New pebble pool - Aboslutely knows nothing about water chemistry

Jump to latest Follow Reply
T

Tax2023

Gold Supporter
Aug 12, 2023
42
Cumming GA
Pool Size
16000
Surface
Plaster
Chlorine
Salt Water Generator
SWG Type
Jandy Aquapure 1400
Hello,

We just finished our pool build and PB was taking care of the pool for the last 3 weeks as part of the contract. However, I want to give it a try of taking care of chemicals and managing the pool. Its a 16K gallon pebble tec pool with attached spa and spillover. SWG is not turned on yet as its a new build. PB was adding chlorine pucks to manage I guess. Here are my initial results with TF-Pro.

Free Chlorine: < 0.5
PH: > 8.2
TA: 50
Calcium hardness: 170
CYA: <30

I also went to Leslie's and below are their results. Looks fairly accurate w.r.t TF-Pro. He mentioned about low FC and high phosphates as a breed for algae growth. They also gave list of chemicals as part of solution, which I am adding below.

Free Chlorine: 0.28 -- 9oz of Leslie's power powder plus or 11oz of leslie's chlor brite or 56 fl oz of Sodium Hypochlorite
TC: 0.28
pH: 8.3 -- 52FL of Muriatic Acid or 4lbs 1oz of dry acid
TA: 46. -- 12lbs 2oz of Leslie's Alkalinity Up
CH: 159 -- 18lbs 4oz of Leslie's hardness plus
CYA: 12 -- 1Gal 116 fl oz of instant pool water conditioner into skimmer or 5lbs 1oz of leslie's conditioner
Iron: 0.1
Copper: 0.2
Phosphates: 717 -- 61 FL oz of Leslie's NoPHOS
Salt: 200 -- Add 400lbs of salt. PB will add it sometime next week and turn on SWG

I have few questions which are below.

1) Are Leslie's solution recommendations accurate? If not, what are the other options?
2) Do I need to run the pump in high speed before adding these chemicals?
3) Leslie's mentioned that with high phosphates and low chlorine with cause algae growth. Is that true?
4) What are my next steps in terms of adding chemicals etc.?

Probably I should have gone through few posts in the forum before posting this message. But I am almost in panic mode with these results. Please advice.
 
Pool stores love people in a panic. Since you have an awesome test kit, you will never have to step foot in Leslies again.

The only 2 real immediate needs are:
Add some liquid chlorine to get your FC up to 5 FC . Get this from Walmart, Home Depot, Lowes, etc.
Add some Muractic Acid to get your pH down in the 7's. Get this from Home Depot, Lowes, or any other hardware store

I bet your calcium will rise as your pebble cures, but if not you can easily add some calcium from Walmart, etc.
Do you know when salt will be added and your SWCG turned on? When you do this, re-test your CYA and add enough CYA to get it up to the 60-80 range.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Tax2023 and Jimrahbe
First.. I would rather let it just dribble down my leg before I would walk into a Leslie's just to use their bathroom, much less let them test my pool water.. :mrgreen:

Phosphates are just a cash cow for pool stores and have very little to do with algae..

Low FC is the primary cause of algae.. You need to get that FC up to 5 ppm or more ASAP. You should use Liquid Chlorine.
Your TA is just fine and will come up on its own..
Never, ever use dry acid when you have a SWCG pool, whether the SWCG has been turned on or not. Use Muriatic Acid.
Your CH is a little low, but not something I would jump on first..
Your CYA needs to be 30 or 40 before your SWCG starts up.. After that it needs to be 70 or so.

I hope that you did not buy any of their 'Magic'..

You can take care of your pool yourself.. We can show you how, without any magic pool store potions.

I suggest that you stay out of pool stores...

Thanks,

Jim R.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Tax2023
You are 3 weeks into what should be a 28 day plaster startup period.


Go easy on the FC for another week or so.

Ignore Leslie and all they told you.

Lower pH into the mid 7’s; keep FC at 3-4Ppm; add 10 ppm of stabilizer using the sock method to get it 30-40 ppm.

At the end of 28 days transition to TFP recommendations…

www.troublefreepool.com

Pool Care Basics Archives

Your one-stop shop for all things TFP to include: ABCs of Water Chemistry, Recommended Chemicals/Levels, Test Kits, Troubleshooting, and much more!
www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com
 
  • Like
Reactions: Bperry and Tax2023
JJ_Tex said:
Pool stores love people in a panic. Since you have an awesome test kit, you will never have to step foot in Leslies again.

The only 2 real immediate needs are:
Add some liquid chlorine to get your FC up to 5 FC . Get this from Walmart, Home Depot, Lowes, etc.
Add some Muractic Acid to get your pH down in the 7's. Get this from Home Depot, Lowes, or any other hardware store

I bet your calcium will rise as your pebble cures, but if not you can easily add some calcium from Walmart, etc.
Do you know when salt will be added and your SWCG turned on? When you do this, re-test your CYA and add enough CYA to get it up to the 60-80 range.
Click to expand...
Thank you so much for putting my mind at ease. I will add Liquid chlorine and Muriatic Acid. SWCG will be turned on around April 15th. I will retest CYA then.

I was exploring poolmath app and it is giving recommendations on how much to add. Is that a right number or suggested quantity to add into the pool?
 
Jimrahbe said:
First.. I would rather let it just dribble down my leg before I would walk into a Leslie's just to use their bathroom, much less let them test my pool water.. :mrgreen:

Phosphates are just a cash cow for pool stores and have very little to do with algae..

Low FC is the primary cause of algae.. You need to get that FC up to 5 ppm or more ASAP. You should use Liquid Chlorine.
Your TA is just fine and will come up on its own..
Never, ever use dry acid when you have a SWCG pool, whether the SWCG has been turned on or not. Use Muriatic Acid.
Your CH is a little low, but not something I would jump on first..
Your CYA needs to be 30 or 40 before your SWCG starts up.. After that it needs to be 70 or so.

I hope that you did not buy any of their 'Magic'..

You can take care of your pool yourself.. We can show you how, without any magic pool store potions.

I suggest that you stay out of pool stores...

Thanks,

Jim R.
Click to expand...
Haha... I like your analogy about getting into Leslie's :D

Thank you. I will focus on adding chlorine and MA to handle the FC and pH. No, I did not buy any of their Magic stuff :). Any recommendations on where you all buy chemicals? Walmart, HD etc.?
 
Tax2023 said:
Thank you so much for putting my mind at ease. I will add Liquid chlorine and Muriatic Acid. SWCG will be turned on around April 15th. I will retest CYA then.

I was exploring poolmath app and it is giving recommendations on how much to add. Is that a right number or suggested quantity to add into the pool?
Click to expand...
Don’t be so timid.

Get some stabilizer into your pool now and get your CYA towards 30-40 ppm. You will need to get it around 70 ppm for the SWG. So start increasing it with a few doses.

Run your PoolMath calculations by us for chlorine, acid, and stabilizer as you learn to use it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Tax2023
ajw22 said:
You are 3 weeks into what should be a 28 day plaster startup period.


Go easy on the FC for another week or so.

Ignore Leslie and all they told you.

Lower pH into the mid 7’s; keep FC at 3-4Ppm; add 10 ppm of stabilizer using the sock method to get it 30-40 ppm.

At the end of 28 days transition to TFP recommendations…

www.troublefreepool.com

Pool Care Basics Archives

Your one-stop shop for all things TFP to include: ABCs of Water Chemistry, Recommended Chemicals/Levels, Test Kits, Troubleshooting, and much more!
www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com
Click to expand...
Thank you! I will prioritize FC and pH levels followed by CYA. I will go through TFP recommendations as well.

Glad I found TFP :kim:
 
  • Like
Reactions: Newdude
ajw22 said:
Don’t be so timid.

Get some stabilizer into your pool now and get your CYA towards 30-40 ppm. You will need to get it around 70 ppm for the SWG. So start increasing it with a few doses.

Run your PoolMath calculations by us for chlorine, acid, and stabilizer as you learn to use it.
Click to expand...
Thank you so much for helping. Here are the additions suggested by poolmath.

FC: Not sure which type of sanitizer to select? Dichlor, Trichlor Bleach etc..?
pH: 29% Muriatic acid - add 29oz or 3 cups 5oz
CYA: Dry stablizer (49oz) or liquid (1 gallon)
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
ajw22 said:
Bleach if you are using Liquid Chlorine.

What % Liquid Chlorine do you have?
Click to expand...
Ok, thank you. I was planning to get this from Walmart. Not really sure of percentages. Can you help?

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Pool-Essentials-Chlorinating-Liquid-for-Swimming-Pools-1-Gallon/48938023

ajw22 said:
What is your pH and what is your target to lower it to?
Click to expand...
Current pH is 8.3. Targeting it to be around 7.2 because we have a spillover which might increase pH.
ajw22 said:
Which do you have?
Click to expand...
None actually. Need to get one. Thank you for the patience.
 
Tax2023 said:
Ok, thank you. I was planning to get this from Walmart. Not really sure of percentages. Can you help?

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Pool-Essentials-Chlorinating-Liquid-for-Swimming-Pools-1-Gallon/48938023
Click to expand...

That should be 10% chlorine.

64 ounces of 10% chlorine in your 16,000 gallon pool gives you 3.2 ppm.

Now crank up PoolMath and see how to get that result using Effects of Adding.

Tax2023 said:
Current pH is 8.3. Targeting it to be around 7.2 because we have a spillover which might increase pH.
Click to expand...

Don't target that low. Target pH of 7.6.

You really do not want to make more then a 0.4 pH adjustment at one time.

25 ounces of 31% Muriatic Acid will lower your 16,000 gallon pool by 0.4.

Add that. Wait 15 minutes, Retest. Add again if needed to get to 7.6-7.8.

Tax2023 said:
None actually. Need to get one. Thank you for the patience.
Click to expand...
1 lb of dry stabilizer will raise your 16,000 gallon pool by 7.5 ppm.

55 ounces of liquid conditioner will raise your CYA by 10 ppm.

www.troublefreepool.com

Recommended Pool Chemicals

Which should I buy? TFP's recommended pool chemicals are cheap, easy, and won't unbalance your pool water.
www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com

Solid/granular CYA should be placed in a sock and the sock put in the skimmer basket or suspended in front of a pool return. If suspending near a return jet, ensure the sock cannot rest against the pool surface since the granules are acidic and could potentially discolor the surface. After adding CYA you should leave the pump running for 24 hours and not backwash/clean the filter for a week. After soaking for about 30 minutes, squeezing the sock periodically will help it to dissolve faster. Test and dose chemicals in your pool assuming the amount of CYA added is in the pool according to Poolmath. CYA can be tested the day after it is fully dissolved from the sock.

Liquid conditioner is a very thick product. It is best to shake the bottle well before dispensing. Follow the instructions on the bottle. If added to the skimmer, do so slowly to ensure water flow to the pump is not restricted. If added to the pool elsewhere, do so in an area that can be brushed as it may settle to the floor. Once emptied, it may be necessary to fill the bottle with pool water to help remove any residual thick product from the bottom of the bottle.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Tax2023
ajw22 said:
That should be 10% chlorine.

64 ounces of 10% chlorine in your 16,000 gallon pool gives you 3.2 ppm.

Now crank up PoolMath and see how to get that result using Effects of Adding.



Don't target that low. Target pH of 7.6.

You really do not want to make more then a 0.4 pH adjustment at one time.

25 ounces of 31% Muriatic Acid will lower your 16,000 gallon pool by 0.4.

Add that. Wait 15 minutes, Retest. Add again if needed to get to 7.6-7.8.


1 lb of dry stabilizer will raise your 16,000 gallon pool by 7.5 ppm.

55 ounces of liquid conditioner will raise your CYA by 10 ppm.

www.troublefreepool.com

Recommended Pool Chemicals

Which should I buy? TFP's recommended pool chemicals are cheap, easy, and won't unbalance your pool water.
www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com

Solid/granular CYA should be placed in a sock and the sock put in the skimmer basket or suspended in front of a pool return. If suspending near a return jet, ensure the sock cannot rest against the pool surface since the granules are acidic and could potentially discolor the surface. After adding CYA you should leave the pump running for 24 hours and not backwash/clean the filter for a week. After soaking for about 30 minutes, squeezing the sock periodically will help it to dissolve faster. Test and dose chemicals in your pool assuming the amount of CYA added is in the pool according to Poolmath. CYA can be tested the day after it is fully dissolved from the sock.

Liquid conditioner is a very thick product. It is best to shake the bottle well before dispensing. Follow the instructions on the bottle. If added to the skimmer, do so slowly to ensure water flow to the pump is not restricted. If added to the pool elsewhere, do so in an area that can be brushed as it may settle to the floor. Once emptied, it may be necessary to fill the bottle with pool water to help remove any residual thick product from the bottom of the bottle.
Click to expand...
Wow great stuff. Thank you so much for letting me know. I will add these 3 chemicals tomorrow and let you all know the results.

I tried effects of adding and it’s a great tool 👍
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Newdude
Tax2023 said:
Wow great stuff. Thank you so much for letting me know. I will add these 3 chemicals tomorrow and let you all know the results.

I tried effects of adding and it’s a great tool 👍
Click to expand...
Thank you all for helping with this stuff. Below are the results.

So chlorine is probably at 4ppm after adding 64oz of 10% liquid chlorine. On Taylor kit, it was definitely above 3 but not too dark as 5. Probably I added little too much or my pool is not really 16k gallon pool. It is 15x30 rectangular pool with average of 4.5 depth.

pH is down to 7.2. I added 32oz of 31.5% muriatic acid. Probably it came down little lower than I expected. But I know moving forward how much to adjust according to poolmath numbers. I have spillover constantly running which might increase pH and it’s a new pebble tech pool which will also increase as per the knowledge I gained here.

I ordered skimmer socks to dump CYA. I will do that tomorrow. Thanks a lot again for helping with this. I will reach out if I have any other questions.
 
Tax2023 said:
. On Taylor kit, it was definitely above 3 but not too dark as 5.
Click to expand...

Use your FAS/DPD drop test for all chlorine testing.

Trying to color match chlorine tests do not work.
 
Tax2023 said:
Thanks! I find that particular test cumbersome :). I will do that tomorrow and report the results.
Click to expand...
Why?

Toss some powder in so water turns pink.

Put it on the stirrer.

Hold bottle vertical and count drops until water turns clear.

With 10 ml sample multiply drops by 0.5 for FC.

Then do CC test.

Cleanup.
 
ajw22 said:
Why?

Toss some powder in so water turns pink.

Put it on the stirrer.

Hold bottle vertical and count drops until water turns clear.

With 10 ml sample multiply drops by 0.5 for FC.

Then do CC test.

Cleanup.
Click to expand...
Probably I do not have any reason. I will do this test tomorrow and let you know. Thanks a lot for your guidance and help.
 
Thank you so much for helping through this. So, here are today’s results. It rained whole day yesterday along with spillover might have increased pH. For a new pool, do I need to constantly maintain it to be under 8? I am not so worried about chlorine as it’s cloudy seems to be holding up well.

Chlorine - 3.5 (increased from 0.2 to 3.5 and holding up).
PH - 7.8 (increased from 7.2)
CYA - 30 (added CYA yesterday and tested today. It was negligible to begin with)
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back
Jump to latest Follow Reply