New and confused

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PK56

0
Apr 13, 2017
31
Metairie, LA
Pool Size
8608
Surface
Vinyl
Chlorine
Liquid Chlorine
Hi I just joined TFP. 10 years ago I had an AGP and I depended entirely upon the pool store to help me keep it clean. (For about 15 years). 10 years later I convinced my hubby that we needed another pool for the grandkids -- also the deck he built around the first one is still in excellent condition and, with retirement coming up I want to make use of my outdoor areas.
Anyway, I do NOT want to depend upon the pool stores again so I joined this wonderful site with all this wonderful info. First thing I did was buy a test kit (thank you Amazon) A Taylor K-2006 to be specific.

Now to confused. I couldn't figure out how to use it! No instructions! THanks to this site I did figure out how to test for chlorine -- which it appears I have NONE.
I just finished filling the pool on Sunday and put nothing in it so that figures. I came home late last night and threw about 90 ounces of grocery store bleach in. HUbby thinks I'm crazy. I have questions...
1. The bleach had no % on label so how can I tell how much chlorine is in it?
2. Tested the PH and I believe it's 7.6 but it's a pink shaded test and I don't feel comfortable with my guess. Is there a better way?

My plan is to test again this afternoon for chlorine-that should tell me if I have any, assuming I'm doing that test correctly. What else am I missing? Pool still looks ok.
Sorry this is so long!
 
You probably haven't got any FC left as you also haven't added any cya stabilizer. Remember that chlorine is a consumable item in a pool. The sun will burn chlorine off, as well as heavy bather load and any debris or pee in the pool. So you have to replenish the chlorine daily (perhaps every other day if you're lucky) or use an automatic method to do it for you. One way is by the use of a salt water chlorine generator or a stenner pump that slowly injects bleach in to the pool daily.

Bleach sold at most markets is now 8.25%. If what you're buying isn't listed as such, don't buy it. Discount bleach is often only 3%, which is like expensive water. Buy at Walmart either the 8.25% in the laundry aisle or the higher % in the pool aisle which is 10%. Do NOT buy from Lowes or Home Depot as they store it outside where it weakens.

Do a full set of tests and list them for us like this:
FC
CC
pH
TA
CH
CYA

Hold a piece of white paper behind the pH testing block to help you read the pH. Have someone else read it too... you'll get used to it.

You did get the 2006 version of the Taylor kit, right?? Not 2005 or something else?? Weird that it didn't have instructions.

Yippee :flower:
 
Thanks for such quick response
My test results
FC. 0
Cc. 0
Ph 7.8
Ta. 120
Cya. 30
Actually I think cya might be 0 as 30 is lowest and water is clear
Ive been putting bleach every night but think need to lower my alkalinity and I have pH minus (sodium bisulfate) s so please could I get some guidance as to how much and what order to add acid chlorine and how to raise cya?
 
Ok, You need to add some CYA. You're in a sunny part of the country so lets take it up a bit which also makes it easier to test. Using PoolMath I'm going to assume its zero as you suspect but don't want to over do it. So lets put in 30 ounces of granular CYA in a sock and hang that in front of a return (like on a stick so its not touching the pool wall) and let that dissolve. You can squeeze it now and then to speed it up.

Then immediately after you hang that sock of CYA, go ahead and add 1/2 jug of 8.25% bleach and mix it up with the pump running. This should bring you up to about 4ppm. Remember, don't buy any jugs of bleach that don't list the %. Buy from a store with good turn over in stock so you know its fresh. Walmart is a good source, also check their pool supply aisle to compare prices on the 10% they have there.

Lets get comfortable with the FC/CYA before worrying about your TA. TA isn't vital at this point, but getting and keeping FC in the water *is*.

Until your CYA is showing up on your test keep putting 1/2 jug of bleach in daily. It should only take a day or two to register the CYA.

How does your water look?? Is it still clear?

Yippee :flower:
 
Ya'll are awesome! Yes my pool water looks really good - very clear (and it's been raining every day here!)
I read somewhere on here about pool liners getting faded and damaged so now I'm worrying about that! Anyway, before I read your post I didn't want to go to sleep without doing anything (I go to work pretty early) I put in 64 oz of bleach (8.25%) that I got from Big Lots. Then, after reading how to raise my CYA I put 1 cup of stabilizer (granulated that I add left over from my pool store last year) in a sock. But I put it in my skimmer cause I couldn't figure out how to hang it in my pool otherwise.
So 1st question...is the stabilizer going to work? I definitely didn't put enough. (and what are consequences of putting it in skimmer?) Will test it as soon as I get home today.
#2. I got the bleach from Big Lots and I was excited to find a bottle with the % on it! But on second thought, I think Big Lots is a second hand store and maybe not reliable enough to trust that it is fresh? (Walmart is kind of a pain for me to get to).
#3 How do ya'll keep enough bleach around to keep adding every day? I don't mind the chore as I usually check out my pool daily, but I'm concerned about keeping quantities of fresh bottles around all summer.
ALso, I've been running my pump 24/7, which I do a lot during the summer (New Orleans is hot and humid and often rainy all year) Pool store always said it wouldn't hurt my pump but I really don't trust them. I had to dump my water this year after opening due to their "advice". Which is what brought me here, so one good thing came out of it!
Thanks again for everyone's input!
 
I buy about 6 bottles of bleach whenever I go to the store... I have a shelf in my garage I put them on :)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
The stabilizer if going to help! It might not be enough but its a start. You can find granular stabilizer at Lowes, Home Depot, Walmart, Pool stores... just grab one. They usually come in 4# jugs.

I don't shop at Big Lots so can't say for sure....but can you pick some up at the grocery store when you go? Ask your pool store if they sell liquid chlorine, it will usually be stronger and you may have to put a deposit down on the carboy container, but it may be well worth using if the price is right.

Keep the pump going while the stabilizer is dissolving. Pumps are meant to work that way. For this time, the pool store was right.

Have you considered using a salt water chlorine generator? That saves me from having to lug jugs of chlorine home.

Yippee :flower:
 
Good news I finally got a register for chlorine!
FC. 1.4
Cc and cya still 0
So I hung 30 oz of stabilizer by the outtake and dumped 60 oz of chlorine in 8%
Hopefully this will bring it up enough! Thanks!
 
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