Stabilizer Help Please

[TracyRN]

I have ordered a Taylor test kit but it’s not here yet. I have pool strips, both Clorox and Aqua Check.
I’m concerned about having zero CYA and adding to much lol. I haven’t added any and just picked up a container at Rural King.
Here is what the Clorox strips show
Hardness - 250
Total Chlorine - 5
Free Chlorine - 10
pH - 7.2
TA - 240
Stabilizer- 0

The Aqua Check strips only read 4
pH - 7.2
Free Chlorine - 10
TA - 240
Stabilizer - 0

The chlorine is high because yesterday evening it was zero. I went ahead and shocked it to bring that up with Clorox 6:1 shock. I have Clorox 3” tablets in the floater.
I definitely need to add stabilizer BUT I don’t want to screw up and add too much.
My pool is 5061 gallon full and it’s approximately 3 Intex pattern blocks below the grey top.
The Pool Math app says to add 30oz of stabilizer calculated on the 5061 gallons

 

[mknauss]

Is this a fresh fill -- no stabilizer or stabilizer containing products (trichlor or dichlor) have been used in the pool?

 

[mknauss]

I have Clorox 3” tablets in the floater.

You are adding stabilizer.

Realize that if you had 0 stabilizer, the chlorine you added yesterday would have been gone in a couple hours today in the sunshine.

 

[TracyRN]

You are adding stabilizer.

Realize that if you had 0 stabilizer, the chlorine you added yesterday would have been gone in a couple hours today in the sunshine.

It’s technically a fresh fill, a few days old. No one has been in the pool today so it’s had the solar cover in place since yesterday evening. I realize the Clorox tablets have stabilizer in them which is another reason I don’t want to put to much and get it to high.

 

[mknauss]

Each tablet adds 7 ppm CYA.
Account for that and add enough stabilizer to get your CYA to 30 ppm. Including what is in the tablets.

 

[TracyRN]

So if I currently have 2 - 3” tablets on my floater - I’ll have 14 ppm CYA. According to the pool math app adding 14oz of dry stabilizer would raise it by 21ppm which in theory would get me to 35 ppm CYA.

We’re also going to be out of town for a week starting this coming Saturday so I want to get it right before we leave. My plan is to test Friday evening. So what my levels are, adjust as needed. Put the sole cover back with the leaf net on, the filter runs 12 hours 10am to 10pm daily. I have it off at night to retain as much heat as I can.

 

[mknauss]

That sounds fine. I would target a whole number for CYA, 30 or 40.

 

[TracyRN]

Thank you!! I really appreciate the help. I’ve read about using the sock method to add the stabilizer so I’m doing that as well.

From what I’ve read I need to wait a few days anyway before testing again. Hopefully the pH doesn’t go any lower.
Do I need to worry about the TA? Or wait until I get the CYA & chlorine balanced first?

 

[mknauss]

I have ordered a Taylor test kit but it’s not here yet.

You have no reliable data on any of those parameters. When you get a test kit, then you can start dealing with your overall pool water chemistry.

 

[Homebrewale]

How do you plan to chlorinate the pool while out of town? If you are going to use additional tabs, then you would need to account for the CYA for those tabs too.

 

[TracyRN]

How do you plan to chlorinate the pool while out of town? If you are going to use additional tabs, then you would need to account for the CYA for those tabs too.

Floating tabs. These should still be good. There’s 2 in the floater and they’re almost full size. Even if I need to add one more it should be fine when I calculate with the Pool Math app. Safe range is 30-60 per that. What I’ve added so far would take it to 35 before another tablet.