Questions about adding chemicals and water chemistry

[WaterIsLife]

My Taylor test kit arrives today so I don’t have accurate readings yet (only test strip colors that drive me crazy). Just trying to get all my ducks in a row before getting started. A couple of questions...
1. On my jug of hydrochloric acid (Baume 20) it reads not to use with bleach. So is it safe to add this AND the sodium hypochlorite 12.5% to my pool? I’m assuming yes, but wait a few hours in between each one?
2. According to the test strip, we have high ph 8.4 and high TA 250. Is it true that for vinyl liners you don’t need to set out to specifically lower your TA? Just keep constantly lowering your ph and over time your TA will end up where it should be? I thought someone had said for vinyl liners only worry about your TA if all of your other levels are good and you’re bored lol.
3. I also read that hard water, which we have (we filled our pool off our well), is also not really an issue for vinyl liners? We don’t have any type of equipment that has warranty specifications about the hardness of the water either. Is this something I’d need to set out to lower, or let the rain and topping off the pool with water run through our softener take care of it over time?
TIA!!

 

[duraleigh]

1. Add any chemistry about 30 minutes apart

2. We hardly even look at test strip results any more. Post your pH when your new kit gets in.

3. Hard water (calcium) is not much of an issue but IRON in your well water certainly is. If you refill through the softener you will eventually be just fine.

 

[Richard320]

My Taylor test kit arrives today so I don’t have accurate readings yet (only test strip colors that drive me crazy). Just trying to get all my ducks in a row before getting started. A couple of questions...
1. On my jug of hydrochloric acid (Baume 20) it reads not to use with bleach. So is it safe to add this AND the sodium hypochlorite 12.5% to my pool? I’m assuming yes, but wait a few hours in between each one?

15 minutes between is plenty

2. According to the test strip, we have high ph 8.4 and high TA 250. Is it true that for vinyl liners you don’t need to set out to specifically lower your TA? Just keep constantly lowering your ph and over time your TA will end up where it should be? I thought someone had said for vinyl liners only worry about your TA if all of your other levels are good and you’re bored lol.

The only reasons to aggressively attack TA are 1) Impending risk of Calcium scaling or 2) You tire of daily acid additions. The fact is that if TA is as high as the strips say, you'll be adding acid almost as often normally as you would be trying to lower TA aggressively, and it will take the same amount of acid. You gain little by worrying about it. Just maintain pH.

3. I also read that hard water, which we have (we filled our pool off our well), is also not really an issue for vinyl liners? We don’t have any type of equipment that has warranty specifications about the hardness of the water either. Is this something I’d need to set out to lower, or let the rain and topping off the pool with water run through our softener take care of it over time?
TIA!!

Low CH is no problem. High CH can still be a problem for vinyl pools. If you develop Calcium scale, you won't be able to scrub on it with a wire brush or a pumice stone. So don't let it grow in the first place. Accurate test results and poolmath will tell you the CSI and then you'll know if you're at risk and need to do something about it or not.

 

[WaterIsLife]

I got my Taylor K-2006 Complete FAS-DPD test kit and here are my results:

FC- 3.5
CC- .5
pH- 7.8
TA- 225
CH- 250
CYA- 45

I did go ahead and add liquid bleach (12.5%) to up the chlorine a bit. It’s south Texas so the sun is HOT. I’ll check it tonight and add more because I know a lot of it will burn off during the day. I’m also going to add Acid (Baume 20°) to drop the pH to 7.6 to try and lower the TA little by little. Is 250 for CH considered high for a vinyl pool? I will be adding softened water to top off a few times a week. CYA is ok?
This newbie thanks you!!

 

[duraleigh]

Leave your pH alone......leave your CH at 250- you're fine

Keep your FC between 3-6 ppm and GO SWIMMING!

You will probably not need that softened water each refill. use it as a tool to manage your CH right where it is.

 

[WaterIsLife]

TA is good at 225? Should I just leave it alone?

 

[duraleigh]

Overlooked the TA, sorry. I would normally say to let it come down on it's own but that is fairly high so lower it to about 60-80 using the acid/aeration method in Pool School.

 

[WaterIsLife]

Appreciate it greatly. Thank you. Happy swimming