First time opening

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Nate1975

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Jun 7, 2015
162
Wamego/KS
This is my first opening doing it myself. This is what the pool looks like after removing cover. How do I test the water when it's green? Do I need the pump on for a bit before testing? From researching this site I first need to get my CYA level then pH in order to start the SLAM??Image1461633264.380444.jpg


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Nate, if you don't already have one, the first thing is you must have either the TF-100 w/ XL Option or Taylor K-2006C test kit. If you do, post those results for us. That's critical. In the meantime, read the SLAM link below in my sig to get prepared. You can start stocking-up on regular liquid bleach since I'm sure you'll need much of it. If there is any physical junk in there, start scooping it out now as best as you can and be ready when the test kit arrives so you can confirm test results and start your SLAM. No worries, it can be done.
 
I have a Taylor K1000 and Taylor K2006. So you can test normally with the water being green? Do I test the water before turning on pump and circulating water? I currently have 10 jugs of bleach. How many do you suppose I will need?


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Sure, as long as you have no major debris that might get sucked-up and damage the pump or clog anything, let is start moving the water. Test in about 20-30 minutes, then start adjusting as necessary. First is pH to about 7.2-7.5, then check to see if you have any FC or CYA - I doubt it, but you never know. In fact, once you add bleach (target an FC of 10 at first), test FC again in about 10 minutes to see if you have any left. If not, let us know. 10 jugs might last you a day or two, but be ready for trip #2. :) Remember to test CYA tomorrow in the bright sunlight with sun at your back.

You'll use the FAS-DPD (powder & drops) the most to test FC in the next week or two, so if you're low, you may want to order more now.
 
For sure you want to dredge out any leaves that slipped in under the cover using a leaf rake.

Casey-LeafRake.jpg


Then you want to get the water circulating to mix. Then you test. Then you stop and analyze the results. Is the CYA astronomical from a steady diet of pucks? Is the Calcium hardness super high? In either of those cases, a partial drain is called for so you might as well do it before you start adding expensive pool chemicals.

What if CYA is zero? You could be one of those unfortunate individuals who had the CYA break down into ammonia over the winter. It'll take massive amounts of bleach to eliminate that, so again a partial drain might end up faster and cheaper. There is a way to test for that, but I don't want to get too far ahead and confuse you.

Test results! That's the key to everything we do.

If your CYA and CH are reasonable and all you really suffer from is green, then it's pretty straight-forward. But test results determine the next step. One thing to remember: the CYA test requires bright light. Full sun. So testing in the evening might not work for you. You can always test everything else immediately after drawing a sample, but set a jar of pool water aside to test the CYA during the day, maybe during lunch break. The other tests need to be done promptly, though. Only the CYA test can wait.

Post up your results and we'll guide you through. Take lots of pictures of the process and you might end up in my Inspirational Threads list. Recovering my old inspirational links
 
Having trouble now getting my pump to prime. Have put in the filter plug and both pump plugs. Have run a hose until pipe fills with water but no water pumps through. Have let pump run almost a minute with nothing. Any suggestions??


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Nate1975 said:
Having trouble now getting my pump to prime. Have put in the filter plug and both pump plugs. Have run a hose until pipe fills with water but no water pumps through. Have let pump run almost a minute with nothing. Any suggestions??


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If the inlet pipe fills with water instead of draining down into the pool, I'd look for a winterizing plug that still needs to be removed somewhere.
 
Ok...0 chlorine present in the readings. CH is 250. PH is off the charts high. My kits highest number is 8.2 and it's much brighter pink than that. Didn't get my pump running in time to get cya reading in the sun so will do that tomorrow at lunch.


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You might consider at least adding some acid just so you get that pH down back to earth. Over 8.2 is way too high. At night, with no sun on the water, you could add a little bleach (up to about 3 ppm) just so you have "some" sanitation working in your favor. Tomorrow with in daylight, hit again hard as you suggested with some accurate reading.
 
Yes, the pump needs to be on to circulate the water. Best thing to do to figure out how much to add is use the Poolmath Calculator (link below). Very easy - simply enter your pool volume at the top of the calculator, then enter your NOW and TARGET/GOAL pH numbers. Since you seem to be very high, go easy at first. Enter 8.2 as NOW and 7.5 as a target/goal. It will tell you how much to add. That's it! Keep the pump circulating for about 15-20 minutes, then you can re-test and repeat as needed.
 
When you enter all of your values on the calculator, moving your mouse curser over each area to the right will tell you how many ounces of something you need to add. To lower pH specifically, you use the muriatic acid - in your case it looks like 24 ounces. That acid does nothing to the CH (hardness), only pH and TA. Also, since you have a pool with a vinyl liner, hardness (CH) really doesn't apply too much unless it gets really high. You can see that on the Recommended Levels chart (link below).
 
That's correct and very important. That's just one reason why pool stores CYA test is often incorrect.
Proper lighting is important for the CYA test. You want to test for CYA outside on a sunny day, but keep the skinny view tube in the shade. Taylor recommends standing in the sun with your back to the sun and the view tube in the shade of your body. Use the mixing bottle to combine/gently mix the required amounts of pool water and R-0013 reagent, let sit for 30 seconds, then gently mix again. Then, while holding the skinny tube with the black dot at waist level, begin squirting the mixed solution into the skinny tube. Watch the black dot until it completely disappears. Once it disappears, record the CYA reading. After the first test, you can pour the mixed solution from the skinny view tube back to the mixing bottle, shake, and do the same test a second, third, or fourth time to instill consistency in your technique, become more comfortable with the testing, and validate the CYA reading.
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