Thinking of going BBB ??????

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H

HotNTexas

0
Jul 2, 2009
47
NE, Texas
Pool Size
25000
Surface
Vinyl
Chlorine
Liquid Chlorine
New guy here that has been fighting a cloudy pool for 4 of the 5 years I have owned it.... I have decide to try the BBB method and have a few questions...
The pool now is cloudy with a very, very slight hint of green.
I had the pool tested yesterday and the results are

FC 3.1
CC .6
pH 7.5
TA 85
CYA 48
CH 150


1. Is it harmful to my Aquabot to leave it in the pool while the FC is at the elevated shock level ???

2. Should I wait to start the process until my new test kit arrives or should I go ahead and start putting bleach in now ???

The pool is a 18x36 vinyl liner with sand filter
 
The Aquabot will be fine. Because your CC is above .5, Yes, go ahead and go to shock level with liquid chlorine. Are you familiar with and know how to use the Pool Calculator to get your dosages? You don't list the volume of your pool, else I could tell you how much chlorine to put in to reach your shock level, which should be around 16. Your minimum normal level should be 4 and normal max should be 8 with your CYA figure. Best if you make sure you never go below the minimum. Honestly, I don't see anything else that looks bad. Make sure you run your pump long enough for the hot weather.
 
don't think about it, do it! it will be the best decision you have ever made and you won't do with a cloudy/algae pool ever again.
fwiw, the manual to my robot says if you leave it in the water 24/7/365 it will require more repairs/maintenance than if you take it out. remember to read the chemistry section of pool school, as well as the article on how to shock your pool and defeating algae.
pool-school/
pool-school/shocking_your_pool
pool-school/defeating_algae
 
Your aquabot should be safe at that level.

Since you have some numbers I'd go ahead and start adding bleach. According to the pool calculator you need to add 4 gallons of 6% bleach or 2-1/2 gallons of 10.5% or 2 gallons of 12.5%.

If you've already ordered it you should get your kit in a couple of days. You can use the pool store till then.
 
I just ordered the tf100 kit and should have it in a couple of days. The pool is 25000-27000 gals.

I have some pool shock on hand, should I use that until the test kit comes in or go ahead with the bleach?

The pool runs 24/7 right now.

Thanks for the help
 
don't buy any more pool store stuff for now. I would also stay away from the stuff you have (bags of granular stuff right?) until you get a full set of results simply because the pool store may be way off on one or more of your readings. and depending on the stuff you have (can you list the ingredients?) it may increase your CYA which you don't want. or it may increase your CH which would probably be ok, but CH is the reading my pool stores were wrong on, so I would wait no matter what.
 
This is from the diving board looking into the deep end
3713679504_a68e6d55f0.jpg
 
HNT,

Yeah, I'd wait for the kit to arrive. It'll make more sense to you to post up some accurate test results...........you'll get very good advice with little guesswork.

1. Remember that shocking is a process....not a one time event. Once you elevate your chlorine levels, it's up to you to follow through by testing them frequently and keeping them elevated at shock value until your pool is clear. You'll be surprised at how crystal your water will be but only if you hold your FC levels by constant testing and additions.

2. Submersing anything mechanical for any length is seldom good for it. Sometimes, I would rather just leave "ole sharky" in the pool but I reluctantly drag my rear end out there and fish him out.
 

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Test kit arrived today... Ready to have sparkling pool

Ok.. The kit arrived today and here are my current numbers

FC 12.5
pH 7.4
TA 70
CH 250
CYA 48

I have shocked the pool several times since I ordered the kit to keep it from going grass green. It is actually blue right now but cloudy.

When I plugged my numbers into the pool calculator it tells me to add 11 lbs of baking soda to up my TA to 100. (Right now we are still using the 3" tablets in the chlorinator.) With my pH being 7.4 and adding 11 lbs of baking soda, my pH is going to go really high. Am I understanding this right?

Also, what are the other alternatives to the 3" tablets?

Thanks,

Hot N Texas
 
Re: Test kit arrived today... Ready to have sparkling pool

HNT,

It's almost always better to keep your posts in one thread so everyone can see the "whole story". One of the Mods will do that very soon and you'll get plenty of good responses.

The topics have now been merged. JasonLion

The first thing will be to stop using the pucks. I or someone else will elaborate more as soon as you get "merged"
 
Re: Test kit arrived today... Ready to have sparkling pool

Well, no Mods are online right now so I went back and read your other posts

1. Adjust your TA last. Right now focus on getting your pool Clear (baking soda will have very little affect on your pH)

2.
I have shocked the pool several times since I ordered the kit
Click to expand...
Remember this from my earlier post?
Remember that shocking is a process....not a one time event.
Click to expand...
Once you start to shock the pool, you will continue to shock until your pool is clear.

3. The pucks are adding CYA to your pool and your pool has enough in it now. Once it gets in (CYA) it is problematic to remove. Don't use any more pucks. The most perfect alternative is chlorine....either in Bleach or liquid chlorine.

4. There is an article up in Pool School "How to Shock your Pool". Follow that guideline by bringing your FC up to around 20 or so ppm and hold it there by adding more chlorine as often as you can until.....

1. Your pool water is sparkling
2. Your CC's are .5ppm or less
3. You can hold your FC overnight without losing more than 1ppm.

This may take another day or so and will involve frequent testing with the FAS/DPD chlorine test in your kit. If you follow the guidelines in the article and the advice given, your pool will clear pretty quickly. The more reluctant you are with the addition of chlorine, (letting it get below 20ppm), the longer the process will take.

Backwash when you see a 6-8psi pressure rise on your filter guage.
 
Thanks for the fast response... I added the bleach as instructed by the pool calculator. Test tonight and in the morning?

Also, using bleach as opposed to the pucks... You just add a certain amount daily to maintain your desired level?

At what level is the pool safe to swim?

Also, there is dead algae in the bottom of the pool, should I vac now or wait until the shock process is over?
 
Actually, It would be somewhat more effective if you test just before you go to bed and add enough to get right back up to 20ppm (it'll be down....maybe more than you think)

Then, get up a little early in the morning, test, and bring it right back up to 20ppm again. Repeat that daily unless you have someone who can test and add around noon time.

Yeah, (using bleach instead of pucks) you'll get the feel for how much but generally, you'll add maybe a couple of quarts daily to keep your pool sparkling. It's not as convenient but, again, it is simply the best way to chlorinate.

I would swim in your pool anytime. Others on the forum advise more caution and suggest only below shock level.

Certainly vacuum up anything you can. Vacuuming and brushing the sides is always a very good thing and is considered part of the shock process.....do it as often as you can.

Have you had to backwash yet?
 
HotNTexas said:
Thanks for the fast response... I added the bleach as instructed by the pool calculator. Test tonight and in the morning?

Also, using bleach as opposed to the pucks... You just add a certain amount daily to maintain your desired level?

At what level is the pool safe to swim?

Also, there is dead algae in the bottom of the pool, should I vac now or wait until the shock process is over?
Click to expand...

Yes. You add a little each day. You look at the CYA chart - you have a "target" and a "min". You add enough each night to hit your "target" and that should keep you above the "min". To prevent algae, and maintain a sanitized pool, always stay above your "min" level.

So, test tonight, add more bleach to reach shock level, if necessary. Then test again in the morning, add more bleach if necessary, repeat this process tomorrow night. Tomorrow night, perform the Overnight FC Loss test.

If the water is not cloudy, and you want to swim, anything UP TO shock level is considered safe by most. Go ahead and vacume if you like.

Oh, Dave beat me to it. :goodjob:
 
Here are my latest numbers...

Last night FC 15

vac'd pool and added bleach to get back to 20

This morning FC 20.5
CC .2 (barely a hint of pink)

The water is blue now, but still cloudy but getting better. How long do I need to hold at shock level?
 
Ok, so I am still holding at shock level. The pool is getting close. Really blue but still not sparkling (little cloudy) but clearing a little each day.

My next question is when do I need to start adjusting the pH.

FC 20.5
CC .2
TA 90 (Is it normal for this to go up without adding anything to adjust it)
pH 7.2
CYA 48

I am sooo happy I found this forum. Even though my pool is not perfect yet, it looks so much better than it has in years.
 

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