pH and Ak low cloudy water - Arm&Hammer?

[Hoffmans]

Test numbers from this morning are as follows:

FC 14.6 (shocked last night w/ 22gallons of 6%)
CC 0
pH 6.8
TA 140 for red 120 for pink

Hi Everyone,
Hoffmans here, from Bens Forum at PoolSolutions.
This is my first time posting over here.
Thank you to all the oldtimers over there. Dennis, Matt 4x4, MWMmom, Al, ChemGeek, CarlD, WaterBear and so many more.

All has been well these past few years pool wise and water wise.
Will post a pick soon if anyone is interested in viewing the end of the saga of our pool & deck build.

Water was green this spring.
Been working & working to get it clear.
Got rid of the green but has been cloudy for weeks.
It is cloudy blue now- Still !!
I suspect lots of dead algae in there.?

I think I need to increase my pH and TA.
Do I use Super Washing Soda for the pH AND Baking soda for the TA? Or do I just up the pH and see if the TA rises on its own?
I have 5 boxes of this: Each box is 55oz (3Lb 7oz)
How do i figure out how much Super washing soda "pH up" to use?

Our pool is 33' round above ground.
Roughly 26,000gallons
Sand filter- 2speed pump.
Robo-Kleen
Pool Skim

These Pictures are from summer '08.
Still working on the deck this spring.

yikes those are some big pictures.
sorry about that

 

[257WbyMag]

Welcome to TFP!

I was never a member of Ben's site. You are right though, there are quite a few folks here at TFP who were at one point.

Best tool to help you calculate you chem dosages is Jason's Pool Calculator. You'll see the link in my sig. Works great every time!

You probably want to wait to make pH adjustments until your FC get below 10 ppm. pH readings tend to be funny once you get above an FC of 10 and are usually not all that accurate.

Your TA, whether 120 or 140, is on the high side. Any reason why you are wanting to raise it? It's not crazy high, unless you are running an SWG, in which case you would want it lower to the 70 to 90 ppm range. If it's not a SWG pool though, 100 to 120 is fine.

 

[Hoffmans]

You are right 257WbMag.
I think I need to up my pH and lower my Ak.
So if I add Super Washing Soda will make my Ak worse?

Thank You
Hoffmans

 

[JasonLion]

High FC levels tend to make the PH read higher than it actually is, which means your PH is way too low.

Based on the numbers you posted, TA is on the high side, not low.

If both PH and TA are low at the same time, it is best to use soda ash, which is the same thing as A&H Super Washing Soda. Add soda ash/washing soda until the PH is 7.2-7.4 or so, and then see where your TA is.

Since your TA is actually on the high end, you want to use borax, which won't raise the TA nearly as much as washing soda will.

 

[257WbyMag]

Yes, washing soda will raise your TA.

How are the rest of your numbers? CYA and calcium hardness (CH).

Have you been backwashing your filter? Killing off a big bunch of algae would mean that you are going to need to backwash fairly often. And with a sand filter, it may take a few days of 24/7 pump time to clear things up even after your FC holds over night.

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

WELCOME

Do you have a way to aerate effectively? Since your TA is up a bit, your PH should rise thru aeration and then you're TA won't change at all. Got a fountain?

 

[Hoffmans]

Sorry I forgot to post my CYA.
CYA= 0
Adding CYA now see pic below.

Wish i would have read your reply B4 I added 2 boxes of Washing Soda.
Oh well too late now.
It did bring my pH up to 7.8 ish.
And took my TA up to 180.
Will the high TA do any damage?

Panty hose full of Stablizer hanging over edge.
Also take note of the cloudy water.
Yes we have been backwashing every day sometimes 2x a day.
We have had the pump running for 2 weeks trying to clear up this cloudy water.
No luck yet.

We just don't know what to do anymore..........


Thanks for your help,
~Hoffmans

 

[JasonLion]

High TA levels don't cause any direct harm. Sometimes they cause the PH to drift up annoyingly. If your PH remains reasonably stable you can leave the TA where it is. If the PH starts to drift up annoyingly you will want to lower TA.

It will get much easier to fight algae when you have some CYA in the water.

 

[Guest]

I am going to recommend that you click on the pool school link on the upper right corner of every page and in my sig, read everything on it, read it a second time, then ask any questions you might have.
If you had done so first you would have known not to add the washing soda!
No real harm done, If you pH rises too fast then you know that you need ot lower the TA.

 

[Hoffmans]

Thanks Waterbear,
I have read it and have read every page over at poolsolutions. It has just been a while and my memory is hazy. I have a couple of seasons of clear water under my belt and think I know everything then whamo- I get socked w/ a good dose of humility.
Does the body good I guess.
We will keep plugging away in hopes of clear water.
Thanks again,
~Hoffmans

 

[CarlD]

Hoffmans:

Just go back to the basics and you should be fine.

It's not hard, it's just a balancing act between FC, pH, CYA and T/A--and mostly T/A isn't a real problem.

When you have algae, you must keep your pH in range (low end, like 7.2, is better) and hammer the water 2 to 3 times per day with chlorine to keep your FC at the CORRECT shock level for your CYA level. Ben's old Best Guess table is still a great way to estimate the FC level you need.

Then remember to brush and to vacuum (to waste ) every day until it clears. It's not rocket science--it's easy!