first pool,first post

[K8MCN]

Hello all..no questions yet,but sure i will have some..right now just want to browse and read.
New 17x32 Gunite finished a couple weeks ago.no swimming this year except for the Labradoodle..she can stand the cold in St Louis in October
Pool is salt,hayward VS pump,blue pebble tech finish..just finishing up all the landscaping etc.

[CarlD]

Hi:
With all that investment in a really nice, new pool, you should get yourself a good test kit. For the $50-$75 it will cost you it will save you hundreds, even thousands in pool chemicals, and years of heartache.
We recommend the Taylor Technologies K-2006 or K-2006c FAS-DPD test kit. We strongly recommend AGAINST test strips as they are not accurate and difficult to read properly. There are 3 basic chlorine tests: The most common is the standard OTO kit that turns the water yellow. Most of these have a limited range, but can be expanded but with reduced accuracy. Then there's the DPD test. This has a larger range than OTO, but, can give false readings of no chlorine when it's high. The gold standard is the FAS-DPD test, but you can't buy it in most pool stores--you have to go online.

http://poolsolutions.com/testkit-order-links.html

Leslies Online also sells it, re-badged in their own box, as the Chlorine FAS-DPD Service Test Kit , but for nearly $90!

Meanwhile, what kind of filter is being installed?
How many gallons do you expect your pool to be?
Is your builder installing a surge-suppressor for your VS pump? Their electronics are very sensitive to surges, brown-outs and lightning, so a suppressor is crucial. A two-speed pump isn't quite as versatile as a VS, but it is far more robust and resistant to electrical variations. It is also less expensive, especially when you factor in the cost of a 220v wired-in suppressor.