10 year pool owner. Persistent staining, year after year. Oklahoma dirt blows (nothing I can do about that) into my pool and it causes stains. I live in the country, and Oklahoma is Oklahoma.... So I went to the pool store and dumped in what they told me to dump, when they told me to dump it, as often as they told me to dump it. But this year, I did it three times and it didn't work. So after 3 - $100 visits to the pool store in three weeks, I Googled. I am a teacher, so I think it is important to be informed. I found a TFP line on staining. After visiting with a chemistry teacher down the street, he said it sounded good. So, I started POOL SCHOOL.
My CYA was 120 so I drained my pool to 1/4 and refilled (that was scarey because I know my well water causes the stains that I was trying to get rid of) and started the balancing. I see many people post threads saying they are on water restriction.... we are on a well, but we pay high electric bills to get the water, so we don't use water/electricity from 2:00-7:00. I got the job done. My FC was zero, Ph was 7.5, TA was 270, CH was 220 and CYA was lowered to 40. So I worked on building an aerator. My aerator looks similar to the one posted at pool school, but cooler!
Started aeration -- muriatic acid-- aeration---muriatic acid....
As of 8:00 tonight, my CYA is 40 and CH is 220. My PH is 7.8. TA is down from 270 to 150! My pool is green... first is was a euphoric "Pensacola Beach" aquamarine (maybe from the 2 boxes of Borax) but now it is green and cloudy. Unfortunately, it is hard to read fast enough. So my "old brain" poured in 6 oz of copper algaecide. Then when I came back into my house, I read some more. Then I found the thread about not adding copper algaecide... well, I learned that too late.
So, I added 4 gallons of Clorox (and I may get stains- but I know how to deal with those thanks to TFP.
I just need to get the green out. I want one of those pretty pools that I see on TLC postings! Thanks for getting me added quickly. Now I have to learn how to use TFP website....that is a challenge too.
Gretchen
p.s. Wanted to give a shout out about the posting on spelling. Loved that!
My CYA was 120 so I drained my pool to 1/4 and refilled (that was scarey because I know my well water causes the stains that I was trying to get rid of) and started the balancing. I see many people post threads saying they are on water restriction.... we are on a well, but we pay high electric bills to get the water, so we don't use water/electricity from 2:00-7:00. I got the job done. My FC was zero, Ph was 7.5, TA was 270, CH was 220 and CYA was lowered to 40. So I worked on building an aerator. My aerator looks similar to the one posted at pool school, but cooler!
Started aeration -- muriatic acid-- aeration---muriatic acid....
As of 8:00 tonight, my CYA is 40 and CH is 220. My PH is 7.8. TA is down from 270 to 150! My pool is green... first is was a euphoric "Pensacola Beach" aquamarine (maybe from the 2 boxes of Borax) but now it is green and cloudy. Unfortunately, it is hard to read fast enough. So my "old brain" poured in 6 oz of copper algaecide. Then when I came back into my house, I read some more. Then I found the thread about not adding copper algaecide... well, I learned that too late.
So, I added 4 gallons of Clorox (and I may get stains- but I know how to deal with those thanks to TFP.
I just need to get the green out. I want one of those pretty pools that I see on TLC postings! Thanks for getting me added quickly. Now I have to learn how to use TFP website....that is a challenge too.
Gretchen
p.s. Wanted to give a shout out about the posting on spelling. Loved that!