If you have just built a new pool or drained and refilled your old pool with fresh water, then you need to know about the startup chemicals that you must use. The new pool startup chemicals depend on the water balance of your source water. Sometimes tap water can be an excellent source of pool water while some need special adjustment to balance the water that will work well with the chlorine and will not stain, corrode or fade the pool surface.
New Pool Startup Chemicals – A Pool Owner’s Guide
Have you just built a new pool and need some direction when it comes to new pool startup chemicals? You should first test the pool water, and know the pH level you need and ppm for all other parts of the water.
Testing the Pool Water
Once you have filled your pool with fresh new water, you have to test it. This is important to find the water balance of the source water. You can use a pool test kit or the test strips for testing the right water balance. You have to make sure that the test strip is fresh and not used before. Also, if it is a year old then it can produce you with an incorrect result. You need a complete test kit for getting the full water test including calcium hardness, chlorine content, pH level, Cyanuric acid and alkalinity.
The best way to get the right chemicals for your pool is to take a water sample to the pool store. Some of the pool stores are designed in such a way that it can provide you with the chemicals that are needed for your water. This can be the most accurate and correct ways to know the exact chemicals that you will need for your pool water.
Target for Pool Start-Up Chemical
When you are starting with the freshly filled pool, you will have to keep and add the right balance of chemicals in it. Here are the target balances that you will need for the pool start-up chemicals:
- pH: 7.2 to 7.6
- Total alkalinity: 80 to 120 ppm
- Cyanuric acid: 30 to 50 ppm
- Calcium Hardness: 180 to 220 ppm
- Free Chlorine: 1.0 to 3.0 ppm
Tips for Adding Chemicals
- Add stain and scale chemical first, especially for the new plaster.
- You can also use the pool online calculators for the right amount of the chemicals needed for startups.
- You have to add one chemical at a time and use the pool brush for distributing the chemicals.
- Run the filter pump by adding chemicals for circulating in the pool.
- Now, re-test the pool water right after 8 hours of complete filter run time.
- When the sun is not directly over the head, you have to add chlorine shock.
- At last you have to also add algaecide after the chlorine level drops below 3 ppm.
Conclusion
The new pool startup chemicals will help your pool water to be in the right condition for fighting the germs, algae and bacteria present in the pool water — even when you’re covering the pool for the winter. To keep the pool water soft and perfect, you have to make sure that you are using the right amount of chemicals in it or keep it clean using DIY solutions such as baking soda. Too much or less can affect the pool water and your health in an adverse way. Thus, it is important to carry on a test first before you start.
