Pool about to open...what do I do?

[albertgarrido]

Okay....so my pool cover just came off because the concreate patio are was being done. I can't put the cover back on because I have stamped concrete, so I'm going to just "open it".

My question is, what should I do?
Here are some facts.
Pool was installed in November, filled and covered almost immediately, although some leaves did get to the bottom.
Filter was never run and chemicals were not put in.
Filter is a D.E. filter
Pump is a North Star 1 hp
Pool is 20x40 rectangle
2 inch suction lines
Nothing at all done during winter.

Present time:
I live in NJ so temp has been between high 60's to mid 70s.
There are leaves at the bottom which I'll have to get out.
Some dirt in the pool from the backfilling, concrete work, etc., but not thing a vacumming won't clear up.
Water is actually not too bad, although a little cloudy from the dirt.

Most of the pool was filled with water from a company that fills pools from what I'm told is very good water from a quarry. The pool was topped off with some water from my well.

So, the pool company is coming to start the filter and get me going on Tuesday of next week. They already tried selling me a bunch of cheimcals, but in reading this board I know to not let them.

At this point I'm not ready to go down the path most of you do (i.e. bleach, muratic acid, etc), but I'd like to know what are some basic things I should start off with. Do I "shock" the pool? Bring the cholorine level to a certain pt., PH level? I'd like to have some of these facts before they come so that I don't sound like a complete pool moron

Oh...and I have an automatic choloronator. Forget who makes it, but its NOT Hayward....I think its "Rainbow"? (got that suggestion from reading this board.

So, anything anybody can tell me, I would appreciate.

PS I ordered the water tester from this board, but not expecting to receive it for a couple of weeks.

[duraleigh]

Hi, Albert,

Your request is difficult.

At this point I'm not ready to go down the path most of you do (i.e. bleach, muratic acid, etc), but I'd like to know what are some basic things I should start off with.

How could I recommend a path that I do not follow? I'm not sure what your saying. If you're saying you would like general info on pool chemistry, I really like this site:

http://www.deh.enr.state.nc.us/ehs/chem.htm#ta

hope that helps,

Dave S.

[mwsmith2]

Wow. Not putting anything in the water to balance it is a pretty bad thing, especially with a brand new pool, curing gunite and plaster. Eeek. I'd get at bare minimum right now a pH test kit to bring your pH into line before something gets damaged.

Michael

[huenix]

Okay....so my pool cover just came off because the concreate patio are was being done. I can't put the cover back on because I have stamped concrete, so I'm going to just "open it".

My question is, what should I do?

1) Go buy a test kit from walmart or get your water tested at a pool store. BUT DONT BUY ANYTHING YET.
2) Post the numbers.

Echoing what others said... If this is a plaster pool, you need to contact the installer quick-like and ask him what to do about calcium hardness. Your warrenty depends on you following those instructions. If its a lined pool, dont worry about adding calcium.

Here are some target numbers assuming a vinyl lined pool.

Ph: 7.5
TA: 120
CYA: 30, but Im gonna guess yours is zero.
FC: 3
TC: 3
CC: 0

Is your chlorinator a salt water generator or just a feeder? I know next to nothing about either, but the rainbow feeder I found on the internet looks like a puck dispenser for trichlor pucks. This is a great idea, but the problem is that it drives your Calcium hardness sky high and your Ph dirt low. One summer of this and you will probably have to change water.

Anyone on this board can tell you horror stories about trichlor. But its your call. I still recommend the three B's.

[aylad]

Heunix actually means that a trichlor puck dispenser will drive your stabilizer, not your calcium hardness, sky high and your pH dirt low.

However, that's not necessarily always the case. If what you have is a trichlor feeder, it certainly can be used, as long as you realize that trichlor pucks contain stabilizer, and as your stabilizer rises, your minimum chlorine level needs to rise too. (See Ben's Best Guess chart). Since you don't have any stabilizer in the pool, that's not a bad thing--you're going to have to add some. Also considering the fact that as gunite and plaster cure, your pH tends to rise, requiring large amounts of muriatic acid to keep it within range. The trichlor pucks are acidic, which will tend to help keep your pH from rising as quickly, and add stabilizer to your water, so they actually may be your best choice for chlorination right now. You can switch to bleach later on when your stabilizer levels get to where you want them to be.

Janet

[albertgarrido]

Okay....this is helping.

Adding some more facts since it seems I missed letting you know some.

The pool is a Vinyl Pool
The Cholorinator is a Rainbow.
I don't have any other device for putting chemicals in the pool (i.e. Frog, Saltwater purification, etc).

Hopefully that helps.

Oh....what are the "3 B's" ....it was mentioned above?

[Watermom]

3 Bs are the regimine most of us follow. Instead of using expensive pool chemicals, we use bleach for our source of chlorine, Borax to raise the ph when needed and baking soda to raise alk. I know with a new pool you may be skeptical that all this will work as well as what the pool store will tell you. It will. In fact some of the things they will sell you are exactly the same ingredients only with a fancier label and a higher price. Think about it, read the forum and go and read a lot at the sister site www.poolsolutions.com.

Watermom

[CarlD]

Where in NJ are you? I'm in N-Central myself--due west of the Lincoln Tunnel...

[albertgarrido]

WaterMom - I have not doubt they work...and plan on switching over. But I do have some freebie chemicals that I was given...so just going to use those first...then make the switch.

Carl - I'm in Long Valley NJ

Any more suggetions based on the extra info I provided above?

[ljh]

If free stuff messes up your water quality - how much of a bargin is that? I never owned a pool before two years ago but follow the advise given here (3 -Bs) and have only beautiful water (while my neighbor -twently feet away - who uses the pool store - opens to green slime every spring and spends way too much time trying to balance her water). It really is simple, try it.