First pool, gettin started, could use some help

[MCLOVIN]

Hey, I've checked out the forum a bit and it's really cool how you all willingly help us new guys out. Hoping I can leverage some of your collective expertise. I put some of the details of my pool in my signature line.

Anyway, I just bought a house with a pool and I'd like to take care of it myself. Generally speaking, the pool looked great when I got here. Very clear, no algae and no visible issues. That said, I wanted to stay on top of it, so before I found this forum, I went to the local pool place (Leslie's), had my water tested and did what they told me.

Initial test results from Leslies:
FAC 0 ppm
TAC 0 difference
Salt 3600 ppm
CH 200 ppm
CYA 0 ppm
TA 50 ppm
pH 7.8
Pho 2500
Temp 70

So, they had me do the following, which I did. Add 8lbs of Alkalinity Up, 1 bag of PPP (Chlorine). The 2 1/2 gal of conditioner, then 3L of PHOSfree over three days time. After all that, the pool got considerably cloudier and I just tested the water again. These are the results from the TF100 test kit.

Cl 5
Br 10
pH 7.8
FC: 5ppm
CC: No
CH: 350 ppm
TA: 90
CYA: 30 (33 to be exact)

Looking for any recommended action to take at this point?

I have some additional questions about the pool system itself, i.e. pool heater which isn't heating spa to higher temps and the filter itself that seems old and on it's last leg, but I'd like to get the chemicals/pool water figured out first and I think you all have advised to keep it simple each post.

Thanks in advance for any assistance provided.

-- McLovin

 

[YippeeSkippy]

Nice pool
If you're using the SWG for your chlorination needs, you'll need to raise your CYA level to about 70. I know that sounds like a lot but in the hot Georgia sun along with the way SWG's work, you need that. No more. Just that 70. Use the PoolMath app at the top of this page to help you determine how much CYA to add to the pool. Read the directions on how to add CYA in Pool School.

Don't look at the "bromine" side of that test block. You've got a chlorine pool, not a bromine pool.

Otherwise all looks good

Oh yeah- STAY OUTTA THE POOL STORE! They'll have you buying unnecessary stuff like phosphate removers and such... save your money and buy a pool toy instead.

 

[MCLOVIN]

Thanks Yippee...will do that. One question - after, or while adding adding the stabilizer (figure I might do it with sock in skimmer), can you swim or should you wait?

Thanks again.

--McLovin

 

[Texas Splash]

Stabilizer can go in right away. No problems.

 

[pabeader]

Swim!

 

[Texas Splash]

You know .... your "before & after" test results are EXACTLY why we tell new members to not trust pool stores. That always amazes me. Glad you got your TF-100!

 

[MCLOVIN]

Thanks guys. Just finished adding stabilizer and seems to have worked. Tested water and it's at 60. Not sure if I waited long enough to test, so will test again tomorrow. I added crystals straight into the pool, spreading it out, and it took a while (and a lot of brushing around) for it to dissolve.

Next, I have a question concerning the heater. It's a Jandy LITE2, pretty old I think. When we first got the house and tried it out, it heated the spa to almost 100 degrees. Since then, it will only heat to about 94. So it's working, just not well. Any ideas or recommendations? I'm not opposed to replacing it if I have to, but prior to that, I want to make sure it's not something simple, or obvious to you all that I should do to fix it.

Thanks again for your help.

-- McLovin

 

[YippeeSkippy]

Whoa! I'm nervous for ya now... granular CYA takes a week to show up on a test, liquid only takes a day. Which one did you use? How positive were you about that initial CYA reading you mentioned ("33") above???

I sooooo want to hear later that you didn't overshoot and end up with too much CYA in the water, y'hear?

 

[MCLOVIN]

I used granular. I'm pretty confident about the initial reading...I had tested in a couple days prior and it was around the same...

- - - Updated - - -

Some photos of the heater...

Photos by Mike McAbee - Google Photos

- - - Updated - - -

If you could, please let me know if it's safe, or not, to swim in the pool at this point...Or how long you recommend I should wait. Thanks again!

 

[YippeeSkippy]

GO Swimming!

 

[pabeader]

I have the same heater, unfortunately, the pool was left alone for a few years and the heat exchanger is disintegrating from the inside out. I have it on bypass because it spews chunks of metal into the pool whenever I tried to use it. Yuck!!