New guy to the pool forum

[USMC-DAV]

Hello moderators!

My name is K.C. and my family and I have just purchased and moved into an older home (30 yrs old). The home has a concrete in-ground pool and it's the first time we've ever owned a pool! I'm sure I will have a ton of questions, thus my desire to join the pool forum.

The pool had been covered for some time and the pool/water was in pretty bad shape. Rather than try and shock and then get the levels right, I decided to drain/clean/refill. There are loose and missing border tiles (if thats what you call them?) and that is no biggie as I'm quite handy. I'm fixing that issue now as the pool refills.

One thing I noticed while draining is the surface of the pool walls/floors is looking rather rough in places and I was going to seek advice. For now (this season), I plan on filling the pool for use this year and will plan to address resurfacing/recoating early next year! FYI: I also plan on replacing all the border tile next year as well for an updated look.

So far, the only thing I've done with the pump/filter system is remove, clean, and inspect the filters (they look to be in good shape). I'll also be looking for advise on operating this system as it's all new to me. I'll also be seeking advise on the pool chems as again, I have no idea what I'm doing. I'm pretty much a DYI guy, mainly due to financial restraints. I'm looking forward to learning/gaining knowledge so I can be a proficiant pool owner.

Thanks in advance for your help.

K.C.

[Watermom]

Kelly,
Start by doing a lot of reading here on the forum and also on our sister website www.poolsolutions.com. Be sure you read the Best Guess Chlorine Chart in my signature below. Also, go ahead and order a good kit. You'll need one. The one we recommend is the Taylor K-2006 or 2006C which you can get through the link in my signature below. (You won't be able to buy it locally.) Also, pick up a cheap OTO/Phenol Red kit (red and yellow drops) from Walmart. Test your fill water. While you are at Walmart, pick up several jugs of bleach and a couple boxes of Borax (laundry aisle).

Go ahead and put some bleach in the pool as it fills and stir it around with a clean broom or oar or something to get it mixed in as best as you can. I can't comment on amounts because I don't know the volume of your pool. But, there is a handy bleach calculator in the Forum Q&A section that you will want to download to help you.

Come back after you have done some reading with some questions and we will try and help you get started. When you repost, tell us the volume of the pool, the size of the pump and the type and size of the filter.

[USMC-DAV]

The in-ground concrete pool is sort of kidney shaped and is 45' x 25' at its longest/widest points. There is a Pentair Super Flo high performance pump w/ Pentair FNS Plus Diatomaceous Earth Filter. There is also a Polaris PB4 booster pump.

I just ordered a Taylor kit on Amazon and it should be here mid next week. I'll be heading to Walmart this evening for bleach & Borax. Thanks again for your help, it is much appreciated!

P.S. I was not able to post as it said I don't have permission.

[Watermom]

Good decision to order the kit. You won't regret it!

[USMC-DAV]

Pool is almost filled (about 3/4). For my size pool 45'x25', 3' shallow, 9' deep-end, how much bleach should I put in? Anything else I should know? I won't get my test kit till mid next week.

[PoolDoc]

Is it really 25 x 45? That's a-typically large.

But if it is, you are looking at a pool volume in the 30,000+ gallon range. The most accurate measurement is to read your meter before and after you fill, and deduct normal daily usage.

For now, if you add 3 gallons of plain 6% household bleach to your pool nightly, that should keep you in good shape. Go ahead and buy a cheap local OTO/phenol red drops (yellow/red drops) kit, and use that to monitor your pH and chlorine, that will help.

[USMC-DAV]

Thanks PoolDoc,


Sorry, I gave a wrong dimension! It is 45'x15' (not 25). The shallow end is 4' deep and the deep end is 9'.


I picked up a yellow/red kit at Walmart tonight along with bleach and baking soda. I couldn't find Borax there so I'll have to go elsewhere.


Amazon is shipping the Taylor kit and I should have it soon.

[PoolDoc]

Walmart's borax is in the detergent section; you can use their online site to check local inventory:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/20-Mule-Te...76-oz/20850525