Ok, so pretty much brand new.

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Hornhead84

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Jul 4, 2009
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Ok, so my family has had this pool for awhile and my dad has just been putting random amounts of chlorine in it to keep the algae at bay. He brought home a test kit and I've been messing with it as a hobby.

This thing is the kit:
http://www.lesliespool.com/browse/Home/ ... 00/I/18547

Test results show: (If I'm reading it right)
0.5 ppm FC
0.5 ppm TC (same color as the drops I add so I dont know how reliable these chlorine numbers are.)
<6.8 pH
0-10ppm AT

These are the only 4 tests included in my kit. I hope they are enough to get me started.

Other information:
The pool is about 5000 gallons and the chart says to add 1.5 lbs of soda ash to raise the pH. I have done that 3 days in a row to no avail. Keep doin it?

The water is not green, it's not particularly cloudy, but it does hurt the eyes.

Reading the directions on the tabs my dad was using for chlorine it says to add one tab a week for every 10000 gallons of water, and it's a 5000 gallon pool. He has 6 tabs in the pool at once... and the FC reading is 0.5. I'm confused.
 
Hi and Welcome.

Even though the water is clear, there are organics present that are consuming the chlorine as soon as it is added, which is why you are not seeing adequate levels from the tablets. Have you added any chlorine from any other source other than tablets?

When you say "had this pool for awhile" - how long? Have all 6 tablets dissolved? How many times has he put in 6 tablets? If we can determine how many tablets have been added, we can guestimate the CYA level. In order to properly shock the pool, you need to know your CYA levels. Do you have any idea how high your CYA/stabilizer might be? Do you have anyway you can test the CYA?

You have an o.k. kit, it's not ideal but we can make it work for now.

A side effect of the tablets is they are acidic and they lower PH and TA, and if the water was low on these levels to start with, thus the problem you are seeing now.

Your 10ppm AT I think you mean TA. This is too low and when it's that low, you will have problems with PH.

Here's what I suggest for your pool situation:

Today, if possible (given the Holiday) go pick up Baking Soda and Borax. You need 7 lbs of Baking Soda. Predissolve it in a bucket of pool water and pour it in front of the return flow, brush the pool, let the pump run for an hour and then add 1 and 1/2 cups of Borax, same method. Brush, let that run for another hour. You should be able to find both Baking Soda and Borax at the local grocery stores, there must be one open today.

Then pour in one small jug of 6% bleach. This should raise your FC to 10. Wait an hour after adding the bleach and test for chlorine. When you do your chlorine test, take the water sample in a cup, dilute the sample with a 50/50 mix of pool water and unchlorinated water (does your tap water have chlorine? otherwise use distilled water) and you can test up to 10 FC.

If your pool doesn't show 10 FC after this bleach has been added, if it shows .5 or that low again, add another jug. (YOu should buy 4-5 jugs for today.)

In the meantime, you need to read Pool School - How to Shock Your Pool, and Defeating Algae.

You need to learn how to use the Pool Calculator, this tells you how much bleach to add, and the other chems I mentioned. Instructions for using the Pool Calc are in Pool School.

So today fix the PH/TA. Find out your CYA level, and add bleach until a FC of 10 holds overnight and the water is clear. If your CYA level is higher (right now I have no idea how high it could be) your shock level could be higher than 10. But you can safely dose up to 10 FC without knowing the CYA level.
 
Wow, tyvm. Super informative. OK, the baking soda is added and im getting the borox and bleach right now. We do plan to use the pool today, so at what points is the pool unsafe to swim? directly after the bleach im guessing... any other time?

(I'll add the info to my sig sometime today.)
 
Ok, my alkalinity is now 70 ppm so that's good. Chlorines are still both < 0.5. I've added 1 1/2 cups of Borax, an hour later the pH is still too low to measure with my test kit.

Should I keep doing the Borax by 1 1/2 cups until the pH is right before adding the bleach?

Edit: i guess to be clear: i havnt added bleach yet, i just remember reading that the pH should be right before you add bleach
 
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