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

[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.