Check the ingredients of the PH up, Baking Soda is just plain Baking Soda. Washing Soda is literally Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda from the laundry aisle, a fraction of the "labelled" PH up and it is exactly the same thing.
Starting to look better...but.
- Thread starter Niteowl
- Start date
The pH plus that I have here says the ingredient is "Sodium Carbonate"
That will be fine since you have! treat it like washing soda and use approx half the amount suggested by Poolmath so as not to overshoot
(don't want a chemical yo-yo reaction)So Sodium Carbonate is the same as Soda Ash in the app? Says I need to add 5lbs
If your CYA really is 80, like you posted, you need to drain/replace or exchange water to get down to a manageable level to slam efficiently.
That CYA test is very subjective. Your eyes start messing with you, its like they are remembering the dot is there and its disappearing soo slowly. I may do it a 3rd time.
Yes and I would use half, you can restest PH in 15-30 min
I was looking through the thread, have we seen an pics of your pool? Is the pool cloudy or green? You can "manage" with CYA/80 but it will take a lot more liquid chlorine and more testing regents to keep it up
- Jun 8, 2019
- 4,581
- Pool Size
- 20000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Try this: stand with your back to the sun or the brightest light you can find (you want it to be a very light area but not light shining directly on the vial). Hold by top or bottom, don't wrap your hand around the whole vial. Put in just enough to reach the first reading, try to see the dot at a glance at the vial while holding it around waist-high. If you see it, add more to get to the next level, do a quick glance, etc.
You can pour the solution back into the mixing bottle from the vial and do it again without affecting the test too.
- Jun 8, 2019
- 4,581
- Pool Size
- 20000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Does the pool have a strong "chlorine" smell? I would think with 15CC you'd be able to get that indoor pool smell...
I will try this, I did a 3rd test and I got 70. Then I had my wife do it and she got 80.
- Oct 25, 2015
- 5,847
- Pool Size
- 28000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-60 Plus
Nite,
Lot of different things going on here. We have advised you follow TFP methods as described in ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry. Your "shock" product is not correct for your pool right now and we don't shock pools we SLAM it's a very different process that works. Here's what I would do if it was me:
I hope this helps.
Chris
Lot of different things going on here. We have advised you follow TFP methods as described in ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry. Your "shock" product is not correct for your pool right now and we don't shock pools we SLAM it's a very different process that works. Here's what I would do if it was me:
- Get your pH to acceptable level asap. PH in this range is damaging your pool and is your highest priority. Don't add anything else until you get this under control.
- Control your FC. Don't use anything other than liquid chlorine. The product you are "shocking" with is raising your CH. It's still in range so don't mess with it just don't add any more shock.
- Everything else can wait. We'll get to CYA and the others next.
I hope this helps.
Chris
The pool actually looks better than it has in months. I was feeling good this morning when I vacuumed and it did not kick anymore debris. Previoulsy when I vacuumed the pool went back to cloudy. Then I got the test kit and got the empty feeling in my gut again. Here are some pics, but it just started raining again.Yes and I would use half, you can restest PH in 15-30 min
I was looking through the thread, have we seen an pics of your pool? Is the pool cloudy or green? You can "manage" with CYA/80 but it will take a lot more liquid chlorine and more testing regents to keep it up
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Oh yeah, you can manage with CYA/80 and just let the water dilute it "naturally" with rain overlow and splashout! No empty gut! You got this!
Trust me, I have been listening. If you look back in this thread I said that its been atleast 4 days since I used that shock, I think that I last used it the night that I joined TFP, which was on 6/5. I have been following all your advice. Going to work on the pH first. How long after I add the Soda Ash should I wait to test and see if I need more?
- Jun 8, 2019
- 4,581
- Pool Size
- 20000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
I would call it 80 then. You can SLAM at 80 but it will be a lot of chlorine to get it up to the level it needs to be at.
So as stated above, your next steps:
- Get your pH up to 7.2 - as stated you can use the pool "pH up" stuff you have. (It's the same as washing soda you can get for a fraction of the price from a grocery store, but since you have it, might as well use it.) Add half, let it mix for 20 minutes with the pump running, test and check, then add the rest if needed.
- Add enough FC to get your pool up to 31ppm of FC. Use liquid chlorine/bleach for all FC additions for the time being. Start brushing/vacuuming the pool as much as you can.
- Multiple times a day (up to once every 30 minutes, but at least 3-4 times a day) check the FC levels again. Get it back up to 31 if it is lower with more liquid chlorine. Keep brushing/vacuuming. No need to test anything but FC during a SLAM.
- When the pool is crystal clear, bring it back to SLAM level just after sunset, and after 30 minutes test it to be 100% sure what that level is. Get up early and test it again before sunrise, and see if it is still the same as it was with the last test. If you lose less than 1ppm, test the CC and see if those are 0.5 or less. If so, let your FC come back down to maintenance levels - about 9-11ppm. You will need to test pH when the FC gets below 10 as above 10 it can interfere with the test. Never let it get below 6ppm.
- Oct 25, 2015
- 5,847
- Pool Size
- 28000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-60 Plus
OK that's great. 30 min should be fine with pump running an hour max. You'll have this in control soon.
Chris
- Oct 25, 2015
- 5,847
- Pool Size
- 28000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-60 Plus
Once you get pH in range please test again for FC, CC, pH, CYA. You're just learning to do the tests but it doesn't take to many tries to get the hang of it. Even though you are new to the CYA test I'm pretty sure it's high. Probably just as you tested at 80. At this level CYA level, SLAM FC levels become impractical to maintain. You will require 31 ppm and that's a LOT to maintain FC/CYA Levels. So I would reduce with water exchange before you try to SLAM. We'll keep adding 1/2 gal liquid chlorine each day 'till you get your CYA reduced then we'll do a SLAM. It will probably be pretty quick. After that you'll be on Easy Street the TFP way.
Hang in there Buddy!
Chris
Hang in there Buddy!
Chris
What should I buy at the store to get the pH up that is cheaper than the pool store. The bottle that I have from the pool store is only about 1lb left, according to PoolMath I am going to need 5x that.
All three are found in the laundry aisle: You can use Super Washing Soda (your TA was also low), or Baking Soda or Borax.