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Pool chemical help

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TR Custom Parts

Mark Hueffman - Owner
Joined
May 25, 2001
Messages
12,735
Just put up one of those Intex pools for my son and need advice on chemicals. It's an 18' x 48" round pool, just right for an 8 year old.

I'm a total novice on pool care so I could use some advice on what I need to do and maybe some website suggestions. Can't be any harder that getting the ground level for it!:D It did come out perfect somehow. Not a bad little pool for $350.
 
Keep chlorine levels between 1.0 and 3.0 ppm. I'd stick around 1 since you just have the kid and not half the neighborhood swimming in it. Keep the ph between 6.x-7.x. Lower ph with hydrochloric (muriatic) acid but do it many hours before your son uses it so it has time to spread. It is nasty stuff, don't make physical contact with it (use gloves) and don't breathe the fumes AT ALL.

You want the water to be balanced to use it for years to come. If it is out of balance, it will corrode.

Get a tester that tests ph, chlorine, hardness and total alkalinity with little tablets. Test it every few days.

Go here to figure it all out:
http://jshep.users.ftech.net/water.htm

Hope that helps...I'm a rusty former pool manager. :D
 
Pools

Don't repeat do not use cheap clorine like HTH It's full of fill
er which ends up in the bottom of the pool. When the pool is used and the residue in the bottom is mixed you have cloudy water.

Clean your filter when necessary
don't let your son or anyone else swim alone too much can happen in an instant.

Check ph as well as other chemical balances.

Its like having another kid but what a feeling when its 100 outside and you dive in !!!!!!!!!


Roger
 
This is like a whole nother job! The more I read the more confused I get! Tried using one of those test strip deals and looks like I have everything in the ballpark except for the chlorine. I have been told everything from using regular unscented bleach to the tablets you put in the skimmer. So HTH is crap then? I tried some of the tablets from Namco and so far it is just starting to change the color of the test strip but no where near where it should be.

This is one of those "temporary" pools and holds approximately 5600 gallons of water. You blow up the top ring with air and then fill it with water and it rises up. Walmart special at $348. Includes the filter, ladder, skimmer, vacuum, cover. Couldn't afford a "real" pool this year since I have been remodeling the house for the past year but to tell you the truth, this thing seems like a pretty decent buy.
 
Mark,

I run a pool service/repair business so I think I can help with this one. :) It's really pretty simple. As stated, buy yourself a cheap test kit which is available at any pool supply store. Shoot for a chlorine level of around 1.5 PPM, and PH around 7.6.

You can use the tablets you mentioned with no problem. It does take a while for them to dissolve however. If you still have a chlorine reading, but it is on the low side, you can crush the tablets up so they will dissolve a bit faster. If you have NO chlorine reading you will need a means of bringing up the chlorine level immediately which the tablets will not do. That means having either some liquid chlorine on hand or dichlor which is a dry powdered chlorine that basically looks like laundry detergent. I recommend using the dichlor since it is easiest to handle/store. You can use dichlor in place of the tablets and it will do everything you need to do. Just remember that a little goes a long way so don't overdo it! You may also need a means of raising up the PH level. PH can drop in a hurry if you have lots of bodies in the pool. Use soda ash which you can also get at any pool store for raising the PH. Bottom line, keep a bucket of dichlor, a little soda ash, muriatic acid on hand and you will have the basics you need. Make sure you keep the filter cleaned as specd by the manufacturer as well.

This info is offered with one caveat. Keep in mind that my company specializes in in ground plaster pools so this is a little bit of a different animal from the pools I'm used to caring for. Make sure and read the instructions from the manufacturer and see what they recommend and that it does not contradict anything I've said. ;) If you have any other questions feel free to drop me an email. :)
 
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