🧪 Tap Water Testing Before New Pool is Filled

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violet-mermaid

violet-mermaid

Well-known member
Mar 22, 2015
130
Baton Rouge, LA
Hi! We are in the process of getting a new 24ft round pool set up :) and I just tested the tap water that we will be filling it up with.

CL- .5
pH- 8.2
TA- 170

Can someone advise on the best chemicals/amounts to use for starting up? The pool is about 15,000 gallons. We will not be using saltwater to start, but may transition later since we purchased a resin pool for saltwater.

Thanks!!

P.S. Am I no longer able to access Poolmath on a desktop? When I click on 'pool math' it just shows the phone app image and keeps reloading the page. Is it just a phone app now?
 
Hi @violet-mermaid ! A new pool!! SWEET!

For pool math on the computer scroll down to the bottom on this page. You see it called "old pool math page".

With the TA and pH like they are you will need some muriatic acid. Here is the link on what you need to do. I call it the Yo-Yo plan:
www.troublefreepool.com

Lower Total Alkalinity

A lower Total Alkalinity level can help a pool owner stabalize their pH increase. We'll explain how to lower TA with a little help from muriatic acid.
www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com

Of course you will need liquid chlorine and powder CYA.

I don't know how long it has been since you looked for bleach but it is almost impossible to find PLAIN bleach anymore. Most of it has pretty smells, splashless, clormax, etc. aka additives that can cause foaming and adds *stuff* to your new water.

Kim:kim:
 
Yeah look at my post again. I put in the link for lowering your PH and TA. For that you will need muriatic acid. You can get it at lowes in the garden department. Make sure you have googles or some sort of eye protection.

Don't forget the CYA aka stabilizer. You can get it at Walmart or lowes.
 
violet-mermaid said:
P.S. Am I no longer able to access Poolmath on a desktop? When I click on 'pool math' it just shows the phone app image and keeps reloading the page. Is it just a phone app now?
Click to expand...
I have Pool Math for PC. No issues, but I don't have the premium subscription. I use the Chrome browser. Maybe try uninstall and reinstall.

Get $Pool Math from the Microsoft Store

Maybe @Leebo can provide some guidance...
 
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I have the muriatic acid but poolmath is not telling me any estimate on how much to add… any ideas to lower it from 170?

I purchased 10%, 2.5 gallon size liquid chlorine, but I’m confused bc that size is not in poolmath.

Lastly, is there any particular order to add the acid, chlorine, and CYA granules?

We are loving our pool so much!!! Got it fully filled and pump going today 🎉🎉🎉

Thanks in advance!!
 
violet-mermaid said:
I have the muriatic acid but poolmath is not telling me any estimate on how much to add… any ideas to lower it from 170?
Click to expand...
Lowering TA is process. True, muriatic acid lowers TA, but it works hand-in-hand with pH adjustments. From the article:
  1. Add acid to lower your PH to between 7.0 and 7.2 (this also lowers TA)
  2. Aerate until PH rises to around 7.6 (the only way to raise PH without also raising TA)
  3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 until you reach the desired TA.
You really don't have to force TA down. PH will rise on it's own. Just work on MA additions to control pH and TA should come down as well.
violet-mermaid said:
I purchased 10%, 2.5 gallon size liquid chlorine, but I’m confused bc that size is not in poolmath.
Click to expand...
Pool Math should tell you how many ounces are required to increase FC. Use 10% for the strength. To increase FC to 5 ppm, add 43 oz.
violet-mermaid said:
Lastly, is there any particular order to add the acid, chlorine, and CYA granules?
Click to expand...
Start by adding 30 ppm of CYA using the sock method (add 28 oz by volume). It may take 24 hours or more before CYA is fully mixed for testing purposes. No need to wait for chlorine. Add enough liquid chlorine to increase FC to target level (4-6 ppm) according to the FC/CYA Levels.

Wait until the CYA is dissolved before adjusting pH.
 
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If you added 43 oz of 10% liquid chlorine, it should have increased by 5 ppm if your volume is accurate (6,800 gallons).

Confirm the strength of the LC (in percentage).

Old bleach can lose potency with time. Check the date code on the jug. Look for 5-digits (Julian code). First two are the year, last three are the day of the year (ex. 22 123 is the 123rd day of 2022).

Add the same amount, but this time test 15-30 minutes after to confirm the FC increase. Then do an Overnight Chlorine Loss Test.
 
violet-mermaid said:
Added everything last night and chlorine was still only at 0.5 today?
Click to expand...
BTW, it's normal to lose 2-4 ppm of FC daily. With low CYA, it could be more. If you tested later in the day, we may be seeing normal loss. Doing the OCLT will rule out algae and we can work on increasing CYA to reduce daily FC loss.

Remember, during swim season you'll likely need to add chlorine each day to make up for daily FC loss.
 

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