pool opening test results - help-want to chlorinate tonight

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You want to get that PH corrected soon, with a gunite pool its bad to run low PH like that.

You should bring your FC to shock level and maintain it there, adding bleach every hour if needed. brushing the sides and bottom will expose algea thats hiding under dead algea.At this point , if enough material is settled on bottom, you could vacume to waste.

What level is your calcium hardness at? Soon it will also be helpfull to know the CC.

I love your pool design , it would be nice to see pics when its clear.
 
Thanks,running out now to pick up borax/washing soda.. also need to pick up some more chlorine.. went through 27 182oz bleaches.. i think i'm going to get some liquid chlorine, since this doesn't seem to be done anytime soon.. really wish i picked some up from the get go..

also, regarding the vacuum.. i never got any info from the previous owners on that.. there is definitely a vacuum hose in the pool closet.. do I connect that to the skimmer hole to vacuum to waste? is that how it works.. I assume my polaris wouldn't help since the mesh bag has pretty large holes. I have two skimmers.. do I cover off one skimmer and connect the vacuum to the other and then set the filter to waste?

CH is 260.

will definitely post a pic of the pool once it's clear.
 
You are on the right track. Some of the details vary from pool to pool. Check around to see if you have a vacuum plate. This is a round piece of plastic that fits over the skimmer basket and gives the vacuum hose somewhere to plug in that lets you continue to use the skimmer basket. If you don't have one, you can plug it in the hole under the skimmer basket but then you need to be more careful about cleaning out the pump strainer basket right after.

You may or may not need to block off the other skimmer, depending on how much suction your system has. Often there is a valve somewhere that will turn off one of the skimmers, but not always.
 
Thanks, i know there's a single round cover for the hole/pipe in the skimmer, but haven't seen a vacuum plate.. i'll look around a little bit more..
i added the washing soda and the pool is very cloudy right now.... i took a pH reading an hour after adding the washing soda and pH was 8.2. i'm going to wait it out before I add a decreaser. I also added more water to the pool b/c the level was dropping too close to the bottom of the skimmers..

after shocking this morning, 3 hrs later, FC was 7.5, so I brought it back up to shock level (12).
still have the in floor cleaners running..

tree guys are here working close to the pool, so i'm hoping they'll leave soon so we can get back to backwashing the pool (they are right by the pool filter)

will probably need to make another chlorine run later today.. i really never expected to use this much chlorine .. the # of empty bottles I have are crazy.. liquid chlorine will prob be the way to go.. i think a place near me has it for $16.99 for 5 gallons + a $6 deposit... i assume i get that back when i return the empty container.
 
i thought i put in the exact amount of washing soda per Pool Calc, but maybe not?
latest results
pH - 7.8
TA - 140 (i need to lower this)
FC - 5

i have some pH decreaser (sodium disulfate) from the previous owners, can i add that to lower the pH and TA?
Thanks guys.. can't believe i put in too much washing soda.. argh!

Oh, and I did successfully vacuum out the pool by closing off one skimmer, and putting the hose into the other skimmer and filtering to waste.. pump basket was a mess after we were done.

thanks
 
You shouldn't be trying so hard to hit an exact PH. Let it wander around as long as it stays between 7.2 and 7.8. Remember that PH readings when the FC level is above 10 should be ignored.

You can lower the TA level slowly over time by lowering the PH to around 7.2 each time it gets to 7.8.

When calculating PH changes using the Pool Calculator, remember to enter your current TA and Borate levels in the Now column. PH calculations depend on those numbers, in addition to your starting and target PH. Also, all PH calculations are approximate. Because of this it is a good idea to add perhaps half of what is calculated, give it an hour to mix in and then test again and adjust from there.
 
pool looks great this morning (minus the mulch that the tree guys got into the pool and the 2 dead chipmunks).. husband took a dip yesterday ..i last shocked the pool around 7pm yesterday and added more dry acid. I retested this morning with these results:
FC 5.5
CC .5
TA 160
CH 240
pH 7.2

Didn't test CYA today since I wanted to give it a few more days.
Few questions..
1) TA is higher than yesterday (i did vacuum out a lot of water or maybe i didn't test right), but pH is in the right place. Do I need to keep dropping the pH by adding dry acid and then test to see where TA is?
2) Water level is a bit low right now, wondering if adding water will lower TA - since it's going to rain for around 8 hours today, maybe I should just wait for the rain?
3) Do I need to keep shocking the pool or keep it at FC of 4 (assuming my cya is still 30)?

Thanks again.. i think i'm close to the light at the end of the tunnel :-D
btw, the pool pics.. the debris at the bottom of the shallow end is wood/mulch/dirt from the tree guys. and the discoloration at the bottom is pool chemistry balance from the previous owners.. there are streaks in the plaster all along the bottom of the pool.

also, i still have to tackle the waterfall. i was thinking about raise FC to shock level since there is visible algae and then just vacuuming to waste the whole thing since i want to clean all the rocks inside too.. and then fill with fresh water.. does that sound OK? the waterfall wasn't covered over the winter, so it has a lot of debris.
 

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To lower the TA, wait for the PH to go back up to 7.8, and then lower it to 7.2. Over time your TA level will come down. Don't do anything right now. Your PH is fine at 7.2.

Wait for the rain, and the raise the water level later if it still needs it.

I would continue at shock level till either the water is crystal clear or you have a loss of 1.0 or lower on an overnight FC loss test.
 

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so the pool is doing well.. we are getting trees cut down, so we haven't been able to go in.. but i have a quick question about solar covers..

the first owners (we are the third) had a solar cover and I just took it out and covered the pool. We have a pool heater, but I just can't bring myself to heat the water.. so I thought I'd try the cover.

I'd like to leave it on the pool at night and during the day when we're not using it.. can I run the filter with the solar cover on? Should I only run from the main drain and turn off the skimmers?

thanks.. i stil need to vacuum out the remaining dead algae and dirt from the tree removal, but the pool is crystal clear.. i think, in retrospect, I wasted a lot of chlorine, by not testing more frequently to keep the pool at shock level and I also should have vacuumed out the dead algae on day 2.. instead of day 4.. lessons learned for us.. next year opening will be a cinch :) i hope.
thanks for everyone's help!

Also,this morning,i just tested my TA and it is 180 now..is it possible that it is rising..
FC 2.75
CC <.5
pH 7.2
CH 260
CYA - still waiting for the sock to empty out before I test.

I also feel like the pool smells of chlorine.. is that due to the high TA because that's the only # that is off.

Thanks,
Patty
 
wow, this is longest it's ever taken to get a response :) i'll bump it just in case.. maybe it's b/c i edited the post 12 hours after I originally posted?

i hope i didn't offend anyone without knowing.. i love this place, please talk to me :D
 
This is a really busy time of year for us, more questions than there is time to answer. We try to get to everything, but we don't always keep up.

The chlorine smell is probably because your FC level is a little too low. Raise your FC level a little and see if it goes away.

Running the filter with the solar cover on and the skimmers on should be fine.
 
Also,this morning,i just tested my TA and it is 180 now..is it possible that it is rising..
FC 2.75
CC <.5
pH 7.2
CH 260
CYA - still waiting for the sock to empty out before I test.

I also feel like the pool smells of chlorine.. is that due to the high TA because that's the only # that is off.
Click to expand...
The TA could simply be a testing error or adding higher TA fill water.

After the CYA has dissolved from the sock, assume that level CYA has been added and increase your chlorine accordingly.
It takes about a week for the CYA to show up on test, so don't test too early or you will waste your testing chemicals.

Did you meet the three criteria that indicate you are done shocking?
 
Thanks for the responses.. totally understand it's a busy time of year.. i just started to get worried b/c even on memorial day, people were really responsive.. :D

As for the 3 signs that I'm done shocking...
the water is crystal clear
the FC doesn't fall more .5 overnight
and...hm, what's the third?
 
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