Easy set 10' x 30"

[Larryh86GT]

This is my first pool and it is not set up as yet. I purchased 1" chlorine tablets and a float dispenser for it but after some reading perhaps just using bleach daily would work as well? I have a small hth drops test kit for testing Cl, Br, & PH.

[CarlD]

Hi Larry!
In the water, chlorine is chlorine. 1" tabs may well be Tri-chlor or Di-chlor. You can use them to start, but both add stabilizer and Tri-chlor is very acid. Stabilizer in the desired amount is a Good Thing, but too much can be a problem as can too little.
Your OTO test kit is fine for starting and for daily testing. The Br (Bromine) test is the same as the Chlorine test (though the scale is doubled) but since you don't have a Bromine pool you ignore it as if it's not there.

But to make your life easy, you'll need a proper test kit and, unfortunately, you cannot buy it at a pool store. We recommend the Taylor K-2006 or K-2006C kits (the "C" has larger supplies of the chemicals--reagents). Some of the other moderators, and PoolDoc have the link in their signature lines to the least expensive source on Amazon. That link also helps the owner pay for maintaining this site. If, for some reason you cannot get it, Leslie's on-line has the "Chlorine FAS-DPD Service Test Kit" which is the same thing as the Taylor (with the Taylor reagents in a Leslies box) but for a lot more money. It's the FAS-DPD test that's key. It's not the same as a DPD test (which pool stores will try to tell you). Still, even with your little pool, the $50-$70 will be your BEST investment, saving you VAST amounts of heart-break!

I started out with an Intex 15'x3' pool back in 2000 and made my mistakes with it. My FAS-DPD kit was the life-saver back then, and when I built my 40'x16' pool I was fully confident I could maintain the water because it's the same, just bigger. Three years with the Intex and it didn't owe me a dime!

You'll need to read up on pool care. It's not hard. It's not mystical. It's not complicated. But it does require daily care, just a little, but consistently.
The B-B-B idea, using Bleach, Borax (for pH) and Baking Soda (for total alkalinity) IS simple.

You'll learn that "suggested" levels by pool stores and on your HTH test kit are...irrelevant.
We're here to help, but you DO have to do the reading.

The two key things are chlorine, which keeps your water sanitary, and pH, which keeps your water neutral and not too acidic or alkaline.
The third thing is stabilizer, cyanuric or Isocyanuric acid, called CYA for short. CYA keeps your chlorine from being consumed by the sun's UV rays--but slows down how well the chlorine works.

Usually suggested CYA levels are between 30 and 50 ppm (parts per million) though there are reasons to have it lower (indoor pools should have zero) or higher (pools with salt-water chlorinators, for example).
Look for the "Best Guess" table here at the Pool Forum and at PoolSolutions.com (our sister site). It will tell you that when CYA is in the 30-50 range, your normal chlorine level should be between 3 and 6 ppm (3 being the "recommended level" on your test kit) and if you have to "shock" your pool (kill stuff in it) the level should be 15ppm.

As the CYA level increases, so does the necessary chlorine level. But don't worry...the CYA allows the maintenance level to be stable so you don't have to add more.

You WILL need to determine how many gallons your pool is...1 cubic foot is about 7.5 gallons--7.48 to be more precise.

[Larryh86GT]

I appreciate the info. This is my first pool other than kiddie pools. I swore that I never wanted a pool but having a grandchild does change things. I found this forum while searching the internet for information on pool maintenance and joined so I could do a proper search of this forum. Now I find I no longer can do this.

[Watermom]

Larry, there is a stickied thread (second thread from the top in the sub-forum called Pool Chemistry for Intex-type pools) that gives a very easy 'recipe' to follow when starting up a smaller pool that might be helpful to you.

As far as not being able to see the rest of the forum, you still can if you log out first. Once your registration is completed, that will no longer be necessary.

Hope you find the forum to be helpful!

[Larryh86GT]

Thank you. That helps a lot. I think I will try the 'recipe' as it does look easy. I am guessing I could still utilize the float dispensor with the chlorine tablets if I am going away from home for awhile to keep the pool from going south while I am gone.

[Larryh86GT]

Probably OK to use the float dispenser with the 1" chlorine tablets while away from home for an extended period?

I assume most folks drain and store this little pool in the winter?
I am deciding between a debris cover or solar cover. More than likely the debris cover is sufficient?

Now I know why I never wanted to get a pool. :-) But I wanted to start small and learn a little before I go to a larger Intex pool.

How long am I stuck in limbo?