New to BBB - need some feedback please!

[gosusgo]

Hi all - you guys and this site seem amazing and truly in line with my philosophy of "if you can't fix it, you don't really own it". That being said, I got my TF50 test kit and have run the numbers for three days. Started with the following levels:

FC 0
CC 0
TC 0
TA 90
pH 6.8
CYA <10
CH not tested

That night I added 3 trichlor tabs (I know, I just want to use them up), 2 pounds of powder stabilizer to raise CYA, 52 oz of baking soda for TA and 170 oz of borax for pH. The next night, the other numbers were better (TA and pH) but FC still tested at 0 - so I added three more trichlor tabs and 2 pounds of shock.

Today my levels are:

FC 1
CC 3.5
TC 4.5
TA 110
pH 7.5
CYA giving it a few days to get into the system
CH 70

I just added three more tabs to the skimmers.

So here are my concerns:
1. High CC level - will that regulate as FC rises?
2. Is TA too high? I read somewhere that vinyl pools need a bit more plus I have a slide.
3. Water is still cloudy but a nice blue.

 

[duraleigh]

gosusgo,

Welcome to the forum! :lol: It appears you are making good adjustments but I question your CYA dosage. 2lbs will only get you somewhere around 10ppm....not nearly enough. Post back and let us know if that was a math error, etc.

The very high CC's indicate the need to shock your pool. I would do that next and it should clear up your cloudiness. Please read "How to shock your Pool" up in Pool School (it is a process of multiple chlorine additions...not just one dose) and then post back with questions.

YOur TA is fine. Shock that pool using the methods in that article and I think you'll end up with a very clear, well balanced pool.

 

[gosusgo]

Thanks for reassuring me! Good to feel more confident about this home chemistry experiment I have going here...

No, I did not make a posting error. I only added 2 pounds of stabilizer because I read that trichlor pucks will raise my CYA too and I am trying to use them up. I got two 96oz jugs of 6% bleach and threw them in tonight in addition to the three trichlor pucks I put in at sundown.

Should I go ahead and add two more pounds of stabilizer asap? If so, how long do I need to wait to add stabilizer after adding bleach?

Thanks and I look forward to getting good at this!

Sus

 

[PaulR]

If those are 8-oz pucks, in your pool each one is worth 2ppm CYA, according to the Pool Calculator. In general, save the trichlor for vacations or other times when you're not around to attend to the pool, and use straight CYA now.

You can add bleach immediately when you're also adding CYA. The only time you need to be really careful is when you're adding acid; allow half an hour in between acid and anything else, with the pump on.
--paulr

 

[gosusgo]

OK - So I am getting there. We had a big rainfall this evening and I am assuming that lowered my FC a bit, but the relevant numbers are now as follows:
FC - 2
CC - 3.5
TA- 110
pH - 7.5
CYA - waiting to test as I added stabilizer 3 days ago - also pucks are raising it

So I am not using pucks to raise CYA - that is just a side benefit right now as my numbers are so low and also I have a whole tub of them that the DW bought just before I started the BBB method.

That being said, FC is still low and CC is high so I added 4 trichlor pucks and 2 pounds of powdered shock tonight. Thoughts?

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

Are you using cal-hypo powder?

Testing the FC and adding chlorine as much as hourly will oxidize the CC's faster and get your FC to hold.

 

[dmanb2b]

To add to FPM's comment... Stock up on bleach or liquid chlorine and raise your FC to at least 12ppm (assumes a CYA level of 20-30) and hold it there until your CC# comes down.