New Set Up, Want To Do It Right.

[Mwil3]

Well, I've done the ABG pool thing in the past only to have a big mess by the end of the season and a bad taste in my mouth for pool care all together. Well, we just purchased an Intex 18'x4' with the metal frame and I'd like to try and get more than 1 season out of it. After doing some research we decided to spring for the saltwater system as well (wife wants to be greener.) We have well water and I took a sample down to the local pool place and they told me I needed to add all these chemicals to get started. I realize that I've got to get the TA down (it's at 280.) The guy at the pool place said that he could not recommend muriatic acid for a vinyl pool. I've read that since there is no deep end, it's a bit tricky (do I just poor a gallon of that stuff in there and retest in a day or two?) I just filled the pool yesterday and added the salt. I've been running the filter and I'll start the SWG today when I get home. The guy at the pool place also said I need to shock the pool and put in some conditioner? I'm a bit confused about this? Why dump in chemicals when I got the saltwater system to avoid chemicals. I'm in central Texas and I'll be using the cover when we aren't in the pool. Any advise on what really needs to be done here would be very helpful. We are on a budget, so cheap is good.

[txpoolguy]

It's always a good idea to begin with properly balanced water. They are probably suggesting the shock to elevate your chlorine level so the SWG can maintain it from there. Conditioner/stabilizer is necessary and should be maintained at around 80ppm for best results. The SWG does not "eliminate chemicals", but rather is an alternative way to generate chlorine so you don't have to add it manually. You will still need to maintain the pH, alkalinity, calcium level, hardness level, etc. I'll let the chemical guys comment on muriatic acid vs. dry acid, but you will need some way of keeping the pH balanced. Muriatic acid is heavier than water, so when you pour it into the pool, it settles to the bottom & damages the liner unless it's carefully mixed or added to the water.

[polyvue]

Well, I've done the ABG pool thing in the past only to have a big mess by the end of the season and a bad taste in my mouth for pool care all together. Well, we just purchased an Intex 18'x4' with the metal frame and I'd like to try and get more than 1 season out of it. After doing some research we decided to spring for the saltwater system as well (wife wants to be greener.) We have well water and I took a sample down to the local pool place and they told me I needed to add all these chemicals to get started. I realize that I've got to get the TA down (it's at 280.) The guy at the pool place said that he could not recommend muriatic acid for a vinyl pool. I've read that since there is no deep end, it's a bit tricky (do I just poor a gallon of that stuff in there and retest in a day or two?) I just filled the pool yesterday and added the salt. I've been running the filter and I'll start the SWG today when I get home. The guy at the pool place also said I need to shock the pool and put in some conditioner? I'm a bit confused about this? Why dump in chemicals when I got the saltwater system to avoid chemicals. I'm in central Texas and I'll be using the cover when we aren't in the pool. Any advise on what really needs to be done here would be very helpful. We are on a budget, so cheap is good.

The pool place may not recommend muriatic acid (MA) because, as txpoolguy cautioned, it can potentially cause damage if allowed to rest undisturbed on the bottom of the pool. The pump/filter must be running and the water circulating whenever you add it. Some people will dilute it first (by carefully pouring the MA into a bucket of water -- never the reverse -- and pouring the contents of the bucket into the pool). Stir it around and be sure it's distributed well. The alternative (dry acid) has its own problems; most SWG manufacturers don't recommend its use.

Please don't pour a full gallon of muriatic acid (MA) into an 8000 gallon pool! The pH would be far too low. Get a good test kit, one that measures pH, Free Chlorine (FC), Combined Chlorine (CC), alkalinity, calcium and cyanuric acid (CYA) so that you can know exactly how much chemical is needed before you add it. Use the Pool Calculator or similar tool to perform the calculations for you. It can be tricky to lower Total Alkalinity, but it can be done in steps... first lower pH to around 7.0 with MA, then aerate the pool until it climbs back up to normal (~7.5 or so). Repeat as often as needed until TA falls within range (100 ppm).

Without conditioner (aka CYA, cyanuric acid, stabilizer) much of the chlorine produced by the SWG will be destroyed before it has a chance to sanitize, so you do want ~50-80 PPM CYA in the water. Set your SWG so that it maintains Free Chlorine ppm at about 5% of CYA ppm. If the water measures 60 ppm CYA, for example, target 3 ppm chlorine or more.

Lastly, you may want to have your well water tested for metals (commonly, iron and copper). If detected ( 2 > ppm), add a metal sequestrant to your pool. Well, this is probably too much info being thrown your way.... sorry. Post back if you have questions about any of this.

[Mwil3]

Ok. That is a lot of info to take in. I was able to get some info from another forum and I'm trying some suggestions to get my TA and pH straight (sounds like what you are talking about here, I think they called it the "ratchet" method.) I used about a cup of acid. I also added 1/2 lbs of conditioner and added some bleach to help get the chlorine up to around 6. There's alot to take in and I'm trying to get it all processed. I'm going to have to order a decent test kit for now I'm just using these strips. If anyone has any other suggestions, I will be happy to take the advise on what to do next. I know it's much easier to add chemicals than it is to take them out, so I'm trying to add a bit at a time until I get it right.