New and brain is fried!

[Natesangel]

I usually love to figure things out on my own but after a four hours of reading my poor hot brain is just fried and spinning in circles! I just bought my first 'big' pool 12'x30" intex above ground round inflatable top. knowing i needed chemicals to treat so i can keep with the whole 'save money on water by only filling it once' i went to canadian tire and was recommended the aquarius starter kit (algaecide, shock, chlorine, test strips). i guess i was a little more tired than i thought as i put in 30oz of shock instead of 30g into the 5,500L of water, OOPS. after checking the readings i went out this morning and bought sodium thiosulfate to help bring it down so we can cool off a little faster (and my birthday is tomorrow!) and left the cover off over night. it's currently 28c. i called the manufacturer of the neutralizer and she recommend 75g to bring it down (package says 15g per 10,000 per 1ppm)
SO what i'm wondering is, how long should i be seeing results, does 75g seem right? (looks to me like i need to lower by 7ppm to get into right range?) and would it be safe to go in? how long should i wait before allowing family to swim? i am including the only numbers i have from the test strip (they suck it would appear but i am having trouble finding anything better locally at this moment). i did also buy the liquid test kit for ph/chlorine levels and that colour is off it's chart and showing dark orange.


FC - Free Chlorine - over 10 (that's as high as it lists test is dark purple)
CC or TC - Combined Chlorine or Total Chlorine - not listed
pH - between 7.2 and 7.8 (orange with just a hint of pink so right around the middle somewhere?)
TA - Total Alkalinity - ?this one is hard to read, colour is somewhere between the 40 and the 80 closer to 80 in colouring. (green)
CH - Calcium Hardness - not listed
CYA - Cyanuric Acid (stabilizer/conditioner) - darker than the orange (30-50) but not as pinkish as the pink (100)
i hope someone is able to understand this! thanks for reading my long post and for any help you can give

forgot to add (reading pool school!) water looks and smells perfect clear soft and soooo inviting!

 

[Texas Splash]

Hello and welcome to TFP. I wish we would've heard from you before you tried any of those pool store products. In any case, let's try to get you back on track.

#1 priority - the right test kit (NOT strips). You can't het the TF-100 shipped to Canada, but you can get the Taylor K-2006. You really need that kit to test water yourself.
#2 - Don't put anything else in your pool other than liquid chlorine for sanitizing, acid for PH, or other household products noted on this site (i.e. baking soda, washing soda).

The test strips you are using are probably getting bleached-out from the chlorine which is one reason we never use them. There are 2 links below you really want to keep handy right now: Chlorine/CYA chart and the Recommended Levels Chart. Ideally you need the Taylor K-2006 to know those readings for sure. To adjust those levels up or down, simply go to our Poolmath Calculator (link also below). Enter your pool volume at the top, then your NOW and TARGET for each item. The calculator will tell you what to add and how much.

Try to digest that info for now since we don't want to overload you too bad. Let us know if you have questions and we'll go from there. Don't forget the test kit! Welcome!

 

[Natesangel]

thanks! looking into the test kit but for this moment budget is tapped out (i'm working on it hard though!) picked up some baking soda instead of the 'alka boost' or ph stuff that was in store!!

 

[pooldv]

+1 on getting the Taylor K-2006 asap so you can give us real and accurate test results. Sorta pinkish and around this number are not adequate. We (you) need to know what the numbers really are. Once we know then clearing up your pool is easy.

It is safe to swim when:
PH is between 7.2 and 7.8
Chlorine is above minimum level for your CYA
Chlorine is below shock level for your CYA
Water is clear.

Use the Chlorine CYA Chart to determine what the chlorine level should be in your pool.

 

[April]

Baking Soda raises TA.
Borax raises PH.

Be sure not to mix them up. Your TA (if it is 80) is high enough.

 

[Texas Splash]

Understand. So for now, definitely follow the Poomath calculator when adjusting because it will tell you exactly what to use and how much. So you don't have to go the pool store and seem lost where they take advantage of you. Anyways, most of the stuff you need, except the acid, you can get at your local grocery store. There are LOTS of TFP members from Canada, so I'm suspect some of them will reply to this thread to give you some pointers from up North.

 

[April]

Also you won't get a proper reading on ph when your FC is over 10.

 

[pooldv]

More here about Recommended Pool Chemicals

 

[Natesangel]

yep! trying to keep tabs for all of it so i keep them straight going forward, picked up the baking soda so that it's on hand, borax is the next shopping trip!

 

[pooldv]

You'll have it all memorized soon enough. I only had to read it all 30 or 40 times.

 

[Natesangel]

thank you all! after a large drain and refill due to slanting this morning the levels are PERFECT according to my little strips and the chlorine/ph dropper set (easier to get a bottom of pool reading at least!) getting there slowly. i have the school bookmarked and have been reading/re-reading little bits at a time.