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Re: Test Results after shocking with bleach

Take a deep breath....this entire pool thing isn't that tuff. :D Best thing about your pool is that even if you mess EVERYTHING up, a drain is very simple and cheap to do. :D

First...a good test kit is a MUST! Either the TF-100 or the K-2006 from TF-Test Kits will be a GREAT investment in your pool. Knowing just what's in the water at all times allows you to understand just what you are doing. For starters....let's just focus on keeping your pool clean. A few questions can help us understand your pool until you get a GOOD set of test numbers. After that we can fine tune the other items.

1. What does the water look like? A photo will help a TON.
2. Is this water fresh, or have you had it up for awhile??
3. What chemicals have you added to the pool...and how much?? If you've added "shock" look on the bag's and tell us the ingredients.

Read pool school in your spare time...and as you test and alter these items, each will start to make sense to you. WELCOME TO THE SITE!
 
Re: Test Results after shocking with bleach

Thanks Leebo,
Appreciate what you said. I know I will one day get the hang of this, so I will never give up.
My water in my pool is only a few days old. I have already shocked it with 3-gallons of bleach at 6%. I done that last night, and today, around noon, my readings were already low (my cl anyway). I dont have any pics that I can share at this time, but I might be able to soon. The only test that I could afford was the 6-way one at Wallie World. Hopefully soon I can get a better one, but thanks for your kind words.
 
Have another question about the CYA test that I took today. I did everything it said to do, but when I put water into the slim cylinder, I filled it all the way to the top and still the black dot didn't disappear. What does that mean? Is it to low or two high? Please help! Thanks!
 
Sorry everyone, didn't mean to open to many threads. I dont even us facebook, i absolutely dont know what Im doing. Please be patient with me. Will try to be better, Again Sorry, but just need so much help it's crazy. I'm actually going crazy. Everyone has been very helpful and I appreciate it!
 
What does your water look like? Because it's fresh water, you may have very little need to shock much at all. Go ahead and shock for the first day or two until you can get to a pool store for a full test. Add one gallon of 6% bleach a day just before you go to bed. Adding during the day will waste the chlorine, as most will be burnt up via the sun. Next bring your CYA level up to about 25...and your PH level to around 7.5. Your CYA level is going to be zero, as you've yet to add anything into the pool so far. No need to test this for another week after you've added some stabilizer. After you get your water clean and under control, test daily with your kit.....keep a FC level between 2 and 6. I would keep a low CYA level in the pool to simply make your life easy..... If you test with your 6-way kit and you get almost ANY FC reading then you're safe. If you have no FC reading....then add bleach. :D Keep asking ANY questions you may have. We enjoy helping people enjoy their pools.....and have all been lost too looking at all this info. It's not hard once you start. :D


edit....I had a long typed out write-up before I sat back and read what I wrote. It was full of numbers, terms, letters, and the such....but honestly it wasn't needed. If your water is clear...add some stabilizer and some chlorine....and go swimming. The rest you can alter once you get everything running the way you like it. :D If you wish for some more detailed posts...full of info down to the T with numbers and everything....please just ask. We're more than happy to help.
 
I took a sample of my water this morning and the FC is low, not sure it's even registering. My PH looks like it's still 6.8. I've got a box of borax. Was wondering if it's a good idea to go ahead and get my PH up and worry about the bleach after sundown. Will my PH go back down if I go ahead and add Borax or will it be ok? I took a CYA reading yesturday but I think I did it wrong (went into the house to add water to tube :oops:) , black dot never went away. Should I go ahead and test CYA again first, then add Borax or what? Thanks a head of time for any help!
 

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DOHHHH on my part! I quickly read "I took a sample of my water this morning" and for some reason my brain read it as "I had the pool store test my water for me." I'm guessing now you mean that you tested the water yourself........my bad!

You can add borax for sure if that's what you feel your PH is....as a matter of fact you should! Add about 60ounces and let the pump run for about .30minutes before doing anything else. After that then add your Chlorine. Once again your FC level will drop almost to zero during the day, so until we get your CYA level down, you will use about a gallon of bleach a day.

Just to make 100% sure. You've never added ANY stabilizer, granulated shock, or any chlorine tabs to this water? How does your water look?? Sounds to me like you're starting to get the hang of this "pool thing"......
 
This pool needs CYA (stabilizer). The OP hasn't added any, and no tablets have been used. So the chlorine is disappearing rapidly. CYA will help this.

OP - Do you have stabilizer? If you don't, go to Walmart and get some. It's essential, but remember that it can quickly become too much if you use tablets after adding it. Put into a sock with a rubber band at the opening, and hang off the ladder. Squish it to disperse into the water over the next few hours. Add only enough for your pool to get to 20-30ppm right now. Then wait a week and test CYA. If you add enough stabilizer to get to 30ppm, assume it's in there and dose with chlorine for 30ppm of CYA (use pool calculator).

I just saw this thread and hoped to get to you before you used the CYA test but that was on the previous page. Dangit! Since you have the walmart test, all you REALLY need is the DPD chlorine test and CYA test reagent. TFTestkits.com has both these individually. Add those to your walmart kit and you've got a reasonable substitute for one of the full test kits. It will work, has all you need to test for a whole season minimum and not nearly as expensive as a whole kit.
 
I 100% agree with frogabog.....only I'd differ on how I would add the CYA in this case.

You need to raise your CYA level to around 25-30. This will help you keep some chlorine in your pool. At this point almost all of your chlorine is being "ate up" by the sun during the day. Bringing up your CYA level will help keep the chlorine in the pool. You will still lose some during the day...but not nearly as much as you are now. Once you plan on starting to raise your CYA level plan on doing it over a few days. Here's a breakdown of what I would do.....
Day 1. Test PH and raise PH level to a level of 7.6.....Then add one pound of Dichlor to the pool. You can find this at Wal-Mart or your local pool store in one pound bags. Look on the back of the label for "99% Sodium Dichloro".

Day 2. Test and alter PH to a level of 7.6 and raise your chlorine around 2 with liquid bleach again.

Day 3. Test PH and raise PH level to a level of 7.6.....Then add one pound of Dichlor to the pool. You will now have a CYA level around 20 or so....still VERY low, but you'll see a MAJOR improvement on how much chlorine you will keep in your pool.

Day 4. Test and alter PH to a level of 7.6 and raise your chlorine around 2 with liquid bleach again. It VERY easily will be higher than a 2FC level, which you'll need only to worry about your PH level.

Day 5. Test and alter PH to a level of 7.6 and raise your chlorine around 2 with liquid bleach again.

Day 6. Test PH and raise PH level to a level of 7.6.....Then add one pound of Dichlor to the pool. Your CYA level will now be around 30PPM....about the max I would try to run this pool with. NEVER USE DICHLOR AGAIN ON A REGULAR BASIS! The ONLY time you should EVER use this product is to raise your CYA levels some after draining a LARGE part of your pool. It can quickly lead to VERY high levels of CYA, and cause MAJOR PROBLEMS if you continue to use this product. ONLY use liquid bleach from here on out.

Day 7. Test PH, Chlorine, Total Alkalinity. Go ahead and post those numbers here and we'll help you make any changes to run your pool from day to day. As long as there's any change in color on your Chlorine test....you're safe to swim. I'm guessing it will be VERY dark yellow meaning high chlorine levels. You'll be fine....it will lower in a day or two. It's OK to swim too.

As long as your pool is clear from then on....test PH and Chlorine daily. If there's any chlorine in the pool, go swimming. If there's none add some liquid bleach, and go swimming. Once a week check your Total Alkalinity. About a week or so after adding your LAST dose of dichlor to the pool check your CYA levels with your last test. It still may look VERY faint, but at around the 30PPM mark you should see a change, and the dot disappear.
 
Thanks everyone for such good advice! :goodjob: One thing that I failed to mention, after I tested this morning, is that I had already tested last night to and when my ph was 6.8 and my FC was 0, even then. I took it upon myself to add a supper chlorinating tab (HTH ones, 3 in) in a floater and put it in the water(this was last night by the way). So, thats why I tested this morning to see if something might have change, but it stayed the same. So, sorry, I failed to mention it before.

I did put 60oz of borax in my skimmer this morning and it brought my ph up to more than 8.2. (A little high) :| So, I'm going to add about 1 bottle of 6% bleach in the morning ( 96oz), (first I've added since shocking) and run my pump for 4 hrs. and see what the results look like. Hope I'm doing something right! I will share my readings with you all sometime tomorrow. (We'll see)

Leebo, I like how you worked out the weekly schedule. I may end up doing it that way, but since I already started out this way, this is all I know what to do. If by using the chlorine pucks, it messes with readings, could someone let me know, cause I'm dieing to do this right! :) I always welcome help! You all are great!
 
By adding that one tab, your cya should raise by almost 5ppm. Go ahead and use another when that one is finished. Do away with one says dose of dichlor. Your PH should also be lowered To about 7.8 also with that puck. The active ingredient is dies say something like Trichlor?
 
Thanks again Leebo for your great words of encouragement. I will probably keep putting in the Chlorinated tabs cause I like them so far. I put bleach in just a minute ago. Feeling good about everything. :-D Have been swimming, water's been clear. So, maybe I'm going to find my rhythm soon! :party: Got to go to town soon, wont be back until around 1:00, will check readings then.

You all, like I said before, ARE GREAT!!!!! Thanks again! If anymore suggestions, then keep um coming!
 

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