A few water questions

[rjc311]

Hi...I'm new to the forums and am very happy to have learned alot by lurking around. I do have a few questions though...First let me tell you where I am at waterwise:

I have a 16' Intex (don't laugh ) metal frame AG vinyl pool. Water depth is about 42" and I estimate around 5300 gallons of water--give or take. I setup and filled the pool at the beginning of the month and took a water sample to pinch-a-penny pool center for free testing. Chlorine was virtually nonexistent and ph was high at 7.8. Alkalinity was 175 and stabilizer was zero...all numbers were what i expected of my tap water. THey had me add muriatic acid, shock, and stabilizer. I went back a week later and everything was perfect except chlorine was still kind of low so I reshocked (we had a few inches of rain so maybe thats why?).

Anyway, my most recent test pegged the chlorine at 5 (total and free) with a ph of 7.6 and stabilizer level of 80ppm. Alkalinity at 125. My home test kit from home depot only measures a chlorine level up to 3 . I want to get a better test kit...i've heard of Ben's kit...how do i get one? Mine is useless due to the chlorine limitations and a lack of stabilizer test (CYA, right?).

Regarding stabilizer...mine is on the high side and I saw the "Best Guess CYA chart" on this site and it says that a chlorine level of 5 is ok with my level of stabilizer. Why is it that you need a higher level of chlorine when you have a higher level of stabilizer? How long does stabilizer last in your water? ALso, I use stabilized trichlor tabs in my floater...will they continue to raise my stabilizer level?

In case it matters...I had been using a powdered shock but I ran out so I got liquid chlorine from pinch-a-penny. It is VERY cheap so I'm just going to stick with that over bleach.

I'd love to hear what anyone has to say. I love my new "little" pool and want to use this opportunity to learn as much as I can about keeping it in tip top shape so that when I decide to upgrade to a "real" pool I will be a pro.
Thanks!

[bassadict69]

I'll help ya where I can... Here is the test kits that ben sells http://www.poolsolutions.com/cart/ps234.php

I do not know how to explain the high CYA/Higher chlorine but I can answer the question about the pucks. The tri-clor pucks will definately raise your stabilizer levels for as long as you use them. Since your CYA is getting high, I would say you should stop using them altogether.

[rjc311]

Thanks for the response. That's what I was afraid of...is it even necessary to use pucks when u have stabilizer in the water? Should shocking once a week do the trick on its own? Can I buy unstabilized pucks? Sorry for all the questions but I don't want to screw up. It seems that the pool store told me to put in too much stabilizer from the get go...

[waterbear]

Regarding stabilizer...mine is on the high side and I saw the "Best Guess CYA chart" on this site and it says that a chlorine level of 5 is ok with my level of stabilizer. Why is it that you need a higher level of chlorine when you have a higher level of stabilizer?

The stabilizer actually combines with some of the chlorine so it does not break down as rapidly in sunlight. The higer the stabilzer level the higher the level of chlorine you need to have enough available (and not tied up with the stabilzer) to keep the water sanitized.

How long does stabilizer last in your water?

Unless you dilute (drain and refill partially) it never leaves. You will lose a bit from splashout but it really isn't that much.
The above isn't completely true, in a closed pool with no circulation it is possible for certain bacterea to eat the stabilizer and 'poop' ammonia compounds. This can create a huge chlorine demand when the pool is reopened. This t only happens under certain conditions so don't think of it as a way to lower your stabilizer levels

ALso, I use stabilized trichlor tabs in my floater...will they continue to raise my stabilizer level?

In a nutshell, yes.

In case it matters...I had been using a powdered shock but I ran out so I got liquid chlorine from pinch-a-penny. It is VERY cheap so I'm just going to stick with that over bleach.
It is exactly the same thing as bleach. The only difference might be in the concentration of chlorine. Bleach is eithe 5.25% or 6% Sodium Hypochlorite. Liquid Chlorine from the pool store ususally comes in 6%, 10% and 12.5% strength. Bleach is usually cheaper per dose unless the pool store has some kind of sale. Also be aware that as the concentration goes up the shelf life goes down so that jug of 10% or 12.5% that you are buying might only be at about 6% by the time it goes into your pool

I'd love to hear what anyone has to say. I love my new "little" pool and want to use this opportunity to learn as much as I can about keeping it in tip top shape so that when I decide to upgrade to a "real" pool I will be a pro.
Thanks!

Your pool IS a real pool. Pools come in all sizes and contruction materials. They are all cared for the same way!
Hope this is helpful.

[CarlD]

Not to worry. My pool now is 40' long and 20k gallons, but we ran a 15' Intex donut for 3 years and loved it--it doesn't owe us a dime. I learned ALL about pool care on it--made my mistakes, too. All on 3,500 gallons. And I discovered this site and learned from it and stopped making pool-store mistakes. Never had a serious water problem again. (minor ones, due to my being lazy--my signature is from experience!)

Stabilizer (CYA) works by slowing down chlorine's breakdown. This is good because it won't disappear in 15 minutes in sunshine. This is bad because it cannot fight contaminants fast enough. So CYA is a 2 edged sword. As CYA goes up, you need more and more chlorine to keep your pool sanitary. If your CYA hits 100, you need to keep at least 8ppm of free chlorine in it. But you NEED CYA to keep chlorine from dropping to 0. Stabilizer doesn't go away except by water replacement or by letting your pool turn into a living swamp (Yech!!!!!).

You can let your Total Alk go as high as 180 and never give it another thought--vinyl pools aren't as sensitive as concrete pools to Tot Alk being high.

I'd rather see a well-run economy pool than a badly run architectural wonder. Remember: A pool's main function is to get you wet and cool! And I GUARANTEE that on a hot day, if you get in a floating armchair, with a cool drink, shades, and the ball game on the radio, you will be JUST as happy floating around in your Intex as a guy in the fanciest in-ground pool! And kids playing in a pool don't give a patoot if it's an Intex 18' or an IG wonder.

[rjc311]

Thanks for the replies! For $269 at Sam's Club, this pool was a steal and I am really enjoying it so far!

Luckily my pool isn't huge so I can afford to keep a high chlorine level to complement my high CYA level with no problem. I'm going to stop using my floater with the stabilized pucks to avoid an even higher stabilizer level. I guess I will just test the water everyday and shock once a week and see if that works out. I live in Florida and the sun is ALWAYS out so I've got to b diligent in checking the water. Anyway, thanks for the info. You've all been very helpful!

Robert

[Sherra]

You keep talking about shocking once a week. If you keep your chlorine levels where they should be and your water is clear, you don't NEED to shock. Just another pool store myth to sell you more pool store stuff!

[rjc311]

Thanks Sherra...I appreciate the input. I was kinda wondering why I would have to shock since I have all that stabilizer in there. I'll just test often and add only as necessary. Thanks again!

[LostboyinVA]

Since your pool is small you may want to consider a partial drain and refill. A 50% drain would get your CYA level down to a more reasonable 40ppm.

[rjc311]

Will the chlorine and chemicals in the water kill grass/plants?