Hello from Virginia

[linen]

deekafry, could you put your pool details in sig? It quicker for us when we are answering your questions to have it in there.

I put a 1lb bag of aqua-chem dichlor (with copper) two weeks ago, but I do not know how much cya is still in the water. Since then I have not added any more because I don't have anymore. I do plan to obtain some once I am able to along with a better test kit.

So you have only put one bag in? Also, I am assuming you do not know what the previous owner used (other than maybe baqua) to chlorinate the pool? If you could go to a couple of pool stores with water samples and get a cya number that would be a start. The HTH 6-way drop based test kit at walmart does have the cya test in it...it is somewhere around $20.

Telling me that once "down to normal" and to have non-shocking levels is okay, helps a great deal. I suspected as much. I was getting clear OTO in the mornings and I was a little worried about that, but I figured that since the pool was clear and algae free it would be okay to swim in.

If we assume you have 0 cya right now (might not be the case), then you normal FC levels should be between 1 and 3. If you dose in the evening so that it is at 3 (and test with the OTO an hour later) then test in the morning and it has not dropped much...and your pool is clear, you can be fairly certain that your pool is algae free. Unfortunately with no cya in there your FC will dip when the sun is on the pool, so it is a bit of Russian roulette. If you dose to 3 ppm before swimmers and redose occasionally if it is a long swim session, then make sure your are at or slightly above that in the evening...it just might work for awhile.

Where do the other two "B's" fit in? As in Borax and Baking Soda? I have a half a box of 20 mule team and 3 #'s of Arm 'n Hammer.

The BBB method is really more about accurate testing and then proper adjustments based off of that testing and less about the specific names of chemicals used to treat the pool. That being said, if you need to raise Total Alkalinity only, Baking soda is the way to go. If you need to raise ph, borax is a good way to go (it only raises TA slightly) or aeration.

I know money is tight, but a good test kit will actually save you money, since you will be able to measure and dose to the optimal cya level...a level that reduces how much of your bleach is used by the sun but yet still is effective to kill organics. In addition, preventing an algae outbreak before it happens is a lot cheaper than getting rid of algae.

 

[deekayfry]

deekafry, could you put your pool details in sig? It quicker for us when we are answering your questions to have it in there.

Done. It looks incomplete does it need any more?

So you have only put one bag in? Also, I am assuming you do not know what the previous owner used (other than maybe baqua) to chlorinate the pool? If you could go to a couple of pool stores with water samples and get a cya number that would be a start. The HTH 6-way drop based test kit at walmart does have the cya test in it...it is somewhere around $20.

As for previous owner, I know a few things for certain. The pool was completely drained, the filters disassembled (sand unit was free of sand) and bottles of baquacil treatments were left behind. Also a couple bags of sand where left behind, too.

I do know when I negotiated the contract for the house the owner initially wanted to dismantle and take the pool. He then decided against it.

So, that is a good explanation for why the pool was empty and the filters disassembled.

Now, I am guessing the owner did have a serious issue with Baqua because he did buy a new filter and motor and some of the left behind reagent point to dealing with an epic algae bloom. The pool store does remember this person and thought he was a complete idiot because his solution of bigger motor/pump was stupid even to them (although they were glad to sell him the motor/pump and filter. Can't say that I blame them either).

So... so far, after I cleaned up the last bloom, I am going out on a limb hoping that there is non-existent residual Baqua (the filter is clean because I put in new sand). If there is residual Baqua, what affect will that have? (Something I have been meaning to ask).

The pool has a hole near the skimmer, too and another patch nearby. I do mean to fix this, which y'all can help me with, too.

Since, the pool has been empty for at least a year, I am worried about the vinyl, and I expect that it may bust at any time.

Hey, the house came with the pool if it fails I will pull it apart and sell it for scrap. I see the pool as a benefit not a need. But trust me, I don't want to lose it either!

As for test kit I looked for something like this at both Wal-Mart and at a Pool and Spa store. As for liquid, both had AquaChem OTO/pH test. The pool store had strips, which I personally feel is unreliable. I think because I looked at Wallie's pools stuff early this season the larger test kit has not been put up yet.

If we assume you have 0 cya right now (might not be the case), then you normal FC levels should be between 1 and 3. If you dose in the evening so that it is at 3 (and test with the OTO an hour later) then test in the morning and it has not dropped much...and your pool is clear, you can be fairly certain that your pool is algae free. Unfortunately with no cya in there your FC will dip when the sun is on the pool, so it is a bit of Russian roulette. If you dose to 3 ppm before swimmers and redose occasionally if it is a long swim session, then make sure your are at or slightly above that in the evening...it just might work for awhile.

Admittedly, it is a stop-gap with risks. As of now, I am the only swimmer, and I swim at most once a day.

I know money is tight, but a good test kit will actually save you money, since you will be able to measure and dose to the optimal cya level...a level that reduces how much of your bleach is used by the sun but yet still is effective to kill organics. In addition, preventing an algae outbreak before it happens is a lot cheaper than getting rid of algae.

I totally agree. As soon as I will afford it, I will be getting a test kit I already dealt with one serious algae bloom It is a A LOT of work!

I wish had taken pictures of the before.

 

[deekayfry]

Oh yeah, I forgot to ask about frogs

During the time the pool was down frogs made the pool into a breeding ground. So, naturally they have returned this year.

This morning, I pulled out six dead frogs and two barely surviving frogs.

Now, I love frogs and hated to see what happened. However, do you have any suggestions on dealing with this? I think that I may just have to live with this and skim and filter the pool during the day.

There appears to be three species (per my wife a frog enthusiast)

Northern spring peeper
Common gray tree frog
Eastern barking frog

Since we all love pictures, I will post some actual pictures we took later

 

[linen]

Sounds like you have a handle on the risks of maintaining with the just the OTO FC test.

Done. It looks incomplete does it need any more?

That is good. Thanks!

The pool was completely drained

Okay, that is good news. Other than the dichlor (1 bag right?) you have put in, there should be no cya in your pool. For everypound of dichlor you put in your pool, it raises your 12000 gallon pool 5 ppm cya. Do you have anymore of the dichlor already purchased? Normally I do not like suggesting adding cya using dichlor, but on your tight budget, and if you already have it, you could use that as your Chlorine source until your cya level is ~30-50 ppm range, but no higher. I.e. if you have only added 1 lb, then add about 6-7 more pounds as you need them for FC and stop at that point. If you haven't bought it, dichlor is generally a more expensive way of adding chlorine and cya than buying cya granules and bleach.

Since, the pool has been empty for at least a year, I am worried about the vinyl, and I expect it to bust at any time.

Since you got it to fill, you are probably okay for now.

The pool has a hole near the skimmer, too and another patch nearby. I do mean to fix this, which y'all can help me with, too.

Walmart, etc. has a fairly inexpensive patch kit for vinyl pools that would get you by for now.

I wish had taken pictures of the before.

Me too.

 

[deekayfry]

As it turns out, we do have pictures of both the frogs and the nasty water. These pictures were taken last summer though. And unfortunately (dubiously) the water was a lot worst this summer, but it is something to go by

Nasty water and tadpoles



More nasty water and tadpoles



This time with a frog



Another frog