You're now in control! Great job. Feels awesome doesn't it? Keep in the recommended FC range, always at or above the low number and you're set. It's so easy you will certainly develop sparklypoolitis.
Mike59
- Thread starter Mike59
- Start date
So next steps......
Do I stop adding CL until numbers get down to between 6 and 9 and then test every night and add CL to bring level back up to 9?
Do I need to test mid-day to see if level is going below 6 or now that the pool is SLAM'ed it should stay between those numbers for at least a day?
Do I stop adding CL until numbers get down to between 6 and 9 and then test every night and add CL to bring level back up to 9?
Do I need to test mid-day to see if level is going below 6 or now that the pool is SLAM'ed it should stay between those numbers for at least a day?
P.S. - I have a 50lb container of brand new Leslie's Chlor-Brite and 25lbs of 3" pucks if anyone is interested. 
jcowart
0
Just let it drift down. The average daily loss "your mileage may vary" is 2ppm. That's why you need to target above the minimum. Start keeping a log and soon you will learn your pools personality. Then you can start looking at what kinda day the pool saw. Cloudy, full Sun, part sun.
Keep the tabs for vacations and when you can't tend to the pool. Pool math has an effects of chemicals at the bottom. You can see how much one 8oz tab will introduce.
Keep the tabs for vacations and when you can't tend to the pool. Pool math has an effects of chemicals at the bottom. You can see how much one 8oz tab will introduce.
Thank you so much guys! I'm feeling great this morning!
I was one of the lucky ones where the SLAM didn't take too long, but I wish I found you guys 3 years ago.
I just changed my signature by putting "(Retired)" next to my Chlorine Feeder.
I was one of the lucky ones where the SLAM didn't take too long, but I wish I found you guys 3 years ago.
I just changed my signature by putting "(Retired)" next to my Chlorine Feeder.
You mentioned at the beginning of your post about Borax and was advised to hold off on that for a bit. If you are interested in added excellence, then it sounds like it's time for the borax and muratic acid.
Jim, once CL levels are within maintenance range I will test everything again.
I'm suspecting my pH might be a little low, but I will see.
I did buy a pack of pH Increaser at the pool store before this all began but never used it. I also have Borax.
Is it ok to use Increaser, or just throw that away and use Borax?
And where do I get muratic acid if I need any?
I'm suspecting my pH might be a little low, but I will see.
I did buy a pack of pH Increaser at the pool store before this all began but never used it. I also have Borax.
Is it ok to use Increaser, or just throw that away and use Borax?
And where do I get muratic acid if I need any?
We recommend borax (or washing soda) because it is cheap. PH increaser is just a pool store markup of the same thing. You can use it when you need it.
You can get muratic acid at hardware/home improvement stores (lowe's, home depot, etc.) Make sure that you get the 31.45% strength.
You can get muratic acid at hardware/home improvement stores (lowe's, home depot, etc.) Make sure that you get the 31.45% strength.
I'm not sure what the pool guys had you putting in your pool before. When I bought my home I found that my pool water looked spectacular compared to others. The previous owner had no idea what the pool guys where having them throw in. I bought the LaMotte borate test strips and found that my pool was already at 50 ppm.
Use the borax instead of increaser unless your borates are ridiculously high. I have a jet that I can use to aerate with to increase ph but I never have to bring up ph. Your ph will be through the roof if you start at 0 ppm and try to go all the way to 50 ppm without muratic acid.
Where I live Borax is cheapest at Walmart, but its always an empty spot on the rack this time of year. I just finally caught 7 boxes on the shelf this week.
For muratic acid, only Lowes and pool suppliers have straight muratic acid. Lowe's is cheaper. Home Depot only sells the low fumes, "safe" version around here, which you don't want. You want plain old muratic acid.
Use the borax instead of increaser unless your borates are ridiculously high. I have a jet that I can use to aerate with to increase ph but I never have to bring up ph. Your ph will be through the roof if you start at 0 ppm and try to go all the way to 50 ppm without muratic acid.
Where I live Borax is cheapest at Walmart, but its always an empty spot on the rack this time of year. I just finally caught 7 boxes on the shelf this week.
For muratic acid, only Lowes and pool suppliers have straight muratic acid. Lowe's is cheaper. Home Depot only sells the low fumes, "safe" version around here, which you don't want. You want plain old muratic acid.
Jim,
Sorry, but I'm confused about your comments on borates. I don't understand what they are. pH is a number between 0 and 14, so I'm losing you when you are talking about pH and 50 ppm. I'm sure it is just me....but you lost me. What am I missing?
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Thanks. I will look at the ingredients on the stuff I already bought at the pool store and use that first so as not to just throw it away if it is same as Borax.
I have a Lowe's 5 minutes away so I will pick up some muratic acid and keep on hand.
Sorry, but I'm confused about your comments on borates. I don't understand what they are. pH is a number between 0 and 14, so I'm losing you when you are talking about pH and 50 ppm. I'm sure it is just me....but you lost me. What am I missing?
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Thanks. I will look at the ingredients on the stuff I already bought at the pool store and use that first so as not to just throw it away if it is same as Borax.
I have a Lowe's 5 minutes away so I will pick up some muratic acid and keep on hand.
Oh sorry for the confusion. You mentioned Borax somewhere way early in your post so I thought you had read up on it's use to put borate in your pool. Borate is an optional enhancement. Not a necessary one. My reference to 50 ppm is for the recommended borate level.
Borax raises ph, the muratic acid lowers it. When bringing up borate levels, they have to be used together. With your size pool it will take boxes of Borax and a couple gallons of muratic acid. The PoolMath makes it easy to find how much of each.
Borax raises ph, the muratic acid lowers it. When bringing up borate levels, they have to be used together. With your size pool it will take boxes of Borax and a couple gallons of muratic acid. The PoolMath makes it easy to find how much of each.
I think jimingreen was talking about borates which is chemistry 201. Some folks add borates to 50 ppm to help stabilize PH, make water more silky, mild algaecide.
Here is an article discussing borates:
http://www.troublefreepool.com/threads/4655-So-you-want-to-add-borates-to-your-pool-Why-and-How
Borates are added using a lot of borax, but it takes a lot and most people don't have to worry about high borates unless they purposefully add it to reach higher levels. Using borax over a long period of time can cause you to reach the high level of borates.
In the end, it is cheaper and zero side effects if you aerate your water to bring up your PH. Aerating can be done easily by turning a return eyeball to point to the surface of the pool. Others use air compressors to aerate and handy folks have made homemade water fall like devices to aerate.
Here is an article discussing borates:
http://www.troublefreepool.com/threads/4655-So-you-want-to-add-borates-to-your-pool-Why-and-How
Borates are added using a lot of borax, but it takes a lot and most people don't have to worry about high borates unless they purposefully add it to reach higher levels. Using borax over a long period of time can cause you to reach the high level of borates.
In the end, it is cheaper and zero side effects if you aerate your water to bring up your PH. Aerating can be done easily by turning a return eyeball to point to the surface of the pool. Others use air compressors to aerate and handy folks have made homemade water fall like devices to aerate.
Ok. I think I'll stick with chemistry 101 for now.
but will read up on that for later.....would like to see what a silky pool feels like. 
I keep my nozzles pointed to the surface and can also keep my sliding board on which should all help aerate.
Thanks guys!
but will read up on that for later.....would like to see what a silky pool feels like. I keep my nozzles pointed to the surface and can also keep my sliding board on which should all help aerate.
Thanks guys!
A new question...I was reading on another thread where the person was worried that the bleach might be causing his vinyl liner to make white marks. They were doing other things too, so no real answer. It read that chlorine is heavier than water so it sinks. I was walking around pool and pouring it in. Do I need to have any concern or be doing it differently to avoid whitening the liner? I always figured liquid should not be a problem because it dilutes so quickly, but don't want a surprise 2 months down the road.
Pour slowly in front of a return jet so it circulates out into the pool.
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It is a noticeable improvement. Being as cheap as I am, I would have never done an "optional" chemical. It was already in the pool when I bought the house and it took a bit to figure out why our pool looked and felt so much better than anyone else's. I actually figured it out through TFP and sent away for the test strips. From now on I will always have 50 ppm in the pool.
I just read the article. It does sound tempting. But I'm going to just make sure my CL and everything else stay stable for the next month or so. That is the most important to me right now, as I haven't had that in years. Plus my dog ignores his water bowl and loves to take a drink from the pool. Not sure I can break her of that habit.
Now that SLAM is done, how long should I run my pump? Is it better to run during the day or just at night after I add CL for the day?