Hi Everybody!
I came to TFP initially because my 5-year-old pool was in serious trouble and I was totally lost! So I read and read and lurked and lurked. I've stabilized my pool now and here's how I categorize the chems & processes in my head. Feel free to correct any errors. (Remember one month ago, I knew practically nothing!)
THE CHEMS
The Difficult-To-Lower Chems (Add chemical to Raise and physically replace water to Lower):
It's important to know that some of the "Not-Too-Difficult"-To-Raise-Or-Lower Chems work in conjunction with some of the "Difficult"-To-Lower or "Sort Of Difficult"-To-Lower Chems:
OK, so when starting out, know these things:
REMEMBER! Using anything but Bleach/Liquid Chlorine/Lithium Hypochlorite (or SWCG) for chlorination will affect your CYA and CH levels! Use these only if you also want to adjust the chemical that's bound to the Chlorine. (Dichlor and trichlor are bound to CYA so they will add CYA and lower pH. Cal-hypo is bound to Calcium and it will add CH.)
I came to TFP initially because my 5-year-old pool was in serious trouble and I was totally lost! So I read and read and lurked and lurked. I've stabilized my pool now and here's how I categorize the chems & processes in my head. Feel free to correct any errors. (Remember one month ago, I knew practically nothing!)
THE CHEMS
The Difficult-To-Lower Chems (Add chemical to Raise and physically replace water to Lower):
[*=1]Salt - aka NaCl (Water Softener Salt/Pellets to raise; replace h2o to lower)
[*=1]Cyanuric Acid - aka CYA (Stabilizer to raise; replace h2o to lower)
[*=1]Calcium Hardness - aka CH (Calcium Chloride to raise; replace h2o to lower)
[*=1]Borates (Boric Acid or (Borax + Muriatic Acid) to raise; replace h2o to lower)
The "Sort Of" Difficult-To-Lower Chem (Add chemical to Raise and manipulate water environment to Lower)
[*=1]Total Alkalinity - aka TA (Baking Soda to raise; Muriatic Acid/Dry Acid to lower (which also lowers pH) AND then aeration to raise pH
The "Not Too Difficult"-To-Raise-Or-Lower Chems (Add chemical to Raise and Lower OR just "Wait-It-Out" to Lower)
[*=1]pH (Borax, Soda Ash or Aeration to raise; Muriatic Acid or Dry Acid to lower)
[*=1]Free Chlorine - aka FC (Liquid Clorine, Bleach or Lithium Hypochlorite to raise; lowers over time OR SWCG + Salt to raise; lowers over time)
It's important to know that some of the "Not-Too-Difficult"-To-Raise-Or-Lower Chems work in conjunction with some of the "Difficult"-To-Lower or "Sort Of Difficult"-To-Lower Chems:
[*=1]CYA stabilizes FC (too much CYA creates FC/Algae problems; too little CYA and FC succumbs to sunlight & dies)
[*=1]TA buffers pH (too much TA raises pH and scale will form; too little TA causes pH to fluctuate rapidly (aka pH "Bounce"))
OK, so when starting out, know these things:
[*=1]New-fill water may have little to no Salt, none to some Borates, no CYA and no FC.
[*=1]It will, however, have pH, CH and TA levels right out of the tap.
[*=1]First thing to do is to get a good test kit (e.g. Taylor K-2006 --> http://www.amazon.com/Taylor-Complete-FAS-DPD-Water-K-2006/dp/B0002IXIIG).
For a new-fill Fresh Water Pool:
- Add CYA (Using Stabilizer, raise CYA from 0 to 40 - 70 ppm)
- Add Chlorine for CYA level (Using Liquid Chlorine, Bleach or Lithium Hypochlorite, raise chlorine from 0 to 16 - 28 ppm for specific CYA levels; see chart --> http://www.troublefreepool.com/content/128-chlorine-cya-chart-slam-shock.
- Perform Overnight Chlorine Loss Test (OCLT); see here --> http://www.troublefreepool.com/content/136-perform-the-overnight-fc-chlorine-loss-test-oclt
- If OCLT test is passed, let chlorine level drift down for CYA level, i.e., 5 - 8 ppm, (see above chart) and maintain these levels.
For a new-fill Salt Water Pool:
- Buy a Salt water test kit --> http://www.amazon.com/TAYLOR-TECHNO...5?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1405290079&sr=1-5
- Add Salt to the level required by your SWCG (e.g., 3000 to 4000 ppm)
- Add CYA (Using Stabilizer, raise CYA from 0 to 60 - 80 ppm)
- Add Chlorine for CYA level (Using Liquid Chlorine, Bleach or Lithium Hypochlorite, raise chlorine from 0 to 24 - 31 ppm for specific CYA levels; see above chart).
- Perform Overnight Chlorine Loss Test (OCLT); see here --> http://www.troublefreepool.com/content/136-perform-the-overnight-fc-chlorine-loss-test-oclt
- If OCLT test is passed, let chlorine level drift down for CYA level, i.e., 4 - 6 ppm, (see above chart) and maintain these levels.
Next, for both Fresh & Salt Water Pools:
[*=1]Get TA to an ideal level (80-120 ppm).
[*=1]Adjust pH (up or down) as necessary.
[*=1]Test FC & pH on daily basis - adjust as necessary.
[*=1]Test CYA, CH and Salt on a weekly basis.
[*=1]Test TA twice per week, more frequently if you're having pH problems.
[*=1]Learn to use the Pool Calulator to determine the proper levels --> http://www.troublefreepool.com/calc.html
[*=1]Add granular Boric Acid to 50 - 80 ppm -->http://www.dudadiesel.com/search.php?query=boric+acid
[*=1]Use the Pool Calculator to determine amount to add
[*=1]Buy a Borate tester --> http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JGAXHEQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
REMEMBER! Using anything but Bleach/Liquid Chlorine/Lithium Hypochlorite (or SWCG) for chlorination will affect your CYA and CH levels! Use these only if you also want to adjust the chemical that's bound to the Chlorine. (Dichlor and trichlor are bound to CYA so they will add CYA and lower pH. Cal-hypo is bound to Calcium and it will add CH.)