Why So Complicated?

My boys love the water.  Our summers are usually spent playing in a wading pool or running the sprinklers.  Unfortunately for this year, my area is in a water drought.  No more sprinklers.  Except for 15 minutes, after 6pm, on Monday, Wednesday, Friday.  Oh, can you say YAY?  I mean, it’s 90 freaking degrees outside!  *humph*

So being the most awsomest mommy ever, I went out and bought the boys one of these Quick-Set Ring Pool with RP 600 Pump.  The 10′x30″ size is perfect for the boys.  They can all stand up in the water, yet it’s deep enough that Mr. A. Smarty Pants Man has already taught himself how to swim underwater from one side to the other (ka-ching!  No money for swimming lessons there!).  It’s even big enough that my fat ass can get in and play, too.  I figured the pump would make it water saving…no more filling and dumping.  We could take care of it and still have water play without the waste.

The first day with the pool was FUN!

The second day in the pool was also FUN!  But, I noticed that the water was kinda dirty.  I took myself to K-mart to get some chlorine.  Isn’t that all you need to maintain a filter pool?  Um, apparently not.

My head started spinning while standing in the pool section.

• Super Shockers
• Chlorine Tablets (3″ and 1″)
• Stabilizers
• Test Kits
• Starter Kits
• Nets
• Powder Chlorine

YIKES!  WTH do I really need?

I found my 1″ chlorine tablets.  That is what my handy instruction booklet said my filter would hold.

I also decided to get some “Shock Plus” super shocker stuff.  I remember reading something about that in my booklet, too.

I came home $50 freaking dollars later, with two chemicals to maintain my new $60 pool.  Oh and my nice mom bought me the net.

Instructions from my chlorine tablet bottle:

…Before you begin:  1.  Ensure all pool equipment is working properly (check).  Adjust stabilizer levels to 40-50 ppm with Stabilizer (huh?).  2.  Check water pH, alkalinity and calcium hardness with a test kit.  Adjust pH to 7.2-7.6 by adding pH Decreaser to lower pH, or pH Add to raise pH.  Adjust alkalinity to 80-125 ppm for plaster pools, 125-150 for vinyl or fiberglass pools by adding Alkalinity Plus (WTH?).  Adjust calcium hardness to 200-275 ppm for plaster pools, 175-225 for vinyl or fiberglass pools by adding Calcium Hardness Increaser.  Be sure to follow label directions.  3.  Check residual chlorine level with a test kit and adjust to 1-3 ppm by adding a stabilized granular chlorinator.

Now Use This Product…

Did you understand one freaking thing about that??  I had NO idea I needed a chemistry degree to run a kiddie pool!!  From what I can understand I still need to go buy a test kit, some calcium hardness stuff, pH decreaser AND increaser stuff, and stabilizer stuff.

Really?

*sigh*

So, if anyone has a pool.  Please tell me what I really need to take care of it.  Please?  Help?