pool chemicals What do I need?

Question

What chemicals do I need for a brand above ground pool?

Answer 1

Since your pool is brand new, I am assuming that the water is fresh from the tap. In that case, you should have no trouble at all with your pool. Wal-Mart has everything you will need. First, you need to buy the test strips. You simply dunk it under the water and it has several little places on it that will change different colors, and the strips come with a guide that will tell you if the chlorine is high or low, the alkalinity, PH, and so on.... When you hear people talking about all the different chemicals, it gets confusing. It is not hard at all. First take your strips and you want to get your alkalinity set. If it is low, then you can get alkalinity increaser at Wal-Mart. Then, look at your PH, you can get PH Increaser and PH decreaser at Wal-Mart. (and that is the actual name so it is much simpler than others) Once you have your alkalinity and your PH set, the you should be set. You will want to use "shock" in your pool once a week to kill any bacteria that may be growing and to keep your pool nice and clear. Keep chlorine tablets in your skimmer to maintain the chlorine level and your good to go. Just don't get overwhelmed and read the labels on the chemicals when you buy them. I know you will enjoy your pool! (P.S. - The alkalinity increaser is about $5, PH increaser or decreaser is around $6, shock is about $15 for a box of 5 bags and the chlorine tablets are also around $15 for a small tub)

Answer 2

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Okay folks, here's the straight skinny. For those that believe pool stores are just out to make a buck: aren't they entitled to make a profit? Do you deny ANY company a profit. Pool stores test a lot of water- for free- for people who then go to the mega stores and buy their chems. When they don't get the promised results they then claim the pool store gave them bad advice! While some of the chemicals that the mega barns sell are the same (very few) most of the "cheap" chems are cheap for a reason. Algaecide, for example, that comes in a gallon bottle is a waste of money. It is NOT the same. Shocks are not always the same. Look not just at ingredients but also percentage of available chlorine. Also, check prices carefully. Wally World doesn't always have the low price. I had a pool store just across the street from a super center. Almost across the board I was cheaper than they were! Still, I couldn't get rid the mind-set that Wally World was cheaper. Simply because they have brainwashed all the little blue-haired ladies into BELIEVING that they are cheapest! Pool stores typically have better quality chemicals. A pool is a luxury, not a necessity. Put garbage in, get garbage results. Why not put good chemicals in and get the desired result? Or spend countless hours, and wasted dollars, in frustration?

Answer 3

Go to a store specializing in pools and pool supplies. They will have all you need... there's a kit to test the water which tells you what and how much of each chemical to put in the water to keep in clean and chemically balanced and MORE IMPORTANTLY safe to swim in!

Answer 4

You have to circulate the water and add a clorine style chemical when NO ONE is in the pool for at least one hour. Call your local pool store and they will sell/tell you the exact product.

Answer 5

The normal things you would need to adjust in a pool (inground or above ground) are: total alkalininty, pH, calcium hardness and cyanuric acid (also known as stabilizer or conditioner). The last two are generally a once-a-year thing. The alkalinity and pH will need to be adjusted from time to time (mainly additon of new water causes this: rain, etc.)


There are two different chemicals for adjusting your total alkalinty and pH, but they have similar chemical names. Sodium bicarbonate is used for raising total alkalinity, and Sodium Carbonate is used for raising pH. Both are readily available, sometimes under names such as pH up, alakalinity up, etc. Just double check the active ingredient to be sure you are using the correct one. Can't really tell you how much you may need to use weekly, because it depends on your situation: how much rain, any other new water (due to splashing, etc.) Once you get them right when opeing, they should be fairly easy to maintain.
The pH should be from 7.2 -7.8, with the ideal range being from 7.4 - 7.6. The total alkalinity in that pool should be from 100-140 ppm (parts per million).

Cyanuric acid (a.k.a. Conditioner, stabilizer) would be added through the skimmer with the pump running. This prevents the sun from burning off your chlorine as quickly as it would without it.

Pool supply stores can test the water and tell you how much of what chemicals you may need to add. (Or I can do it with the readings and the size of your pool... anything you add is based on the gallonage of the pool...)