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Wow wow! We finally made it! Now what?

17 years ago

Some of you know we have been scammed and everything that possibly could have gone wrong over the last yr HAS. Well, WE HAVE WATER!!! Ahh yes with about another 2 hours we will have a nice full pool! I think I am in total shock! I can't even begin to believe this day has arrived, yipee!

So, why am I posting? NOW WHAT?! Assuming all the pumps and filters work tomorrow when they fire them up (ok yes, glass half empty, but I have become a realist with this whole pool thing and the way I figure it this is the last thing that *can* go wrong).....

I have been surfing. Trying to read and understand how to maintain a pool. OMG some of you chemistry ppl have my head spinning. I feel like a moron at this moment! So are there *great* sites that speak plain non-chem-tech pool English?

We have a 16X32 vinyl pool with a hayward heater (electric) and a sand thingy and a inteli chlor salt water chlorine generator. So...... where should I read?

Comeon help a brain frazzled chic out!

Thanks! Oh and I will post pics of the kiddos in the pool Soooooon! YIPEE!

~Beth

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Comments (6)

snookums
17 years ago
Hopefully you'll have some sort of "pool school," where they show you how to work everything. If not, ask for one. They should show you how to clean your filter, how to turn things off and on, and how to test the water. Hopefully they will give you a test kit and a brush as well. If not, get down to the pool store and buy a good test kit and brush, net, and pole.

You will need to know how many gallons your pool is in order to test the water properly, so make sure you find that out.

The inside of the test kit box will have detailed instructions on how many drops to put in which section, etc, which color, based on the # of gallons in your pool. Then you just compare colors with the colors on the container, and go from there. You can always bring a water sample to any pool store and they will test it for you as well.

Don't worry - it'll go slow at first but once you get the hang of it, it'll be a piece of cake. Even easier since you have salt water. Pretty much all you'll need to do on a regular basis is add acid and test the water. (On that note also go buy muriatic acid)
mykidsintow
Original Author
17 years ago
I have no idea how many gallons my pool is... hmm.

I do have the supplies you mentioned. My neighbor has a pool, but hers is not salt. So she has agreed to help me as much as she can. How would testing differ, if at all?

How can we figure out how many gallons? I am sitting here waiting on them to come give me my pool lesson. Its all full and I want to make sure everything works..... and so I wait.

What is muriatic acid? Is there a grocery store sub? Thanks!
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sandradee
17 years ago
Beth,

Congrats on getting so-o-o-o close. Your PB should be able to let you know how many gallons you have.

Water testing on a salt pool vs a non-salt pool is identical except that you need to do a salt test from time to time to be sure the amount of salt in your pool is correct...basically, you're double-checking your saltwater chlorine generator's (SWCG) read-out.

Muriatic acid lowers your water's pH when it gets too high and that happens on a regular basis with a SWCG. MA can be purchased at a Lowe's or Home Depot-type store. It's generally cheaper purchased there rather than at a pool store.

A drops-based test kit is the kind to look for, if your PB doesn't supply you with one.

Poolforum.com is a great site to go to. Read everything you can there. Unfortunately, registrations have been closed there for some time, so you can't post at the present time.

Another site that I've linked below, has many of the same members as PoolForum. You CAN register and post on that site, so it's the way to go. You'll still advice from some of the really knowledgeable people from PoolForum. They also are selling what looks to be a top-notch test kit (a very similar version of the excellent kit PoolForum used to sell - I have one of those and wouldn't have a pool without it!).

Here is a link that might be useful: TroubleFreePool site
ktdave
17 years ago
Ditto to what Sandradee said.

www.troublefreepool.com
www.poolsolutions.com
www.poolforum.com

These sites really explain pool chemistry in a "no-brainer" kind of way.
mykidsintow
Original Author
16 years ago
I can tell you now what! IT LEAKS! Oh yes our pool is leaking! Could it possibly get any better?!

I swear I will never build another pool!

~Sulking in Kentucky
kristenfl
16 years ago
I'm so sorry! I hope everything works out for you and like childbirth, the joy of having a pool will soon make you forget the labor pains.

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