Ok...just discovered you a couple of days ago and am really excited to FINALLY start tking control of my pool. For the last 2 years been struggling with FC issues...32K gallon plaster Anthony/Sylvan pool, 15 years old with DE filter. Opened pool Tuesday, vacuumed up silt re: mesh cover, water pretty clear, waited 48 hours and then took water sample to 2 different pool stores (just to see if I get similar test results and advice). Any how, PH 8.8+!!, TA way high, CYA close to zero and FC is zero! Both stores similar readings...
One advised 60 lbs of PH down (in 8lb. doses) and the other said drain the pool a foot or 2 and come back for a new reading. Once the pool drained I put about 4-5 lbs. of PH down (could not believe my PH and TA were really that high) before going to sleep and started throwing Super Pool Treat (dichlor shock) in 8 and 12 cups at a time for a few times before going to sleep (watching the mushroom clouds foam up from the bottom of the pool everytime I threw in shock).
In the midst of my evening I found this website and forum and have ordered the TF 100 test kit (hope to get it early this week) and started reading the Pool School!
Next morning I checked the PH and TA and believe it or not it appeared close to normal! Threw in 12 cups shock, still saw mushroom clouds, waited 2 hours and took water samples to 2 stores. Confirmed FC zero, but CYA up to 20-30 (different readings from each store), but TA perfect and PH down to 6.8-7!! Can you imagine if I had followed the one stores advise and starting throwing in 60 lbs of PH Down!!! Now the advise was from one, 4lbs of shock every 4 hours until FC "purple" (3-5) on test strip (did this last year but once purple, I still had to shock every 2 days to get any FC readings -- I did NOT want to repeat that process again this year!). The other store said drain again and then come back (he was nice enough to say don't waste money on chemicals yet). BTW, no one could explain the mysterious new PH/TA readings...still a mystery to me unless someone could help me understand?
Got home and did more TFP reading and discovered that the shock actually increases CYA and reduces PH and it better to use regular bleach instead! Also read about Borax and Baking Soda and sent wife on a mission to go get! My plan was to get PH/TA right before SLAMing the pool -- hope this was right? Pool calculator said 4 boxes of Borax; I put 2 last night and went to sleep...this morning improved some and put other 2 boxes and 2 hours later 7.2 using Poolmaster test kit. TA about 130. Per pool calculator, for a CYA of 30, I need to shock to 12 FC, so it said 800 ounces of 6% bleach. I put it in, 2 hours later, FC zero or close...
So, at this point I sent wife to go by 16 more 96 oz. bottles of bleach and she will buy more tomorrow (with coupons!)...
Am I on right track? I still have about 25 lbs. of Super Pool Treat (dichlor shock) and waiting for wife to come back from store with bleach. At this point, I plan on throwing 2 more rounds of bleach in and then continuing tomorrow...
Any advice greatly appreciated...should I drain a foot or 2 and refill with my treated well water first or go for the SLAM?
Is all of this a waste until I get my test kit?
Excited to be here and thanks for any help!!
One advised 60 lbs of PH down (in 8lb. doses) and the other said drain the pool a foot or 2 and come back for a new reading. Once the pool drained I put about 4-5 lbs. of PH down (could not believe my PH and TA were really that high) before going to sleep and started throwing Super Pool Treat (dichlor shock) in 8 and 12 cups at a time for a few times before going to sleep (watching the mushroom clouds foam up from the bottom of the pool everytime I threw in shock).
In the midst of my evening I found this website and forum and have ordered the TF 100 test kit (hope to get it early this week) and started reading the Pool School!
Next morning I checked the PH and TA and believe it or not it appeared close to normal! Threw in 12 cups shock, still saw mushroom clouds, waited 2 hours and took water samples to 2 stores. Confirmed FC zero, but CYA up to 20-30 (different readings from each store), but TA perfect and PH down to 6.8-7!! Can you imagine if I had followed the one stores advise and starting throwing in 60 lbs of PH Down!!! Now the advise was from one, 4lbs of shock every 4 hours until FC "purple" (3-5) on test strip (did this last year but once purple, I still had to shock every 2 days to get any FC readings -- I did NOT want to repeat that process again this year!). The other store said drain again and then come back (he was nice enough to say don't waste money on chemicals yet). BTW, no one could explain the mysterious new PH/TA readings...still a mystery to me unless someone could help me understand?
Got home and did more TFP reading and discovered that the shock actually increases CYA and reduces PH and it better to use regular bleach instead! Also read about Borax and Baking Soda and sent wife on a mission to go get! My plan was to get PH/TA right before SLAMing the pool -- hope this was right? Pool calculator said 4 boxes of Borax; I put 2 last night and went to sleep...this morning improved some and put other 2 boxes and 2 hours later 7.2 using Poolmaster test kit. TA about 130. Per pool calculator, for a CYA of 30, I need to shock to 12 FC, so it said 800 ounces of 6% bleach. I put it in, 2 hours later, FC zero or close...
So, at this point I sent wife to go by 16 more 96 oz. bottles of bleach and she will buy more tomorrow (with coupons!)...
Am I on right track? I still have about 25 lbs. of Super Pool Treat (dichlor shock) and waiting for wife to come back from store with bleach. At this point, I plan on throwing 2 more rounds of bleach in and then continuing tomorrow...
Any advice greatly appreciated...should I drain a foot or 2 and refill with my treated well water first or go for the SLAM?
Is all of this a waste until I get my test kit?
Excited to be here and thanks for any help!!
