Hi! I am also new to TFP

[danea]

Hi! I am also new to TFP

Pool is 20K, sand, IG, vinyl, fiberglass. I live in New Jersey. Pool has alittle algae on walls and cloudy.

readings FC 16, PH .6, CC0 and CYA 80. I plan on adding more bleach and water to increase my FC and lower my CYA. Should I add some baking soda and turn off my automatic chloridator?

 

[jblizzle]

Welcome to TFP!!!

I split your post into your own thread.

Please add your pool details and location as described HERE as it will help us help you.

I do not understand your test results ... please try again as numbers appear to be missing.
Baking soda raises TA, not pH as much if that is what you are trying to do:
pool-school/pool_water_chemistry

 

[danea]

ok. I will check again when I get home.

 

[jblizzle]

For example ... a pH of .6 makes no sense.

What test kit do you have? Can you also post TA?

By the by, your CYA is roughly double the level we would recommend and if the test result is to be trusted, you likely would be best served to replace 40-50% of the water to get that in check before you go through the Shocking Your Pool PROCESS

 

[danea]

sorry the ph is 6.0. ive been using my neighbors test kit (not sure)

 

[jblizzle]

Best investment would be to get one of the Recommended Test Kits before you do much to the water.

The good pH tests only go down to 6.8 or 7.2 ... so a reading of 6.0 makes be feel

 

[257WbyMag]

Good advice thus far. Welcome to TFP!

 

[melissab]

Hi danae's neighbor we tested with a TF100 kit. Ph is less than 6.7. CYA is 80 down from 100 the other day. She replaced a good bit of water, I thought it was low enough that we could work with it. As the pool is in full sun all day. She knows it is still high and we can work on lowering it as the season progresses but I thought it was low enough for right now as long as she doesn't add any more through pucks etc.

According to the calculator she should keep FCC at 21 with cya of 80. They are using 12% chlorine. And raise PH with Borax. Is this correct?

 

[jblizzle]

Ah ... they are lucky to have a neighbor like you

Did you test the TA? You will want to raise the pH with borax to around 7.2 and then start the shock process. For a CYA of 80ppm, the Pool School table puts the shock level at 31ppm, poolcalculator puts it at 21ppm. Either way is fine.

 

[danea]

Yes we are very luck!!! The TA was 11.

 

[Butterfly]

Yes we are very luck!!! The TA was 11.

Do you mean (11) eleven drops? Test is in increments of 10.

 

[melissab]

I'll post a full set of test results today to make sure we are on the right track.

 

[melissab]

Happy to report Danae's pool has turned the corner as of Sunday and is very clear now.

Numbers as of this a.m.

FC 16
CC 0
TC 16
CYA 80
PH less than 6.8
TA 30

I went on my iphone pool calculator app and it said to add 18lbs of baking soda to get TA to 90 and 65 oz (albs) of Borax to get ph to 7.2 (I realize that may not be enough since PH isn't registering but thought it would be a start)

I wasn't sure if we should start with raising TA or PH first since I know the two are related.

Also, since the pool is clear, FC is holding can she let the level drop to non shock levels which would be between 6-11?

 

[jblizzle]

Why did the pH and TA drop so low? Usually those would have been adjusted before the shock process (unless you were using dichlor which crashed the pH).

The pH test reads artificially high when the FC > 10ppm, so that pH is likely way too low.

Adjust the TA up first, then when the FC gets below 10ppm, adjust the pH back up.

 

[melissab]

She started shocking before adjusting PH. I didn't realize that was the incorrect order to do things as I have never had to shock my pool. Both PH and TA have been low, they were low before the shock process.