not too much AND a chlorine level appropriate for your CYA level
OR
#2 - you can have a pool that runs very badly, except when you are very lucky!

There are three chemical values that are CRITICAL on ALL pools: chlorine, pH and stabilizer. On indoor pools, if you've never added CYA, you can assume CYA=0. But on outdoor pools you MUST have stabilizer (unless you want add chlorine 4x per day, on sunny days).

So . . . it really comes down to what do you want more:
=> Avoid having to get another test kit, OR
=> Avoid having a pool a pool that's a pain to maintain.

It's your choice.

[swimg]

Hi, you're right, I don't understand my choices. I bought the basic OTO kit because I read about it here, but it sounds like that's not enough? I don't have a problem with testing for the CYA if that's what I need to do. In which case, it sounds like that's my next step, after shocking my pool today--ordering a better test kit. And that will tell me how much dichlor powder to use or, if I'm using the floater with the trichlor tabs how long to use them. Do I understand this correctly?

btw, I thought this thread vanished while I was typing my reply and I sent a query to the webmaster. Obviously I have found the thread (duh) so please disregard!

Many thanks...

[PoolDoc]

The webmaster is me, so I just saw that. Glad you recovered it.

OTO kits are usually available locally, and are better than strips. Taylor K2006 kits are usually NOT available locally, so when people have pool that's already running, we usually tell them to get an OTO kit (now) and a K2006 ASAP. It's not waste, since you'll be able to use the OTO kit for daily testing most of the time . . . but you'll need the K2006 to set things up, to check periodically, and to resolve problems.

The K2006 includes a better pH test, plus CYA, plus a high range high accuracy chlorine test, plus calcium and alkalinity tests.

But, NONE of the tests will tell you what to put in: they just tell you what's there. You have to LEARN what to put in, and what size doses to use, but we can help with that, once we have the test results.

[swimg]

okay, i'm beginning to comprehend...I will order the test kit tonight.

Meanwhile, since I would imagine that my CYA level is really low, should I go ahead and shock my pool with dichlor powder? And if so, what's the best way to add it--broadcasting all around the pool? Pre-dissolving in water? I have suncoast fast-dissolving shock, 99% sodium dichloro-s-Triazinetrione Dihydrate.

Thanks!

[Watermom]

I think I'd predissolve it and pour it slowly in front of the return jet.

Your CYA may or may not be really low. If you've been using a lot of pucks, the CYA is gradually building up. Once you get your K-2006, test the CYA level and report it here.

[swimg]

I added the dichlor last night and the water looks nice and clear. The chlorine tested at 3.0 and the pH is a little low at 7.2. So do I raise it with Borax? And if so, what's the procedure?

Many thanks....

[PoolDoc]

Just add 1/4 box, to start. Add more, till you get to 7.6. On a small Intex, you can broadcast it.

7.2 is actually fine for pH, but dichlor tends to lower pH quite a bit, as it gets used up, so it's a bit safer to have it higher, so it doesn't go below 7.0.