We purchased a 15' x 48" Intex Ultra Frame pool and setup on 6/16/16 using a garden hose that has city water. I have never owned a pool before and am only going off the research I've done on this site. I've been running the pump about eight hours a day. I have some questions listed after my testing numbers. And any advice you could give me would be appreciated.
I'm using Tropiclear chemicals from my local pool store.
Pre-chemicals -
pH 7.6
TA 130
CH 200
I added 1/2 bag shock, 3 oz algaecide, 1 1/2lb conditioner. I pre-mixed shock in 5 gal bucket and added the conditioner to a sock hanging in front of the return.
6/17/17 -
FC 1-2
CC 0
pH 7.6
TA 170
CH 180
CYA could still see dot at 30
I added another 4 oz shock (enough to raise to 4 ppm) and a little more conditioner to the sock which was empty. I added #6 3" disks to the floating chlorinater and threw that in.
I re-tested that night -
FC 2-4
CYA 50
6/20/16 -
FC 7.5-15
pH 7.4
TA 120
CH 180
CYA 45
I'm thinking about bringing a water sample into my local pool store to be tested tomorrow. They also suggested I do this a week or so after set up so they could make sure there was no metals in the water.
Questions
1. When you're testing the total alkalinity and the calcium hardness am I writing down the number of drops as soon as it turns the pale blue color or the pale red color or as soon as it stabilizes at the darkest it will get? That confusion is why my numbers for those are kind of all over the place.
2. Are my current numbers OK? With the FC being in that range? It's such a huge range. Should I adjust the pH at this point? I took the floating chlorine basket with the 3 inch disks out of the pool tonight after I tested. I'm guessing that maybe why FC has skyrocketed?
3. Is the pool currently safe to swim in?
I'm using Tropiclear chemicals from my local pool store.
Pre-chemicals -
pH 7.6
TA 130
CH 200
I added 1/2 bag shock, 3 oz algaecide, 1 1/2lb conditioner. I pre-mixed shock in 5 gal bucket and added the conditioner to a sock hanging in front of the return.
6/17/17 -
FC 1-2
CC 0
pH 7.6
TA 170
CH 180
CYA could still see dot at 30
I added another 4 oz shock (enough to raise to 4 ppm) and a little more conditioner to the sock which was empty. I added #6 3" disks to the floating chlorinater and threw that in.
I re-tested that night -
FC 2-4
CYA 50
6/20/16 -
FC 7.5-15
pH 7.4
TA 120
CH 180
CYA 45
I'm thinking about bringing a water sample into my local pool store to be tested tomorrow. They also suggested I do this a week or so after set up so they could make sure there was no metals in the water.
Questions
1. When you're testing the total alkalinity and the calcium hardness am I writing down the number of drops as soon as it turns the pale blue color or the pale red color or as soon as it stabilizes at the darkest it will get? That confusion is why my numbers for those are kind of all over the place.
2. Are my current numbers OK? With the FC being in that range? It's such a huge range. Should I adjust the pH at this point? I took the floating chlorine basket with the 3 inch disks out of the pool tonight after I tested. I'm guessing that maybe why FC has skyrocketed?
3. Is the pool currently safe to swim in?
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