All my numbers are off.

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raidencmc

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LifeTime Supporter
Aug 18, 2011
238
Cochranville, PA
I have a 12 by 20 intex oval pool. It is a bit unlevel so it is not full to capacity. This happens every year when I get back from my weeks vacation. I come back to a green pool. This is the last year I will use this pool it has too many patches. This year I decided to double shock before I left and ad a 2 calcium hypochloroite tabs before I left hoping things would be better. And they weren't. This summer has been very hot and sunny and I fought algae a lot. When I go away I run the pump with no filter cause the pumps are so cheap if the filter clogs up it burns up and I feared that would happen.

8/17/2011
TH 100
FC 0
Ph 6.4
TA 120
CYA 0
I added Ph plus and shocked.

8/18/2011
TH 300
FC 1
Ph 7.2
TA 120
CYA 0
It was cloudy. I bought CYA and added it.

8/20/2011
TH 400
FC 1
Ph 7.8
TA 240
CYA 15
I again added CYA. This day it was very cloudy. I have a fabric rinse-able filters which I change and clean every day. I have 3 in rotation so always one clean and dry is available. The past 2 filters were very white and pasty looking like they had DE on them but they did not. Because of the weather I have not checked levels today. The design is flawed with the inlet and skimmer too close and I have a dead spot on the opposite side of the pool. Try to stir it up on the days I don't vac so it gets filtered out. I have been vacuuming every time out of pool to try and remove what ever I vac up. I am not sure where to do from hear?

I actually got back on the 8/7/2011 but can't find the numbers from that long ago. But I can never get the FC up and it seems like it was very hard for the tablet to dissolve in the skimmer. Not sure if it matters but we went from no rain to excessive rain for at least 1 weeks or so.
 
The dead spot may be due to the pool being un-level. I haven't noticed a dead spot when I only run the 1 skimmer pump personally.

You will need to shock the pool. It will require bleach. The tablets can't do it, and I'm a little confused because you say they are cal-hypo tablets? Not tri-chlor?

Have you read pool school? If not, all the info you need is within, give it a few reads actually.

How much CYA have you added so far? Don't test for CYA for about a week after you add it. Assume what you have put in is in there. Use that with the pool calculator for your shock level value in relation to the CYA. Then add bleach to that level and keep it there till you pass the three criteria.

It's all in pool school, start there.

What test kit are you using? A FAS-DPD kit is essential, get one of those if you don't already have one.
 
Welcome to TFP :wave:

With low CYA you FC will burn off too quickly. In laymans terms you may have had high FC before your left for vacation, but due to low CYA, sunlight consumed it and left the pool with no chlorine in it for a couple of days, allowing algae to grow.

Here is a nice guide for temp pools

pool-school/temporary_pool_guide


A good test kit would go a long way too :goodjob:

pool-school/pool_test_kit_comparison
 
There IS a lot of information in pool school.

Read it more than once. Too much to absorb in one read through. Combined with thread reading however, it'll make sense soon.

Read it more than twice actually :~}

Aim for about 30ppm CYA to start.
 
Ok gonna start reading tonight. It is a lot to read but I still wanna get the pool OK. I am putting my info in my signature. The weather has been extremely dry and hot for the first half of the summer and the wettest august in years. Last night I added more CYA. But for now since I added CYA you are saying not to worry about that? What should I focus on.

Todays levels
TH 200
FC 0
Ph 7.5
TA 240
CYA 0
 
How much CYA did you add? Plug the amount into the pool calculator (at the bottom there's a selector that calculates what all kinds of things will do to your pool) and expect that what you added is in the pool.

So, if you've added 20ppm worth of CYA, it's there. Add 10ppm more to reach 30 and again expect it to be there. Test CYA a week after you added it just to verify your calculations but till then, don't worry about testing it.

Now you focus on chlorine. For the time being, stop using the tablets and use only bleach. Once you determine how much CYA you've added, put that value into the now column in the calculator and it will re-calculate your levels based on the CYA value. Then calculate how much bleach you'll need and go pour it in. Slowly, in front of a return.

Back to your test kit... with 30ppm CYA your target high FC is 7ppm, and minimum is 3ppm. I assume you're using a drop based OTO kit (yellow chlorine). Testing for 7ppm FC is beyond the OTO kit's capabilities. It also can't test for total chlorine and combined chlorine. If you have more than .5ppm combined chlorine, it means you'll need to shock the pool. Without that value it's hard to know exactly what's going on with your water.

The solution is to get a FAS-DPD test kit. Without one you're doing all this blind.
 
Ok I am reading Pool school and reading post and running back and fourth to the pool. I am using test strips so I will get a better test kit. Do they have them at Home depot or do I need to go to a pool store? I also vacuumed today to waste and am topping off the pool. Also realized a bit too much CYA so I am draining and topping off to compensate.
 

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The CYA might be about 60. I re-read everything and then used the calculator and I guess it is because I did not get a reading after adding it I added more. Lesson Learned. Am I going to be at a disadvantage cause I have to wait for the kit? Can I grab one at walmart or home depot as a quick solution to get me through the season?
 
The other thing I noticed is after running the filter for an hour or so the white is a shade of green. When I change filters and clean them I first soak them in clean water, then hose them off, then soak them again in clean water, rinse and hang out to dry. The cleaned filter looks like new when done. SHould I soak them in something like bleach. Last year I used cartridge filters and was given DE. I had great results with the same process. The only difference was the second soak I put in a chloro tab and would dump the water into the pool. The cartridge filter looked brand new and I got several months out of it before I trashed it.
 
Ordering test kit today, and still reading pool school. The calculator does not seem to change how much chlorine I need to add if I change my CYA, but maybe that is how it is supposed to be. I am adding bleach in a few minutes. After I add the bleach what is next, just sit and wait a day?

Other question. The tablets were calcium hypo chlorite and the bleach is sodium hypochlorite. Are they safe together in the pool?
 
It changes the goals at the bottom in the pink chlorine section if you change the CYA value in the "now" column. Adjust the "target" column values to what you wish them to be based on the pink suggested chlorine area's numbers. The calculator will take the "now" values and calculate them against the "target" values and adjust the recommended amounts accordingly.

If you haven't already, look at the bottom of the calculator and you'll see the goals section. Change that to Trouble Free Pool if needed.
 
"Pink and Blue and they don't think like you" My dads philosophy on relationships.
So after I add bleach I just wait( I am "shocking it by bring the FC to 7? right)? How long? It was looking greenish when I went out today.

Seems like pool school says I should shock the pool scrub until it is gone. Shock it every day till it is clear?
 

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