new BBB user

[chem geek]

Since you have a sand filter (with, I assume traditional sand in it) then your water may be clear now, but can look even more clear with better filtration. If you want to see what that would be like, add some DE (about a cup or two) into the skimmer and then wait and see if you notice a difference after a couple of days. Look especially at night with lights on in the pool.

The ultimate in clarity has the water appear almost as if it weren't there (except for the apparent magnifying effect from diffraction). The best appearance is when the water is still, so the pump is turned off (temporarily).

 

[hayfarmer]

Cool, I am going to try DE. Where do i get it? pool store or hardward store.(lowes)
I see I dont want to back flush after adding DE. is this right.
thanks
jim

 

[JasonLion]

When you add DE to a sand filter, you need to replace it after each backwash.

DE can be found at pool stores and in the pool department at places like Lowes and HomeDepot.

 

[hayfarmer]

Hi guys/gals
Well everything looks good, here are my latest numbers.
FC 6
CC .05
TC 6.50
PH 7.8
TA 140
CYA 40 but the pool store says its 30 so maybe split the difference and call it 35
I have not been to town to get any DE to add to my sand filter to try and get it to sparkle more.. I think i looks better then it did last year.. when i was using pucks. thanks for finding this web site...

 

[JasonLion]

You should trust your test results over the pool store's results!

 

[hayfarmer]

Yes i should trust my test results And i will in time... The pool store i go to is pretty cool.. I have told her that I am using the BBB method and she said that's one way to do it..(she owns the store) She really knows her water and how to test it.. She did say she had not seen me in awhile, and that's when i told her that she would not see me to often anymore because i was using the BBB method. You have to understand she has been in the business about 35 years and they have done very well... She said that they really don't sell that many chemicals, they mostly build pools and service them and they have a bottled water service(they purify it right there). She said that the BBB method would work great, just have to check it every day or every other day...

So all that said
how do my number look

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

So all that said
how do my number look

Well, okay.... the ph is on the high end, so keep an eye on that. I think you may have overshot the TA adjustment a bit... so if you continue to see PH drift up you may have to adjust the TA back down.

Our criteria for shocking your pool calls for it when you see a CC above .5. So you could go ahead and shock or you could keep an eye on the FC. For example if tonight you test the FC before bedtime and then again in the morning and compare the two results, if you lose less than 1 ppm of FC it may be nothing and you just need to leave the pool exposed to sunlight to breakdown the CC. Up to you on how you want to proceed with that. IF you do lose more than 1ppm overnight, you should shock.

 

[hayfarmer]

well finally i get to add some bleach, my Fc was down to 3.5 so i added to come up to 4.5
it looks great, today i added some DE in to the skimmer to see if i can get it to even look better
here are my number as of today
Fc 4.5
CC 0
Tc 4.50
Ph 7.5
Ta 150
CYA 45
so when i need to add bleach do i shoot for the middle of the chart or on the high side..what i mean is where do i need to keep the chlorine level when I am not shocking. I am suppose to keep it between 4ppm and 6ppm for CYA of 50
thanks so much

 

[JasonLion]

The idea with chlorine is to add enough so that the next time you add chlorine the FC level is still at least 4. Depending on the water temperature, amount of sunlight falling on the pool, and bather load, that might mean raising FC to 6 or it might be 8 or something else.

To start with I would raise FC to 8, and then see what it is the next day. If it is above 4, try lowering down from 8 a little. If it is below 4, try raising up above 8 the next day. After a few days you will get a feel for it.

 

[hayfarmer]

cool i think i can do that. So if i know that I am going to have allot of swimmers i should raise it a little higher so there will be enough there to use. Is this right?
Thanks for the help!!!! It really looks good thanks to you guys..
Jim

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

Is this right?

Yes

 

[hayfarmer]

cool,
The first pool party is this weekend, the water will be 86, All are welcome!!!
just bring your BBB, Booze, Body, Blanket, LOL

thanks again,
Jim

 

[hayfarmer]

Good morning,
Here are my number as of this morning
FC 5.5
CC 0
TC 5.5
PH 7.8 little high
TA 140 high
CYA 35/40
temp 82
OK my question is that my pH keeps creeping up and my TA is high, Can i killer two birds with one stone?
To lower the TA i need to lower the PH to around 7.0 to 7.2 and add some air, I was going to point the return jets up to break the water. How long will i have to keep the pH this low to lower the TA... and will it damage the metals if i keep it there for to long.. And while my pH is lowered for the TA can i add Borax at the same time to get some borates in the water so the pH wont drift so bad..I have no idea what the level of borates is, and how i test for them?
Please correct me if i dont have this right.... Remember I am new to this,, But i think I am catching on!!!!
Thanks
jim

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

You have to get Borate Strips....Google Aquacheck Borate Test Strips to find suppliers.

Read this articleabout lowering TA and
This one on adding borates. They are kind of similar in that it requires acid/aeration and the borax will raise the ph the way aeration does, and then acid comes into play.

 

[JasonLion]

Yes, you are catching on! :-D

As long as PH is at 7.0 or higher, it will not cause any damage to the equipment.

It is best to finish lowering the TA before adding borates to the pool. Lowering TA and adding borates should never be done on the same day in any case.

The borate level can be tested with borate test strips. They aren't all that precise, but it is fine if your borate level is a little off. In most cases it is safe to assume that the borate level is starting at zero, but you will want the test strips anyway so you might as well wait till you get the test strips and check the level before adding borates.

 

[hayfarmer]

I guess you can teach old dogs new tricks :lol:
Thanks so much,
i will try to lower the TA while i want on my test strips for the borates
by the way it looks great..
thanks again
Jim

 

[hayfarmer]

Hi Boys/and Girls
Well i went to the pool store to get some parts for my Polaris, So i took some water with me. I know what you are thinking, but hear me out!
why are there numbers so much different then mine? They use a computer to do the Analysis. here are there numbers
Ph 7.6
Fc 4.1
TC 5.5
CYA 70
TA 105
Here are my number from now
FC 3.5
CC .05
TC 4.0
Ph 7.6
TA 140
CYA 35/40
Its the TA that i am worried about They say its low, and my test is showing high. When i do the the test it takes 14 drops to change the color to pink,, when i put the drops in and swirl i do see some color change in the water but when i am swirling, but has not changed color.. hope that makes sense!!!
my pool is clear and sparkling clear.
I guess i am just a little worried what to do..
thanks
jim

 

[JasonLion]

Did they use a test strip which they then placed in a computerized test strip reader? Those systems are amazingly inaccurate. Even pool stores that used drop based tests often rush the process and make mistakes. Believe your own test results.

 

[hayfarmer]

hi Jason
thanks for getting back to me so quick, I am not really sure, but i do think that they do you strips and then put them in the computer to read. but not real sure.

My number don't look that bad, Do they?
FC 3.5
CC .05
TC 4.0
PH 7.6 a little high
TA 140 high but waiting on my borate test strips
CYA 35/40
I using about 1 1/2 quart of bleach a day,, it holds over night so i have no algae
Thanks so much for reassureing myself
jim

 

[JasonLion]

Your numbers are fine. Your TA is a little high, not a big deal. But you knew that already.

I would lower the PH down to 7.2 every time it gets up to 7.8. That will slowly lower the TA level and give you longer and longer between acid additions each time. Unless the rate of PH drift is so high that it is giving you problems, just leave things the way they are and let the TA come down in it's own time.