Pool Chemicals?

Question

We have just purchased a new intex pool that is 14 feet circular and 4 feet deep which is 3,861 Gal. I have just gone to the pool store but i did not bring enough water so they only tested my Ph and total chlorine. The ph was high so i bought this PH down stuff and she told me to put about 2 cups of it into the pool. Now i dont know what else to do. Its brand new water so dont i have to shock it or someting? I also purchased chlorine pucks and if someone could tell me when to put them in and how long to leave it before swimming etc. Honestly i know nothing about pools any help would be great!

Thanks alot

Also i do not have a sand filter, heater i only have a normal 800gph filter.

Thanks again

Answer 1

It would be a good idea to shock it once the pH decreaser has been in it for a few hours circulating, just to prevent bacteria from growing.  At this point, chlorine won't stay in your water very long because you don't have stabilizer in it.  Stabilizer is what keeps the chlorine from being evaporated by the sun.  Make sure you bring a sample back to the pool store ASAP (usually they do need at least half a water bottle full) so you can get your chemicals balanced right away.  You won't want to go swimming in it until you get a good chlorine level in the water and your other chemicals are in a good range.

To answer your question about pucks, you need to buy a floating dispenser.  They usually cost around ten bucks.  You just open it up, put in some pucks and you can also adjust the bottom of the dispenser to affect how much chlorine is getting dissolved.  Unless of course, your pool has a chlorinator (which I doubt, since you are asking this question).  The chlorinator is like a fancy dispenser that sits outside the pool and hooks up to your pool equipment, and a dial is used to adjust the amount of chlorine getting in the water.  

So if you just bought pucks and no floating dispenser, you can't put them in until you get one.  Then, when your chlorine level is low, just put in lots of pucks and open the dispenser all the way.  If your chlorine gets high, you can close the dispenser, take out some pucks, or just pull the whole thing out of the pool.

As for your swimming question, you can swim in the water while there are chlorine pucks in your dispenser.  That is safe.  But when you shock it, you will want to give it at least 12-24 hours before going swimming in it, because shock has a much higher dosage of chlorine at once than pucks do.  This is why it's best to shock at night - no sun to evaporate the shock, and no one will need to go swimming for at least 8-12 hours.  You should also leave off your cover/solar blanket (if you have one) after shocking because the chlorine level will jump up and may eat away at the material.

Basically - go get it tested again.  You can shock tonight if you really want to, if you have shock.  After getting it tested, adjust the alkalinity, then the pH, then add stabilizer while you have pucks going. Shock once a week.

Answer 2

u can start to use the pool when ph is between 7-8

Answer 3

Hi there! the water balance is the most important step to keeping a clean pool.  The most important thing you need is to know what you need. I would take another sample to the pool store and have them go thru it one more time.  If your PH is off then everything you try to do will not take affect.  meaning chlorine, stabilizer...etc.  It doesn't take long for unbalanced water to turn green.  Once you get the PH levels right then you need to shock the water, for 3861 gal. you should need only 1 to 2 pounds of shock.  the chemical procedures are quite simple once you get everything in line. Once again I would take another sample to the store.  I hate to keep saying that, but that's the best way to get the pool in line to start with.