First time Pool owner with a couple of ?'s

[dwb0804]

I recently purchased a home with a 34,000 gallon L shaped in ground pool. The previous owners apparently had not kept up with adding chemicals for several months.

I have sand filter, Vinyl Liner, Tiger Shark bot cleaner

Two weeks ago I took a water sample to local pool store.

FC: 0
TC: 0
CC: 0
pH: < 6.3
CH: 0
CYA: 2
The water was never green just a little hazy

Now 2 weeks and $450 of chemicals later I am at. (to be fair I probably still have ~ $100 that are not used yet)

FC: 8.23
TC: 8.5
CC: 0.27
pH: 8.0
CH: 129
CYA: 4
Water is clear

Since this test they have had me add 4.6 lb of pH down, and 25 lb of Ca Hardener, I have not re tested water since then.

I have been reading pool school, and so far I have ordered the F-100 pool test kit.

Do y'all have any recommendations, also I am running my filter 24/7 that seems to be to much from what I read up her but pool store told me I was supposed to. Sorry for all the questions, this pool has just been so much more frustrating than I was expecting. Thanks in advance.

- Will

 

[karmabiker]

You have mastered the first steps! Finding us and ordering the tf100.

Once you have the test kit in a hand and post your first results ( can't trust the pool store) we can help you get it under control.

If your cya is truly 4 ( I doubt it ) you may need to add a bit of cyanuric acid. Other from that your regular chemistry will be bleach and muriatic acid ... From wherever you choose to buy them! No more getting pool stored.

With a vinyl liner there is no reason to worry about your ch.

Pump runtime can be considerably less than 24 h / day. Is it one speed, 2 speed,or variable speed?

How are you chlorinating right now?

 

[dwb0804]

You have mastered the first steps! Finding us and ordering the tf100.

Once you have the test kit in a hand and post your first results ( can't trust the pool store) we can help you get it under control.

If your cya is truly 4 ( I doubt it ) you may need to add a bit of cyanuric acid. Other from that your regular chemistry will be bleach and muriatic acid ... From wherever you choose to buy them! No more getting pool stored.

With a vinyl liner there is no reason to worry about your ch.

Pump runtime can be considerably less than 24 h / day. Is it one speed, 2 speed,or variable speed?

How are you chlorinating right now?

I am not sure about my pump, I will check tonight.

As for chorine, I have been using the 3 inch tabs from pool stood and putting then on the feeder next to the filter. I have taken them out of the filter for last week due to the FC being so high.

Thanks - will

 

[karmabiker]

Ok ... No more pucks, save those for when you go on vacation.

Read pool school in detail, use pool math to figure out how much cl to add.


Go buy some bleach, test the cl using what you have and post up some results.


We can get you rolling on liquid chlorination pretty quickly. It will make the process easier to understand when you get your kit.

Key to remember - cya level determines target cl level.

 

[dwb0804]

Ok ... No more pucks, save those for when you go on vacation.

Read pool school in detail, use pool math to figure out how much cl to add.


Go buy some bleach, test the cl using what you have and post up some results.


We can get you rolling on liquid chlorination pretty quickly. It will make the process easier to understand when you get your kit.

Key to remember - cya level determines target cl level.

Am I correct in thinking at this point my cl is to high, especially given my low CYA. It seems I need to get CYA up and either get cl down, or let it drift down by not adding any more for a while. I am waiting for my test kit to get here. I do have some 6-way strips from walmart so I will test again tonight. I agree I need to stay out of the pool store.

Thanks - will

 

[karmabiker]

Let it drift for now.

If (and this is a big if) you cya level is low we need to bring it up. For now just let it ride. It could actually be high. Pool stores are worse at cya than any other single test.

 

[dwb0804]

Well I did a quick test last night with my dipsticks from walmart

FC: 10
TC:
CC:
pH: 7.8
CH: 180
CYA: 100

What pool store told me:
FC: 8.23
TC: 8.5
CC: 0.27
pH: 8.0
CH: 129
CYA: 4

So I guess I am going to to have to start dumping water soon. I will wait for my test kit to get here first to validate those results.

I am so frustrated, the pool store has been selling me stabilizer every week telling me I need to keep adding to get the CYA up, I have 14 lb in the house now they told me to put in, so glad I joined this forum before I added it.

- will

 

[karmabiker]

It will all get easier from here. You have made the first step - knowledge.

 

[timerguy]

Think BBB! Bleach for cl, borax (20 mule team) for ph and baking soda for ta. All of those can be found at your local Wal-Mart. Then cya-can also be found at Wal-Mart. You might need muriatic acid to reduce ph and ta at some point-lowes or home depot. So all, at least most of the chemicals you need can be purchased for less than what the pool store is going to charge your for them. Use pool math to determine what and how much you need of them based on using the test results from your own test kit!

 

[dwb0804]

Hope to get some real data soon.


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[pwrstrk]

Good choice ! Almost like X-mas ! ?

 

[dwb0804]

Well I have tested and retested to make sure I was correct, results as bellow:


FC: 6
CC: 0
TA: 180
pH: 7.8 (first test I thought 7.5-7.8, second I settled on 7.8)
CH: 190
CYA: 100 I did it twice once the extended way and came up with same (this is also the same as my dipstick)

So my thought is to drain 50-60% and refill, then retest and worry about pH and FC after refill, or should I go ahead add Clorox and pH down now as Pool math tells me.

Any other thoughts?

Thanks in advance - will

 

[dwb0804]

Took it down to 14 inches in the shallow end. Refilling now. Will update when full and I re test. Thanks will

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[JVTrain]

Proper tests results you can trust and you're on your way. Test that CYA after a fill. Keep the FC up as well as you can so you don't lose sanitation ground. Maybe another partial drain, fill (or 2) and then you can move closer to a sparkly pool that YOU accomplished.

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[dwb0804]

About 8 inches of new water went in last night decided to go ahead and pull 8 more inches out this morning prior to going to work. I figured better to get it out now before cya is further diluted.

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