Starting Over

[shawnw]

I just finished draining, scrubbing, washing with tsp, scrubboing, spraying with bleach, scrubbing

Algae is apparently GONE and I am refilling my pool! Plus, I lost 7 pounds this week doing all the work myself! I am a happy girl! Now...once the pool is full, should I test before adding salt, calcium, and stabilizer?

Mine is gunnite, 18,000 gal.

[PoolDoc]

You don't have to test before adding salt or stabilizer -- neither utility nor well water will have any. But definitely test before adding calcium and do NOT
-- try to add a single large dose
-- add calcium and alkalinity on the same day

Good luck!

Ben

[shawnw]

Thanks! I just tested my fresh water for ph and it is reading between 7.8-8.0. This is probably a stupid question, but is that normal for fresh water? And if so, am I correct in assuming I should not add any borax at this point? I will retest after adding salt and stabilizer.

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Also, will Pristine Blue "residue" on my filter cartridges cause an adverse effect on my pool chemistry? Switched back to swcg...cleaned filters as best I can...

[PoolDoc]

'Normal' fresh water from wells or utilities can be anywhere from ~6.5 to ~8.5. You are correct; you don't need borax at present.

Pristine Blue residue would just be copper -- leaving your filter blue, green, or maybe grey. You can remove any such residue with an acid wash, but make 100% sure you clean it with detergent FIRST. Here's a cartridge HOW-TO: http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/showthread.php?18044

[shawnw]

Thanks, PoolDoc! I have been so overwhelmed by the plethora of info here, but I think it's finally starting to make sense to me...I really appreciate the info and the help! You guys are awesome!

[PoolDoc]

The 'learning curve' can be a bit steep, but it does get easier!