bbb advice

[Watermom]

Hi, Jerry, and welcome to the Pool Forum! You are correct in that you need to test first and report your readings and somebody here can help you go from there. Do you have a good test kit? If not, do yourself a favor and pick up a Taylor K-2006 or 2006C. You can get it from the testkit link in my signature below. (Can't buy it locally.)

Hope you enjoy being a part of our forum!

[AnnaK]

I would add a gallon of regular bleach just to keep any algae from starting up. If you don't have your own test kit you might want to have the water tested at a pool store. While there, pick up some plain stabilizer (cyanuric acid), either the flakes or the liquid. The container will have instructions for how much to add to your volume of water. Your pH is probably neutral right now, between 7.2 and 7.8 and alkalinity probably between 40 and 80. Total alk (TA) at around 80 is a good buffer that keeps your pH reasonably stable. I like mine at 7.5 and use 20 Mule Team Borax when I have to raise it. I'd get a box of that just to have it on hand. The only thing you need to buy at the pool store is the stabilizer. If they sell liquid chlorine in 5 gallon carboys give some thought to buying that instead of using regular bleach.

Once you have the test results we can give you more specific directions as to what to add when.