Re: I just filled my 2300 gallon pool(12'x30"), now what do
autumnrstarr said:
I just filled my 12'x30" pool(assuming it is around 2300 gallons because we accidentally let it fill over) and my children were in such a rush to get in so I didn't have all the chemicals I needed prior to using the pool. First, I tested the water for chlorine, bromine, and pH. Everything was perfect with just public city water.
The yellow shaded side of your kit is the OTO test. It tests for EITHER chlorine or bromine, not both. Unless you're actually using bromine you should only be referring to the chlorine scale. As far as being "perfect" with just city water that's not true. Most city water has pretty low FC, low TA, and no CYA.
The water initially was clear, I first put in a 3" chlorine tablet. Still clear. Now I can't remember I could have possibly put in 8oz of aquachem algaecide 50%. That made it a little cloudy. The kids got in about 2 hours after that. I tested it a little bit after they got out and it still seemed fine with CL, BR, and pH levels.
The Aquachem Algaecide 50% is Allkyl-dimethyl-benzyl-ammonium-chloride also known as a "Quat" algaecide. Here are two descriptions of that type of product.
"Quaternary ammonia algaecide, also called Quats, are the most cost-effective product to use as both an algaecide and an algaestat. Effective in both capacities, quats work best against green algae and kill algae growth through cellular membrane disruption. While quats do not case staining, foaming can occur, especially when not used properly."
"Quats:- the largest selling, lowest priced algaecides. These are most often found in active concentrations of 5-10%. Such "quaternary ammonium salts" are surfactants and if added in excess, will cause foaming on the pool surface. Surfactants lower the surface tension of the water and "wet" algae cell walls. This "wetting" splits open the cell wall and kills the algae. Quats require lower concentrations and amounts than polyquats to achieve the same level of prevention. Quats are most often used as the preventative while polyquats are most often used to get rid of existing algae."
Although adding it was not really needed it may actually buy you some time during which algae will have a hard time growing until you finish pool school and get a handle on balancing your water chemistry.
The next day, yesterday, I tested it and the pH was to low, around 6.9. I think I added 11 teaspoons of aquachem Sanitizer(because I read somewhere I needed to sanitize, chlorinate, shock, then algaecide but I obviously didnt do it in that order because my kids were too excited about it). The container says to add 1 teason per 200gallons as initial treatment.
Santizing and chlorinating are the same thing. Shocking is a process which involves chlorinating to a very high "shock" level until there are no active organics left in the water. Aquachem Sanitizer is Sodium dichloro-s-triazinetrione dihydrate also know as "dichlor." 11 tsp is around 1.5 dry oz of dichlor which would only raise your FC by 2.7, your CYA by 2.5.
Then I added 3.6oz of aquachem pH UP(my husband must have done the math wrong) and then the kids got back in a couple hours after that. Last night, we had a torrential downpour all night and it topped off the water in the pool and it cut the filter pump off and I checked the levels this morning, CL is between 1.0-1.5, BR is between 2.2-3.4, and pH is the same, around 6.9.
Aquachem pH up is just Sodium Carbonate. You can buy this at the grocery store for much less in the laundry isle. It's called Arm & Hammer Washing Soda. If your pH is truly 6.9 you need to raise it to at least 7.5. You will need to add either 9.3 oz of Washing Soda (pH up if you still have some) or add 20 oz of 20 Mule Team Borax which is also found in the laundry isle. Adding the borax will increase your TA a bit more which you probably need anyway but we won't know until you get a
proper test kit.
i havent put anything in it yet, and i turned the filter pump back on about an hour ago. The water is still as cloudy as it was when I put the algaecide in. What should I do now? Should I shock it? Should I leave it alone? I'll try to post a picture soon. Please help! My youngest son would love to swim in it today as the weather is very nice!! thanks.
Definitely start with raising your pH like I mentioned above. If you can recall, let us know exactly how much Aquachem sanitizer and how many tablets you've used in total so we can estimate your CYA level and give you a FC level to shoot for and a shock level if needed. Once we know that we can suggest an amount of stablizer to add to get you up to a decent level to protect against UV loss.
Again, you're going to need a
proper test kit. Once you get your test kit post results here. Then we'll help you get your TA dialed in. In the meantime it wont hurt to keep using the trichlor tablets. Just keep track of exactly how many you've used so we know how much stablizer your adding to the water.