I just bought a house with an inground pool, details in signature line. After closing, water was clear, but lots of garbage in bottom of the pool, and the water smelled like a swamp.
Having had a pool at the parent's house years ago, decided to add some shock and chlorinate the water. All I had was test strips, showing good PH and alkalinity, no CYA or FC. Added 4 lbs of powdered pool shock and was surprised at the resulting changes to the pool. This was Friday, found out that the pool was previously maintained using Baqaucil.
Since then, I have been shocking the pool every day, I have gone through about 15 lbs of powder shock and 4 gallons of liquid shock. As of Saturday, I was unable to get a FC reading to even register on test strips, and the water would still change colors every time I shocked it.
Since I have found this site, I used up all my remaining pool shock on Saturday evening to try to get a FC reading of 15ppm (I know its impossible to verify with just test strips), also have a source of cases of bleach from a wholesale restaurant distributor now. Today was the first day that my test strips were able to detect any FC in the pool, it was at around 3 ppm 24hrs after shocking, and the water is starting to clear up (I can see the bottom of the shallow end now).
I ordered the TF-100xl with stirrer today to get some accurate numbers, but looking for advice on how to continue until it arrives. Should I just keep shocking it until I get the test kit, and guesstimate where I am with the test strips until then? I backwash the filter after 10 psi of pressure rise, which happens about every day and a half. Is there light at the end of the tunnel, or do I have a ways to go on this yet. I know I'll have to change my filter sand soon, I just wish I had known about this site before I got myself into this.
Having had a pool at the parent's house years ago, decided to add some shock and chlorinate the water. All I had was test strips, showing good PH and alkalinity, no CYA or FC. Added 4 lbs of powdered pool shock and was surprised at the resulting changes to the pool. This was Friday, found out that the pool was previously maintained using Baqaucil.
Since then, I have been shocking the pool every day, I have gone through about 15 lbs of powder shock and 4 gallons of liquid shock. As of Saturday, I was unable to get a FC reading to even register on test strips, and the water would still change colors every time I shocked it.
Since I have found this site, I used up all my remaining pool shock on Saturday evening to try to get a FC reading of 15ppm (I know its impossible to verify with just test strips), also have a source of cases of bleach from a wholesale restaurant distributor now. Today was the first day that my test strips were able to detect any FC in the pool, it was at around 3 ppm 24hrs after shocking, and the water is starting to clear up (I can see the bottom of the shallow end now).
I ordered the TF-100xl with stirrer today to get some accurate numbers, but looking for advice on how to continue until it arrives. Should I just keep shocking it until I get the test kit, and guesstimate where I am with the test strips until then? I backwash the filter after 10 psi of pressure rise, which happens about every day and a half. Is there light at the end of the tunnel, or do I have a ways to go on this yet. I know I'll have to change my filter sand soon, I just wish I had known about this site before I got myself into this.
