Let’s face it, with access to the internet, a lot of jobs and skills that were once sought out and paid for have become jobs you can do yourself. With a little advice and a Youtube video, you can almost build anything on your own. Still, not all advice given is created equal nor should be treated equally. Unfortunately, in the pool industry, bad advice can sometimes mean hundreds of dollars out of your pocket and a lot of missed time out of your pool. Throughout the years we have encountered a lot of customers who have taken their share of bad advice. We wanted to share the top 5 with you in hopes you won’t make those same mistakes. Caveat Emptor!
“I was told I could just put the chlorine tablets in the skimmer or pump basket.”
I’m saddened to say that we encounter this issue at least five times every season and our response is always the same, “Please do NOT put your chlorine tablets into your skimmer or pump.” Your pump and filter are the two driving forces that keep your pool clean and healthy. Let’s say you decide to put your chlorine tablets, or “hockey pucks” as a lot of people like to call them, into your skimmer. Once your pump and filter turns off, the tablets keep dissolving in your skimmer, forming highly acidic water. Once the pump is turned back on, this same acidic water goes straight into the filter. This can compromise the internal parts of your filter – cartridges, o-rings, and gaskets – forcing you to replace them earlier than normally necessary.
Instead of putting chlorine tablets in your skimmer or pump, we recommend using a chlorinator. A chlorinator will automatically disperse chlorine into your pool according to an adjustable setting on the unit. Chlorinators work with your existing pump and filter and are usually very easy to install. Another option is a floating chlorinator which is just a plastic vessel that holds tablets and floats in the pool. Floating chlorinators are super cheap and can usually be found in local stores like Walmart. Whatever you do, though, please do not put chlorine tablets into your skimmer or pump!
“My pool guy told me I could run my pump a few hours a day…. but now my pool is green.”
Pool pumps should run on average between 8-10 hours a day. As a basic rule of thumb, you should be able to filter your entire pool within an 8-hour time frame. In other words, your entire pool (in gallons) should pass through the filter in this 8 hour period. If you are not giving your pump and filter enough time to properly clean the pool and keep the chemicals in flow, your pool will turn green. Not to mention, it might be unsafe for even recreational purposes.
As a pool owner, you need to become comfortable with certain pool calculations. If not for yourself, definitely as a means of double checking pool “professionals” who may steer you in the wrong direction. Here’s how you can calculate the minimum time you need to operate your pump
- Determine how many gallons of water is in your pool. (Pool’s length x Pool’s width x Pool’s average depth x 7.5)
- Figure out the pump’s gallon per minute (GPM) This information is typically listed on the pump label. Once you find this number, multiply that by 60 to get the gallons per hour.
- Divide the gallons per hour into the total gallons in your pool.
- This answer gives you the minimum hours needed to run your pump so that your entire pool is filtered properly.
So the next time someone recommends that you run your pump for “insert # of hours”, always refer back to the GPM of your pump. No one likes to swim in a dirty pool and no pool owner likes to spend additional money to fix something that was preventable from the start.
“My pool guy sold me a bigger pump than I had on before because he said the bigger the pump, the less I’ll have to run it.”
When it comes to pumps, bigger is not always better. A pump is limited by the plumbing size set up at your home and the maximum capacity your pool filter can handle. A higher horsepower (HP) means more power and energy is being used to pump the same amount of water, thus causing your energy bill to skyrocket. A higher horsepower draws more amps but does not move the water faster through your circulation system. Instead of reaping the benefits you thought you were getting by increasing your HP, you end up with a higher energy bill, a burnt-out motor, and an oversized pump you spent more money on than you wish you had.
If you need help trying to properly size your pool pump or want to verify if your current HP is accurate, then please check out our how to guide labeled How To Size A Pool Pump.
If you’re looking to save money, our advice is to switch to a dual speed or variable speed pump. By switching to one of these, you are able to operate your pump using less energy. You can operate your pump at the lower speeds during normal circulation and on high speed whenever you clean your pool. And who doesn’t like saving money, right? In short, bigger is not better when determining the horsepower for your pool pump. Over sizing is very common, but very easy to fix. We are always available to verify if your pump is oversized and if you are overspending.
“You can determine if your pool is clean by the smell of chemicals.”
If someone ever tells you this, take a step back, and go in the opposite direction. The smell of chemicals is not an indication of a clean pool, but just the opposite. A properly disinfected pool has no strong chemical smell. The strong smell common to many pools, especially public, is due to something called chloramines. Chloramines are the byproducts of chlorine’s reaction to contaminants brought into the pool by swimmers. These contaminants include perspiration, urine, body oils, and cosmetics.
Therefore, a strong chemical odor is actually an indication that the chlorine in the pool is working overtime due to the excess amount of contaminants and not an indication of it being clean.
“My pool guy told me I could use Vaseline (petroleum jelly) to lubricate my o-rings.”
You should never, ever use Vaseline or any petroleum-based lubricants for any of your o-rings. Most manufacturers recommend a silicone or a Teflon-based lubricant for all o-rings and gaskets. The oil composites of the petroleum jelly will cause the rubber to break down and will completely eat away your o-ring. Although o-rings range in size from really small to very large, never underestimate their power or the importance of their job. Using the wrong type of lubricant can cause leaks and ruin your system.
I have a 16 x48 pool I have bought a sand filter and salt chlorinated my question is I’m not sure I like the salt, can u remove it and just use the chlorine floater and still use the sand pump?
Yes, you can remove the salt system from your plumbing and switch back to a chlorine feeder.
A sand , as well as cartridge and DE, filters can be used in salt or fresh water pools.
I am buying an above ground pool on Friday, its an Summer wave Elite 16×48 (something cheap because its our first one) my question is what do I need to do far as the tablet cleaner? I am confused lol I don’t want the turning green problem.
Tablet feeders are simple; plumb them into the pump system, add tablets, then adjust the flow control knob as necessary. Test your water regularly during the first week so you can maintain levels.
Read this guide: How To Maintain A Swimming Pool Part 1 (Chemicals)
My chlorinator will not open! My pool guy suggested 1. Buying a new one and 2. Putting the chlorine tabs in the skimmer basket. Now that I have read your post, 8 won’t put them in the skimmer basket but I am wondering if it is OK to not buy a new chlorinator and instead, float them in the pool in floating chlorinator as you mentioned?
Yes, that is definitely an option, the chlorine floats are the simplest way of chlorinating your pool, but they are the least efficient.
I do shock the pool weekly – and as needed – is the chlorinator more efficient?
She just said no chemicals showing . Had me put 2 bags of shock and 12lbs of alkalinity over 12 hours then 2lbs of ph up. Had test redone and everything was ok except the chlorine still too low ( but I had already put 12 3inch blocks in over 24 hour period along with the other chemicals). Had another test done at Leslie’s and all good including the chlorine and it was at 1, they said the only problem was water hardness, took the same water to another company and they said no chlorine again. The water is still cloudy and the pool companies around here have me in a goose chase. The water is still cloudy, I smell no chemicals especially no chlorine . Tonite I put 2 more bags of shock and 3 more tablets of chlorine. Trying to get the chlorine up. Nothing is working on clearing the water from being cloudy .
Here are the results Leslie’s gave me.
Free chlorine 1
Available chlorine 1
Calcium hardness 100
Cyanuric acid 50
Total alkalinity 80
Ph 7.5
Copper 0
Iron 0
Total dissolved solids 400
Phosphates 100
They suggested hardness plus for the calcium level and clarifier for the cloudy pools. Since the calcium isn’t where it needs to be it’s no point in putting the clarifier in. I need help!! Thanks
I mean the chlorine isn’t where it should be to add the clarifier. Sorry!
If the pool is cloudy stop putting in chemicals until it is clear. I’m assuming the cloudiness is from an algae bloom. When you kill, and algae bloom the water is cloudy. I would stay away from adding anything other than chlorine or nonchlorine shock. Super floc will weight down all the suspended material. Then close the skimmer and open the main drain completely and try to brush all that particulant that has dropped to the floor into the filter.
Try sticking with one company until the problem is solved. Many times it takes more than one treatment to solve a problem.
Cloudy water!! Took sample to pool store they said no chemicals showing… they sold me alkalinity and shock. Put 2 shock in and then 3lbs. Alkalinity every 3-4 hours. Did all that and water is still cloudy??? Help please.
Can you post results of the latest chemical testing? They said “no chemicals were showing” I need to have a better idea of what that means. Clarifier can also clear cloudy pools. But if you do not have chlorine in the pool, clarifier won’t fix the whole issue.
I have an above ground fountain 20ft in diameter with about 18in of water, roughly 3500 gal. There are no inlet/outlet connections for hoses. Can I just run the hoses over the top? Please help I’m out of ideas to keep this thing clean and the Algae is beginning to build
Pool has chlorinator but I was told it would not make chlorine when water drops to certain temp. Running pump during winter so what do I do.
What type of chlorinator do you have? Is it salt chlorine, tablet or other?
If you have a salt chlorine generator, try to find a model number or name on the box.
So as long as the pump stays on you can put tablets in skimmer correct?
The undiluted chlorine can still make skimmer baskets and internal pump parts brittle. This means you will have to replace these parts more often and negating any money you may think you saved by not installing a chlorinator.
In my opinion, I wouldn’t try to make a bad situation bearable and just plunk down the $10 for a chlorine float. Also, running your pump is going to cost you a bunch in energy costs.
Skimmer is the only place you should put your tablet it puts the chlorine in the pool quicker skimmer baskets are not that expensive also why would you turn your pump off run it 24/7 keep that water moving
Thank you for the bad advice.
Thanks Matthew, yes, I’ll go for Plan A and if that does not work, then I’ll go, as suggested, with Plan B!!
Hi there Matthew,
I have a 10′ x 7′ x 4′ small pool made of solid ( 2 inches thick) fiberglass-covered ply. It was originally a large live seafood-holding tank that I have converted into a semi-inground pool. I have sunk it into the ground leaving 1 foot above ground and surrounded it with decking. It has NO holes cut through for draining or return ports; it is just a solid shell.
My question is, “Do I have to cut drain/return holes in it for filtration/cleaning purposes?”. I would rather just use one of those floating filters that you can attach a pool-vacuum to; and just simply run the out and return hoses that go to the filter over the edge of the pool when I need to run the filter. The filter I have could easily filter the entire pool volume in a couple of hours. Is this possible/viable?
Thanks for your assistance!!
Mike
Mike that is a good question, but a question I don’t have a solid answer on. My first instincts are to tell you to bite the bullet and install the proper filtration inlets and outlets needed (skimmer, main drain, and returns.) Because I know, this will work and would be a permanent fix.
I do not have any experience with floating filters so that they may be the cat’s pajamas but I couldn’t tell you one way or the other. If it will do the trick. If worst came to worse, you could try the least expensive method and then if it fails to go with the tried and true method.
I saw the pool guy trowing powder chlorine in to the pool.
Question?
Can this damage my diamond brite, equipment or filters?
Thank you in advance.
The granules could harm the pool surface if the granules do dissolve quick enough. Most pool owners I know, add chlorine to a half filled 5-gallon bucket, mix, then walk around the pool evenly pouring out the mix.
Hi,
Firstly, a big thanks for compiling great information which is very helpful for pool owners. We have a big in-ground pool (around 20k gallon). The filter is DE Hayward. This is our first experience with the pool. Novice to begin with, the pool water turned green in a month since we moved into the house. We added Algae corrector and shock but that didn’t help. Later, we realized,our biggest mistake was we mistook DE powder as chlorine and were feeding that in the chlorinator(this was done around 4 times). When we realized what we were doing wrong, we back-washed the DE filter(thanks to your video) and added chlorine tablets to the chlorinator. But the tables arnt dissolving and the pressure gauge on the DE filter shows around 25 psi. what is the best solution to this problem as winter is approaching and we need to close the pool but want to make sure that the pool is in a good condition before we do that.
First off, thank you for watching our vids!
Secondly, what is the model of your Hayward Filter and chlorinator? What is the normal PSI for your filter? Also, do you see DE powder lingering in your pool?
Hey there,
Although the algae is all clear now but i do see some powdery stuff lingering along the edges of the liner. That might be the DE powder. Is there a way I can upload an image? and if this is DE powder, how can I get rid of it?
Thanks,
Tony
Uploading images is a little difficult on our blog, you may want to try posting this to the forum for pictures. We have a couple of moderators and regular pool owners that can find you the answer.
A white powdery substance may be remnants of dead algae or scale. When you post in the forum, make sure you post results of your latest water test.
Hello,
We have a saltwater inground fiberglass pool. Our pool guy has replaced everything except the salt cell and motherboard. The motherboard does not work as of yesterday. They are very expensive to replace. Since we have sunk so much money into new pump, tank, pool light etc, can we do something that will chlorinate the pool for the next couple of months until we can replace the salt cell?
Thanks much!
It is pretty simple, get a floating chlorinator, drop in some tablets and you should be set. The chlorine float isn’t the fanciest of equipment but it gets the job done
Just a quick note about using floaters in a vinyl liner pool. We installed a new liner a few years ago and the customer had a floater and it got stuck on the corner of his walk in steps and the bottom of the floater was close to the top step ( this was a pool with the liner over the steps) the highly acidic water distroyed the liner were it was stuck at. FYI
No change the cell ask him to put a new cell on and turn it on than take a salt reading on a strip. If it dosent add up than change your cell. If you can’t afford it than you should not have gotten a pool. If it is the motherboard which it probably is. But it is a good possibility it is both. Don’t just add chlorine that’s just stupid and your pool will go green if you don’t have your cell regulating the salt and chlorine properly. Or disconnect everything and add a clorinator if you can’t afford your system
I bet you’re fun at parties.
Matthew Simmons,
That was hilarious, & my family & i all agreed w/u! I predict his comeback for your brazenly well-written, witty, light-hearted, classy, & “too darn polite for him to fight u back ‘insult-free-insult’ u served him–making him wounded but too prideful (& foggy w/grumpiness) to admit u got to the poor grumpy guy, like the verbal ninja-of-peace & comedy u are–would be: “Well guess what, Mr. Smarty-pants (which he’d later regret as a freudian-slip sompliment , which he’d lie awake nights hoping u didn’t figure it out..but he knew u did, b/c even grumpypants know a smartypants w/they try to have ridiculous online pool blog fights w/1 as dangerously creative, helpful, & cheerful as u! (Wow, u are the trifecta of goodness!Poor guy, he messed w/the wrong volunteer pool expert…never mess w/a guy who spends so much time answering stranger’s endless questions @ ANY topic for FREE! 🙂 ….Yeah for Matthew! Sooo kind!! ……ok, sorry to digress, but i know u will forgive me b/c i just had too many compliments for u….now here it is, the grand finale after “U were wrong about me being no fun at parties…yep, WRONG AGAIN…b/c NOBODY could ever say I’ve spoiled ANY party, since i’m so cool & smarter than everybody i know, that they’re ALL too intimidated & jealous of just my savant-level expertise of all things “pools” alone to even invite me!!
….Well i guess he would’ve showed u, huh?
Don’t worry, dear Matthew, i don’t think he’ll be (NOT) bothering u any more…he probably has lots of neighbors with cute little kids who will be occupying his time, as their parents gather around to watch the live version of “Grumpy Man-the REALITY SHOW”, as they have a little “street party”/barbecue and celebrate the entertainment of watching their children try to play tag on his lawn (which for some reason i’d bet that he refers to it as “his property”, as he yells at passersby from his front porch rocking chair while holding an old broken shotgun…and trolling friendly pool bloggers like u, b/c u are funny and a popular, very sweet pool expert who probably gets invited to LOTS of parties. 🙂
Thanks for listening, and being a kindhearted, helpful guy who made me laugh out loud..and i appreciate that more than ever in this crazy, mixed-up world. Don’t ever change, and i’m glad to know there are wonderful people out there like you. Keep up the good work, keep laughing and smiling every day, and i wish u all the best. Your new humor-loving internet friend and new Florida pool owner, Lisa
Aww, thank you!
yeah the same thing that a salt chlorine generator does….add chlorine!!!!
We are first time pool owners we go 17x 58 6.280 gal pop up do we need a sand filter
Jason,
You may use any type of filter on the pool; sand is usually the least amount of maintenance making it the most popular among pool users
My salt chlorinator is leaking profusely around the salt cell and is corroding the unit. I also have struggled all season with maintaining the correct chlorine level. We have super chlorinated and shocked several times this year. I have also developed yellow algae that I am battling. We live in Toronto, Ontario – very hot this summer ( 95+ degrees ). Any suggestions for combating the algae as well as maintaining chlorine levels ? We have had our water tested religiously many times this season….
We have a guide on battling algae here, How to Treat Moderate Swimming Pool Algae. But if the chlorinator had been working correctly the algae would not have had a chance to grab hold.
What are the current chemistry levels of your pool: Chlorine, pH, Alkalinity, and Hardness?
The steps I would take to try to fix your issue:
1) Replace the o-ring, union or cell housing (if applicable) to stop the leak. The constant loss of freshly chlorinated water may be contributing to the chlorine loss leading to algae.
2) Test and/or clean the cell to get it firing correctly. If the cell is still not putting out enough chlorine then you may need a new cell. How big is your pool, and what is the model number of your generator?
3) Kill the algae. With the cell up and running, plus the right addition of shock and algaecide the algae should go the way of the Dodo.
We have just put our salt water pool in this past April and love it. I am getting mixed messages about the chlorine tabs. If I have a salt cell do I also need to use chlorine tabs? I have my automatic pool chlorination system set at 85%. My equipment also has an “inline” tube where I am suppose to add the tabs set at. I have been told I don’t need the tabs. Another told me I needed 3 tabs a week. My chlorine is about 5 at this point, high. We live it Houston and been pushing 100 degree temps if that matters.
Any help would be great.
The use of chlorine tabs to supplement your salt chlorine generator is not necessary if your generator is operating correctly.
The use of tabs would only be necessary if your cell was falling behind the chlorine demand. But in those instances, I suggest shocking your pool for a quick boost instead of the slow dissolve of a chlorine tablet. The only reason I can see telling someone you need tabs is to introduce stabilizer into your pool, but you should already be using some sort of water conditioner (CYA.)
Hello, couple questions, I’ve had my pool for probably about 2+ months. It’s basically an offbrand intex (Summer Waves) 18ft around 4ft deep. I believe it’s around 7,700 gallons. We had a bad algae problem, because I was putting in the wrong amount of chemicals for the gallons (figured that out the hard way), finally got rid of it and couldn’t get rid of the dead white floating algae. So we drained it, shop vacuumed, and scrubbed it sparkling clean. Got it back up and it’s been nearly perfect for about a month. Started forming algae, vacuumed it out before it got bad. By the way, this time around the chlorine and PH were perfect. Decided to finally switch to a sand filter, because that stock cartridge filter just wasn’t doing the job and had to put a new cartridges in every day.
To help with information the brand is Blue Wave Sandman filter pump and base (I believe it’s the 12″ filter and 1/2 hp pump from what I found on the Internet)
Well, I have no clue what I’m doing with this sand filter. The instructions were very brief and not informative after you got the filter put together. I had no idea where to put the hoses that went into the pool… still not even sure I got it right, when I first hooked it up the intake on the pool was shooting out water instead of taking it into the filter, switched the hoses around. The hoses on the pump are leaking and they’re as tight as they go. The pool place didn’t mention it didn’t come with a backwash hose. And I have no clue how or when to back wash?! And I also wasn’t told I’d need a skimmer, which I’m sure they knew I didn’t have one. I also told them I had no idea whay I was doing lol. Do I absolutely need a skimmer with a Sand filter?! Where do I put chemicals in now that I don’t have a cartridge filter?? Before, the instructions always said to add to filter. Also, any other basic information I should know as a beginning sand pump filter user would be great! Also, my email address is khausman94@live.com justhe incase! Thank you!
Also, jusy came home and the pool is turning green again! Ugh!
Kassie,
Have you taken a sample of your water to a pool store for a free water test? If you haven’t, do it immediately and post the results so we can begin to figure out the source of the problem.
1) Here is a guide on how to backwash a sand filter, read it and bookmark it: How To Backwash a Pool Sand Filter
2) Yes, you need a pool skimmer. No matter the filter type, a pool should have a skimmer to help remove surface debris and water circulation.
3) It depends on the chemical, but you would either add it directly to the pool, or dilute in a bucket of water then pour around pool’s circumference.
Here are a couple beginner guides to pools: Pool and Spa Chemical Questions, New Pool Owner’s Ultimate Pool Basics Guide
Clorox has a really good product out for mustard algae cleaned it up in 2 days
DONT USE CLOROX PRODUCTS PERIOD
Mathew
So about the last question it was done by auto correct
What I was asking. In my sand pump manual it states that it doesn’t require the use of a lot of chemicals. Just wondering if that is correct.
Unless the filter has some sort of special antimicrobial thingamajig in there that I do not know about, it just sounds like a puffed up selling point. The sand filter is going to require the same amount of chemicals as the other types.
Hello. I have an Intex 15×48 above ground 5000 gallon. I have bought a Krystal clear sand pump. It’s seems to working good. I just have a few questions I’ve read some comments.
1– I don’t need to run my pump all the time? I run it 24/7
2– I shock my pool once a week. Is that ok?
3– I’m confident send about chemicals as the pump instructions say you won’t need as much.
I’m so confused
Thanks
1. If sized correctly, a pump and filter can turnover your water twice or more in an in 8 hour period. That should be enough to keep your water clean, if the chemicals are in check.
2. Shocking the pool is only really necessary when you have a severe deficiency in chlorine. If you keep your water chemistry in check, there is no need shock it every week.
3. I do not understand the wording of the question.
My daughter’s friend open up the floating puck holder my pool is 3 months old ..it’s a above ground intex pool it bleached a big 3 in circle in the bottom. .will it mess my pool up bad..I’m not worried about the white spot. .I’m worried it may have damaged liner..and I can’t afford another pool.
Is it ok to leave chlorine pucks sitting on the bottom of a gunnite pool? We had a serious black algae bloom and were given the advice to scrub the algae with a wire brush them spread chlorine pucks over the bottom and let them sit there. Of course no one will be swimming in the pool until the chlorine levels get back to 4ppm but I was wondering if it will damage the pool floor.
You need to contact someone about black algae immediately, black algae hates the sunlight, if it has gotten to the pool floor then it has grown elsewhere, in your pipes etc. You need to have black algae treatment done, it does not go away with brushing or raising the chlorine it will continue to spread until a treatment has been done, or the pool has been partially drained and an acid wash has been performed.
Drain and acid wash is a very extreme recommendation for black algae it can typically be remedied by triple shocking and using a copper, silver, or sodium bromide based black algaecide followed with brushing and maintaining a high free chlorine level for several days. Although the active ingredient in chlorine tabs will effectively kill black algae via direct contact, it is asl so acidic it can put your Gunite surface if left in contact for a prolonged time.
do not brush black algae until you have killed it or it will spread. Rub the spots with a chlorine tab. I would not let the, sit in the bottom of the pool.
I would use TriChlor instead of the pucks.
I’m waiting for salt water chlorinator to arrive can i use pucks until i can install it and what will be the effect when i converse to salt water.
Yes, you can use standard chlorine tablets in the meantime, it will have no adverse effects to converting your pool to salt.
thanks
salt is nothing more than a chlorine generator
convert your pool to salt???dude you have no clue. A salt system is nothing but a chlorine generator. Except the fact you are putting 400 pounds of salt in your pool and compromising your entire system with the most corrosive element around..salt!!
Thier is various opinions on salt pools. I have removed many due to the corrosion factor. Light rings are quickly damaged as well as other parts of your pool circulation system. The metals in the tracks of auto covers are severely damaged. Even using zinc anodes still isn’t adequate. Never experienced these drastic issues in well balanced chlorine pools.
I agree.
anybody that converts their pool to a “salt system” is highly misinformed. It’s the same exact thing as chlorine except prepare to pay at least another $700 dollars every 3 years to replace the shitty cells they sell and all the extra salt that corrodes your whole system, especially if you have a heater
If anyone is using 700 pounds of salt, you are crazy. No wonder your cells corroded. A salt system is the best way to go.
Joy,
I have an in-ground pool that is about 24k gallons. In order to get from 0 to 3500 PPM it is 700 lbs of salt. The amount of salt you need depends on the amount of water your pool holds.
We have used salt filter for several years, love it . Pool is crystal clear, feels great, doesn’t fade suits. No burning eyes. We have a 24 ft round pool, used 150 lbs of salt 5$ a bag of 40 lbs. have no idea what others are talking about with exaggerated costs. We use a sand pump and a salt filter. So much less than chlorine filter. Never go back. Do some investigating and you can make a educated decision.
There is no such thing as a salt filer it’s a salt generator there is no sand pump it’s a sand filer and a pool pump. I think you need to do more investigation.
Maybe ur is clear, however common sense will tell u salt corroades everything period.
Common sense tell you to clean things to avoid corrosion. Most salt corrosion is avoided with proper maintenance. I’ve been running the same generator, pumps, ladders, slide, diving board, etc for over a decade,
I just brought a 18′ ×48″ pool and I was trying to see what I need to do after I put water in
I just brought a 18′ ×48″ above ground pool and I was trying to see what I need to do after I put water in …do I need to put. Clorine in
Use these pool chemicals guide for the start-up and maintenance of your pool: How To Maintain A Swimming Pool Part 1 (Chemicals), How To Maintain A Swimming Pool Part 2 (Testing), and How To Maintain A Swimming Pool Part 3 (Adjusting Chemicals.)
Research pool start up and which chemicals you’ll need. Buy a test kit and test often as you go slowly. Don’t overdue it by just dumping in chemicals. That gets expensive trying to reverse that mistake.
I have a couple questions! First all I have an above ground pool. It’s just over 6000 gallons. the tiny pump that came with the pool was most certainly not sufficient and was causing me to have to constantly watch my pool water. I have A purchased a sand pump that is for a pool with 12000 gallons and I have noticed I only have to put chemicals in my pool once a week and generally that’s only chlorine as my ph level chlorine levels and alkalinity levels staying perfect since getting this pump the question I have is, every now and then I get a slight chlorine smell and I’m just wondering if that’s okay? It’s not super strong you have to be really close to the water to smell it but when I read your post above about chemical smells not being good I just wanted to make sure that my water is safe as long as its testing correctly? Sorry this is so long thank you for your help.
Good question Judy! That chlorine smell is “used” chlorine that is no longer helping clean your water. We do not want that used up chlorine clogging our nostrils or our pool water, so I suggest shocking your pool with cal-hypo pool shock (follow dosage instructions on package label.) If after shocking the pool, the smell persists, and your test still comes back as perfect, I suggest taking a sample for a pool store water test for a second opinion.
Actually, we’re both right. Your method can work but the approach I laid is the more commonly accepted and widely used technique. Also, it is backed by the American Chemical Council so it is not something we’re guessing on.
It sounds like you were trained by some good people, but I was trained by the best.
You could not be more wrong ! If you smell chlorine your smelling chloramines or dead chlorine your free chlorine and available chorine numbers are not the same and this is what your smelling it need to be shocked to bring the pool in balance . I am a pool builder with over 40years of experience
no he is right you are wrong adding more calhypo can increase the chlorimines unless u hit the chlorine break point an o2 based shock wipes it all out
As stated above Dylan, the non-chlor and the cal hypo option will work. The latter is the more common, time-tested method.
That’s laughable. If you were trained by the “best” you would have suggested getting your water tested before adding addition Calcium Hypochlorite. Due to the chlorine smell, you don’t know what her chlorine levels are (for example say they are at 7.5ppm) and you are telling her to add additional Calcium Hypochlorite, how is that going to help remove the strong smell from the chlorine? It isn’t, it would only ensure that it remains with such strong Chlorine odor. You never just throw additional Calcium Hypochlorite just based upon the smell of the water, ALWAYS test your water chemistry FIRST and that will surely indicate what is needed next.
You can’t tell anyone to maintain chlorine levels at 3ppm without knowing what their CYA level is. The higher the CYA, the more chlorine is required to properly sanitize the pool. If they have been using pucks, their CYA levels could easily be over 100, meaning chlorine levels of 3ppm is a recipe for a green pool.
You should not only test the pool for free chlorine, but also combined chloramines (cc). A cc level greater than .5ppm indicates something is probably growing in the water (algae) and the chlorine is fighting it. This is the “chemical” smell most people notice.
The best chlorine you can add to your pool is plain bleach. This adds chlorine without adding unwanted chemicals like extra CYA or extra calcium.
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes!!!
More fantastic advice straight from the Trouble Free Pool (tfp) BBB ‘bible’.
FC of 3 is meaningless.
Chlorine in relation to CYA (cyanuric acid – ‘stablizer’ (but ideally NOT from pucks) ) is everything.
And the ‘chlorine’ smell CAN be ‘good’. Useful at least. An indicator that the chlorine is DOING IT’S JOB but that therefore there is some ‘nasty’ in there meaning, knowing CYA level (and getting pH ideally lowered to around 7.2), add chlorine to YOUR APPROPRIATE ‘SHOCK’ LEVEL where it no longer just prevents stuff occurring but kills what has got there faster than it can grow. And KEEP the chlorine level up there with frequent checks and additions as necessary. And quit the ‘attack on the nasties’ only when OCLT and the other two qualifiers (see tfp) have all passed.
Just plain bleach is for laundry and cleaning. It contains 2% to 5% sodium hypochlorite. It also usually contains phosphates. Phosphates are great for cleaning – they are also a great fertilizer for plant life. Algae is plant life. As a result, when you add bleach to your pool – you are also adding algae food. When the sodium hypochlorite burns off, (and it will as soon as the sun comes out, because it is not stable) you are left with algae food in your pool. Real pool shock never contains cyanuric acid, but many contain calcium. If you want to shock your pool without adding calcium, add lithium hypochlorite, potassium monopersulfate, or liquid chlorine (at least 12% sodium hypochlorite – without phosphates). Get the purest liquid chlorine from your local swimming pool supply store.
I am a pool professional in Dallas Texas with a background in engineering. Typically I keep my free chlorine levels at about 7% of what my CYA levels are. I also rarely super chlorinate to reach breakpoint chlorination and prefer to use a small amount of sodium bromide to get rid of combined chlorine.
Am a swimming pool contractor in Kenya. I started this venture 5 months ago, my encounter with most clients is the swimming pool equipments are costly how can you help them out. Do you supply the Kenyan & East African market?
Kind regards,
Nyabera
Hi Nyabera,
We do ship our products to Africa and all over the world as normally we can provide quite a savings versus purchasing locally. Typically our international customers would have us ship to a freight forwarder of there choosing here in the USA and then the customer makes arrangements with the freight forwarder for the delivery from the USA to there country.
Look up the BBB method on you tube for your chemicals. Much less expensive.
YAY FOR THIS!!!Better yet – ask Google any question you have and add ‘tfp’ on the end, for ‘trouble free pool’.
Unbelievably awesome resource.
And Yes. Outside of problems – nothing (almost ever) except plain unscented NOT-splashless bleach or liquid chlorine.
Problems? Bleach again, just a bit more. And a couple other mostly household products (normally repackaged by pool stores with a cranked-up price tag.
There is Merit to that system if you’re in Northern California or a cool climate but in the Southern United States it is pretty much hopeless.
Couldn’t disagree more. TFP is appropriate for all climates. I’m in Florida and been an avid follower for 5 years.
At first glance TFP seems to be a good resource for pool advice. If you believe SWGs are the only way to sanitize your pool then they are spot on. Also, I agree adding liquid chlorine (Shock) is better than tablets or powder chlorine. I happen to have went with a UV sanitation unit supplemented with a Pool Frog XL which keeps my chlorine levels between 1-3 ppm. I did this to preserve my heater which could be damaged by scale that could occur using a SWG system. In any case, results of using a UV compared to SWG are nearly identicle. TFP castrated me for not going with a SWG. I realized they are almost cult like. The motivation for only recommending SWG systems is money! They are aligned with manufacturers and make huge amounts of money promoting SWG equipment. So, if you are convinced SWG is the way to go, TFP has some good advice, however, they are cult like which is a bit scary. I posted a pressure issue I was having with my pool and some genius on the TFP forum told me to read about the law of dilution to fix my problem. TFP members don’t know what they are talking about and the only thing they teach is how to drink their Cool Aid.