- Nov 20, 2008
- 3
Hello everyone,
I am nervous posting for my first time in this forum. I opened my pool as best I know how recently, but my pH and TA are both low and I'm not sure the right way to raise them, not sure what to stop doing, or how to go about ceasing the tab method for the bbb method.
First let me tell you about my pool. Its roughly 20,000 inground, vinyl liner, DE filter, 2 skimers plus bottom drain. It came with the house last summer when we moved in but I received no instructions from the previous owners. A neighbor was nice enough to help me get organized, but it was still a painful winter. I had a leak in my pump that required repair and my skimmers weren't configured to actually support the total flow of the system. I have been on the crash course for awhile.
Anyway, last weekend I bought some shock from the store. I scattered the shock, let the pump run, backwashed regularly, and repeated with more shock about a day later. I vacuumed the pool and added chlorine tabs to the skimmers and filter basket. I went out of town and returned to a very clean pool with gunk on the bottom, so I vacuumed again. My pool now looks like it is ready to dive in, but I took a water sample to the store and am distressed by what I see.
My readings are:
FC 10
TC 10
pH 6.35
Calcium Hardness 175
TA 50
Stabilizer 39
copper .02
TDS 400
I want to use the BBB method this year instead of the tabs, and was just trying to use up the tabs I had before converting over. So my question is about how to raise my pH, raise my TA and put things in the right level to be effective with the BBB method.
I read a post on this forum about using soda ash and Jason's calculator says to add quite alot, but it also says to use baking soda to raise the TA. Doesnt' one raise the other as well?
If I remove the chlorine tabs from the skimmer and run the pump over night will the TC fall significantly or do I need to drain some water to lower it and stabilize things across the board.
I apologize in advance for asking any newbie questions.
Thanks!
Mitch
I am nervous posting for my first time in this forum. I opened my pool as best I know how recently, but my pH and TA are both low and I'm not sure the right way to raise them, not sure what to stop doing, or how to go about ceasing the tab method for the bbb method.
First let me tell you about my pool. Its roughly 20,000 inground, vinyl liner, DE filter, 2 skimers plus bottom drain. It came with the house last summer when we moved in but I received no instructions from the previous owners. A neighbor was nice enough to help me get organized, but it was still a painful winter. I had a leak in my pump that required repair and my skimmers weren't configured to actually support the total flow of the system. I have been on the crash course for awhile.
Anyway, last weekend I bought some shock from the store. I scattered the shock, let the pump run, backwashed regularly, and repeated with more shock about a day later. I vacuumed the pool and added chlorine tabs to the skimmers and filter basket. I went out of town and returned to a very clean pool with gunk on the bottom, so I vacuumed again. My pool now looks like it is ready to dive in, but I took a water sample to the store and am distressed by what I see.
My readings are:
FC 10
TC 10
pH 6.35
Calcium Hardness 175
TA 50
Stabilizer 39
copper .02
TDS 400
I want to use the BBB method this year instead of the tabs, and was just trying to use up the tabs I had before converting over. So my question is about how to raise my pH, raise my TA and put things in the right level to be effective with the BBB method.
I read a post on this forum about using soda ash and Jason's calculator says to add quite alot, but it also says to use baking soda to raise the TA. Doesnt' one raise the other as well?
If I remove the chlorine tabs from the skimmer and run the pump over night will the TC fall significantly or do I need to drain some water to lower it and stabilize things across the board.
I apologize in advance for asking any newbie questions.
Thanks!
Mitch