Do I have to use anything?

Discussions that do not fit into any of the
swimming pool categories and general topics.
1040pool
I'm new here
I'm new here
Posts: 1
Joined: Sun 29 Jul, 2007 18:01

Do I have to use anything?

Postby 1040pool » Sun 29 Jul, 2007 18:21

I have a n 8ft. by 26"above ground quickset pool that 2 adults and 2 younger children (7 and 10)use. It holds 2,300liters of water. It has an electric filter. Do I have to use anything to treat the water? Will we become deathly ill if I don't? Can I make a salt solution and put it in? Can I use vinegar, baking soda or borax (the things we use to clean our house) or will those things harm us too? It's hot. We just want to cool off, not waste water and/or kill ourselves and our backyard with carcinogens? Any help would be appreciated.

P.S. I've made lots of phone calls to retailers and read lots here on the internet.


Guest

Postby Guest » Sun 29 Jul, 2007 19:07

Get yourself a test kit and use it weekly (3-5x's a week). Also, you should add Bleach as a sanitizer (household unsented only), Borax (20 mule team) to raise pH and Baking soda (arm&hammer) to raise total alkalinity and muratic acid to lower pH and TA if necesary.

There is nothing carcinogenic but stagnant pool water that you are working on. YOU HAVE TO TREAT THE WATER!

I would highly suggest getting your pool water to a shock level (won't take much since this seems to be a kiddie pool) make sure pH is 7.2-7.6 and TA between 80-120 and a CYA at 30-50. CYA is a stabilizer/conditioner so your chlorine can work without the sun chewing it up. Hold a 15ppm of chlorine over night into the next day and you should be completely sanitized. Remember, THIS WON'T TAKE A WHOLE GALLON BLEACH unless of course your pool requires that much to kill the ickies. I doubt it though but you never know (how long have you had the pool up?). Add it to the water and mix it up and brush the surface of the floor and walls so the bleach can touch and kill everything (you can use a broom). I usually do this after adding bleach to mix it up into the water.

You must treat your water. If you don't, you and your family can become very sick and your water will be very icky!
Backglass
Swimming Pool Superstar
Swimming Pool Superstar
Posts: 727
Joined: Tue 29 May, 2007 09:02

Re: Do I have to use anything?

Postby Backglass » Mon 30 Jul, 2007 09:42

1040pool wrote:Do I have to use anything to treat the water? Will we become deathly ill if I don't? Can I make a salt solution and put it in? Can I use vinegar, baking soda or borax (the things we use to clean our house) or will those things harm us too?


Let's see. Yes, Yes, No, Maybe. ;)

Yes you must sanitize. Were your pool a public one, the health department would have already shut it down for lack of sanitation.

Yes you can become very ill from swimming in and potentially ingesting bacteria infested water. This is why people get cholera in 3rd world countries.

No a salt solution alone does nothing for sanitation. It does tend to make water "feel" silkier however but without sanitizer, it would be just as dangerous.

There are household products that are exactly the same as pool store products...mainly Bleach, Baking Soda and Borax. Vinegar? No.

Step 1 - Buy a good test kit so you can test all of the above. Without one you are just gambling with your families health.
===============================
I'm no expert...just a long time pool owner. The real experts are at www . troublefreepool . com

Download Bleachcalc free at troublefreepool . com /files/BleachCalc262.exe and start saving money on chemicals.

Return to “Poolside - General Discussions”

Who is online at the Pool Help Forum

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 8 guests