Things went well under my dome this past winter but as soon as I removed it and tried to start up the swg again it's lights went on for awhile but then out. I checked for deposits on plates and they are clean as new, had electrician check the power in the box and its all good so I believe since it was put in in 2012 it has met its life expectancy even though I would have liked to get another year out of it. Ordered new one and have been pouring in the bleach almost every day, working on getting cya up to summer level and trying to keep ph down. I admit I have not given it my all but checking fc and ph every few days or so, while trying to work out the swg problem. New one arrives and instuctions say Before Installing Balance pool water to PH 7.2-7.8, CH 200-400, alk 80-120, Superchlorinate the pool set stabilizer to 30-50ppm Ensure no phosphates or nitrates in pool set salt to 3200-3400ppm. So there's that nasty word "phosphates" So I do my own full testing with my TF-100 kit and I get fc 0 tc 0 (it's very hot here in OK) ph 7.8 ch 240 alk 60 cya 60 and remembering something on here about phosphates I decided to send hubby to the dreaded pool store to get full testing and with strict instructions not to buy anything! their results are FC 0 tc 0 salt 2700 ch 240 cya 60 alk 60 ph 8 and the nasty posphates 1000! So before doing anything I come here to jog my memory about them and after reading some forums I know why I have not worried about them before but now I'm concerned about putting in the new swg and am wondering in what order I should do my balancing and how long to wait between each and when done should I still not worry about phosphates and go ahead and install new swg? Water is not green but slightly cloudy and I do believe I see tiny spots of algae begining on steps. Thanks for any help
Could use some help
- Thread starter Sharlotte
- Start date
Forget about the phosphates.
You just need to maintain adequate FC for your CYA level ... given that it sounds like you let the FC drop too low and you see algae, you need to follow the ShockLevelAndMAINTAIN Process. After you pass the 3 criteria to stop, then install the new SWG and balance for its use.
You just need to maintain adequate FC for your CYA level ... given that it sounds like you let the FC drop too low and you see algae, you need to follow the ShockLevelAndMAINTAIN Process. After you pass the 3 criteria to stop, then install the new SWG and balance for its use.
- Mar 24, 2014
- 2,455
- Pool Size
- 32000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool SJ-55
I don't know about phosphates or SWG to be honest, but you should go ahead and SLAM regardless. SWG is normally off for that anyway.
Hopefully someone else will be along, but I'm guessing you don't need to worry about phosphates.
Hopefully someone else will be along, but I'm guessing you don't need to worry about phosphates.
Thanks, I really have never had to go through this process before. I brought the alk up to 80 and ph down to 7.2 then started dumping in the bleach. I am rather timid since a pool cleaning service fried my first heater with too much chlorine so I started with 4 gallons got fc up to 16 (tested after 4 hours) added 2 more, then 2 more, then 3 more checking every 1-3 hours and the highest I've gotten is 17.5. Just put in my last gallon and cleaned baskets of leaves deposited by the thunderstorm that went thru a while ago. Thinking I should have been more aggressive in the beginning? If I read right I should get it up to 24 and keep it up there until it doesn't lose over 1 over night? The water looks very clear and I can't see any little spots on the bottom anymore but the water really looked clear from above before I started, I could only see the cloudyness when swimming with a mask which I can't do with all the bleach of course. Am I moving in the right direction? Going to get another couple of cases of bleach at Aldi in the morning. Should I just put a goal of 24 in the pool math calculator and whatever my morning reading is and dump in whatever amount it says? Started to do that today but like I said I'm a little timid and thought I could get it up there slowly. At this rate I may need more than a couple of cases. Thanks again
Chlorine doesn't hurt a heater. Low PH below 7.0 "fries" heaters.
It is safe to swim when FC is above minimum and up to shock level for your CYA, [FC/CYA][/FC/CYA]
It is safe to swim when FC is above minimum and up to shock level for your CYA, [FC/CYA][/FC/CYA]
Ok excuse my many questions please. According to the pool math and your chart since my cya is 60 and my FC dropped to 7 over night I now need to add 4 more gallons of bleach right? I then check it every few hours and add more to keep it up to 24? Please a yes or no answer and if no what do I do? Thanks
Yes that is exactly right. Keep on it and make sure you brush your pool too. Check the percentage of bleach you are using, and make sure you put that percentage in Pool Math so that it gives you an accurate dosage. Most "concentrated" laundry bleach is 8.25%. Regular is 6.25. If you are buying discount brand and it doesn't list the sodium hypochlorite percentage on the bottle chances are it is less than 3%. I accidentally bought a bottle of 2.25% bleach once! Not even good enough for the laundry! Lol
- Mar 24, 2014
- 2,455
- Pool Size
- 32000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool SJ-55
By the time I got back from Aldi with 4 cases of bleach the fc had dropped to 5 so dumped in 9.1 64 oz bottles of 8.25. After 1 1/2 hours it was 26 at one end of pool and 23 at the other. waited 2 more hours and its down to 17 added 3.1 bottles and brushed again. But since it is so hot out there I am going to ask you experts a stupid question why am I brushing? Is it to mix the bleach around? The few leaves that got to the bottom last night are the only thing I'm pushing around with the brush. Or is there some nasty stuff I can't see coating my fiberglass? I know the directions say it may take awhile to finish this procedure so I'm wondering should I go buy more bleach? I have 11 64 oz bottles and a partial bottle left. Do you guys have stock in a bleach company? just kidding
LOL, yep you're making my bleach stock go up ^^^! 
Brushing is to make sure algae doesn't grow on the pool walls and if it is there to better expose it to the chlorine.
Brushing is to make sure algae doesn't grow on the pool walls and if it is there to better expose it to the chlorine.
LOL! Thanks! Just got home from dinner it's dropped to 16. Going out to dump in more bleach but at least I'm laughing.
Glad you are laughing now!!!Similar threads
