First Opening...Help!

[Drsafety]

Hello. We just opened our pool yesterday. Everything looked great. I vacuumed out some dirt that fell through the center of our solid winter cover and set the SWG to Super-Chlor. Early this morning I sampled using the TF-100 (note I could smell chlorine while walking around the pool).

As of this morning...

PH (Taylor k-1000) = 7.5
Chlorine (Taylor k-1000) = .5 to 1
Total Alkalinity = 90 to 100
Calcium Hardness = 120 to 130
CYA (stabilizer) = 0
Free Chlorine = 1 ppm
Combined Chlorine = 0
Salt = 1,760 ppm
Temp = 68 degrees F

This evening I scrubbed down what appeared to be algae and then tested for chlorine. It was zero. My swg shows the salt level is okay, although my test strips show 1,760 ppm.

Why is the swg not generating chlorine? What do you recommend? I added a little algaecide (8oz) to the pool this evening. Please advise, as I'm new to the pool world.

Two more things...I have never added cya and I run my pump 24 hours per day.




20 x 40 single roman end, ~40,000, vinyl, Hayward cartridge, Cirrcupool RJ65 swg, Hayward 140k BTU heater, polaris 380

 

[Casey]

You need to shut the SWG off until you get some CYA/Stabilizer in the pool to 70-80ppm. Dose the pool with unscented bleach according to Pool Calculator Instructions. ReadSLAMing Your Pool.

 

[pwrstrk]

If you saw algae you need to SLAM the pool.
Add enough stabilizer to get to a level of 30 for the SLAM process. When the SLAM is done you can then raise it to 70-80 for your SWG. ?

 

[Drsafety]

Thanks. Is there a proper way to pour the bleach in the pool without harming the liner? Do I just purchase unscented bleach from the grocery store? What stabilizer do you recommend?


20 x 40 single roman end, ~40,000, vinyl, Hayward cartridge, Cirrcupool RJ65 swg, Hayward 140k BTU heater, polaris 380

 

[pwrstrk]

Pour the bleach slowly in front of a return with the pump running. Any regular household bleach. I use the Walmart brand bleach and you can pick up the stabilizer there also. ?

 

[Drsafety]

The pool calculator indicates that I need to add 332 oz of 6% bleach. Any issue with fading my liner? Why should I not buy shock for the pool? Should I pour it slowly in front of a return in the deep end? Sorry for all the questions, I just want to understand the procedure. Thanks!


20 x 40 single roman end, ~40,000, vinyl, Hayward cartridge, Cirrcupool RJ65 swg, Hayward 140k BTU heater, polaris 380

 

[pwrstrk]

You probably won't find any 6% bleach. It's all 8.25% now.
You won't hurt your liner or fade it.
You can add it in the deep or shallow end.
The powered shock adds CYA. Its one of the side effects of it.

 

[Richard320]

Skip pool calculator. Use poolmath now. The link is up on top. It will calculate using 8.25% bleach.

You don't want to use powdered shocks because they leave behind nasty byproducts. Calcium that could form scale, especially on your SWG element, or CYA. Which sounds great, since you need some, but it also does nasty things to your currently good pH. Scroll down on poolmath and play with Effects of Adding Chemicals and you'll see what I mean.

Oh... and if those shock powders don't dissolve completely, they'll settle on your liner and bleach white freckles in it. For that matter, scattering CYA could do things like that as well, which is why we advise tying it up in a sock or nylon and hanging it in a return or bobbing off a floating pool toy or one of the empty bleach jugs while it dissolves.

 

[Drsafety]

Does adding bleach change any other parameter besides FC? It sounds like when you first open a pool you have to sanitize it and the swg cannot keep up initially. I added some algaecide...does that hurt a pool? I thought I read where this site doesn't recommend it.


20 x 40 single roman end, ~40,000, vinyl, Hayward cartridge, Cirrcupool RJ65 swg, Hayward 140k BTU heater, polaris 380

 

[pwrstrk]

Adding bleach will effect nothing else but your FC. That's why we recommend using it. No side effects. It only adds chlorine, a little salt and water.
The algaecide won't hurt the pool. You just don't need it if you keep your FC in range for your CYA level. That's how you prevent algae. ?

 

[Drsafety]

Thanks! I'm heading to Walmart in the morning to buy non-scented bleach. What cya/ stabilizer should I buy and how do you recommend using it? I'm shooting for 20-30 ppm.


20 x 40 single roman end, ~40,000, vinyl, Hayward cartridge, Cirrcupool RJ65 swg, Hayward 140k BTU heater, polaris 380

 

[Richard320]

Thanks! I'm heading to Walmart in the morning to buy non-scented bleach. What cya/ stabilizer should I buy and how do you recommend using it? I'm shooting for 20-30 ppm.


20 x 40 single roman end, ~40,000, vinyl, Hayward cartridge, Cirrcupool RJ65 swg, Hayward 140k BTU heater, polaris 380

http://www.troublefreepool.com/content/139-recommended-pool-chemicals

 

[pwrstrk]

They sell the HTH brand stabilizer.
Add the stabilizer to a sock or a nylon knee high and hang it in front of a return with the pump running until it's all dissolved. Don't bother testing for it now. It takes a week for it to fully register on a test. Just assume it's there. Use pool math to determine the amount to add.
I use the knee high. ?

 

[Drsafety]

It appears there is Sodium Hydroxide and Sodium Hypochlorite in great value bleach. Is this correct? Does it matter if it is concentrated bleach?


20 x 40 single roman end, ~40,000, vinyl, Hayward cartridge, Cirrcupool RJ65 swg, Hayward 140k BTU heater, polaris 380

 

[Richard320]

It appears there is Sodium Hydroxide and Sodium Hypochlorite in great value bleach. Is this correct? Does it matter if it is concentrated bleach?

That's the stuff. Concentrated is a plus; fewer jugs to carry. Just avoid anything that says scented or splashless. Be sure you enter the correct strength in poolmath when figuring dosage. And if they're ashamed to tell you the strength, avoid it. You buying a lot of extra water.

 

[Drsafety]

On pool calculator, why does it state: "Note: Be careful if your CYA is really and truly zero!"


20 x 40 single roman end, ~40,000 gallon, garrett vinyl liner, Hayward SwimClear Cartridge Filter, Hayward 2 HP Pump, Cirrcupool RJ65 SWG, Hayward 140k BTU Heater, polaris 380 with Booster Pump

 

[Drsafety]

Results this morning before doing anything,,,

PH (Taylor k-1000) = 7.5
Chlorine (Taylor k-1000) = 1-2
Total Alkalinity = 110
Calcium Hardness =
CYA (stabilizer) =
Free Chlorine = 1.5
Combined Chlorine = 0
Salt =
Temp = 73 degrees F

The pool looks crystal clear


20 x 40 single roman end, ~40,000 gallon, garrett vinyl liner, Hayward SwimClear Cartridge Filter, Hayward 2 HP Pump, Cirrcupool RJ65 SWG, Hayward 140k BTU Heater, polaris 380 with Booster Pump

 

[pwrstrk]

Go ahead and add your CYA to get 30 ppm. I would raise FC up to 2-3 ppm until your cya is dissolved then adjust FC for the CYA level.
Do you have any visible algae ? You state water is clear and having zero CC's you may not need to SLAM. If there is no SLAM needed you can then bump CYA level up a little more. How much sun does your pool get through out the day ?

 

[Drsafety]

I'm in WV. My pool gets full sun most of the day. So you recommend adding bleach to raise the FC level to 2-3? I will also add CYA.


20 x 40 single roman end, ~40,000 gallon, garrett vinyl liner, Hayward SwimClear Cartridge Filter, Hayward 2 HP Pump, Cirrcupool RJ65 SWG, Hayward 140k BTU Heater, polaris 380 with Booster Pump

 

[pwrstrk]

2-3 so there is some FC in there to prevent algae from forming.
When you add CYA to 30 then raise FC to 5 and don't let it fall below 2.