Opening Another Pool...

[Casey]

Thinking I should have put this in the Algae Section. Mods, feel free to move if it will help keep the boards cleaner. 8)

Hello. I'm getting around, I'll tell ya!

My SIL just took her cover off her 27x5ft round aboveground. I figure her gallonage to be 21,400. The water is pretty clear except for a layer of algae on the bottom and sides.

Here are her readings via the TF-100 <hang onto your keyboards>

FC 0
pH 4 <I'm guestimating because the color was lighter than 6.8 and almost looked to be the color of 1ppm chlorine on the other side of the test vial for the chlorine>
TA 10 <changed to purple and took 1 drop to turn pink>
CH <didn't test>
CYA 0

So I know I have to get the pH up right away! I hope to do that tomorrow as soon as we get the pump running. It needs a new hose that goes from the pump into the sand filter.

Pool Cal says I need:
1,474 oz of Borax to get to 7.5
452 oz Baking Soda to get to 100
114oz CYA to get to 40ppm

I picked her up one 4lb container of CYA that I'm gonna add as soon as I get the pH and TA in line.

I'm gonna assume that it will be safe to add 6 boxes of Borax and 7 boxes of Baking Soda within minutes of each other or should I wait a half hour for each? <Note: I'm not adding all the borax at once, I actually cut the amount of 1,474 oz in half and got about 6 boxes to start off with> <--- Does that sound okay to start? The 452oz of Baking soda comes out to 7 4lb boxes which I didn't cut in half.

They want to try and have this pool ready by Sunday for a birthday party. Here's my plan... tell me if it will work. Top the pool off. Throw the hose in and vac the bottom to waste since they have a sand filter. Refill and add chems. Will it shorten the shock process getting some of the live algae off the bottom first before we shock cuz I know it's gonna turn milky white once we start killing it. I also plan to add a cup of DE to help filter it out faster. What do you think? Am I on the right track?

 

[duraleigh]

I also plan to add a cup of DE to help filter it out faster

I don't think I would do that. The DE will plug the filter more quickly and may cause you to backwash far too often. I would clear the pooljust using sand and down the road consider adding DE.

The rest of your plan looks okay.

 

[Casey]

Yeah, I wasn't gonna add it right away but after I got to the 1% milky stage.

Sounds good! Thanks for your reassurance. 8)

 

[dmanb2b]

FC 0 - Add Bleach
pH 4 add the borax in increments, so you don;t overshoot...also given your low TA, you may consider using PH plus or A&H laundry booster as it will raise PH and TA, more than borax will raise TAof 1ppm chlorine on the other side of the test vial for the chlorine>
TA 10 <changed to purple and took 1 drop to turn pink>
CH <didn't test>
CYA 0 4lbs will only get you to about 25ppm...114oz is about 7 lbs

So I know I have to get the pH up right away! I hope to do that tomorrow as soon as we get the pump running. It needs a new hose that goes from the pump into the sand filter.

Pool Cal says I need:
1,474 oz of Borax to get to 7.5
452 oz Baking Soda to get to 100
114oz CYA to get to 40ppm

I picked her up one 4lb container of CYA that I'm gonna add as soon as I get the pH and TA in line.

I'm gonna assume that it will be safe to add 6 boxes of Borax and 7 boxes of Baking Soda within minutes of each other or should I wait a half hour for each? <Note: I'm not adding all the borax at once, I actually cut the amount of 1,474 oz in half and got about 6 boxes to start off with> <--- Does that sound okay to start? The 452oz of Baking soda comes out to 7 4lb boxes which I didn't cut in half.

They want to try and have this pool ready by Sunday for a birthday party. Here's my plan... tell me if it will work. Top the pool off. Throw the hose in and vac the bottom to waste since they have a sand filter. Refill and add chems. Will it shorten the shock process getting some of the live algae off the bottom first before we shock cuz I know it's gonna turn milky white once we start killing it. I also plan to add a cup of DE to help filter it out faster. What do you think? Am I on the right track?

I think your on the right track, but Sunday is really questionable...anything is possible, but the odds are stacked against you...given the growth on the walls/floor, I will guess when you start dumping chlorine in, it will green up and then turn cloudy...2-3 days to finish the shocking....and a sand filter can take anywhere from 1-3 weeks to clear a cloudy pool...but we'll say a little TFP prayer for you...good luck

edited by TMQ to fix quote

 

[Casey]

I know the 4 lbs will only take me to 25ppm of CYA but it's better than nothing. It will have to do. The good thing is, the pool does get shade so I think it will be okay. For. Now.

The pH is very low. I'm only adding half the reccommended dosage to bring it up. Pool Cal says to add a total of 1,474 oz which is roughly 12 4lb12oz boxes. Seems like a lot!

Borax, only raises pH I believe unless it raises TA just a bit but I'm using 7 4lb boxes of BS to raise TA. Washing soda is hard to find around here. I saw one box on a supermarket shelf and that's the first time I've ever seen it all my life and running around wasting gas to find it is unreasonable to me, I'll just get the BS and Borax.

As for Sunday, I'll give her a go! I saw Backglass do his in 5 days here. I wanna walk in his foot steps. 8)

 

[dmanb2b]

wish you the best of luck...it sound like a plan...keep us posted...you know we are all willing to help you meet that deadline...now get to work...not time to spare

 

[Casey]

Yeah, I know! Wish I could start tonight but I need that replacement hose! I will certainly let you know if I meet that dead line! Shock Shock Shock

:lol:

 

[Casey]

Just an update...

Pool was clear on Sunday. I didn't get to see it til today <Monday> because I passed a kidney stone the night of the 4th. Spent the night in the ER from 2am-6am early Sunday high out of my mind on good drugs. Still having some pain but getting better.

The pool looks good. I knew we could do it, just wasn't sure if 4 days was going to be enough time to get r' done. 8)

 

[dmanb2b]

Excellent on the Pool On the stones...hope you feel better soon