just want to be sure i am doing the right thing

[New and confused]

Does anyone know why my bleach says concentrate on the label, but the chlorine percentage is 8.25? The bottle is a 121 oz and it says it equals 182oz.

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Also is it better to work on bringing my TA down during the evening or is it okay to do now before swimmers get in the pool?
TA 260
ph 7.8
TC 4
CYA 20 or below (have already added another lb of stabilizer)

 

[Richard320]

"Concentrate" is a marketing tool. Last year, Clorox was 6%

Just add acid to lower pH to 7.2, allow it fifteen minutes to disperse, and let the swimmers get in to finish mixing it and aerate the water for you.

 

[New and confused]

Thanks - my bleach is an off brand, but do you think it is still 6%? I have been entering 8 in pool math.

 

[Kiss4aFrog]

Easy enough to find out. It should be on the label in back.

 

[New and confused]

Yep that's where I looked 8.25% so I just ignore the concentrated and dose as pool math says right?

 

[Kiss4aFrog]

Yup, just toss in 8.25 for strength and let Pool Math do it's thing

 

[New and confused]

What do you think is drying my skin the chlorine or the hardness of my water? I tested the hardness and it is at the top of the target. I was just wondering if there is something I could do to keep my skin from drying out.

 

[jblizzle]

The CH would not have anything to do with drying your skin. You could try adding some salt ....

 

[Kiss4aFrog]

The pool chemicals to a degree naturally strip away the oil from your skin. If your chemical balance is out then it's even worse. Keep the pool balanced as best you can, shower after exiting the pool to rinse off the chlorine and use a good moisturizer or oil after the shower.

You could try adding borates : http://www.troublefreepool.com/threads/4655-So-you-want-to-add-borates-to-your-pool-Why-and-How

Several companies are selling sodium tetraborate pentahydrate as a pool additive under such names as Proteam's Supreme, Bioguard's Optimizer Plus, Poollife Endure, Guardex Maximizer, and others. Several claims have been made for these products when used in a 30-50 ppm concentration such as:
1) more stable pH
2) Algaestatic properties
3) reduced chlorine usage
4) silkier feeling water--less skin and eye irritation
5) clearer, 'sparkling' water

 

[New and confused]

Thanks - It's not horrible and my water is not quite balanced yet. (TA and CYA are still way off) so I will try and fix these first - just wondering.

 

[jblizzle]

A quick shower after getting out is always a good idea.

 

[New and confused]

Does anyone know what the tiny sliver like bugs are that attach themselves to my scumball are called? They are pale brownish yellow and very gross!

 

[New and confused]

or how to get rid of them?

 

[Kiss4aFrog]

Maybe a picture of them ??

 

[New and confused]

Well it is the middle of July and I wanted to say you were right! Things settled down and I am getting used to testing and regulating my chemicals. Your system is really great. I do have a question though. I have been having trouble with my ph drifting up every couple of days above 7.8 to 8.2. I usually pour in some muratic acid and it goes down for a few days and then drifts back up again. Is this ok to keep bouncing back and forth and adding acid? Also I put my bubble cover on today to conserve heat for the next few days (it's been in the low 70's and we want to keep the water as warm as possible)can I add muratic acid while the cover is on? Here are my current numbers:
cl 7.5 Thanks!
cc 0
TC 7.5
ph 8.2
TA 110
CYA about 20 a little less

 

[jblizzle]

Pretty normal for the TA to drift up. You can add acid with the cover on, although it may shorten the life of the cover some.

 

[Kiss4aFrog]

You could also dilute it in a 5 gal pail, acid into water and pull the cover back on part of the pool and add the mixture to that end (shallow or deep) with the pump on and give it 15 minutes to dissapate and pull the cover back on. That's how I do mine.

 

[New and confused]

Thanks I will do that tomorrow

 

[New and confused]

Hey everyone! Well the pool season is winding down for me; we're back to school and work and the weather is cooling down. It was a very trouble free pool season thanks to my friends here at TFP. So now I have a new question for all of you. What are some of your suggestions for shutting down a pool for the winter. Last winter we had the coldest on record in Chicago and quite a bit of snow, too. How did past pool owners survive it and any tips for me. We have never closed up a pool before and were just wondering about some ideas to make the process go smoothly and with very little trouble over the winter. How much snow can a pool cover hole before you have to try and scrape it off? Should I bother with pillows? I read the suggestions TFP gave for shutting down; that sounded simple enough, but then I read the threads of past pool owners and I got a little nervous; buckling pools and trying to chip away at frozen pools does not sound like fun. So.... any advice is welcome. Thanks again!

 

[Dreampool13]

I dunno about closing the pool for winter, but I just read all three pages hoping for a pic. An easy way to post a pic is to go to tinypic.com. After you upload your pic to their site, copy and paste the second line of code, then paste it in the comment box. I prefer tinypic because you don't have to create an account to use it. You can even easily do it with your smartphone.