Water problems in small, small pool

[MikeFromMesa]

> If you drain half and refill with fresh water, your CYA level should drop by half.

Thank you. That is the only thing that made any sense to me.

> The 2006 has .75 oz bottles and the 2006C has 2 oz. bottles which makes it a better price per ounce.

That makes the decision easy. If I am going to be testing daily then I am much better off with the larger bottles. Thank you again.

By the way, we keep our pool covered most of the day. That provides us with 2 benefits - the pool stays cleaner because leaves and other garbage is not falling into it and the water stays nice and warm and we can (probably) use it longer during the year since the water will still be warm enough to use in early Spring and late Fall. However I don't know how covering the pool affects the water chemistry. I assume that the chlorine in the water will degrade more slowly when the pool is covered because there is no sunlight to destroy it, but I don't know how the added temperature from the sun's warming the water in an "enclosed" space will affect what is happening chemically in the pool.

By "covered" I mean we have a pliable plastic cover that we drag over the pool after we are in it and remove before we enter it. Since the pool is so small (roughly circular with a diameter of about 10 feet) pulling it on and off is very simple and quick.

Will the chlorine levels drop more quickly if the pool is covered than if it is left uncovered? Or more slowly? Will not having direct sunlight on the pool surface affect the pH of the water? Or not? Will I need to watch and test more often or less often when the pool is covered?

[Watermom]

The pool will lose chlorine a little less slowly but I don't think a cover or not will influence pH. I would suggest taking 5 minutes a day right now to test chlorine and pH. After a little while, you will learn what is normal for your pool and may be able to test every other day or so. For example, over the years I have learned that in my pool, the pH is very steady unless we get a lot of rain and then I know that my pH is going to drop and I'll need to add Borax. In time, you will see patterns in your pool as well.

Let us know if you have further questions. We'll be here to help!

[MikeFromMesa]

I apologize for being so uneducated about this stuff. It seems as though I am asking question after question, but I can find no other place to get answers.

The most common statement I can find reading the descriptions is that I should use common household chlorine to maintain a proper chlorine level, especially if the CYA level in my pool is high (and mine is about 150ppm). But I can find nothing that tells me how much to add each day to keep the chlorine levels right. I know from the table that if my CYA is as high as it is I need to maintain a chlorine level of 5-15 ppm. But do I add chlorine directly from the bottle?

Do I dilute it first?
How much do I add at a time for a very small (1500 gal) pool? I don't want to drive the level too high.
How long does the chlorine level take to rise once the chlorine is added? How long before I should re-test?

Sorry, but all I seem to have are questions. I would appreciate any answers you can supply.

[Watermom]

No need to apologize for asking questions. That is why we are here!

In your pool, each 1/2 cup of 8.25% bleach will add approximately 1.5ppm of chlorine. You can use that as a reference for how much you need to add each time you test. You do not need to dilute it. You can simply pour it slowly into your skimmer (if your pool has one which I think it does) or you can pour it slowly in front of a return jet, being careful not to splash it on you or the liner. That is it. Very simple. I typically wait 3 or 4 hours after I add before I would test it again but my pool has 18,000 gallons. In your pool, I think you could easily have it mixed in within and hour or so. Two to be sure.

It is best to test the chlorine and add bleach if necessary in the evenings after the sun is off the pool. With CYA at 150, you probably won't need to add it again for a couple of days. Test it the next evening and see where your chlorine is and then decide if you need to add more. If not, test again the next evening. You just want to make sure you can make it through the next day without ever dropping below your minimum based on your CYA reading.

Don't hesitate to ask more questions if you need to. That is how you learn. (Does that sound like a teacher?? )

[MikeFromMesa]

OK. That is very helpful. From what you have said I should be checking and adding daily since bleach will dissipate rapidly.

But what do I do if we are gone for a week or two? If I add the chlorine tablets, which will maintain a chlorine level while we are gone I assume I will just drive up the CYA levels even more. If I use bleach before we go the chlorine level will drop to 0 since no one will be adding it during our absence. Is there an alternative such as bleach tablets which would dissolve slowly?

Thanks again

[PoolDoc]

Here's one option:

Super-simple-pool-chemistry-recipe-for-Intex-type-pools-start-up-amp-routine-care.

EDITED TO REFLECT WATERMOM'S POST BELOW.

Recipe above applies only if you drain and refill. I misunderstood, thinking that you'd already decided to do so. For an 1800 gallon pool, that's what I'd recommend. It's not worth saving the water, for the amount of tweaking you'll have to do.

[Watermom]

Mike,
I think PoolDoc may not have read through your thread. You do NOT want to use that recipe mentioned above. It is meant for pools that have a fresh fill with no CYA in them yet. In your pool, you do NOT want to use dichlor as it will add CYA and you definitely don't want that!

If you are gone, do you have anybody who can come by every 2nd or third day and add some bleach? I think you will find after you test for a week or two that your pool isn't gonna need chlorine added every day. So, if you can hire a neighborhood teenager or whatever to come by a few times a week and add a pre-determined amount of bleach and clean out the skimmer basket, that is probably your best bet. If you really don't have anybody, you can use some of the pucks for a few days, but, yes, they are going to push your CYA up and your pH down.