Brand new pool owner- yellow or mustard?
- Thread starter tkbutler4
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red-beard
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- May 27, 2019
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Sorry I missed the part with the SLAM being over. Again, I tamed my pH rise by switching my Alkalinity to be based on Borates instead of carbonates (Baking Soda). I need to do this again as my borates are around 25 ppm.
There is a whole thread on Total Alkalinity vs. Carbonate Alkalinity. I'll dig around and find it.
There is a whole thread on Total Alkalinity vs. Carbonate Alkalinity. I'll dig around and find it.
red-beard
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- May 27, 2019
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Here is my thread on reducing pH rise by adding borates and reducing TA.
www.troublefreepool.com
FYI, my CA is probably around 50 right now. I lower my pH to 7.7 weekly from 8.0. It takes 40 oz of MA for me to do this. This is about a gallon of MA a month.
One of my friends in upstate NY, her fill water has a TA of about 280! She has to work on lowering TA all the time. Her pool is summer season only. Mine is open year-round, but we only swim about 7 months a year.
Here are the charts:
Reducing TA - How long?
FC 8, pH 8.0, TA 90, CYA 80, Borates 50, Salt 2900 as of 7 AM this morning. Poolmath says to add 1.5 gallons to reduce the pH to 7.0. Added! I'm now "aerating". The question is, how long should this be? Lower Total Alkalinity - Trouble Free Pool just says to keep doing it until the pH reaches...
www.troublefreepool.com
FYI, my CA is probably around 50 right now. I lower my pH to 7.7 weekly from 8.0. It takes 40 oz of MA for me to do this. This is about a gallon of MA a month.
One of my friends in upstate NY, her fill water has a TA of about 280! She has to work on lowering TA all the time. Her pool is summer season only. Mine is open year-round, but we only swim about 7 months a year.
Here are the charts:
CYA: <20- the dot never disappeared.
CH: 100
FC: 3-4
AK: 90
PH: 7.5
Temp: 85-87
CH: 100
FC: 3-4
AK: 90
PH: 7.5
Temp: 85-87
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red-beard
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- May 27, 2019
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Definitely need to get the CYA up. Add enough for 15 ppm additional. And Calcium Chloride for adding CH. Go for adding 250 ppm. Careful, it heats up when added to water. Do something like 50 ppm at a time, adding to a 5 Gallon bucket of pool water.
- Apr 10, 2018
- 5,423
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With the exception of CH and CYA, numbers look good. CSI will get better when you add CH. Just keep pH in range and you'll be fine. TA (AK) will come down each time you add acid to lower pH.
UV, overflow from rain, and excessive chlorine levels (SLAM) decrease CYA levels. Test every month or so. You can increase your CYA level to decrease daily FC loss.
So I’ll start off by adding in the CYA first. Is there a better time of day to add in the CH? Ok so to do it right, I add like a few cups to a five gallon bucket, stir it in, then slowly distribute it around the deep end? Maybe I should do it first thing in the Am when it’s cooler. Any concern that the pool gets up to 90? Like should I not add it at that point?
- Apr 10, 2018
- 5,423
- Pool Size
- 18375
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45
I've never had to add CH...I have the opposite problem. I can only point you to TFP recommendations:
For CYA, use the sock method.
Calcium hardness can be raised with calcium chloride or calcium chloride dihydrate. They are available in some areas as Peladow, Dowflake, Tetra Flake, or Tetra 94, often sold as a deicer by hardware stores, and some big box stores, in colder climates. Pool stores will carry either calcium chloride or calcium chloride dihydrate under a variety of names, including Hardness Plus, Balance Pak 300, Calcium Hardness Increaser, etc. Calcium products should be spread across the surface of the deep end of the pool.
Add 2/3rds of the full dose. Brush well until the calcium chloride dissolves. Wait 24 hours to test, then repeat to get you to target level. For CYA, use the sock method.
I spread my Calcium Up directly to the pool and then brush a little. It dissolves fairly quickly. It creates heat when you place it in water. I did try adding to water in a 5 gal bucket - once - now only spread it directly to the pool.
Thank you everyone. I added CYA today and I’ll add the CH tomorrow.
Ok I added 7cups of cya granules in a sock last night and 4 pounds of calcium granules this morning very slowly in front of the deep end jet, then brushed entire pool and deep end a few times to be sure. Didn’t look like any granules were on the bottom as far as I could tell. I’ll check everything at lunch time and tell you how it’s looking. I guess I need to buy 4 more bags of calcium?! Gosh this is pricy stuff.
- Apr 10, 2018
- 5,423
- Pool Size
- 18375
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
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- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45
Great work. Just keep testing and add in increments as needed as you do not want to overshoot either if the CH or CYA target numbers for your pool.
Just think if you were buying this stuff at a pool store (or buying their solution to whatever is wrong), it would even be more costly. Home Depot, Walmart, and similar stores helps all of us TFPers to buy the necessary chemicals at a lower cost.
red-beard
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- May 27, 2019
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One way to increase calcium is to use Calcium Hypochlorite instead of liquid chlorine. I did this on my pool the first year I was using the TFP methods, before converting to SWG. One advantage of Cal-Hypo is that it does not degrade like Liquid Chlorine in heat, or not as much. It is also VERY easy to add into the pool.
Great point! I’ve got my CYA up to 40. What number do you think I should target?Your plaster surface costs more.
You've come a long way. Great job!
I’ve got CH up to 150. You think I should target 250?
- Apr 10, 2018
- 5,423
- Pool Size
- 18375
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
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- CircuPool RJ-45
Your CYA is good. It's right in the middle of the recommended range. See how it works for you.
What do you think?
I'm assuming in Florida, you probably get a good amount of rain overflow and you live in a humid climate. You first reported CH level was 100 ppm (with no recent drain/water exchange), so that means you probably don't experience significant (if any) CH increase over time. A CH of 200-250 would make your pool easy to manage. You won't have to fight to keep pH down and TA should be pretty stable. Here are some numbers I ran on Pool Math. The last row shows CSI. If you can keep your pH and TA stable as shown, you can keep CH down to 200. Lower TA and pH levels will increase the aggressiveness of your water. You'll have to monitor your CH level. If you have to drain down your pool or experience overflow due to rain, CH level will drop. I would not recommend keeping it under 200 ppm.
What do you think?
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red-beard
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Pool Care Basics Archives
Your one-stop shop for all things TFP to include: ABCs of Water Chemistry, Recommended Chemicals/Levels, Test Kits, Troubleshooting, and much more!
www.troublefreepool.com
Select your pool type and your type of Chlorine addition.
On the CYA, Florida should be similar to Texas in terms of UV. You might want to go to the higher end of your range.
Where would I do this? "enter pool type."Pool Care Basics Archives
Your one-stop shop for all things TFP to include: ABCs of Water Chemistry, Recommended Chemicals/Levels, Test Kits, Troubleshooting, and much more!
Select your pool type and your type of Chlorine addition.
On the CYA, Florida should be similar to Texas in terms of UV. You might want to go to the higher end of your range.
red-beard
Gold Supporter
- May 27, 2019
- 1,621
- Pool Size
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- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite Pro (T-15)
What Are My Ideal Pool Levels?
Use our tool to find ideal chemical levels for any swimming pool. Check TFP recommended levels on pH, free chlorine, cyanuric acid, and more.
www.troublefreepool.com
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