Third Year working on this pool chemistry

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plumerella

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Apr 14, 2013
36
South Jersey
Left pool store today...I know I need my own kit. I had one with sticks and ran out. I need to get one.

Here are my readings:
CH 0
TC 3
FC 3
PH 7.6
TA 100
CYA 0
salt 3200

The pool is clear

Her instructions: add 10 lbs Sea Cal 5 lbs at a time wait 2 hours between

Add 6lbs ALK

wait 1 to 2 hours

Add 3 lbs PH minus

What?????? Total mess to me! I added 5 lbs of Sea Cal that she gave me because I now realize I need harder water.

I also added 1 gallon of Stabilizer.

Now what?? I never seem to be able to hold the stablilizer which in turn leads to me not being able to hold chlorine unless I run the SWG at 100%.
I do run the heater 90-92 degrees when I swim:D
Help
 
Unfortunately, all that is a waste of money.

You do not need CH in a vinyl pool (although I doubt you are really 0).
The TA is fine if not a little higher than we would recommend
The pH is fine.

The CYA actually may have been a good idea.

BTW, we do not trust pool store testing any more than test strip junk. Invest in one of the Recommended Test Kits and post up the results and THEN we can offer advice.
 
If (huge if) you trust the pool store readings, your pH is great. TA is actually slightly high, so adding 6 lbs of repackaged overpriced baking soda is unnecessary. Since the pH is already good and you won't need to raise alkalinity, you won't need to lower pH. Scratch the pH minus. You have a vinyl-lined pool. You don't need any Calcium. Period. There is no plaster to leach it out of, so no need to maintain a minimum to prevent it. In fact, Calcium can leave deposits on the SWG plates, so lower is better. Scratch the Sea-Cal, too. All I see that you needed was stabilizer. And when that starts showing, you'll need to raise the FC level to match. Pool School - Chlorine / CYA Chart

Those savings right there could have more than paid for a proper test kit.

How do you lose CYA? Have you had torrential rains? Did you drain it for some reason? The CYA test is the one the pool stores mess up the most. I hope you didn't overshoot.
 
Thanks, that is what I thought. I only bought the CH 5 lb bag and did add it. On the pool chemistry page it said I should be between 50-300 for a vinyl pool.

I added the stabilizer too. I am trying to understand the chemistry page. What is it that you recommend to use to stabilize? It costs me 31.00/gallon at the pool store!

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I am headed to buy my own test kit now. Thank you for your help. I knew she was an idiot!!! Did I ruin anything adding the 5 lb bag of Sea Cal? And yes we had horrible rains the past 2 weeks, and 85mph wind gusts. They thought it was a tornado at first.

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The girl at the pool store said if my pool was at 0 hardness it would ruin my pool heater.
 
Thanks. When you get your test kit, I think you will find that their CH reading of zero was totally incorrect. And you will realize that their testing service was worth exactly what you paid for it (zero).

I think you will need to buy your test kit online. Local stores kits generally do not include the FAS-DPD test for chlorine, and you really need that one included.

The TF-100 from tftestkits.net is your best value. And the Speed Stir, also offered on that site is wonderful. You would not regret getting it.
 
Thanks, I have used pool Math in the past. I am still trying to understand it. It says my pool would be 23,000 gallons. I was guesstimating from what the pool store says every time I am there. Thanks about the Walmart.

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Thanks
 

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