Bestway Pool - need advice on first chemical/salt treatment

[JayBee48]

Hi everyone - so I’ve been reading threads on above ground pools and conversion to salt water while we waited for all the pieces of our pool to arrive. We have a Bestway 14’ oval frame pool. It is now in place and full...I realize now that I probably should have put CYA and FC in before it was full, but here we are!

I also couldn’t buy the right retesting kit locally, so I ordered that online and I’m making do with strips for now. I also bought the salt test strips for now (a waste of $20, but oh well).

right now, the pool has 0 chemicals in it. I think I’m supposed to add FC first to get the pH in line, but when do I add conditioner? And when do I add the salt? How long after adding FC should I wait before letting the kids swim? I basically just need help turning this huge bath tub into a pool I can maintain ? TIA

 

[Richard320]

Check pH and get that adjusted if it needs it. You can toss the kids in after that if you want to. Then mess with the CYA and the sock and put that in. Then add 3 FC.

Salt goes in once the rest has been brought into range. You need not wait for the CYA to fully dissolve because the salt itself needs 24 hours before SWG goes on. You'll need to chlorinate manually until then. The kids will have fun stirring up the salt and swimming through like a snow globe.

Aim low on salt. You may have some in the tap water, and it's easy to empty another bag or two in later, hard to get it out if you went over.

 

[zea3]

Hi, welcome to TFP! You are ok, you don't want to add chemicals before you can get the pump running to circulate them. Unless of course you want to mix them in by hand! First test pH. We already know you need chlorine and stabilizer and calcium is not important as long as your water has a little calcium in it and most municipal water does. If you need to lower the pH you would do that, then add 1 1/2 cup of plain, unscented bleach. Take 2 1/2 cups of stabilizer and put it in a clean, white sock. Tie the sock to a pole so it hangs into the pool in front of the water return. Give the sock a few good squeezes to help the stabilizer dissolve. Add the salt and let it dissolve about 24 hours before you fire up the swg.

 

[JayBee48]

Check pH and get that adjusted if it needs it. You can toss the kids in after that if you want to. Then mess with the CYA and the sock and put that in. Then add 3 FC.

Salt goes in once the rest has been brought into range. You need not wait for the CYA to fully dissolve because the salt itself needs 24 hours before SWG goes on. You'll need to chlorinate manually until then. The kids will have fun stirring up the salt and swimming through like a snow globe.

Aim low on salt. You may have some in the tap water, and it's easy to empty another bag or two in later, hard to get it out if you went over.

Thanks so much for the reply. I have all sorts of dumb questions. For instance, it’s the conditioner that lowers my pH, right? I had a hard time with the woman at the pool store. I asked for granulated CYA, and she insisted I take liquid. After also insisting that the test strips are accurate, I just took the liquid and left. I’m happy to return it if it’s the wrong thing, I just don’t know what to tell her about why granulated is important (aside from I’m the customer and she should sell me what I ask for).
Re: salt - the process involves putting the salt in and dissolving it, then waiting 24 hours before turning on the SWG? Lastly, FC - 3ppm, 3 gallons, 3 tablespoons? ? I’m definitely clueless right now.

 

[zea3]

Conditioner does not lower pH. Liquid CYA is more expensive and not really any easier to use as it tends to glop up at the bottom of the jug. Return it if you can, and if you can't get money back buy some floats with the credit. Then go to Walmart or the local big box hardware store and get a container of CYA granules. They usually have pool stuff near the garden center.

 

[zea3]

Oh, and 3ppm means 3 parts per million. Its the ratio measurement of chemicals. The amount of chlorine you need to add to reach 3 ppm in a 2000 gallon pool is different than the amount of chlorine needed to reach 3 ppm in a 10,000 gallon pool. Pool chemistry is based on keeping every value within the correct ratio for your size pool.

 

[JayBee48]

Just figured out I need to add Muriatic acid, now I’m trying to figure out how much. The pool pH right now is 9 ?

 

[Richard320]

pH adjustment is done with acid. Lowering, anyway.

What chemical does what and how to add it is here Recommended Pool Chemicals - Trouble Free Pool

This can calculate amounts.
EDIR Oops -- here's the link PoolMath

There's also a more advanced app for it if you like that idea. How to use poolmath is

 

[JayBee48]

Thanks for all of your help. Richard320, I downloaded the app to calculate the MA (23 oz) and added it. Now the pH is slightly lower than the desired range. Should I leave it alone and test again tomorrow, or add Borax?

 

[zea3]

You can leave it alone. Let the kids splash around it will raise the pH!

 

[Richard320]

Don't sweat it.

But you do need to figure out why. Most likely is you calculated volume with your pool's given dimensions, forgetting that you don't have it filled to the rim. If that is so, you'll be overdosing everything, Next likely is your TA is real low so any pH adjustment is prone to wild swings.

 

[JayBee48]

Don't sweat it.

But you do need to figure out why. Most likely is you calculated volume with your pool's given dimensions, forgetting that you don't have it filled to the rim. If that is so, you'll be overdosing everything, Next likely is your TA is real low so any pH adjustment is prone to wild swings.

This is my next step, for sure. I’m somewhat taking the strip test results with a grain of salt (pun intended) until I get the Taylor testing kit. But then I plan on getting everything in line, and keeping it there.

Re: salt. I was going to start with 20#. Too much or too little? And re: water volume, the picture made me think 90% full was 1,915 gallons - I attached a picture. But we still have no idea what we’re doing, so maybe we’re misunderstanding the graphic. Or maybe I just measured a bit too heavy? Again, waiting on that decent testing kit ?

have a great Memorial Day weekend!

 

[Richard320]

I forgot you were using strips. That's what went wrong. The volume is 1915 gallons. I don;t know what your salt target is, so I can't say what to start with.

 

[JayBee48]

So we’re another day closer to Mission Accomplished! The pH has been balanced*, 2 1/2 cups CYA has been added, and I’m about to add chlorine. But I just went to the Pool Math calculator, and I need the CYA reading to calculate chlorine, and the test strips do not test CYA. ? My Taylor test kit arrives tomorrow. Should I wait until tomorrow to test and calculate chlorine? Someone mentioned adding 2 1/2 cups of bleach. Can I just add 2 1/2 cups chlorine and move on? I’d like to add salt tomorrow afternoon. Thank so much for all of your guidance! ?‍

 

[zea3]

Assume that your pool has the correct level for the amount of CYA added. Just pretend its already present in the water and base your FC off of that. Your real test result should be pretty close and it won't hurt to dose the pool this way for a day or two.