I've successfully set up my 15' x 48" pool. Now on to the balancing. I bought a chem floater, chlorine tabs, and Arm & Hammer Clear Balance as maintenance products. However given it's a new setup should I shock it? Added, our city water is high ph and alk (tested a glass full from the tap with the Poolmaster 4 way treat strips). I'm going to use Clorox PH- to correct. In what order should my chem process go? Do you have any recommendations for any quality test kits that don't break the bank? Thanks for your assistance in advance.
New Pool Owner: To shock or not to shock
- Thread starter Blukachu
- Start date
- May 3, 2014
- 62,625
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Welcome to the forum!
I suggest you read some of Pool School. Pool School - ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry Pool School - Recommended Pool Chemicals to start.
Your pool is close to being managed as a Seasonal or Temporary pool Pool School - Guide for Seasonal/Temporary Pools
If you decide to manage it as a normal pool, then a more extensive test kit is really needed. Your test strips are inadequate.
Take a look around at the links -- then come back and we can help out as much as you like.
Take care.
I suggest you read some of Pool School. Pool School - ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry Pool School - Recommended Pool Chemicals to start.
Your pool is close to being managed as a Seasonal or Temporary pool Pool School - Guide for Seasonal/Temporary Pools
If you decide to manage it as a normal pool, then a more extensive test kit is really needed. Your test strips are inadequate.
Take a look around at the links -- then come back and we can help out as much as you like.
Take care.
Respectfully, I've looked in the different forums, both past and present, PS, used the calculators on here and read, read, read. Yet still have questions. By the time I look up all the acronyms and stuff half my day is gone and I end up with a migraine and overwhelmed. Most of the forum questions are answered with good/great detail. That's why I "asked" directly. I'll check elsewhere ( On the site). Thanks for the general info though.
If you aren't willing to learn, you're right - it's not the right site for you. This is one of the most helpful and friendly forums I've ever belonged to, really an awesome place. But you can't expect people to just do it all for you and magic answers out of the air without proper test results. Good luck.
I tried to keep my response short as I was multitasking. I'm willing to learn. That's why I'm on these different forums and reading so much. I do my research but if I still have questions, what then? I don't expect anyone to do my work or pull anything out of thin air. Nor did I say this wasn't a helpful, friendly site. I'm glad it's here. Had I not seen all the TFP info on Google I wouldn't have joined. Pool school advised I use a standard test 2 way test for the FC that's why I asked my questions. I tend to overanalyze what I read. That's why I stopped to ask questions. Nothing was meant negatively. You responded so quickly that you didn't see my updated response about getting overwhelmed by it all (overanalyzing) and further explaining the tools I used to research. For clarification, I meant the right forum On the site and digging deeper On the site. I'll initially spell everything out to, hopefully, avoid any confusion as to what I'm asking/saying next time. Thanks though.
Pool School recommends the simple 2-way test kit only if you going to treat this pool as seasonal (drain and put away at the end of summer), or are willing to drain and start over if things get out of whack.
Also, those chlorine tablets are going to add to your CYA level until it builds up to a point that will make your current FC level ineffective. The cheap 2-way kit will only measure FC to 5ppm, and does not measure CYA, TA, or CH.
Neither in Pool School, or elsewhere on this site do we recommend tablets for daily sanitation. We recommend liquid chlorine, aka bleach, as it adds nothing but chlorine and a bit of salt, as mentioned in step 5 of the seasonal/temporary pool guide.
So for starters, how would you like to handle this pool, as a temporary/seasonal pool, or as a permanent pool? At that point we would be glad to teach you how to maintain the pool on your own.
If that's a fresh fill with tap water, there's no need to shock. You can't have algae that fast.
You can use trichlor tablets in a floater for a little while, just to build up the CYA. Keep track of how much you put in. 2 lbs of pucks will take your CYA to 30. 3 lbs to 45 CYA. Use no more than that.
Get a drop-type test kit. It's hard to justify a full-blown proper test kit that costs half as much as the pool, but do get something that at least tests chlorine and pH. If you spend a little more, a kit that also has CYA and TA is worthwhile. Just remember that you are somewhat limited in what you're testing, so if things head south, you'll be draining.
Keep tabs on the pH -- those pucks are very acidic, so if you have soft water, you might find pH will get too low and will need adjusting. Once the pucks slow down dissolving, or when you've added enough CYA, you'll need to use bleach. Not a whole lot for a pool your size. Maybe a couple cups a day. That's what the test kit is for, so you know when you need more FC than the melting pucks are adding.
If you haven't already, check out ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry and then take a gander at the chemistry pages.
You can use trichlor tablets in a floater for a little while, just to build up the CYA. Keep track of how much you put in. 2 lbs of pucks will take your CYA to 30. 3 lbs to 45 CYA. Use no more than that.
Get a drop-type test kit. It's hard to justify a full-blown proper test kit that costs half as much as the pool, but do get something that at least tests chlorine and pH. If you spend a little more, a kit that also has CYA and TA is worthwhile. Just remember that you are somewhat limited in what you're testing, so if things head south, you'll be draining.
Keep tabs on the pH -- those pucks are very acidic, so if you have soft water, you might find pH will get too low and will need adjusting. Once the pucks slow down dissolving, or when you've added enough CYA, you'll need to use bleach. Not a whole lot for a pool your size. Maybe a couple cups a day. That's what the test kit is for, so you know when you need more FC than the melting pucks are adding.
If you haven't already, check out ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry and then take a gander at the chemistry pages.
When starting up my new pool I used 10% Pool Bleach from walmart to raise my FC level to 4ppm then let my SWG take over my chlorine. I used Muratic Acid to lower my PH.
As for your shock question they dont' shock here. They SLAM when there is some thing growing. Pool School - How To I just had this talk with my dad this weekend. He asked if I had shocked my pool yet. I asked him why would I raise my chlorine if I have nothing growing in my pool? I then went about explaining how the method on this site works. He has had a pool for well over 30 years so I don't expect him to change. He was always told to shock the pool every couple weeks so that's what he does.
Edit...
Sorry I wrote a much longer post because I missed read. I thought we were talking about a 15' x 48'.
As for your shock question they dont' shock here. They SLAM when there is some thing growing. Pool School - How To I just had this talk with my dad this weekend. He asked if I had shocked my pool yet. I asked him why would I raise my chlorine if I have nothing growing in my pool? I then went about explaining how the method on this site works. He has had a pool for well over 30 years so I don't expect him to change. He was always told to shock the pool every couple weeks so that's what he does.
Edit...
Sorry I wrote a much longer post because I missed read. I thought we were talking about a 15' x 48'.
Hi there,
I got those tabs before learning about and realizing the effects that the CYA build up would cause. I didn't consider the bleach route initially. However, it seems a better solution than having to drain and refill my pool. I would like to handle it as a permanent pool. Thank you, in advance, for your pointers.
Hi Richard,
Thanks for the info. I can feel my pool anxiety slowly dissipating. I was looking at some cheaper test kits. The one I had in mind didn't have a hard\soft water nor CYA test included. I was referred to the TFT Test Kits by another helpful pool owner, which I also saw noted in the Pool Chemistry pages. I intend to keep this pool around for the years to come and I'm willing to make the necessary investments to keep it up to par year round. We have wacky weather here in Fl, so you never know when you'll need a nice dip in the cool water.
Oh, I love the "pet" maintenance analogy in your signature. It made sense and cracked me up at the same time.
Hi Mike,
That's good advice. A SWG doesn't seem like a bad investment. It's okay for the longer post. Your dad seems as like minded as my dad. There's no changing his ways. Lol.
I edited out a lot of useless information out of my last post. I blame my old eyes and this small phone screen. That's my story at least.
With your size of pool a SWG would be overkill. If you have the extra cash a TF-100 test kit would be an excellent investment. I really like mine along with my speed stir.
This website is packed full of great information. If you type your question into the search box located next to the "photo gallery" you find most of your answers.
With your size of pool a SWG would be overkill. If you have the extra cash a TF-100 test kit would be an excellent investment. I really like mine along with my speed stir.
This website is packed full of great information. If you type your question into the search box located next to the "photo gallery" you find most of your answers.
I edited out a lot of useless information out of my last post. I blame my old eyes and this small phone screen. That's my story at least.
With your size of pool a SWG would be overkill. If you have the extra cash a TF-100 test kit would be an excellent investment. I really like mine along with my speed stir.
This website is packed full of great information. If you type your question into the search box located next to the "photo gallery" you find most of your answers.
That's probably another reason why I was ending up migraines, info overload and squinting for hours on end reading said information. Smh. Yeah, I was comparing the bleach and swg, the bleach was definitely the best option. To bring down my Ph down I used the Clorox Ph down. From looking at the Chl/Cya chart, I learned the PPM range scale to stay within while I let my CYA get to ideal range. Figured out the pool calculator too. 32 oz reg bleach 6% gets me mid range and I'll maintain that level. I checked out the Pool Essentials 10% at Walmart ($3.64) and I don't think you can beat that price.. I'm going to maintain with that since I won't need to use as much. Will have to adjust my pool calculator variables, thinking in algebraic terms to get this together.
Very very good point about how to search the questions... instead of putting it into Google and getting TMI.I'm glad to have Experienced Minds to bounce questions off of when needed. Thanks much to you and everyone giving great advice and pointers to Greenhorns like me.