Getting serious about water testing finally

[Vtattebury]

First off, thank you all for your incredible advice on this forum and the pool solutions site.

I became a first-time pool owner when I moved to NJ and purchased a house with an above-ground 18x30. My wife and I have two young boys and decided we'd keep the pool for a year and see if we used it/liked it. Needless to say, we love it, but I'm still a newbie. Last year I had to swap out the pump since the bearings froze up (twice). I have a Hayward 1.5hp with a sand filter. Since I inherited the pool with the house, I have no idea what condition the sand is in.

Everything worked ok last year, with some random water fogging and algae blooms. For the most part I'm using chlorine tabs in a addition to the BBB method. I've only used test strips, but my K2006 is on order (sorry, didn't see the Amazon link until after I ordered it!).

I'll let you know some readings when I open the pool soon, but thanks for the tips so far!

[PoolDoc]

Sounds good!

[Watermom]

Welcome to the Pool Forum, by the way!

[Vtattebury]

So as I'm still learning and finding my way around, I have a quick question about chlorine stabilizer. I think my tabs have stabilizer in them, but I saw a 4lb bucket on sale for about $10 so I bought two. I'm trying to read more about it, but is this a chemical that I'll need a constant supply of? (the store has more-- should I get a bunch?) or is this more of a one-time add and it stays in the water?

Still waiting on my K2006.

[aylad]

The tabs should be trichlor tabs, and they do have stabilizer in them. You need a certain amount of stabilizer (CYA) in the water to keep the sunlight from consuming all of your chlorine, but as your stabilizer level rises, so does your minimum chlorine level. Take a look at the link to the Best Guess chlorine chart in Pooldoc and Watermom's sigs, and it will outline where your chlorine needs to be in relation to your stabilizer level.

Having tabs is a good thing for vacations, etc, or to raise your CYA to where you want it (we recommend 40-50 ppm for most pools), but it will be very difficult for you to use it as an exclusive chlorine source without algae outbreaks, especially toward the end of the season. Once the CYA is in the water, it is only reduced by splashout, backwashing, and very severe algae blooms, so once you get it where you want it, there should be very little adjustment throughout the swim season. Also, check and make sure your tabs don't contain copper--copper is what turns blonde hair and fingernails green, and can stain your pool liner.

Janet

[Vtattebury]

Thanks Janet. I'll check the tabs and their ingredients.

I use tabs mostly because I'm not home for several days at a time, and my wife REALLY doesn't want to get into chemicals and maintenance other than the occasional skimming.

Last year I used tabs (usually three at a time), and supplemented or "shocked" with bleach when I needed to. This was all before getting deep into the forum and only testing with strips, so this year will be a big learning curve. Funny you mentioned late-season algae blooms, because that's EXACTLY what happened. I assumed it was due to the fact that the pool got more late season sun (it was shaded by trees for overhead mid-summer sun, but got the slanted late-summer stuff).

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A different question on more of an equipment line:

I have a Hayward 1.5 hp Power-flo matrix pump mated to a Hayward vari-flo XL valve (valve says 75 gpm max), on a swim pro sand filter (3.22 ft sq. effective filtration, filt. rate 25 gpm, 250lbs sand). Pump is basically new since the old one locked up and I just replaced it with the same specs. I remember finding out somewhere that my setup was most likely part of a kit. Pool is about an 18x30 oval 4' deep (give or take).

I'm wondering how they're matched up since I keep reading about oversized pumps and undersized filters being a problem, and I'm wary that I'm suffering from one of the effects of the dirt being pushed through the filter. I remember vacuuming thoroughly last year and the next day finding all the dirt back on the bottom of the pool.

Could this also be "bad" sand? Since I bought the pool with the house, I really don't have the history of it. Thanks all.

[aylad]

Usually there's no such thing as "bad" sand, unless you've been through a Baq conversion or used some sort of additive that gummed it up--there are many folks on the forum that have used their sand for several years--I think Watermom is on her 7 or 8th season with hers, and the other two mods are over 10 years with theirs, if memory serves. However, if you're having sand blowing back into the pool and if that's been happening for some time, you might need to replace the sand that has blown out.

I'll let Pooldoc or one of the other equipment experts answer your filter question, but I'm thinking that 1.5 hp pump is too strong for your filter. I have a 1 hp pump on a 325# sand filter.....

One reason for sand blowback is too big a pump for the filter, but another might be broken laterals in the filter. Just something to think about...

Janet

[Watermom]

I think Watermom is on her 7 or 8th season with hers

I'm actually on my 12th season with my same sand. I did top off my sand filter this year, but that is the first time I have done so since I bought this filter 12 seasons ago.

[Vtattebury]

Yes, I've heard sand lasts a long time. Just wondering (before I take off my valve!) how do I top it off? Is there something like a fill line I bring it up to? I've also been reading the threads about adding a little DE, and that seems like a great idea as well.

K2006 is finally on a UPS truck heading my way.

[Watermom]

Your manual should tell you how high to fill it.