new pool owner

[mrsmatthews]

Hello everyone. this is our first swimming pool, we have a 24 ft x 4 ft deep above ground. My question is it came with a 3 way test strips, my problem is its not showing any chlorine I have 3" puck in the floater. it does seem to be melting. when I test the chlorine does show up at all.
Ivy

[PoolDoc]

Most likely, the chlorine is being used faster than you are adding it. Read the test kit page (my signature block) -- strips aren't reliable -- and at the least, get an OTO kit.

Also, start adding -- each evening -- 1 gallon of PLAIN 6% household bleach for each 10,000 gallons, till your pool is clear and until you are able to hold a chlorine level overnight.

[mrsmatthews]

Thanks for the help. I have one more question Do I need to add bleach every day. My pool it a 24ft 4ft AG deep with a 1 1/2 horse power. 22 sandman pump 220 lb of sand. My pool is clean.

[PoolDoc]

Do I need to add bleach every day?

Yes, until you've learned to test your pool, and manage your chlorine, pH, and CYA levels. Otherwise, your pool is NOT clean. I can provide you with figures on how much fecal material (poop) each swimmer adds to the pool.

[mrsmatthews]

Yes Please. I'm taking baby steps. Going to wally world this afternoon.

[PoolDoc]

I was kidding!

Do you REALLY want to know how many grams of poop washes off the average swimmer, when they use the pool?

Dr. Charles Gerba, of the University of Arizona at Tucson actually did measure this about 10 years ago! Pity the poor graduate assistants, who did the actual scrubbing and washing of the hindermost parts of the volunteer subjects: "Ok, ma'am, please drop your drawers, straddle the bucket, and then bend over while I use this baby tooth brush and a wash bottle to collect your sample."

PS. The average value was around 5 grams, which he described as being a pencil erasor's worth of fecal material. So, yes, DO continue to use the bleach nightly!

[Watermom]

Gee. Thanks for sharing.

[JuJuBee]

PoolDoc, you're too funny....I can't stop laughing. What a hilarious description! Thanks for the wonderful chuckle before bed!

[mrsmatthews]

Thank you pool Doc, for the BBB method. We finely got the chlorine levels up thought the night. its much better then the puck.
Ivy

[PoolDoc]

There's nothing wrong with pucks, but all of the methods of adding chlorine require some experience and knowledge to use effectively. Actually, on a AG pool like yours, a couple of floaters with pucks in them can be an effective method of 'trickle-feeding' chlorine and stabilizer in between bleach doses. If you've got small kids who might play with them, take them out and set them in a bucket when the pool's in use, and them put them back when you're done. Rinse the bucket in the pool, since the 'drippings' in the bucket will be like bleach.