New House and new IG Pool - Advice please

[MeSue]

Hello,

We moved in December to a new house with a new IG pool. I have been ignoring the pool while the weather was cool, but now it is starting to warm up so I need to work on getting the chemistry in balance.

Concrete pool
11,000 gallons
Sand filter
Solar heating
Hayward CL200 Chlorinator
Screen enclosed


Here are my test results from a few weeks ago and again just now:

1/21/18
Chlorine 1
Ph 8.2
CYA 100
TA 90
Calcium 330
Temp 60

2/7/18
Chlorine 0
Ph 8.2
CYA 80
TA not tested
Calcium not tested
Temp 77

No visible algae.
I have a solar cover on it for now.

All I have done so far is backwash it down about 4 inches and I haven't topped it off yet--hoping rain will take care of it.
I'm sure the chlorinator is empty by now, but I haven't opened it up. Figuring I don't want to use Trichlor with the CYA so high.
I have a mostly-full 2.5 gallon jug of 10.5% liquid chlorine on hand. Also have most of a jug of muratic acid.

Would appreciate your advice for the water chemistry and whatever advice you have for someone new to having an inground pool. I have pool experience but it was above ground, vinyl liner, and SWG.

Let me know if I left out anything. Thanks in advance!

 

[Texas Splash]

Hi Sue! Nice set-up there, and glad the conversion went well for you. First question - please confirm which test kit you are using. Perhaps add it to your list of items in your signature as well so we don't keep asking. :blah: Definitely get that pH lowered right away with muriatic acid. Do it in stages if needed to not go too low, but get it down to about 7.5-ish or so. Always try to keep it from exceeding 7.8 if you can. Use the Poolmath calculator for dosage assistance.

Good thing you realize the CYA is at its max and switched to bleach/chlorine. Does that mean your SWG is not working, or do you know?

Lastly, with an FC of <1, your water is open to algae, even if you don't see it yet. I would get that FC bumped up to a healthy 10 or so this evening and you might even consider doing an overnight test to ensure there are no problems about to happen. Pool School - Perform the Overnight FC Loss Test (OCLT)

And since it's been a couple weeks, at your next opportunity go ahead and post all the numbers again so we can compare everything as some of those are inter-related to each other. It might help paint a better picture of your water's condition. Hope that helps.

 

[MeSue]

I think my sig was causing confusion. I just updated it again.

TF Test kit
No SWG in this pool... that was my old pool.

Will get some chlorine in right now and start on lowering pH.

 

[MeSue]

Not having any overnight chlorine loss. It was 8.5 last night and 8 this morning with 0 CCs. Got the pH down to 7.4.
Current numbers:
Chlorine: 8
Ph: 7.4
CYA: 70-80
TA: 90
Calcium: 330, probably a little lower

I drained some water and refilled since I measured CYA and Calcium, so those are probably slightly lower.

Anything else I should be doing?

In my last pool I used to keep the borates at around 50 with borax at the start of the season and I almost never had to adjust pH after that. Is it okay to do the same with a concrete pool and no SWG?

 

[mknauss]

You may use borates if you like.

If you use tablets in your chlorinator be aware of rising CYA and dropping pH and TA.

I would suggest removing the old pool completely from your signature. Just a potential point of confusion.

Take care.

 

[Texas Splash]

Passed the OCLT - Based on what you've done and your current numbers, you are looking quite well. Hopefully the condition of the water reflects the same thing - crystal clear.

I have to be honest ... I haven't used borates so I'm not the best person to advise on that one. Other than the TFP page, Borates - Why and How, I suspect another member will give you some advise on that one. But for now, good job on your testing and getting the numbers where they are. Have a nice weekend.