Newbie - started managing my pool 2 weeks

[clonelion]

HI,

Thanks to everyone in this great forum for helping newbies out. Great information here.
I purchased a home in Dallas last year and a pool company managed the pool. I started managing my own. Read the basics form this forum and trying my best to understand.
Pool store says pol looks good, but my LaMotte results are way off.I ordered a TF-100 to just to be sure.
Just want to know if I am doing OK. The water temp is around 61" and it is getting warm slowly here. Pool company said no need to add chemicals during winter and no one is swimming.
The pool store asked me to add Alkalinity increaser and that took the Alkalinity to very high levels after adding nearly 10 pounds.

Using the PoolMath to understand and buying my chemicals at Walmart. Just want to check with experts here to see if I am going in the right path.
Water is clear and no issues with the pool.

Desc.	Free Available Chlorine ( FAC)	Total Avail. Chlorine (TAC)	PH	Alkalinity	Calcium Hardness	Filter Pressure	Cyanuric Acid	Salt	Borate	Source	Activity Performed
Label	FCL	TCL	PH	ALY	CH		CYA	Salt
Range	4 -6	less than a .5	7.5 - 7.8	60 - 80	350 - 450	20	70 - 80	2800-3200	30-50
Target	5	0	7.6	70				3400
2/22/2016	0	0	8		160	20				Pool Store	Filter Backwash
2/26/2016	0	0	7.6		200	20				Pool Store
2/26/2016	0.02	0.07	7.9	149	215	20	17			Home
2/27/2016	4.22	4.38	7.7	165	197	20				Home
3/4/2016	0.14	0.33	8.1	170	172	20	16	800		home	added bleach
3/5/2016	5.48	5.49	7.7	157	116	20	19	800
3/6/2016	3.53	3.64	7.6	166	110	20	18	800		Home	added 8 lbs - stabilizer . Added 12 lbs Calcium, 5 bags of salt
3/7/2016	2.74	2.9	7.6	165	196	20	63	2000

 

[Patrick_B]

Welcome to TFP!

Good move on the new kit. Once you get it, the best course of action will be to run your own chemistry with it, and make changes based on that. For now, without knowing more like your Cya level, I would suggest keeping FC at 3.0-5.0 minimum. It will not be long before Algae can grow with the water temps we are seeing.

With the elevated TA you now have, pH will rise quickly. I would suggest checking the pH a few times a week minimum and adjusting to a lower end of the range, like 7.2-7.3. Your TA will come down if you maintain this regemine over the coming weeks. It's going to take some time, but focus hard on the pH, and keep at it as suggested. This is all I would do until the TF100 arrives. Check out pool school some as you have time. Even if you've read it, please begin again there with the ABCs. Enjoy the forum, and ask questions if they arise.

 

[Texas Splash]

TF-100 - absolutely the best thing you could've done for your pool so far. I hope you also asked of the "Speed Stir". If not, keep it in mind for the near future to mix like a pro effortlessly. Glad to see you're so proactive and taking charge. Let us know if we can help. Welcome!

 

[pooldv]

Welcome to TFP! Congrats on the new pool!

Dang pool store got your TA too high! We call that getting "pool stored". With your own test kit you won't have to worry about that anymore.

 

[clonelion]

I ordered the speed stir just now. Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[NeedMoreSun]

Congrats, and you'll love the improvements and the help from so many here I've learned to rely on as well

LOL, when we bought our house I started on getting all new equipment in and THEN transition away from the pool guy the previous owners had. It was exactly a TA issue that got him fired much more quickly. I had it down to around 70 and my SWG also just finally turned on. He was previously told I only only want test results, but no changes unless approved. Then one day I heard "splash" and I yelled "What the H was that?". He dumped a huge bucket of sodium bicarb in and jacked up my TA, my PH spiked to I think about 8.2, and I wasn't real happy. You'll love it when you can test yourself and then find the balance your pool just seems to like.

You can also then be entertained by pool stores who try to get you to buy stuff to put the levels BACK to what doesn't work. Priceless!