I'm in the midst of performing a mustard algae shock, which is requiring an FC level of 45 due to a CYA level of 82. I recently bought this house, and both the previous owner and I had been using trichlor (I know, big mistake). Now I'm using bleach. My pH had been remarkably steady before the shock, but now it's higher than my test kit can measure. My question is: Is the high level of chlorine corrupting my results? Should I not worry about pH until after the FC returns to maintenance level, which will be 6 to 11 according to PoolMath? I would like to avoid adding muriatic acid if it's not necessary.
PH issues
- Thread starter TAK317
- Start date
Welcome to TFP!
The pH test reads artificially high when the FC is greater than 10. With a FC of 45ppm, your pH is likely high, but you can not accurately test it. Just wait until the FC drops.
The pH test reads artificially high when the FC is greater than 10. With a FC of 45ppm, your pH is likely high, but you can not accurately test it. Just wait until the FC drops.
Wow, that took a lot of bleach, but now it's crystal clear. I imagine that it's going to take a while for the FC to go down. Is there a certain level that it should be below to start using it again?
Yes, FC should be below normal shock level of 32 (based on your CYA).
btw, the CYA test result of 82, I would not trust that. You should do the dilution CYA test and try to confirm the CYA.
btw, the CYA test result of 82, I would not trust that. You should do the dilution CYA test and try to confirm the CYA.